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Sample records for simple visual evaluation

Dynamic functional brain networks involved in simple visual discrimination learning.

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Fidalgo, Camino; Conejo, Nélida María; González-Pardo, Héctor; Arias, Jorge Luis

2014-10-01

Visual discrimination tasks have been widely used to evaluate many types of learning and memory processes. However, little is known about the brain regions involved at different stages of visual discrimination learning. We used cytochrome c oxidase histochemistry to evaluate changes in regional brain oxidative metabolism during visual discrimination learning in a water-T maze at different time points during training. As compared with control groups, the results of the present study reveal the gradual activation of cortical (prefrontal and temporal cortices) and subcortical brain regions (including the striatum and the hippocampus) associated to the mastery of a simple visual discrimination task. On the other hand, the brain regions involved and their functional interactions changed progressively over days of training. Regions associated with novelty, emotion, visuo-spatial orientation and motor aspects of the behavioral task seem to be relevant during the earlier phase of training, whereas a brain network comprising the prefrontal cortex was found along the whole learning process. This study highlights the relevance of functional interactions among brain regions to investigate learning and memory processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Evidence for unlimited capacity processing of simple features in visual cortex.

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White, Alex L; Runeson, Erik; Palmer, John; Ernst, Zachary R; Boynton, Geoffrey M

2017-06-01

Performance in many visual tasks is impaired when observers attempt to divide spatial attention across multiple visual field locations. Correspondingly, neuronal response magnitudes in visual cortex are often reduced during divided compared with focused spatial attention. This suggests that early visual cortex is the site of capacity limits, where finite processing resources must be divided among attended stimuli. However, behavioral research demonstrates that not all visual tasks suffer such capacity limits: The costs of divided attention are minimal when the task and stimulus are simple, such as when searching for a target defined by orientation or contrast. To date, however, every neuroimaging study of divided attention has used more complex tasks and found large reductions in response magnitude. We bridged that gap by using functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure responses in the human visual cortex during simple feature detection. The first experiment used a visual search task: Observers detected a low-contrast Gabor patch within one or four potentially relevant locations. The second experiment used a dual-task design, in which observers made independent judgments of Gabor presence in patches of dynamic noise at two locations. In both experiments, blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals in the retinotopic cortex were significantly lower for ignored than attended stimuli. However, when observers divided attention between multiple stimuli, BOLD signals were not reliably reduced and behavioral performance was unimpaired. These results suggest that processing of simple features in early visual cortex has unlimited capacity.
Simple Smartphone-Based Guiding System for Visually Impaired People.

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Lin, Bor-Shing; Lee, Cheng-Che; Chiang, Pei-Ying

2017-06-13

Visually impaired people are often unaware of dangers in front of them, even in familiar environments. Furthermore, in unfamiliar environments, such people require guidance to reduce the risk of colliding with obstacles. This study proposes a simple smartphone-based guiding system for solving the navigation problems for visually impaired people and achieving obstacle avoidance to enable visually impaired people to travel smoothly from a beginning point to a destination with greater awareness of their surroundings. In this study, a computer image recognition system and smartphone application were integrated to form a simple assisted guiding system. Two operating modes, online mode and offline mode, can be chosen depending on network availability. When the system begins to operate, the smartphone captures the scene in front of the user and sends the captured images to the backend server to be processed. The backend server uses the faster region convolutional neural network algorithm or the you only look once algorithm to recognize multiple obstacles in every image, and it subsequently sends the results back to the smartphone. The results of obstacle recognition in this study reached 60%, which is sufficient for assisting visually impaired people in realizing the types and locations of obstacles around them.
Simple Smartphone-Based Guiding System for Visually Impaired People

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Bor-Shing Lin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Visually impaired people are often unaware of dangers in front of them, even in familiar environments. Furthermore, in unfamiliar environments, such people require guidance to reduce the risk of colliding with obstacles. This study proposes a simple smartphone-based guiding system for solving the navigation problems for visually impaired people and achieving obstacle avoidance to enable visually impaired people to travel smoothly from a beginning point to a destination with greater awareness of their surroundings. In this study, a computer image recognition system and smartphone application were integrated to form a simple assisted guiding system. Two operating modes, online mode and offline mode, can be chosen depending on network availability. When the system begins to operate, the smartphone captures the scene in front of the user and sends the captured images to the backend server to be processed. The backend server uses the faster region convolutional neural network algorithm or the you only look once algorithm to recognize multiple obstacles in every image, and it subsequently sends the results back to the smartphone. The results of obstacle recognition in this study reached 60%, which is sufficient for assisting visually impaired people in realizing the types and locations of obstacles around them.
APPLYING SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY ACCOMPLISHES VISUAL INSPECTION CHALLENGES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, C

2007-01-01

This paper discusses the successful implementation of simple video technologies at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to perform complex visual inspection, monitoring, and surveillance tasks. Because SRS facilities are similar to those of an industrial plant, the environmental and accessibility considerations for remote viewing are the primary determining factors in the selection of technology. The constraints and challenges associated with remote viewing are discussed, and examples of applications are given
Are v1 simple cells optimized for visual occlusions? A comparative study.

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Jörg Bornschein

Full Text Available Simple cells in primary visual cortex were famously found to respond to low-level image components such as edges. Sparse coding and independent component analysis (ICA emerged as the standard computational models for simple cell coding because they linked their receptive fields to the statistics of visual stimuli. However, a salient feature of image statistics, occlusions of image components, is not considered by these models. Here we ask if occlusions have an effect on the predicted shapes of simple cell receptive fields. We use a comparative approach to answer this question and investigate two models for simple cells: a standard linear model and an occlusive model. For both models we simultaneously estimate optimal receptive fields, sparsity and stimulus noise. The two models are identical except for their component superposition assumption. We find the image encoding and receptive fields predicted by the models to differ significantly. While both models predict many Gabor-like fields, the occlusive model predicts a much sparser encoding and high percentages of 'globular' receptive fields. This relatively new center-surround type of simple cell response is observed since reverse correlation is used in experimental studies. While high percentages of 'globular' fields can be obtained using specific choices of sparsity and overcompleteness in linear sparse coding, no or only low proportions are reported in the vast majority of studies on linear models (including all ICA models. Likewise, for the here investigated linear model and optimal sparsity, only low proportions of 'globular' fields are observed. In comparison, the occlusive model robustly infers high proportions and can match the experimentally observed high proportions of 'globular' fields well. Our computational study, therefore, suggests that 'globular' fields may be evidence for an optimal encoding of visual occlusions in primary visual cortex.
Are v1 simple cells optimized for visual occlusions? A comparative study.

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Bornschein, Jörg; Henniges, Marc; Lücke, Jörg

2013-01-01

Simple cells in primary visual cortex were famously found to respond to low-level image components such as edges. Sparse coding and independent component analysis (ICA) emerged as the standard computational models for simple cell coding because they linked their receptive fields to the statistics of visual stimuli. However, a salient feature of image statistics, occlusions of image components, is not considered by these models. Here we ask if occlusions have an effect on the predicted shapes of simple cell receptive fields. We use a comparative approach to answer this question and investigate two models for simple cells: a standard linear model and an occlusive model. For both models we simultaneously estimate optimal receptive fields, sparsity and stimulus noise. The two models are identical except for their component superposition assumption. We find the image encoding and receptive fields predicted by the models to differ significantly. While both models predict many Gabor-like fields, the occlusive model predicts a much sparser encoding and high percentages of 'globular' receptive fields. This relatively new center-surround type of simple cell response is observed since reverse correlation is used in experimental studies. While high percentages of 'globular' fields can be obtained using specific choices of sparsity and overcompleteness in linear sparse coding, no or only low proportions are reported in the vast majority of studies on linear models (including all ICA models). Likewise, for the here investigated linear model and optimal sparsity, only low proportions of 'globular' fields are observed. In comparison, the occlusive model robustly infers high proportions and can match the experimentally observed high proportions of 'globular' fields well. Our computational study, therefore, suggests that 'globular' fields may be evidence for an optimal encoding of visual occlusions in primary visual cortex.
A Simple Visualization of Double Bond Properties: Chemical Reactivity and UV Fluorescence

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Grayson, Scott M.

2012-01-01

A simple, easily visualized thin-layer chromatography (TLC) staining experiment is presented that highlights the difference in reactivity between aromatic double bonds and nonaromatic double bonds. Although the stability of aromatic systems is a major theme in organic chemistry, the concept is rarely reinforced "visually" in the undergraduate…
Attention modulates the responses of simple cells in monkey primary visual cortex.

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McAdams, Carrie J; Reid, R Clay

2005-11-23

Spatial attention has long been postulated to act as a spotlight that increases the salience of visual stimuli at the attended location. We examined the effects of attention on the receptive fields of simple cells in primary visual cortex (V1) by training macaque monkeys to perform a task with two modes. In the attended mode, the stimuli relevant to the animal's task overlay the receptive field of the neuron being recorded. In the unattended mode, the animal was cued to attend to stimuli outside the receptive field of that neuron. The relevant stimulus, a colored pixel, was briefly presented within a white-noise stimulus, a flickering grid of black and white pixels. The receptive fields of the neurons were mapped by correlating spikes with the white-noise stimulus in both attended and unattended modes. We found that attention could cause significant modulation of the visually evoked response despite an absence of significant effects on the overall firing rates. On further examination of the relationship between the strength of the visual stimulation and the firing rate, we found that attention appears to cause multiplicative scaling of the visually evoked responses of simple cells, demonstrating that attention reaches back to the initial stages of visual cortical processing.
Effect of Colour of Object on Simple Visual Reaction Time in Normal Subjects

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Sunita B. Kalyanshetti

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The measure of simple reaction time has been used to evaluate the processing speed of CNS and the co-ordination between the sensory and motor systems. As the reaction time is influenced by different factors; the impact of colour of objects in modulating the reaction time has been investigated in this study. 200 healthy volunteers (female gender 100 and male gender100 of age group 18-25 yrs were included as subjects. The subjects were presented with two visual stimuli viz; red and green light by using an electronic response analyzer. Paired‘t’ test for comparison of visual reaction time for red and green colour in male gender shows p value<0.05 whereas in female gender shows p<0.001. It was observed that response latency for red colour was lesser than that of green colour which can be explained on the basis of trichromatic theory.
Does linear separability really matter? Complex visual search is explained by simple search

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Vighneshvel, T.; Arun, S. P.

2013-01-01

Visual search in real life involves complex displays with a target among multiple types of distracters, but in the laboratory, it is often tested using simple displays with identical distracters. Can complex search be understood in terms of simple searches? This link may not be straightforward if complex search has emergent properties. One such property is linear separability, whereby search is hard when a target cannot be separated from its distracters using a single linear boundary. However, evidence in favor of linear separability is based on testing stimulus configurations in an external parametric space that need not be related to their true perceptual representation. We therefore set out to assess whether linear separability influences complex search at all. Our null hypothesis was that complex search performance depends only on classical factors such as target-distracter similarity and distracter homogeneity, which we measured using simple searches. Across three experiments involving a variety of artificial and natural objects, differences between linearly separable and nonseparable searches were explained using target-distracter similarity and distracter heterogeneity. Further, simple searches accurately predicted complex search regardless of linear separability (r = 0.91). Our results show that complex search is explained by simple search, refuting the widely held belief that linear separability influences visual search. PMID:24029822
The modulation of simple reaction time by the spatial probability of a visual stimulus

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Carreiro L.R.R.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Simple reaction time (SRT in response to visual stimuli can be influenced by many stimulus features. The speed and accuracy with which observers respond to a visual stimulus may be improved by prior knowledge about the stimulus location, which can be obtained by manipulating the spatial probability of the stimulus. However, when higher spatial probability is achieved by holding constant the stimulus location throughout successive trials, the resulting improvement in performance can also be due to local sensory facilitation caused by the recurrent spatial location of a visual target (position priming. The main objective of the present investigation was to quantitatively evaluate the modulation of SRT by the spatial probability structure of a visual stimulus. In two experiments the volunteers had to respond as quickly as possible to the visual target presented on a computer screen by pressing an optic key with the index finger of the dominant hand. Experiment 1 (N = 14 investigated how SRT changed as a function of both the different levels of spatial probability and the subject's explicit knowledge about the precise probability structure of visual stimulation. We found a gradual decrease in SRT with increasing spatial probability of a visual target regardless of the observer's previous knowledge concerning the spatial probability of the stimulus. Error rates, below 2%, were independent of the spatial probability structure of the visual stimulus, suggesting the absence of a speed-accuracy trade-off. Experiment 2 (N = 12 examined whether changes in SRT in response to a spatially recurrent visual target might be accounted for simply by sensory and temporally local facilitation. The findings indicated that the decrease in SRT brought about by a spatially recurrent target was associated with its spatial predictability, and could not be accounted for solely in terms of sensory priming.
A lightning strike to the head causing a visual cortex defect with simple and complex visual hallucinations

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Kleiter, Ingo; Luerding, Ralf; Diendorfer, Gerhard; Rek, Helga; Bogdahn, Ulrich; Schalke, Berthold

2009-01-01

The case of a 23-year-old mountaineer who was hit by a lightning strike to the occiput causing a large central visual field defect and bilateral tympanic membrane ruptures is described. Owing to extreme agitation, the patient was sent into a drug-induced coma for 3 days. After extubation, she experienced simple and complex visual hallucinations for several days, but otherwise largely recovered. Neuropsychological tests revealed deficits in fast visual detection tasks and non-verbal learning and indicated a right temporal lobe dysfunction, consistent with a right temporal focus on electroencephalography. At 4 months after the accident, she developed a psychological reaction consisting of nightmares, with reappearance of the complex visual hallucinations and a depressive syndrome. Using the European Cooperation for Lightning Detection network, a meteorological system for lightning surveillance, the exact geographical location and nature of the lightning strike were retrospectively retraced PMID:21734915
Synaptic Basis for Differential Orientation Selectivity between Complex and Simple Cells in Mouse Visual Cortex.

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Li, Ya-tang; Liu, Bao-hua; Chou, Xiao-lin; Zhang, Li I; Tao, Huizhong W

2015-08-05

In the primary visual cortex (V1), orientation-selective neurons can be categorized into simple and complex cells primarily based on their receptive field (RF) structures. In mouse V1, although previous studies have examined the excitatory/inhibitory interplay underlying orientation selectivity (OS) of simple cells, the synaptic bases for that of complex cells have remained obscure. Here, by combining in vivo loose-patch and whole-cell recordings, we found that complex cells, identified by their overlapping on/off subfields, had significantly weaker OS than simple cells at both spiking and subthreshold membrane potential response levels. Voltage-clamp recordings further revealed that although excitatory inputs to complex and simple cells exhibited a similar degree of OS, inhibition in complex cells was more narrowly tuned than excitation, whereas in simple cells inhibition was more broadly tuned than excitation. The differential inhibitory tuning can primarily account for the difference in OS between complex and simple cells. Interestingly, the differential synaptic tuning correlated well with the spatial organization of synaptic input: the inhibitory visual RF in complex cells was more elongated in shape than its excitatory counterpart and also was more elongated than that in simple cells. Together, our results demonstrate that OS of complex and simple cells is differentially shaped by cortical inhibition based on its orientation tuning profile relative to excitation, which is contributed at least partially by the spatial organization of RFs of presynaptic inhibitory neurons. Simple and complex cells, two classes of principal neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1), are generally thought to be equally selective for orientation. In mouse V1, we report that complex cells, identified by their overlapping on/off subfields, has significantly weaker orientation selectivity (OS) than simple cells. This can be primarily attributed to the differential tuning selectivity
Flow visualization

CERN Document Server

Merzkirch, Wolfgang

1974-01-01

Flow Visualization describes the most widely used methods for visualizing flows. Flow visualization evaluates certain properties of a flow field directly accessible to visual perception. Organized into five chapters, this book first presents the methods that create a visible flow pattern that could be investigated by visual inspection, such as simple dye and density-sensitive visualization methods. It then deals with the application of electron beams and streaming birefringence. Optical methods for compressible flows, hydraulic analogy, and high-speed photography are discussed in other cha
User-Centered Evaluation of Visual Analytics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholtz, Jean C.

2017-10-01

Visual analytics systems are becoming very popular. More domains now use interactive visualizations to analyze the ever-increasing amount and heterogeneity of data. More novel visualizations are being developed for more tasks and users. We need to ensure that these systems can be evaluated to determine that they are both useful and usable. A user-centered evaluation for visual analytics needs to be developed for these systems. While many of the typical human-computer interaction (HCI) evaluation methodologies can be applied as is, others will need modification. Additionally, new functionality in visual analytics systems needs new evaluation methodologies. There is a difference between usability evaluations and user-centered evaluations. Usability looks at the efficiency, effectiveness, and user satisfaction of users carrying out tasks with software applications. User-centered evaluation looks more specifically at the utility provided to the users by the software. This is reflected in the evaluations done and in the metrics used. In the visual analytics domain this is very challenging as users are most likely experts in a particular domain, the tasks they do are often not well defined, the software they use needs to support large amounts of different kinds of data, and often the tasks last for months. These difficulties are discussed more in the section on User-centered Evaluation. Our goal is to provide a discussion of user-centered evaluation practices for visual analytics, including existing practices that can be carried out and new methodologies and metrics that need to be developed and agreed upon by the visual analytics community. The material provided here should be of use for both researchers and practitioners in the field of visual analytics. Researchers and practitioners in HCI and interested in visual analytics will find this information useful as well as a discussion on changes that need to be made to current HCI practices to make them more suitable to
[Dice test--a simple method for assessment of visual acuity in infants with visual deficits].

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Rohrschneider, K; Brill, B; Bayer, Y; Ahrens, P

2010-07-01

Determination of visual acuity in low vision infants or patients with additional cerebral retardation is difficult. In our low vision department we used dice of different sizes and colors as well as other defined objects to determine visual acuity (VA). In this study we compared the results of the dice test with conventional tests for measurement of visual acuity. A total of 88 children with different causes of visual impairment e.g. albinism, retinal scars, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), achromatopsia and optic atrophy etc., were included in this longitudinal study. Median follow-up time was 8.7 years (range 2.9-18.9 years). The first reliable examination was performed between the ages of 4 and 24 months (median 11 months). We estimated VA depending on the edge length of the dice, which were recognized at a distance of 30 cm, while 4 mm complied with VA 20/200. Best corrected binocular visual acuity was compared between the dice test, measurement with the Lea symbols and with numbers or Landolt rings. Estimation of visual acuity using the dice test was possible at the end of the first year of life (median 11 months, range 4-27 months). Although observation is limited to visual acuity results in the low vision range between light reaction and 20/120 there was nearly complete agreement between all three VA measurements. Visual acuity ranged from light perception to 20/20 with a median of 20/100. In 39 patients visual acuity was 20/200 or less at the end of the observation period. Visual acuity estimation overestimated visual acuity only in 5 out of the 88 patients, while in all of the patients with later acuity measurements better than 20/200, our best value of 20/200 was achieved. Using simple visual objects, such as dice with different colors and size down to an edge length of 4 mm, it is possible to estimate visual acuity in low vision infants within the first year of life. This option is also very helpful in patients who are not able to perform other visual
Simple Instrumental and Visual Tests for Nonlaboratory Environmental Control

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L. P. Eksperiandova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Proposed are simple and available techniques that can be used for rapid and reliable environmental control specifically of natural water by means of instrumental and visual tests in outdoor conditions. Developed are the chemical colorimetric modes for fast detection of socially dangerous trace impurities in water such as Co(II, Pd(II, and Rh(III as well as NO2--ions and Fe(III serving as model impurities. Application of portable digital devices and scanner allows estimating the color coordinates and increasing the accuracy and sensitivity of the tests. The combination of complex formation with preconcentration of colored complexes replaces the sensitive but time-consuming and capricious kinetic method that is usually used for this purpose at the more convenient and reliable colorimetric method. As the test tools, the following ones are worked out: polyurethane foam tablets with sorbed colored complexes, the two-layer paper sandwich packaged in slide adapter and saturated by reagents, and polyethylene terephthalate blister with dried reagents. Fast analysis of polyurethane foam tablets is realized using a pocket digital RGB-colorimeter or portable photometer. Express analysis of two-layer paper sandwich or polyethylene terephthalate blister is realized by visual and instrumental tests. The metrological characteristics of the developed visual and instrumental express analysis techniques are estimated.
A simple in situ visual and tristimulus colorimetric method for the determination of diphosgene in air

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VLADIMÍR PITSCHMANN

2007-10-01

Full Text Available A simple visual and tristimulus colorimetric method (three-dimensional system CIE–L*a*b* for the determination of trace amounts of diphosgene in air has been developed. The method is based on the suction of diphosgene vapors through a modified cotton fabric filter fixed in a special adapter. Prior to analysis, the filter is saturated with a chromogenic reagent based on 4-(p-nitrobenzylpyridine. The optimal composition of the reagent is 2 g of 4-(p-nitrobenzylpyridine and 4 g of N-phenylbenzylamine in 100 ml of a 50:50 ethanol–glycerol mixture. The intensity of the formed red coloration of the filter is evaluated visually or by a tristimulus colorimeter (LMG 173, Lange, Germany. The detection limit is 0.01 mg m-3. Acetyl chloride and benzoyl chloride react in 150 and 50 times higher concentrations, respecttively. The method is suitable for mobile field analysis.
Statistical modeling for visualization evaluation through data fusion.

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Chen, Xiaoyu; Jin, Ran

2017-11-01

There is a high demand of data visualization providing insights to users in various applications. However, a consistent, online visualization evaluation method to quantify mental workload or user preference is lacking, which leads to an inefficient visualization and user interface design process. Recently, the advancement of interactive and sensing technologies makes the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, eye movements as well as visualization logs available in user-centered evaluation. This paper proposes a data fusion model and the application procedure for quantitative and online visualization evaluation. 15 participants joined the study based on three different visualization designs. The results provide a regularized regression model which can accurately predict the user's evaluation of task complexity, and indicate the significance of all three types of sensing data sets for visualization evaluation. This model can be widely applied to data visualization evaluation, and other user-centered designs evaluation and data analysis in human factors and ergonomics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

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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.
Use of Sine Shaped High-Frequency Rhythmic Visual Stimuli Patterns for SSVEP Response Analysis and Fatigue Rate Evaluation in Normal Subjects

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Ahmadreza Keihani

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Recent EEG-SSVEP signal based BCI studies have used high frequency square pulse visual stimuli to reduce subjective fatigue. However, the effect of total harmonic distortion (THD has not been considered. Compared to CRT and LCD monitors, LED screen displays high-frequency wave with better refresh rate. In this study, we present high frequency sine wave simple and rhythmic patterns with low THD rate by LED to analyze SSVEP responses and evaluate subjective fatigue in normal subjects.Materials and Methods: We used patterns of 3-sequence high-frequency sine waves (25, 30, and 35 Hz to design our visual stimuli. Nine stimuli patterns, 3 simple (repetition of each of above 3 frequencies e.g., P25-25-25 and 6 rhythmic (all of the frequencies in 6 different sequences e.g., P25-30-35 were chosen. A hardware setup with low THD rate (<0.1% was designed to present these patterns on LED. Twenty two normal subjects (aged 23–30 (25 ± 2.1 yrs were enrolled. Visual analog scale (VAS was used for subjective fatigue evaluation after presentation of each stimulus pattern. PSD, CCA, and LASSO methods were employed to analyze SSVEP responses. The data including SSVEP features and fatigue rate for different visual stimuli patterns were statistically evaluated.Results: All 9 visual stimuli patterns elicited SSVEP responses. Overall, obtained accuracy rates were 88.35% for PSD and > 90% for CCA and LASSO (for TWs > 1 s. High frequency rhythmic patterns group with low THD rate showed higher accuracy rate (99.24% than simple patterns group (98.48%. Repeated measure ANOVA showed significant difference between rhythmic pattern features (P < 0.0005. Overall, there was no significant difference between the VAS of rhythmic [3.85 ± 2.13] compared to the simple patterns group [3.96 ± 2.21], (P = 0.63. Rhythmic group had lower within group VAS variation (min = P25-30-35 [2.90 ± 2.45], max = P35-25-30 [4.81 ± 2.65] as well as least individual pattern VAS (P25
Brain activity during auditory and visual phonological, spatial and simple discrimination tasks.

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Salo, Emma; Rinne, Teemu; Salonen, Oili; Alho, Kimmo

2013-02-16

We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure human brain activity during tasks demanding selective attention to auditory or visual stimuli delivered in concurrent streams. Auditory stimuli were syllables spoken by different voices and occurring in central or peripheral space. Visual stimuli were centrally or more peripherally presented letters in darker or lighter fonts. The participants performed a phonological, spatial or "simple" (speaker-gender or font-shade) discrimination task in either modality. Within each modality, we expected a clear distinction between brain activations related to nonspatial and spatial processing, as reported in previous studies. However, within each modality, different tasks activated largely overlapping areas in modality-specific (auditory and visual) cortices, as well as in the parietal and frontal brain regions. These overlaps may be due to effects of attention common for all three tasks within each modality or interaction of processing task-relevant features and varying task-irrelevant features in the attended-modality stimuli. Nevertheless, brain activations caused by auditory and visual phonological tasks overlapped in the left mid-lateral prefrontal cortex, while those caused by the auditory and visual spatial tasks overlapped in the inferior parietal cortex. These overlapping activations reveal areas of multimodal phonological and spatial processing. There was also some evidence for intermodal attention-related interaction. Most importantly, activity in the superior temporal sulcus elicited by unattended speech sounds was attenuated during the visual phonological task in comparison with the other visual tasks. This effect might be related to suppression of processing irrelevant speech presumably distracting the phonological task involving the letters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Applications of visual soil evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ball, Bruce C; Munkholm, Lars Juhl; Batey, Tom

2013-01-01

Working Group F “Visual Soil Examination and Evaluation” (VSEE) was formed over 30 years ago within the International Soil & Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) on the initiative of Tom Batey. The objectives of the Working Group are to stimulate interest in field methods of visual-tactile soil...... assessment, to encourage their wider use and to foster international cooperation. The previous main meeting of the group in 2005 at Peronne, France, brought together, for the first time, a group of soil scientists who had each developed a method to evaluate soil structure directly in the field (Boizard et al...... to the re-development of the Peerlkamp numeric method of assessment of soil structure into the Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) spade test (Ball et al., 2007 and Guimarães et al., 2011). The meeting also recommended further cooperation between members of the Working Group. The evaluation...
38 CFR 4.75 - General considerations for evaluating visual impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... for evaluating visual impairment. 4.75 Section 4.75 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT... § 4.75 General considerations for evaluating visual impairment. (a) Visual impairment. The evaluation of visual impairment is based on impairment of visual acuity (excluding developmental errors of...
Visual but not motor processes predict simple visuomotor reaction time of badminton players.

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Hülsdünker, Thorben; Strüder, Heiko K; Mierau, Andreas

2018-03-01

The athlete's brain exhibits significant functional adaptations that facilitate visuomotor reaction performance. However, it is currently unclear if the same neurophysiological processes that differentiate athletes from non-athletes also determine performance within a homogeneous group of athletes. This information can provide valuable help for athletes and coaches aiming to optimize existing training regimes. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the neurophysiological correlates of visuomotor reaction performance in a group of skilled athletes. In 36 skilled badminton athletes, electroencephalography (EEG) was used to investigate pattern reversal and motion onset visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) as well as visuomotor reaction time (VMRT) during a simple reaction task. Stimulus-locked and response-locked event-related potentials (ERPs) in visual and motor regions as well as the onset of muscle activation (EMG onset) were determined. Correlation and multiple regression analyses identified the neurophysiological parameters predicting EMG onset and VMRT. For pattern reversal stimuli, the P100 latency and age best predicted EMG onset (r = 0.43; p = .003) and VMRT (r = 0.62; p = .001). In the motion onset experiment, EMG onset (r = 0.80; p badminton players while motor-related processes, although differentiating athletes from non-athletes, are not associated simple with visuomotor reaction performance.
Visual soil evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Visual Soil Evaluation (VSE) provides land users and environmental authorities with the tools to assess soil quality for crop performance. This book describes the assessment of the various structural conditions of soil, especially after quality degradation such as compaction, erosion or organic...... and nutrient leaching, and for diagnosing and rectifying erosion and compaction in soils....
ASCI visualization tool evaluation, Version 2.0

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Kegelmeyer, P. [ed.] [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States). Center for Computational Engineering

1997-04-01

The charter of the ASCI Visualization Common Tools subgroup was to investigate and evaluate 3D scientific visualization tools. As part of that effort, a Tri-Lab evaluation effort was launched in February of 1996. The first step was to agree on a thoroughly documented list of 32 features against which all tool candidates would be evaluated. These evaluation criteria were both gleaned from a user survey and determined from informed extrapolation into the future, particularly as concerns the 3D nature and extremely large size of ASCI data sets. The second step was to winnow a field of 41 candidate tools down to 11. The selection principle was to be as inclusive as practical, retaining every tool that seemed to hold any promise of fulfilling all of ASCI`s visualization needs. These 11 tools were then closely investigated by volunteer evaluators distributed across LANL, LLNL, and SNL. This report contains the results of those evaluations, as well as a discussion of the evaluation philosophy and criteria.
Simple and conditional visual discrimination with wheel running as reinforcement in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Iversen, I H

1998-09-01

Three experiments explored whether access to wheel running is sufficient as reinforcement to establish and maintain simple and conditional visual discriminations in nondeprived rats. In Experiment 1, 2 rats learned to press a lit key to produce access to running; responding was virtually absent when the key was dark, but latencies to respond were longer than for customary food and water reinforcers. Increases in the intertrial interval did not improve the discrimination performance. In Experiment 2, 3 rats acquired a go-left/go-right discrimination with a trial-initiating response and reached an accuracy that exceeded 80%; when two keys showed a steady light, pressing the left key produced access to running whereas pressing the right key produced access to running when both keys showed blinking light. Latencies to respond to the lights shortened when the trial-initiation response was introduced and became much shorter than in Experiment 1. In Experiment 3, 1 rat acquired a conditional discrimination task (matching to sample) with steady versus blinking lights at an accuracy exceeding 80%. A trial-initiation response allowed self-paced trials as in Experiment 2. When the rat was exposed to the task for 19 successive 24-hr periods with access to food and water, the discrimination performance settled in a typical circadian pattern and peak accuracy exceeded 90%. When the trial-initiation response was under extinction, without access to running, the circadian activity pattern determined the time of spontaneous recovery. The experiments demonstrate that wheel-running reinforcement can be used to establish and maintain simple and conditional visual discriminations in nondeprived rats.
Simple tool to evaluate the impact of daylight on building energy consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hviid, Christian Anker; Nielsen, Toke Rammer; Svendsen, Svend

2008-01-01

This paper presents a simple building simulation tool for integrated daylight and thermal analysis. The tool is capable of importing the thermal and visual properties for different glazings and shading positions from the Window Information System (WIS) program. Radiosity methodology is used...
20 CFR 416.985 - How we evaluate other visual impairments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How we evaluate other visual impairments. 416... evaluate other visual impairments. If you are not blind as defined in the law, we will evaluate a visual impairment the same as we evaluate other impairments in determining disability. Although you will not qualify...
Simple tool to evaluate the impact of daylight on building energy consumption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hviid, Christian Anker; Nielsen, Toke Rammer; Svendsen, Svend

2008-01-01

This paper presents a simple building simulation tool for integrated daylight and thermal analysis. The tool is capable of importing the thermal and visual properties for different glazings and shading positions from the Window Information System (WIS) program. A coupled ray-tracing and radiosity...
Using the Visualization Software Evaluation Rubric to explore six freely available visualization applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thea P. Atwood

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: As a variety of visualization tools become available to librarians and researchers, it can be challenging to select a tool that is robust and flexible enough to provide the desired visualization outcomes for work or personal use. In this article, the authors provide guidance on several freely available tools, and offer a rubric for use in evaluating visualization tools. Methods: A rubric was generated to assist the authors in assessing the selected six freely available visualization tools. Each author analyzed three tools, and discussed the differences, similarities, challenges, and successes of each. Results: Of the six visualization tools, two tools emerged with high marks. The authors found that the rubric was a successful evaluation tool, and facilitated discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of the six selected visualization pieces of software. Conclusions: Of the six different visualization tools analyzed, all had different functions and features available to best meet the needs of users. In a situation where there are many options available, and it is difficult at first glance to determine a clear winner, a rubric can be useful in providing a method to quickly assess and communicate the effectiveness of a tool.
Simple in situ visual and tristimulus colorimetric determination of sulfur dioxide in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitschmann, V.; Tusarova, I.; Halamek, E.; Kobliha, Z. pitschmann@orites.cz

2006-01-01

A simple in situ visual and tristimulus colorimetric method of determination of the trace amount of sulfur dioxide in air has been developed. Tristimulus colorimetry is based on application of three-dimensional colour space L*a*b according to CIE (Commission Internationale de Eclairage). L* represents lightness and a* and b* represent chromaticity. The analytical method is based on drawing the harmful pollutants through a filter made of modified cotton fabric, which is planted on a special extension piece. The filter is saturated with chromogenic reagent based on 5,5-dithio-bis( 2-nitrobenzoic acid) in the mixture of N,N-dimethylformamide dimethyl sulfoxide (1 : 1). On the filter the orange colour appears; the intensity of the colour is assessed visually and/or by a tristimulus colorimeter (LMG 173, Lange, Germany). The detection limit is 0.01 mg.m -3 .Interferences of reduction (especially hydrogen sulfide), oxidation, alkaline and acid agents have been describes. (author)
Visual soil evaluation and soil compaction research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

M.L. Guimarães, Rachel; Keller, Thomas; Munkholm, Lars Juhl

2017-01-01

Following on from discussions that took place during the 19th International Conference of the International Soil Tillage Research Organization (ISTRO) in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 2012, the ISTRO working groups “Visual Soil Examination and Evaluation” (VSEE) and “Subsoil Compaction” decided...... to organize a joint workshop. The present special issue is an outcome from the workshop on “Soil structural quality of tropical soils: Visual evaluation methods and soil compaction prevention strategies” that was held 26–29 May 2014 in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. There has been a long-lasting interest in Visual...... Soil Evaluation (VSE). An ISTRO working group was established more than 30 years ago with the objectives to exchange knowledge and experiences on field methods of visual-tactile soil assessment and to foster international cooperation on new or refined methods. The three previous meeting of the group...
Visual comfort evaluated by opponent colors

Science.gov (United States)

Sagawa, Ken

2002-06-01

This study aimed to evaluate psychological impression of visual comfort when we see an image of ordinary colored scene presented in a color display. Effects of opponent colors, i.e. red, green, yellow and blue component, on the subjective judgement on visual comfort to the image were investigated. Three kinds of psychological experiment were designed to see the effects and the results indicated that the red/green opponent color component was more affecting than the yellow-blue one, and red color in particular was the most affecting factor on visual comfort.
Comprehensive visual impairment evaluation for cerebral palsy children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the visual impairment in cerebral palsy children with series objective indicators, and conclude their clinical features of visual function.METHODS: Objective tests including following pursuing test, optokinetic nystagmus(OKNdrum test, refractive error examination, fundus examination, ocular deviation examination, pattern visual evoked potential(P-VEPtests and brain magnetic resonance imaging(MRIwere carried out in 43 cerebral palsy children(86 eyeswith ocular visual dysfunction; The visual impairment data of the cerebral palsy children were collected, and the clinical features and possible mechanism were analyzed.RESULTS: 1. Of the 43 cerebral palsy children(86 eyeswith the visual impairment presented diversified, 25(50 eyes, 58.1%of refractive error, 24(48 eyes, 55.8%of strabismus, 12(24 eyes, 27.9%with nystagmus, 19(38 eyes, 44.2%of optical nerve atrophy or hyperplasia, 35(70 eyes, 81.4%of VEP abnormality. Among children with spastic cerebral palsy, the incidence of visual impairment was statistically significant difference compared with other groups(PP>0.05, no nystagmus in patients with severe occipital cortex damage.CONCLUSION: Cerebral palsy children were usually with visual impairment, and presented with special clinical features; Comprehensive objective visual tests are accurate and reliable for evaluation of the visual function in cerebral palsy children.
Thoracic ROM measurement system with visual bio-feedback: system design and biofeedback evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ando, Takeshi; Kawamura, Kazuya; Fujitani, Junko; Koike, Tomokazu; Fujimoto, Masashi; Fujie, Masakatsu G

2011-01-01

Patients with diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) need to improve their thorax mobility. Thoracic ROM is one of the simplest and most useful indexes to evaluate the respiratory function. In this paper, we have proposed the prototype of a simple thoracic ROM measurement system with real-time visual bio-feedback in the chest expansion test. In this system, the thoracic ROM is measured using a wire-type linear encoder whose wire is wrapped around the thorax. In this paper, firstly, the repeatability and reliability of measured thoracic ROM was confirmed as a first report of the developed prototype. Secondly, we analyzed the effect of the bio-feedback system on the respiratory function. The result of the experiment showed that it was easier to maintain a large and stable thoracic ROM during deep breathing by using the real-time visual biofeedback system of the thoracic ROM.
Use of Sine Shaped High-Frequency Rhythmic Visual Stimuli Patterns for SSVEP Response Analysis and Fatigue Rate Evaluation in Normal Subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Keihani, Ahmadreza; Shirzhiyan, Zahra; Farahi, Morteza; Shamsi, Elham; Mahnam, Amin; Makkiabadi, Bahador; Haidari, Mohsen R; Jafari, Amir H

2018-01-01

Background: Recent EEG-SSVEP signal based BCI studies have used high frequency square pulse visual stimuli to reduce subjective fatigue. However, the effect of total harmonic distortion (THD) has not been considered. Compared to CRT and LCD monitors, LED screen displays high-frequency wave with better refresh rate. In this study, we present high frequency sine wave simple and rhythmic patterns with low THD rate by LED to analyze SSVEP responses and evaluate subjective fatigue in normal subjects. Materials and Methods: We used patterns of 3-sequence high-frequency sine waves (25, 30, and 35 Hz) to design our visual stimuli. Nine stimuli patterns, 3 simple (repetition of each of above 3 frequencies e.g., P25-25-25) and 6 rhythmic (all of the frequencies in 6 different sequences e.g., P25-30-35) were chosen. A hardware setup with low THD rate ( 90% for CCA and LASSO (for TWs > 1 s). High frequency rhythmic patterns group with low THD rate showed higher accuracy rate (99.24%) than simple patterns group (98.48%). Repeated measure ANOVA showed significant difference between rhythmic pattern features ( P rhythmic [3.85 ± 2.13] compared to the simple patterns group [3.96 ± 2.21], ( P = 0.63). Rhythmic group had lower within group VAS variation (min = P25-30-35 [2.90 ± 2.45], max = P35-25-30 [4.81 ± 2.65]) as well as least individual pattern VAS (P25-30-35). Discussion and Conclusion: Overall, rhythmic and simple pattern groups had higher and similar accuracy rates. Rhythmic stimuli patterns showed insignificantly lower fatigue rate than simple patterns. We conclude that both rhythmic and simple visual high frequency sine wave stimuli require further research for human subject SSVEP-BCI studies.
Agarose gel electrophoresis and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for visualization of simple sequence repeats.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, James; Wright, Drew; Meksem, Khalid

2013-01-01

In the modern age of genetic research there is a constant search for ways to improve the efficiency of plant selection. The most recent technology that can result in a highly efficient means of selection and still be done at a low cost is through plant selection directed by simple sequence repeats (SSRs or microsatellites). The molecular markers are used to select for certain desirable plant traits without relying on ambiguous phenotypic data. The best way to detect these is the use of gel electrophoresis. Gel electrophoresis is a common technique in laboratory settings which is used to separate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) by size. Loading DNA and RNA onto gels allows for visualization of the size of fragments through the separation of DNA and RNA fragments. This is achieved through the use of the charge in the particles. As the fragments separate, they form into distinct bands at set sizes. We describe the ability to visualize SSRs on slab gels of agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Using Concrete and Realistic Data in Evaluating Initial Visualization Designs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Søren; Pedersen, Jeppe Gerner; Herdal, Thor

2016-01-01

We explore means of designing and evaluating initial visualization ideas, with concrete and realistic data in cases where data is not readily available. Our approach is useful in exploring new domains and avenues for visualization, and contrasts other visualization work, which typically operate...... under the assumption that data has already been collected, and is ready to be visualized. We argue that it is sensible to understand data requirements and evaluate the potential value of visualization before devising means of automatic data collection. We base our exploration on three cases selected...... the design case and problem, the manner in which we collected data, and the findings obtained from evaluations. Afterwards, we describe four factors of our data collection approach, and discuss potential outcomes from it....
Modeling human comprehension of data visualizations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matzen, Laura E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Haass, Michael Joseph [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Divis, Kristin Marie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wilson, Andrew T. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-09-01

This project was inspired by two needs. The first is a need for tools to help scientists and engineers to design effective data visualizations for communicating information, whether to the user of a system, an analyst who must make decisions based on complex data, or in the context of a technical report or publication. Most scientists and engineers are not trained in visualization design, and they could benefit from simple metrics to assess how well their visualization's design conveys the intended message. In other words, will the most important information draw the viewer's attention? The second is the need for cognition-based metrics for evaluating new types of visualizations created by researchers in the information visualization and visual analytics communities. Evaluating visualizations is difficult even for experts. However, all visualization methods and techniques are intended to exploit the properties of the human visual system to convey information efficiently to a viewer. Thus, developing evaluation methods that are rooted in the scientific knowledge of the human visual system could be a useful approach. In this project, we conducted fundamental research on how humans make sense of abstract data visualizations, and how this process is influenced by their goals and prior experience. We then used that research to develop a new model, the Data Visualization Saliency Model, that can make accurate predictions about which features in an abstract visualization will draw a viewer's attention. The model is an evaluation tool that can address both of the needs described above, supporting both visualization research and Sandia mission needs.
A simple and rapid visual method for the determination of ammonia nitrogen in environmental waters using thymol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okumura, M.; Fujinaga, K.; Seike, Y.; Honda, S. [Dept. of Material Science, Interdisciplinary Faculty of Science and Engineering, Shimane University, Matsue (Japan)

1999-11-01

Simple visual and spectrophotometric methods for the determination of ammonia nitrogen in water are proposed, based on the color development of indothymol blue formed between ammonia and thymol. The color development was accelerated by nitroprusside to complete in 3 min. This color development is remarkably rapid compared with that of the other conventional methods with indothymol blue and indophenol blue. The concentration range of ammonia nitrogen spectrophotometrically determined was 0.04-1.2 mg/L NH{sub 4}-N. The absorbance per 1 {mu}g NH{sub 4}-N was 0.0215 (molar absorptivity = 1.51 x 10{sup 4}) at 690 nm. The visual method not using any instrument as an in situ method in field works was developed based on the optimum conditions for the established spectrophotometric method. This visual method was successfully applied to the determination of ammonia nitrogen in environmental waters. (orig.)
A simple quality assurance test tool for the visual verification of light and radiation field congruent using electronic portal images device and computed radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Njeh, Christopher F; Caroprese, Blas; Desai, Pushkar

2012-01-01

The radiation field on most megavoltage radiation therapy units are shown by a light field projected through the collimator by a light source mounted inside the collimator. The light field is traditionally used for patient alignment. Hence it is imperative that the light field is congruent with the radiation field. A simple quality assurance tool has been designed for rapid and simple test of the light field and radiation field using electronic portal images device (EPID) or computed radiography (CR). We tested this QA tool using Varian PortalVision and Elekta iViewGT EPID systems and Kodak CR system. Both the single and double exposure techniques were evaluated, with double exposure technique providing a better visualization of the light-radiation field markers. The light and radiation congruency could be detected within 1 mm. This will satisfy the American Association of Physicists in Medicine task group report number 142 recommendation of 2 mm tolerance. The QA tool can be used with either an EPID or CR to provide a simple and rapid method to verify light and radiation field congruence
SIMPL: A Simplified Model-Based Program for the Analysis and Visualization of Groundwater Rebound in Abandoned Mines to Prevent Contamination of Water and Soils by Acid Mine Drainage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung-Min Kim

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Cessation of dewatering following underground mine closure typically results in groundwater rebound, because mine voids and surrounding strata undergo flooding up to the levels of the decant points, such as shafts and drifts. SIMPL (Simplified groundwater program In Mine workings using the Pipe equation and Lumped parameter model, a simplified lumped parameter model-based program for predicting groundwater levels in abandoned mines, is presented herein. The program comprises a simulation engine module, 3D visualization module, and graphical user interface, which aids data processing, analysis, and visualization of results. The 3D viewer facilitates effective visualization of the predicted groundwater level rebound phenomenon together with a topographic map, mine drift, goaf, and geological properties from borehole data. SIMPL is applied to data from the Dongwon coal mine and Dalsung copper mine in Korea, with strong similarities in simulated and observed results. By considering mine workings and interpond connections, SIMPL can thus be used to effectively analyze and visualize groundwater rebound. In addition, the predictions by SIMPL can be utilized to prevent the surrounding environment (water and soil from being polluted by acid mine drainage.
A simple and rapid method for high-resolution visualization of single-ion tracks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masaaki Omichi

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Prompt determination of spatial points of single-ion tracks plays a key role in high-energy particle induced-cancer therapy and gene/plant mutations. In this study, a simple method for the high-resolution visualization of single-ion tracks without etching was developed through the use of polyacrylic acid (PAA-N, N’-methylene bisacrylamide (MBAAm blend films. One of the steps of the proposed method includes exposure of the irradiated films to water vapor for several minutes. Water vapor was found to promote the cross-linking reaction of PAA and MBAAm to form a bulky cross-linked structure; the ion-track scars were detectable at a nanometer scale by atomic force microscopy. This study demonstrated that each scar is easily distinguishable, and the amount of generated radicals of the ion tracks can be estimated by measuring the height of the scars, even in highly dense ion tracks. This method is suitable for the visualization of the penumbra region in a single-ion track with a high spatial resolution of 50 nm, which is sufficiently small to confirm that a single ion hits a cell nucleus with a size ranging between 5 and 20 μm.
A simple and rapid method for high-resolution visualization of single-ion tracks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Omichi, Masaaki [Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Center for Collaborative Research, Anan National College of Technology, Anan, Tokushima 774-0017 (Japan); Choi, Wookjin; Sakamaki, Daisuke; Seki, Shu, E-mail: seki@chem.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp [Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Tsukuda, Satoshi [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577 (Japan); Sugimoto, Masaki [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, Gunma, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan)

2014-11-15

Prompt determination of spatial points of single-ion tracks plays a key role in high-energy particle induced-cancer therapy and gene/plant mutations. In this study, a simple method for the high-resolution visualization of single-ion tracks without etching was developed through the use of polyacrylic acid (PAA)-N, N’-methylene bisacrylamide (MBAAm) blend films. One of the steps of the proposed method includes exposure of the irradiated films to water vapor for several minutes. Water vapor was found to promote the cross-linking reaction of PAA and MBAAm to form a bulky cross-linked structure; the ion-track scars were detectable at a nanometer scale by atomic force microscopy. This study demonstrated that each scar is easily distinguishable, and the amount of generated radicals of the ion tracks can be estimated by measuring the height of the scars, even in highly dense ion tracks. This method is suitable for the visualization of the penumbra region in a single-ion track with a high spatial resolution of 50 nm, which is sufficiently small to confirm that a single ion hits a cell nucleus with a size ranging between 5 and 20 μm.
ViA: a perceptual visualization assistant

Science.gov (United States)

Healey, Chris G.; St. Amant, Robert; Elhaddad, Mahmoud S.

2000-05-01

This paper describes an automated visualized assistant called ViA. ViA is designed to help users construct perceptually optical visualizations to represent, explore, and analyze large, complex, multidimensional datasets. We have approached this problem by studying what is known about the control of human visual attention. By harnessing the low-level human visual system, we can support our dual goals of rapid and accurate visualization. Perceptual guidelines that we have built using psychophysical experiments form the basis for ViA. ViA uses modified mixed-initiative planning algorithms from artificial intelligence to search of perceptually optical data attribute to visual feature mappings. Our perceptual guidelines are integrated into evaluation engines that provide evaluation weights for a given data-feature mapping, and hints on how that mapping might be improved. ViA begins by asking users a set of simple questions about their dataset and the analysis tasks they want to perform. Answers to these questions are used in combination with the evaluation engines to identify and intelligently pursue promising data-feature mappings. The result is an automatically-generated set of mappings that are perceptually salient, but that also respect the context of the dataset and users' preferences about how they want to visualize their data.
Simple visual review of pre- to post-operative renal ultrasound images predicts pyeloplasty success equally as well as geometric measurements: A blinded comparison with a gold standard.

Science.gov (United States)

Kern, Adam J M; Schlomer, Bruce J; Timberlake, Matthew D; Peters, Craig A; Hammer, Matthew R; Jacobs, Micah A

2017-08-01

MAG3 diuretic renal scan remains the gold standard for determination of improvement in renal drainage following pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction. We hypothesized that (i) a change in geometric measurements between pre-operative and post-operative renal ultrasound (RUS) images and (ii) blinded simple visual review of images both would predict pyeloplasty success. To determine if simple visual review and/or novel geometric measurement of renal ultrasounds can detect pyeloplasty failure. This study was a retrospective, blinded comparison with a gold standard. Included were children aged ≤18 years undergoing pyeloplasty at our institution from 2009 to 2015. For each kidney, representative pre-operative and post-operative RUS images were chosen. Our standard for pyeloplasty success was improved drainage curve on MAG3 and lack of additional surgery. Measurements for collecting system circularity, roundness, and renal parenchymal to collecting system area ratio (RPCSR) were obtained by three raters (Figure), who were blinded to the outcome of the pyeloplasty. Changes in geometric measurements were analyzed as a diagnostic test for MAG3-defined pyeloplasty success using ROC curve analysis. In addition, six reviewers blinded to pyeloplasty success reviewed pre-operative and post-operative images visually for improved hydronephrosis and categorized pyeloplasty as success or failure based on simple visual review of RUS. Fifty-three repaired renal units were identified (50 children). There were five pyeloplasty failures, four of which underwent revision or nephrectomy. While all geometric measurements could discriminate pyeloplasty failure and success, the geometric measurements that discriminated best between pyeloplasty failure and success were change in collecting system roundness and change in RPCSR. Consensus opinion among six blinded reviewers using simple visual review had a sensitivity of 94% and PPV of 100% with respect to identifying pyeloplasty
Excel 2010 Made Simple

CERN Document Server

Katz, Abbott

2011-01-01

Get the most out of Excel 2010 with Excel 2010 Made Simple - learn the key features, understand what's new, and utilize dozens of time-saving tips and tricks to get your job done. Over 500 screen visuals and clear-cut instructions guide you through the features of Excel 2010, from formulas and charts to navigating around a worksheet and understanding Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and macros. Excel 2010 Made Simple takes a practical and highly effective approach to using Excel 2010, showing you the best way to complete your most common spreadsheet tasks. You'll learn how to input, format,
A Simple Network Architecture Accounts for Diverse Reward Time Responses in Primary Visual Cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Huertas, Marco A; Hussain Shuler, Marshall G; Shouval, Harel Z

2015-09-16

Many actions performed by animals and humans depend on an ability to learn, estimate, and produce temporal intervals of behavioral relevance. Exemplifying such learning of cued expectancies is the observation of reward-timing activity in the primary visual cortex (V1) of rodents, wherein neural responses to visual cues come to predict the time of future reward as behaviorally experienced in the past. These reward-timing responses exhibit significant heterogeneity in at least three qualitatively distinct classes: sustained increase or sustained decrease in firing rate until the time of expected reward, and a class of cells that reach a peak in firing at the expected delay. We elaborate upon our existing model by including inhibitory and excitatory units while imposing simple connectivity rules to demonstrate what role these inhibitory elements and the simple architectures play in sculpting the response dynamics of the network. We find that simply adding inhibition is not sufficient for obtaining the different distinct response classes, and that a broad distribution of inhibitory projections is necessary for obtaining peak-type responses. Furthermore, although changes in connection strength that modulate the effects of inhibition onto excitatory units have a strong impact on the firing rate profile of these peaked responses, the network exhibits robustness in its overall ability to predict the expected time of reward. Finally, we demonstrate how the magnitude of expected reward can be encoded at the expected delay in the network and how peaked responses express this reward expectancy. Heterogeneity in single-neuron responses is a common feature of neuronal systems, although sometimes, in theoretical approaches, it is treated as a nuisance and seldom considered as conveying a different aspect of a signal. In this study, we focus on the heterogeneous responses in the primary visual cortex of rodents trained with a predictable delayed reward time. We describe under what
Evaluation of the quality of CR mammography images in Chugoku Rosai Hospital. Visual evaluation and digital evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makihata, Hiroshi; Fukuda, Tomoya; Aomori, Masaji; Hara, Shinji

2005-01-01

New mammography system (50-micrometer system) composed of Fuji computed tomography (FCR) both sides IP, 5000MA and dry imager was introduced in the Department of Physical Checkup of Chugoku Rosai Hospital in 2003. We performed visual evaluation and digital evaluation using 50-micrometer system in accordance with (the quality control guidance of) Non-Profit Organization the Central Committee on Quality Control of Mammographic Screening. In visual evaluation using RMI156 phantom the system cleared the quality control guidance about a fiber, calcification, and masses. On step phantom, it passed about 10 steps, masses, and calcifications. Since a success standard was not announced officially, the performance in digital evaluation cannot be judged and only the result is presented. In digital evaluation, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is 14.9, root of mean squares (RMS) is 32.9, SNRC is 16.4, SNRT is 3.65. This system image has high sharpness and is considered from the result in visual evaluation to have the ability of offering images with a high degree of information. (author)
A simple quality assurance test tool for the visual verification of light and radiation field congruent using electronic portal images device and computed radiography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Njeh Christopher F

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The radiation field on most megavoltage radiation therapy units are shown by a light field projected through the collimator by a light source mounted inside the collimator. The light field is traditionally used for patient alignment. Hence it is imperative that the light field is congruent with the radiation field. Method A simple quality assurance tool has been designed for rapid and simple test of the light field and radiation field using electronic portal images device (EPID or computed radiography (CR. We tested this QA tool using Varian PortalVision and Elekta iViewGT EPID systems and Kodak CR system. Results Both the single and double exposure techniques were evaluated, with double exposure technique providing a better visualization of the light-radiation field markers. The light and radiation congruency could be detected within 1 mm. This will satisfy the American Association of Physicists in Medicine task group report number 142 recommendation of 2 mm tolerance. Conclusion The QA tool can be used with either an EPID or CR to provide a simple and rapid method to verify light and radiation field congruence.
Design and evaluation of a kitchen for persons with visual impairments.

Science.gov (United States)

Kutintara, Benjamas; Somboon, Pornpun; Buasri, Virajada; Srettananurak, Metinee; Jedeeyod, Piyanooch; Pornpratoom, Kittikan; Iam-cham, Veraya

2013-03-01

Visually impaired people need skills on daily living, such as cooking, and Ratchasuda College offers independent living training for them. In order to fulfill their needs, a suitable kitchen should be designed with the consideration of their limitations. The objective of this study was to design and evaluate a kitchen for persons with visual impairments. Before designing the kitchen, interviews and an observation were carried out to obtain information on the needs of blind and low vision persons. Consequently, a kitchen model was developed, and it was evaluated by 10 persons with visual impairments. After the design improvement, the kitchen was built and has been routinely used for training persons with visual impairments to prepare meals. Finally, a post-occupancy evaluation of the kitchen was conducted by observing and interviewing both trainers and those with visual impairments during the food preparation training. The results of the study indicated that kitchens for persons with visual impairments should have safety and usability features. The results of the post-occupancy evaluation showed that those who attended cooking courses were able to cook safely in the kitchen. However, the kitchen still had limitations in some features.
Visualization of Tooth for Non-Destructive Evaluation from CT Images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Hui; Chae, Ok Sam [Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2009-06-15

This paper reports an effort to develop 3D tooth visualization system from CT sequence images as a part of the non-destructive evaluation suitable for the simulation of endodontics, orthodontics and other dental treatments. We focus on the segmentation and visualization for the individual tooth. In dental CT images teeth are touching the adjacent teeth or surrounded by the alveolar bones with similar intensity. We propose an improved level set method with shape prior to separate a tooth from other teeth as well as the alveolar bones. Reconstructed 3D model of individual tooth based on the segmentation results indicates that our technique is a very conducive tool for tooth visualization, evaluation and diagnosis. Some comparative visualization results validate the non-destructive function of our method.
AppEEARS: A Simple Tool that Eases Complex Data Integration and Visualization Challenges for Users

Science.gov (United States)

Maiersperger, T.

2017-12-01

The Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis-Ready Samples (AppEEARS) offers a simple and efficient way to perform discovery, processing, visualization, and acquisition across large quantities and varieties of Earth science data. AppEEARS brings significant value to a very broad array of user communities by 1) significantly reducing data volumes, at-archive, based on user-defined space-time-variable subsets, 2) promoting interoperability across a wide variety of datasets via format and coordinate reference system harmonization, 3) increasing the velocity of both data analysis and insight by providing analysis-ready data packages and by allowing interactive visual exploration of those packages, and 4) ensuring veracity by making data quality measures more apparent and usable and by providing standards-based metadata and processing provenance. Development and operation of AppEEARS is led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC). The LP DAAC also partners with several other archives to extend the capability across a larger federation of geospatial data providers. Over one hundred datasets are currently available, covering a diversity of variables including land cover, population, elevation, vegetation indices, and land surface temperature. Many hundreds of users have already used this new web-based capability to make the complex tasks of data integration and visualization much simpler and more efficient.
The Pareidolia Test: A Simple Neuropsychological Test Measuring Visual Hallucination-Like Illusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mamiya, Yasuyuki; Nishio, Yoshiyuki; Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Yokoi, Kayoko; Uchiyama, Makoto; Baba, Toru; Iizuka, Osamu; Kanno, Shigenori; Kamimura, Naoto; Kazui, Hiroaki; Hashimoto, Mamoru; Ikeda, Manabu; Takeshita, Chieko; Shimomura, Tatsuo; Mori, Etsuro

2016-01-01

Visual hallucinations are a core clinical feature of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and this symptom is important in the differential diagnosis and prediction of treatment response. The pareidolia test is a tool that evokes visual hallucination-like illusions, and these illusions may be a surrogate marker of visual hallucinations in DLB. We created a simplified version of the pareidolia test and examined its validity and reliability to establish the clinical utility of this test. The pareidolia test was administered to 52 patients with DLB, 52 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 20 healthy controls (HCs). We assessed the test-retest/inter-rater reliability using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and the concurrent validity using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) hallucinations score as a reference. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the pareidolia test to differentiate DLB from AD and HCs. The pareidolia test required approximately 15 minutes to administer, exhibited good test-retest/inter-rater reliability (ICC of 0.82), and moderately correlated with the NPI hallucinations score (rs = 0.42). Using an optimal cut-off score set according to the ROC analysis, and the pareidolia test differentiated DLB from AD with a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 92%. Our study suggests that the simplified version of the pareidolia test is a valid and reliable surrogate marker of visual hallucinations in DLB.
The Pareidolia Test: A Simple Neuropsychological Test Measuring Visual Hallucination-Like Illusions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasuyuki Mamiya

Full Text Available Visual hallucinations are a core clinical feature of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB, and this symptom is important in the differential diagnosis and prediction of treatment response. The pareidolia test is a tool that evokes visual hallucination-like illusions, and these illusions may be a surrogate marker of visual hallucinations in DLB. We created a simplified version of the pareidolia test and examined its validity and reliability to establish the clinical utility of this test.The pareidolia test was administered to 52 patients with DLB, 52 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD and 20 healthy controls (HCs. We assessed the test-retest/inter-rater reliability using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC and the concurrent validity using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI hallucinations score as a reference. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC analysis was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the pareidolia test to differentiate DLB from AD and HCs.The pareidolia test required approximately 15 minutes to administer, exhibited good test-retest/inter-rater reliability (ICC of 0.82, and moderately correlated with the NPI hallucinations score (rs = 0.42. Using an optimal cut-off score set according to the ROC analysis, and the pareidolia test differentiated DLB from AD with a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 92%.Our study suggests that the simplified version of the pareidolia test is a valid and reliable surrogate marker of visual hallucinations in DLB.
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 Flushtration Count Illusion: Attribute substitution tricks our interpretation of a simple visual event sequence.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Cyril; Didierjean, André; Kuhn, Gustav

2018-04-17

When faced with a difficult question, people sometimes work out an answer to a related, easier question without realizing that a substitution has taken place (e.g., Kahneman, 2011, Thinking, fast and slow. New York, Farrar, Strauss, Giroux). In two experiments, we investigated whether this attribute substitution effect can also affect the interpretation of a simple visual event sequence. We used a magic trick called the 'Flushtration Count Illusion', which involves a technique used by magicians to give the illusion of having seen multiple cards with identical backs, when in fact only the back of one card (the bottom card) is repeatedly shown. In Experiment 1, we demonstrated that most participants are susceptible to the illusion, even if they have the visual and analytical reasoning capacity to correctly process the sequence. In Experiment 2, we demonstrated that participants construct a biased and simplified representation of the Flushtration Count by substituting some attributes of the event sequence. We discussed of the psychological processes underlying this attribute substitution effect. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Icarus: visualizer for de novo assembly evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikheenko, Alla; Valin, Gleb; Prjibelski, Andrey; Saveliev, Vladislav; Gurevich, Alexey

2016-11-01

: Data visualization plays an increasingly important role in NGS data analysis. With advances in both sequencing and computational technologies, it has become a new bottleneck in genomics studies. Indeed, evaluation of de novo genome assemblies is one of the areas that can benefit from the visualization. However, even though multiple quality assessment methods are now available, existing visualization tools are hardly suitable for this purpose. Here, we present Icarus-a novel genome visualizer for accurate assessment and analysis of genomic draft assemblies, which is based on the tool QUAST. Icarus can be used in studies where a related reference genome is available, as well as for non-model organisms. The tool is available online and as a standalone application. http://cab.spbu.ru/software/icarus CONTACT: aleksey.gurevich@spbu.ruSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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)
VISUAL ART AND REGULATORY FIT MESSAGES ON CONSUMER EVALUATIONS

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Danielle Mantovani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, we demonstrate that the art infusion effect, in which the presence of visual art causes a positive impact on consumers’ perceptions of products and advertising messages, might have a moderation effect on regulatory fit and non-fit messages. We investigate the impact of visual art on advertisement evaluations in regulatory (non- fit conditions. Regulatory focus theory suggests that consumers rely on their motivational focus (prevention vs. promotion for their evaluations and decisions. Usually, consumers prefer products that fit with their personal motivational focus. In the present study, the results of three experiments indicate that using visual art with a promotion or prevention fit message is recommended, while non-art images increase message persuasiveness when non-fit messages are presented. Therefore, not all information compatible with the consumer’s motivational focus are best evaluated. When non-art images are presented, non-fit messages might be more persuasive.
Evaluation of Oral Hygiene in Patients with Visual Disabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Carlos Mourão Pinho

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Patients with visual impairment present greater difficulty in achieving adequate oral hygiene due to restricted eyesight. Therefore, oral hygiene motivation and instruction methods should be adapted to these patients to understand the importance of bacterial plaque control, both for the health of dental tissues and periodontal tissues Objective: The objective of the present study was to compare the plaque index (PI of patients with and without visual impairment before and after the institution of oral hygiene instructions through a Randomized Clinical Trial. Twenty patients with visual impairment (Group 1 from the Instituto dos Cegos and 20 without visual impairment (Group 2 from the ASCES Periodontia Clinic were selected. Data were collected through the IP of O'Leary and reevaluated every 21 days for four sessions. Results: in both groups, the mean of PI decreased with the time of evaluation, with a significant difference between the evaluations (p 0.05. As for the mean of the PI assessments, group 2 presented a mean higher than group 1, but without significant difference (p> 0.05. Conclusion: The study therefore suggests that there is no difference in PI in patients with or without visual impairment, and that the guidelines stimulate and motivate an improvement in oral hygiene conditions.
Electropysiologic evaluation of the visual pathway in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Mena, Diego; Almarcegui, Carmen; Dolz, Isabel; Herrero, Raquel; Bambo, Maria P; Fernandez, Javier; Pablo, Luis E; Garcia-Martin, Elena

2013-08-01

To evaluate the ability of visual evoked potentials and pattern electroretinograms (PERG) to detect subclinical axonal damage in patients during the early diagnostic stage of multiple sclerosis (MS). The authors also compared the ability of optical coherence tomography (OCT), PERG, and visual evoked potentials to detect axonal loss in MS patients and correlated the functional and structural properties of the retinal nerve fiber layer. Two hundred twenty-eight eyes of 114 subjects (57 MS patients and 57 age- and sex-matched healthy controls) were included. The visual pathway was evaluated based on functional and structural assessments. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination that included assessment of visual acuity, ocular motility, intraocular pressure, visual field, papillary morphology, OCT, visual evoked potentials, and PERG. Visual evoked potentials (P100 latency and amplitude), PERG (N95 amplitude and N95/P50 ratio), and OCT parameters differed significantly between MS patients and healthy subjects. Moderate significant correlations were found between visual evoked potentials or PERG parameters and OCT measurements. Axonal damage in ganglion cells of the visual pathway can be detected based on structural measures provided by OCT in MS patients and by the N95 component and N95/P50 index of PERG, thus providing good correlation between function and structure.
A Simple Experiment for Visualizing Diffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Helseth, L. E.

2011-01-01

We propose a simple and fascinating experiment for studying diffusion in gels using a pH-sensitive dye. By doping agar with methyl red, we obtain a gel which rapidly reacts to changes in pH by changing its absorption spectrum. The pH gradients can be followed using a digital camera, and we demonstrate here that the pH-sensitive colour changes can…
The Zombie Plot: A Simple Graphic Method for Visualizing the Efficacy of a Diagnostic Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Michael L

2016-08-09

One of the most important jobs of a radiologist is to pick the most appropriate imaging test for a particular clinical situation. Making a proper selection sometimes requires statistical analysis. The objective of this article is to introduce a simple graphic technique, an ROC plot that has been divided into zones of mostly bad imaging efficacy (ZOMBIE, hereafter referred to as the "zombie plot"), that transforms information about imaging efficacy from the numeric domain into the visual domain. The numeric rationale for the use of zombie plots is given, as are several examples of the clinical use of these plots. Two online calculators are described that simplify the process of producing a zombie plot.
FluxVisualizer, a Software to Visualize Fluxes through Metabolic Networks

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Tim Daniel Rose

2018-04-01

Full Text Available FluxVisualizer (Version 1.0, 2017, freely available at https://fluxvisualizer.ibgc.cnrs.fr is a software to visualize fluxes values on a scalable vector graphic (SVG representation of a metabolic network by colouring or increasing the width of reaction arrows of the SVG file. FluxVisualizer does not aim to draw metabolic networks but to use a customer’s SVG file allowing him to exploit his representation standards with a minimum of constraints. FluxVisualizer is especially suitable for small to medium size metabolic networks, where a visual representation of the fluxes makes sense. The flux distribution can either be an elementary flux mode (EFM, a flux balance analysis (FBA result or any other flux distribution. It allows the automatic visualization of a series of pathways of the same network as is needed for a set of EFMs. The software is coded in python3 and provides a graphical user interface (GUI and an application programming interface (API. All functionalities of the program can be used from the API and the GUI and allows advanced users to add their own functionalities. The software is able to work with various formats of flux distributions (Metatool, CellNetAnalyzer, COPASI and FAME export files as well as with Excel files. This simple software can save a lot of time when evaluating fluxes simulations on a metabolic network.
Rapid visualization of fingerprints on various surfaces using ZnO superstructures prepared via simple combustion route

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.H. Deepthi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A simple solution combustion route has been used to prepare ZnO nanopowders (NPs using different barbiturates (Barbituric acid, 1, 3-dimethyl barbiturates and 2-thiobarbiturates as fuels. The obtained product was well characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD, scanning electron microscope (SEM, ultraviolet-visible Spectroscope (UV-Vis and Photoluminescence (PL. The PXRD results confirm the hexagonal phase of the material. The detailed structural analysis is performed by Rietveld refinement method. The energy band gap of NPs is found to be in the range of 3.31 - 3.49 eV. The growth mechanism for the formation of 3D micro-architectures is discussed in detail. The PL emission spectrum shows a broad emission peak at 502 nm upon an 406 nm excitation wavelength. The ZnO NPs can be used for the visualization of latent finger prints (LFPs under normal light on various porous and non-porous surfaces. In this case, the visualized LFPs are found to be excellent compared to the commercially available powders. Keywords: Zinc oxide, Barbiturates, Photoluminescence, Latent fingerprint
Impacts of soil moisture content on visual soil evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Emmet-Booth, Jeremy; Forristal, Dermot; Fenton, Owen; Bondi, Giulia; Creamer, Rachel; Holden, Nick

2017-04-01

Visual Soil Examination and Evaluation (VSE) techniques offer tools for soil quality assessment. They involve the visual and tactile assessment of soil properties such as aggregate size and shape, porosity, redox morphology, soil colour and smell. An increasing body of research has demonstrated the reliability and utility of VSE techniques. However a number of limitations have been identified, including the potential impact of soil moisture variation during sampling. As part of a national survey of grassland soil quality in Ireland, an evaluation of the impact of soil moisture on two widely used VSE techniques was conducted. The techniques were Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) (Guimarães et al., 2011) and Visual Soil Assessment (VSA) (Shepherd, 2009). Both generate summarising numeric scores that indicate soil structural quality, though employ different scoring mechanisms. The former requires the assessment of properties concurrently and the latter separately. Both methods were deployed on 20 sites across Ireland representing a range of soils. Additional samples were taken for soil volumetric water (θ) determination at 5-10 and 10-20 cm depth. No significant correlation was observed between θ 5-10 cm and either VSE technique. However, VESS scores were significantly related to θ 10-20 cm (rs = 0.40, sig = 0.02) while VSA scores were not (rs = -0.33, sig = 0.06). VESS and VSA scores can be grouped into quality classifications (good, moderate and poor). No significant mean difference was observed between θ 5-10 cm or θ 10-20 cm according to quality classification by either method. It was concluded that VESS scores may be affected by soil moisture variation while VSA appear unaffected. The different scoring mechanisms, where the separate assessment and scoring of individual properties employed by VSA, may limit soil moisture effects. However, moisture content appears not to affect overall structural quality classification by either method. References
Differential engagement of attention and visual working memory in the representation and evaluation of the number of relevant targets and their spatial relations: Evidence from the N2pc and SPCN.

Science.gov (United States)

Maheux, Manon; Jolicœur, Pierre

2017-04-01

We examined the role of attention and visual working memory in the evaluation of the number of target stimuli as well as their relative spatial position using the N2pc and the SPCN. Participants performed two tasks: a simple counting task in which they had to determine if a visual display contained one or two coloured items among grey fillers and one in which they had to identify a specific relation between two coloured items. The same stimuli were used for both tasks. Each task was designed to permit an easier evaluation of either the same-coloured or differently-coloured stimuli. We predicted a greater involvement of attention and visual working memory for more difficult stimulus-task pairings. The results confirmed these predictions and suggest that visuospatial configurations that require more time to evaluate induce a greater (and presumably longer) involvement of attention and visual working memory. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A Brief Period of Postnatal Visual Deprivation Alters the Balance between Auditory and Visual Attention.

Science.gov (United States)

de Heering, Adélaïde; Dormal, Giulia; Pelland, Maxime; Lewis, Terri; Maurer, Daphne; Collignon, Olivier

2016-11-21

Is a short and transient period of visual deprivation early in life sufficient to induce lifelong changes in how we attend to, and integrate, simple visual and auditory information [1, 2]? This question is of crucial importance given the recent demonstration in both animals and humans that a period of blindness early in life permanently affects the brain networks dedicated to visual, auditory, and multisensory processing [1-16]. To address this issue, we compared a group of adults who had been treated for congenital bilateral cataracts during early infancy with a group of normally sighted controls on a task requiring simple detection of lateralized visual and auditory targets, presented alone or in combination. Redundancy gains obtained from the audiovisual conditions were similar between groups and surpassed the reaction time distribution predicted by Miller's race model. However, in comparison to controls, cataract-reversal patients were faster at processing simple auditory targets and showed differences in how they shifted attention across modalities. Specifically, they were faster at switching attention from visual to auditory inputs than in the reverse situation, while an opposite pattern was observed for controls. Overall, these results reveal that the absence of visual input during the first months of life does not prevent the development of audiovisual integration but enhances the salience of simple auditory inputs, leading to a different crossmodal distribution of attentional resources between auditory and visual stimuli. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Towards the quantitative evaluation of visual attention models.

Science.gov (United States)

Bylinskii, Z; DeGennaro, E M; Rajalingham, R; Ruda, H; Zhang, J; Tsotsos, J K

2015-11-01

Scores of visual attention models have been developed over the past several decades of research. Differences in implementation, assumptions, and evaluations have made comparison of these models very difficult. Taxonomies have been constructed in an attempt at the organization and classification of models, but are not sufficient at quantifying which classes of models are most capable of explaining available data. At the same time, a multitude of physiological and behavioral findings have been published, measuring various aspects of human and non-human primate visual attention. All of these elements highlight the need to integrate the computational models with the data by (1) operationalizing the definitions of visual attention tasks and (2) designing benchmark datasets to measure success on specific tasks, under these definitions. In this paper, we provide some examples of operationalizing and benchmarking different visual attention tasks, along with the relevant design considerations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
HI-VISUAL: A language supporting visual interaction in programming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monden, N.; Yoshino, Y.; Hirakawa, M.; Tanaka, M.; Ichikawa, T.

1984-01-01

This paper presents a language named HI-VISUAL which supports visual interaction in programming. Following a brief description of the language concept, the icon semantics and language primitives characterizing HI-VISUAL are extensively discussed. HI-VISUAL also shows a system extensively discussed. HI-VISUAL also shows a system extendability providing the possibility of organizing a high level application system as an integration of several existing subsystems, and will serve to developing systems in various fields of applications supporting simple and efficient interactions between programmer and computer. In this paper, the authors have presented a language named HI-VISUAL. Following a brief description of the language concept, the icon semantics and language primitives characterizing HI-VISUAL were extensively discussed
uVis: A Formula-Based Visualization Tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pantazos, Kostas; Xu, Shangjin; Kuhail, Mohammad Amin

Several tools use programming approaches for developing advanced visualizations. Others can with a few steps create simple visualizations with built-in patterns, and users with limited IT experience can use them. However, it is programming and time demanding to create and customize...... these visualizations. We introduce uVis, a tool that allows users with advanced spreadsheet-like IT knowledge and basic database understanding to create simple as well as advanced visualizations. These users construct visualizations by combining building blocks (i.e. controls, shapes). They specify spreadsheet...
Visualization drivers for Geant4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beretvas, Andy

2005-01-01

This document is on Geant 4 visualization tools (drivers), evaluating pros and cons of each option, including recommendations on which tools to support at Fermilab for different applications. Four visualization drivers are evaluated. They re OpenGL, HepRep, DAWN and VRML. They all have good features, OpenGL provides graphic output with out an intermediate file. HepRep provides menus to assist the user. DAWN provides high quality plots and even for large files produces output quickly. VRML uses the smallest disk space for intermediate files. Large experiments at Fermilab will want to write their own display. They should proceed to make this display graphics independent. Medium experiment will probably want to use HepRep because of it's menu support. Smaller scale experiments will want to use OpenGL in the spirit of having immediate response, good quality output and keeping things simple
Accuracy, reliability, and timing of visual evaluations of decay in fresh-cut lettuce

Science.gov (United States)

Visual assessments are used for evaluating the quality of food products, such as fresh-cut lettuce packaged in bags with modified atmosphere. We have compared the accuracy and the reliability of visual evaluations of decay on fresh-cut lettuce performed with experienced and inexperienced raters. In ...
Visual impairment evaluation in 119 children with congenital Zika syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ventura, Liana O; Ventura, Camila V; Dias, Natália de C; Vilar, Isabelle G; Gois, Adriana L; Arantes, Tiago E; Fernandes, Luciene C; Chiang, Michael F; Miller, Marilyn T; Lawrence, Linda

2018-06-01

To assess visual impairment in a large sample of infants with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) and to compare with a control group using the same assessment protocol. The study group was composed of infants with confirmed diagnosis of CZS. Controls were healthy infants matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. All infants underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation including visual acuity, visual function assessment, and visual developmental milestones. The CZS group included 119 infants; the control group, 85 infants. At examination, the mean age of the CZS group was 8.5 ± 1.2 months (range, 6-13 months); of the controls, 8.4 ± 1.8 months (range, 5-12 months; P = 0.598). Binocular Teller Acuity Card (TAC) testing was abnormal in 107 CZS infants and in 4 controls (89.9% versus 5% [P visual development milestones were less achieved by infants with CZS compared to controls (P visual impairment. A protocol for assessment of the ocular findings, visual acuity, and visual developmental milestones tested against age-matched controls is suggested. Copyright © 2018 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Visual soil evaluation - future research requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Emmet-Booth, Jeremy; Forristal, Dermot; Fenton, Owen; Ball, Bruce; Holden, Nick

2017-04-01

A review of Visual Soil Evaluation (VSE) techniques (Emmet-Booth et al., 2016) highlighted their established utility for soil quality assessment, though some limitations were identified; (1) The examination of aggregate size, visible intra-porosity and shape forms a key assessment criterion in almost all methods, thus limiting evaluation to structural form. The addition of criteria that holistically examine structure may be desirable. For example, structural stability can be indicated using dispersion tests or examining soil surface crusting, while the assessment of soil colour may indirectly indicate soil organic matter content, a contributor to stability. Organic matter assessment may also indicate structural resilience, along with rooting, earthworm numbers or shrinkage cracking. (2) Soil texture may influence results or impeded method deployment. Modification of procedures to account for extreme texture variation is desirable. For example, evidence of compaction in sandy or single grain soils greatly differs to that in clayey soils. Some procedures incorporate separate classification systems or adjust deployment based on texture. (3) Research into impacts of soil moisture content on VSE evaluation criteria is required. Criteria such as rupture resistance and shape may be affected by moisture content. It is generally recommended that methods are deployed on moist soils and quantification of influences of moisture variation on results is necessary. (4) Robust sampling strategies for method deployment are required. Dealing with spatial variation differs between methods, but where methods can be deployed over large areas, clear instruction on sampling is required. Additionally, as emphasis has been placed on the agricultural production of soil, so the ability of VSE for exploring structural quality in terms of carbon storage, water purification and biodiversity support also requires research. References Emmet-Booth, J.P., Forristal. P.D., Fenton, O., Ball, B
Droids Made Simple

CERN Document Server

Mazo, Gary

2011-01-01

If you have a Droid series smartphone - Droid, Droid X, Droid 2, or Droid 2 Global - and are eager to get the most out of your device, Droids Made Simple is perfect for you. Authors Martin Trautschold, Gary Mazo and Marziah Karch guide you through all of the features, tips, and tricks using their proven combination of clear instructions and detailed visuals. With hundreds of annotated screenshots and step-by-step directions, Droids Made Simple will transform you into a Droid expert, improving your productivity, and most importantly, helping you take advantage of all of the cool features that c

Evaluation of the safety and usability of touch gestures in operating in-vehicle information systems with visual occlusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Huhn; Song, Haewon

2014-05-01

Nowadays, many automobile manufacturers are interested in applying the touch gestures that are used in smart phones to operate their in-vehicle information systems (IVISs). In this study, an experiment was performed to verify the applicability of touch gestures in the operation of IVISs from the viewpoints of both driving safety and usability. In the experiment, two devices were used: one was the Apple iPad, with which various touch gestures such as flicking, panning, and pinching were enabled; the other was the SK EnNavi, which only allowed tapping touch gestures. The participants performed the touch operations using the two devices under visually occluded situations, which is a well-known technique for estimating load of visual attention while driving. In scrolling through a list, the flicking gestures required more time than the tapping gestures. Interestingly, both the flicking and simple tapping gestures required slightly higher visual attention. In moving a map, the average time taken per operation and the visual attention load required for the panning gestures did not differ from those of the simple tapping gestures that are used in existing car navigation systems. In zooming in/out of a map, the average time taken per pinching gesture was similar to that of the tapping gesture but required higher visual attention. Moreover, pinching gestures at a display angle of 75° required that the participants severely bend their wrists. Because the display angles of many car navigation systems tends to be more than 75°, pinching gestures can cause severe fatigue on users' wrists. Furthermore, contrary to participants' evaluation of other gestures, several participants answered that the pinching gesture was not necessary when operating IVISs. It was found that the panning gesture is the only touch gesture that can be used without negative consequences when operating IVISs while driving. The flicking gesture is likely to be used if the screen moving speed is slower or
Characteristics, Causes, and Evaluation of Helicopter Particulate Visual Obstruction

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-10

future full-scale testing. The thrust sources examined were a 1 in. diameter nozzle , a 4 in. diameter nozzle , and a 16 in. ducted fan. The sources...Hiller also evaluated inclining the thrust vector , and determined there was little reduction in dynamic pressure at the point of ground interaction...CHARACTERISTICS, CAUSES, AND EVALUATION OF HELICOPTER PARTICULATE VISUAL OBSTRUCTION THESIS
Simple Electromagnetic Analysis in Cryptography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdenek Martinasek

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The article describes the main principle and methods of simple electromagnetic analysis and thus provides an overview of simple electromagnetic analysis.The introductions chapters describe specific SPA attack used visual inspection of EM traces, template based attack and collision attack.After reading the article, the reader is sufficiently informed of any context of SEMA.Another aim of the article is the practical realization of SEMA which is focused on AES implementation.The visual inspection of EM trace of AES is performed step by step and the result is the determination of secret key Hamming weight.On the resulting EM trace, the Hamming weight of the secret key 1 to 8 was clearly visible.This method allows reduction from the number of possible keys for following brute force attack.
Visual Fatigue Evaluation: Improvement of Reflected Glare on Touch Screen for Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Kang Hung; Yang, Chih Wei; Hwang, Sheue Ling; Liou, Jin Liang

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the visual fatigue of operators caused by glare problems in the main control room of nuclear power plant. Within the limitation in the main control room, reflectors were set under the light source which generates reflected glare on touch screens. Through avoiding the light directly shines on touch screens, reflected glare were eliminated. This research matched up the setting process of reflectors, evaluated the visual fatigue of operators, and collected user's opinions before reflector setting, after the first setting, and after the second setting. The design of reflectors could refer the result of evaluations and the collection of opinions. Nevertheless, the improvement of reflected glare on touch screens could be verified by this evaluations. The result showed that setting reflectors under the light source could eliminate reflected glare effectively, and the visual fatigue was reduced both on subject and object evaluations. However, the setting direction of reflectors has potential effect on operators' visual fatigue, so the real setting of reflectors still need to be evaluated completely. The near point accommodation could reflect the effect of visual fatigue caused by changes of lighting environment. Thus, the verification of new lighting environment according to the near point accommodation is suggested
Evaluation of Visual and Landscape Impacts of Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Algohary, S.A.

2007-01-01

The nuclear power plant is a huge structure, and in terms of both size and function may result in an unacceptable visual conflict in both local and wider environment. Also, it has major implications in terms of physical, social, economic, environmental and impact on people. The environmental impacts include the visual and landscape aspects of these plants. This paper outlines the main general ideas of the architecture aspects of nuclear power plants, nuclear reactors. Also, it discusses the site selection considerations: Finally, it introduces an approach for the evaluation of visual and landscape impacts of nuclear power plants
3D visualization of two-phase flow in the micro-tube by a simple but effective method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, X; Zhang, P; Hu, H; Huang, C J; Huang, Y; Wang, R Z

2009-01-01

The present study provides a simple but effective method for 3D visualization of the two-phase flow in the micro-tube. An isosceles right-angle prism combined with a mirror located 45° bevel to the prism is employed to synchronously obtain the front and side views of the flow patterns with a single camera, where the locations of the prism and the micro-tube for clear imaging should satisfy a fixed relationship which is specified in the present study. The optical design is proven successfully by the tough visualization work at the cryogenic temperature range. The image deformation due to the refraction and geometrical configuration of the test section is quantitatively investigated. It is calculated that the image is enlarged by about 20% in inner diameter compared to the real object, which is validated by the experimental results. Meanwhile, the image deformation by adding a rectangular optical correction box outside the circular tube is comparatively investigated. It is calculated that the image is reduced by about 20% in inner diameter with a rectangular optical correction box compared to the real object. The 3D re-construction process based on the two views is conducted through three steps, which shows that the 3D visualization method can easily be applied for two-phase flow research in micro-scale channels and improves the measurement accuracy of some important parameters of the two-phase flow such as void fraction, spatial distribution of bubbles, etc
Influence of visual appearance on loudspeaker sound quality evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karandreas, Theodoros-Alexandros; Christensen, Flemming

2008-01-01

Product sound quality evaluation aims to identify relevant attributes and assess their influence on the overall auditory impression. Extending this sound specific rationale, the present study evaluates overall impression in relation to audition and vision, specifically for loudspeakers. In order...... to quantify the bias that the loudspeaker appearance has on the sound quality evaluation of a naive listening panel, audio stimuli of varied degradation are coupled with actual loudspeakers of different visual appearance....
Human Factors Evaluation of Advanced Electric Power Grid Visualization Tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greitzer, Frank L.; Dauenhauer, Peter M.; Wierks, Tamara G.; Podmore, Robin

2009-04-01

This report describes initial human factors evaluation of four visualization tools (Graphical Contingency Analysis, Force Directed Graphs, Phasor State Estimator and Mode Meter/ Mode Shapes) developed by PNNL, and proposed test plans that may be implemented to evaluate their utility in scenario-based experiments.
Método para avaliação da conduta visual de lactentes A method to evaluate visual ability in infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heloisa G.R. Gardon Gagliardo

2004-06-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo é apresentar um método para avaliação de funções visuais em lactentes no primeiro trimestre de vida. Utilizou-se o Roteiro de Avaliação da Conduta Visual em Lactentes, modificado de Gagliardo (1997. O material foi aro suspenso por cordão. Realizou-se estudo piloto com 33 lactentes, segundo os critérios de inclusão: neonatos assintomáticos, sem necessidade de cuidados especiais nas primeiras 48 horas; idade cronológica variando entre 1 e 3 meses; avaliação mensal sem nenhuma falta; procedência da região de Campinas/SP. No 1º mês destacaram-se as provas: fixação visual-93,9%; contato de olho-90,9%; seguimento visual horizontal-72,7% e exploração visual do ambiente-97,0%. No 3º mês: exploração visual da mão-42,4% e aumento da movimentação de braços-36,4%. Este Roteiro permitiu observar a função visual segundo a idade cronológica; desvio dessa função possibilitará pronto encaminhamento a serviços médicos para diagnóstico.The purpose of this study is to introduce a method to evaluate visual functions in infants in the first three months of life. An adaptation of the Guide for the Assessment of Visual Ability in Infants (Gagliardo, 1997 was used. The instrument was a ring with string. It was implemented a pilot study with 33 infants, selected according to the following criteria: neonates well enough to go home within two days of birth; 1 to 3 months of chronological age; monthly evaluation with no absence; subjects living in Campinas/SP metropolitan area. In the first month we observed: visual fixation (93,9%; eye contact (90,9%; horizontal tracking (72,7%; inspects surroundings (97,0%. In the third month, we observed: inspects own hands (42,4% and increased movements of arms (36,4%. This method allowed the evaluation of visual functions in infants, according to the chronological age. Alterations in this function will facilitate immediate referral to medical services for diagnoses.
Computational Model of Primary Visual Cortex Combining Visual Attention for Action Recognition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Na Shu

Full Text Available Humans can easily understand other people's actions through visual systems, while computers cannot. Therefore, a new bio-inspired computational model is proposed in this paper aiming for automatic action recognition. The model focuses on dynamic properties of neurons and neural networks in the primary visual cortex (V1, and simulates the procedure of information processing in V1, which consists of visual perception, visual attention and representation of human action. In our model, a family of the three-dimensional spatial-temporal correlative Gabor filters is used to model the dynamic properties of the classical receptive field of V1 simple cell tuned to different speeds and orientations in time for detection of spatiotemporal information from video sequences. Based on the inhibitory effect of stimuli outside the classical receptive field caused by lateral connections of spiking neuron networks in V1, we propose surround suppressive operator to further process spatiotemporal information. Visual attention model based on perceptual grouping is integrated into our model to filter and group different regions. Moreover, in order to represent the human action, we consider the characteristic of the neural code: mean motion map based on analysis of spike trains generated by spiking neurons. The experimental evaluation on some publicly available action datasets and comparison with the state-of-the-art approaches demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed model.
Visual Saliency Prediction and Evaluation across Different Perceptual Tasks.

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Shafin Rahman

Full Text Available Saliency maps produced by different algorithms are often evaluated by comparing output to fixated image locations appearing in human eye tracking data. There are challenges in evaluation based on fixation data due to bias in the data. Properties of eye movement patterns that are independent of image content may limit the validity of evaluation results, including spatial bias in fixation data. To address this problem, we present modeling and evaluation results for data derived from different perceptual tasks related to the concept of saliency. We also present a novel approach to benchmarking to deal with some of the challenges posed by spatial bias. The results presented establish the value of alternatives to fixation data to drive improvement and development of models. We also demonstrate an approach to approximate the output of alternative perceptual tasks based on computational saliency and/or eye gaze data. As a whole, this work presents novel benchmarking results and methods, establishes a new performance baseline for perceptual tasks that provide an alternative window into visual saliency, and demonstrates the capacity for saliency to serve in approximating human behaviour for one visual task given data from another.
Acoustic Tactile Representation of Visual Information

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Pubudu Madhawa

Our goal is to explore the use of hearing and touch to convey graphical and pictorial information to visually impaired people. Our focus is on dynamic, interactive display of visual information using existing, widely available devices, such as smart phones and tablets with touch sensitive screens. We propose a new approach for acoustic-tactile representation of visual signals that can be implemented on a touch screen and allows the user to actively explore a two-dimensional layout consisting of one or more objects with a finger or a stylus while listening to auditory feedback via stereo headphones. The proposed approach is acoustic-tactile because sound is used as the primary source of information for object localization and identification, while touch is used for pointing and kinesthetic feedback. A static overlay of raised-dot tactile patterns can also be added. A key distinguishing feature of the proposed approach is the use of spatial sound (directional and distance cues) to facilitate the active exploration of the layout. We consider a variety of configurations for acoustic-tactile rendering of object size, shape, identity, and location, as well as for the overall perception of simple layouts and scenes. While our primary goal is to explore the fundamental capabilities and limitations of representing visual information in acoustic-tactile form, we also consider a number of relatively simple configurations that can be tied to specific applications. In particular, we consider a simple scene layout consisting of objects in a linear arrangement, each with a distinct tapping sound, which we compare to a ''virtual cane.'' We will also present a configuration that can convey a ''Venn diagram.'' We present systematic subjective experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed display for shape perception, object identification and localization, and 2-D layout perception, as well as the applications. Our experiments were conducted with visually blocked
Visual quality evaluation of urban commercial streetscape for the development of landscape visual planning system in provincial street corridors in Malang, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Santosa, H.; Ernawati, J.; Wulandari, L. D.

2018-03-01

The visual aesthetic experience in urban spaces is important in establishing a comfortable and satisfying experience for the community. The embodiment of a good visual image of urban space will encourage the emergence of positive perceptions and meanings stimulating the community to produce a good reaction to its urban space. Moreover, to establish a Good Governance in urban planning and design, it is necessary to boost and promote a community participation in the process of controlling the visual quality of urban space through the visual quality evaluation on urban street corridors. This study is an early stage as part of the development of ‘Landscape Visual Planning System’ on the commercial street corridor in Malang. Accordingly, the research aims to evaluate the physical characteristics and the public preferences of the spatial and visual aspects in five provincial road corridors in Malang. This study employs a field survey methods, and an environmental aesthetics approach through semantic differential method. The result of the identification of physical characteristics and the assessment of public preferences on the spatial and visual aspects of the five provincial streets serve as the basis for constructing the 3d interactive simulation scenarios in the Landscape Visual Planning System.
Adapting to the 30-degree visual perspective by emulating the angled laparoscope: a simple and low-cost solution for basic surgical training.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, Lorias Espinoza; Tapia, Fernando Montes; Arturo, Minor Martínez; Ricardo, Ordorica Flores

2014-12-01

The ability to handle and adapt to the visual perspectives generated by angled laparoscopes is crucial for skilled laparoscopic surgery. However, the control of the visual work space depends on the ability of the operator of the camera, who is often not the most experienced member of the surgical team. Here, we present a simple, low-cost option for surgical training that challenges the learner with static and dynamic visual perspectives at 30 degrees using a system that emulates the angled laparoscope. A system was developed using a low-cost camera and readily available materials to emulate the angled laparoscope. Nine participants undertook 3 tasks to test spatial adaptation to the static and dynamic visual perspectives at 30 degrees. Completing each task to a predefined satisfactory level ensured precision of execution of the tasks. Associated metrics (time and error rate) were recorded, and the performance of participants were determined. A total of 450 repetitions were performed by 9 residents at various stages of training. All the tasks were performed with a visual perspective of 30 degrees using the system. Junior residents were more proficient than senior residents. This system is a viable and low-cost alternative for developing the basic psychomotor skills necessary for the handling and adaptation to visual perspectives of 30 degrees, without depending on a laparoscopic tower, in junior residents. More advanced skills may then be acquired by other means, such as in the operating theater or through clinical experience.
Uniting Evidence-Based Evaluation with the ACGME Plastic Surgery Milestones: A Simple and Reliable Assessment of Resident Operative Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobraei, Edward M; Bohnen, Jordan D; George, Brian C; Mullen, John T; Lillemoe, Keith D; Austen, William G; Liao, Eric C

2016-08-01

Milestones evaluations in plastic surgery reflect a shift toward competency-based training but have created a number of challenges. The authors have incorporated the smartphone application evaluation tool, System for Improving and Measuring Procedural Learning (SIMPL), that was recently developed by a multi-institutional research collaborative. In this pilot study, the authors hypothesize that SIMPL can improve resident evaluation and also collect granular performance data to simplify compliance with the plastic surgery Milestones. SIMPL was prospectively piloted with a plastic surgery resident and faculty surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in this institutional review board-approved study. The study period was a 2-month interval corresponding to the resident's rotation. The resident-faculty combination performed 20 cases together. All cases were evaluated with SIMPL. SIMPL evaluations uniformly took under 1 minute to submit. The average time to completed evaluation from surgery completion was 5 hours (technology will support a shared vocabulary between residents and faculty to enhance intraoperative education.
Neural computation of visual imaging based on Kronecker product in the primary visual cortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guozheng Yao

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background What kind of neural computation is actually performed by the primary visual cortex and how is this represented mathematically at the system level? It is an important problem in the visual information processing, but has not been well answered. In this paper, according to our understanding of retinal organization and parallel multi-channel topographical mapping between retina and primary visual cortex V1, we divide an image into orthogonal and orderly array of image primitives (or patches, in which each patch will evoke activities of simple cells in V1. From viewpoint of information processing, this activated process, essentially, involves optimal detection and optimal matching of receptive fields of simple cells with features contained in image patches. For the reconstruction of the visual image in the visual cortex V1 based on the principle of minimum mean squares error, it is natural to use the inner product expression in neural computation, which then is transformed into matrix form. Results The inner product is carried out by using Kronecker product between patches and function architecture (or functional column in localized and oriented neural computing. Compared with Fourier Transform, the mathematical description of Kronecker product is simple and intuitive, so is the algorithm more suitable for neural computation of visual cortex V1. Results of computer simulation based on two-dimensional Gabor pyramid wavelets show that the theoretical analysis and the proposed model are reasonable. Conclusions Our results are: 1. The neural computation of the retinal image in cortex V1 can be expressed to Kronecker product operation and its matrix form, this algorithm is implemented by the inner operation between retinal image primitives and primary visual cortex's column. It has simple, efficient and robust features, which is, therefore, such a neural algorithm, which can be completed by biological vision. 2. It is more suitable
Objective Evaluation of Visual Fatigue Using Binocular Fusion Maintenance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirota, Masakazu; Morimoto, Takeshi; Kanda, Hiroyuki; Endo, Takao; Miyoshi, Tomomitsu; Miyagawa, Suguru; Hirohara, Yoko; Yamaguchi, Tatsuo; Saika, Makoto; Fujikado, Takashi

2018-03-01

In this study, we investigated whether an individual's visual fatigue can be evaluated objectively and quantitatively from their ability to maintain binocular fusion. Binocular fusion maintenance (BFM) was measured using a custom-made binocular open-view Shack-Hartmann wavefront aberrometer equipped with liquid crystal shutters, wherein eye movements and wavefront aberrations were measured simultaneously. Transmittance in the liquid crystal shutter in front of the subject's nondominant eye was reduced linearly, and BFM was determined from the transmittance at the point when binocular fusion was broken and vergence eye movement was induced. In total, 40 healthy subjects underwent the BFM test and completed a questionnaire regarding subjective symptoms before and after a visual task lasting 30 minutes. BFM was significantly reduced after the visual task ( P eye symptom score (adjusted R 2 = 0.752, P devices, such as head-mount display, objectively.
Simple evaluation of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport at Aespoe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dverstorp, B.; Geier, J.; Voss, C.

1996-12-01

A simple evaluation of groundwater flux and potential for radionuclide transport at the Aespoe site, from fundamental hydrologic principles, indicates that, based upon data that are available from surface-based investigations, it is not possible to confirm that the bedrock has a high capacity to retard radionuclide release to the surface environment. This result is primarily due to the high spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity, and high uncertainty regarding the relationship among hydrologic and transport parameters within conductive elements of the bedrock. A comparison between Aespoe and seven other study sites in Sweden indicates that it is difficult or impossible to discriminate among these sites in terms of the geologic barrier function, based upon the types of data that are available from present-day methods of site characterization. Groundwater flux is evaluated by a one-dimensional application of Darcy's law to a set of simple, potential pathways for groundwater flow from the repository, which are chosen to yield an appraisal of the wide bounds of possible system behaviour. The configurations of the pathways are specified based on simple assumptions of flow-field structure, and hydraulic driving forces are specified from consideration of regional and local topographic differences. Results are expressed in terms of a parameter group that has been shown to control the barrier function. Comparisons with more detailed hydrological modelling of Aespoe show that, although a reduction in uncertainty is achieved, this reduction is not sufficient to distinguish between good and poor performance of the geologic barrier at the site. 38 refs
Experimental Evaluation of Electric Power Grid Visualization Tools in the EIOC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greitzer, Frank L.; Dauenhauer, Peter M.; Wierks, Tamara G.; Podmore, Robin; Dalton, Angela C.

2009-12-01

The present study follows an initial human factors evaluation of four electric power grid visualization tools and reports on an empirical evaluation of two of the four tools: Graphical Contingency Analysis, and Phasor State Estimator. The evaluation was conducted within specific experimental studies designed to measure the impact on decision making performance.
End-User Development of Visualizations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauesen, Søren; Pantazos, Kostas

2016-01-01

view. With uVis, developers construct a visualization from simple visual components such as boxes, curvePoints, and textboxes. All component properties such as Top and BackColor can be complex formulas similar to spreadsheet formulas. The operands in the formula can address relational data......In this article the authors investigated a visualization tool (uVis) for end-user developers, in order to see how end users actually use it. The tool was an early version and the investigation helped the authors to improve it. The investigation showed that users appreciated the simple formula...... language, the coordinated panels, and the drag-and-drop mechanism. However, the most important thing for them was the immediate response when they changed something, for instance part of a formula. The entire visualization was updated immediately without having to switch from development view to production...

FAST (Four chamber view And Swing Technique) Echo: a Novel and Simple Algorithm to Visualize Standard Fetal Echocardiographic Planes

Science.gov (United States)

Yeo, Lami; Romero, Roberto; Jodicke, Cristiano; Oggè, Giovanna; Lee, Wesley; Kusanovic, Juan Pedro; Vaisbuch, Edi; Hassan, Sonia S.

2010-01-01

Objective To describe a novel and simple algorithm (FAST Echo: Four chamber view And Swing Technique) to visualize standard diagnostic planes of fetal echocardiography from dataset volumes obtained with spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) and applying a new display technology (OmniView). Methods We developed an algorithm to image standard fetal echocardiographic planes by drawing four dissecting lines through the longitudinal view of the ductal arch contained in a STIC volume dataset. Three of the lines are locked to provide simultaneous visualization of targeted planes, and the fourth line (unlocked) “swings” through the ductal arch image (“swing technique”), providing an infinite number of cardiac planes in sequence. Each line generated the following plane(s): 1) Line 1: three-vessels and trachea view; 2) Line 2: five-chamber view and long axis view of the aorta (obtained by rotation of the five-chamber view on the y-axis); 3) Line 3: four-chamber view; and 4) “Swing” line: three-vessels and trachea view, five-chamber view and/or long axis view of the aorta, four-chamber view, and stomach. The algorithm was then tested in 50 normal hearts (15.3 – 40 weeks of gestation) and visualization rates for cardiac diagnostic planes were calculated. To determine if the algorithm could identify planes that departed from the normal images, we tested the algorithm in 5 cases with proven congenital heart defects. Results In normal cases, the FAST Echo algorithm (3 locked lines and rotation of the five-chamber view on the y-axis) was able to generate the intended planes (longitudinal view of the ductal arch, pulmonary artery, three-vessels and trachea view, five-chamber view, long axis view of the aorta, four-chamber view): 1) individually in 100% of cases [except for the three-vessel and trachea view, which was seen in 98% (49/50)]; and 2) simultaneously in 98% (49/50). The “swing technique” was able to generate the three-vessels and trachea view, five
Four-chamber view and 'swing technique' (FAST) echo: a novel and simple algorithm to visualize standard fetal echocardiographic planes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeo, L; Romero, R; Jodicke, C; Oggè, G; Lee, W; Kusanovic, J P; Vaisbuch, E; Hassan, S

2011-04-01

To describe a novel and simple algorithm (four-chamber view and 'swing technique' (FAST) echo) for visualization of standard diagnostic planes of fetal echocardiography from dataset volumes obtained with spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) and applying a new display technology (OmniView). We developed an algorithm to image standard fetal echocardiographic planes by drawing four dissecting lines through the longitudinal view of the ductal arch contained in a STIC volume dataset. Three of the lines are locked to provide simultaneous visualization of targeted planes, and the fourth line (unlocked) 'swings' through the ductal arch image (swing technique), providing an infinite number of cardiac planes in sequence. Each line generates the following plane(s): (a) Line 1: three-vessels and trachea view; (b) Line 2: five-chamber view and long-axis view of the aorta (obtained by rotation of the five-chamber view on the y-axis); (c) Line 3: four-chamber view; and (d) 'swing line': three-vessels and trachea view, five-chamber view and/or long-axis view of the aorta, four-chamber view and stomach. The algorithm was then tested in 50 normal hearts in fetuses at 15.3-40 weeks' gestation and visualization rates for cardiac diagnostic planes were calculated. To determine whether the algorithm could identify planes that departed from the normal images, we tested the algorithm in five cases with proven congenital heart defects. In normal cases, the FAST echo algorithm (three locked lines and rotation of the five-chamber view on the y-axis) was able to generate the intended planes (longitudinal view of the ductal arch, pulmonary artery, three-vessels and trachea view, five-chamber view, long-axis view of the aorta, four-chamber view) individually in 100% of cases (except for the three-vessels and trachea view, which was seen in 98% (49/50)) and simultaneously in 98% (49/50). The swing technique was able to generate the three-vessels and trachea view, five-chamber view and/or long
Custom Visualization without Real Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pantazos, Kostas

Information Visualization tools have simplified visualization development. Some tools help simple users construct standard visualizations; others help programmers develop custom visualizations. This thesis contributes to the field of Information Visualization and End-User Development. The first...... contribution of the thesis is a taxonomy for Information Visualization development tools. Existing taxonomies from the Information Visualization field are helpful, but none of them can properly categorize visualization tools from a user development perspective. The categorization of 20 Information...... Visualization tools proves the applicability of this taxonomy, and the result showed that there are no Dragand- Drop tools that allow end-user developers as well as programmers to create custom visualizations. The second contribution is a new visualization development approach, the Drag...
A Simple Luminescent Adenylate-Cyclase Functional Assay for Evaluation of Bacillus anthracis Edema Factor Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma’ayan Israeli

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Edema Factor (EF, the toxic sub-unit of the Bacillus anthracis Edema Toxin (ET is a calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase whose detrimental activity in the infected host results in severe edema. EF is therefore a major virulence factor of B. anthracis. We describe a simple, rapid and reliable functional adenylate-cyclase assay based on inhibition of a luciferase-mediated luminescence reaction. The assay exploits the efficient adenylate cyclase-mediated depletion of adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP, and the strict dependence on ATP of the light-emitting luciferase-catalyzed luciferin-conversion to oxyluciferin, which can be easily visualized. The assay exhibits a robust EF-dose response decrease in luminescence, which may be specifically reverted by anti-EF antibodies. The application of the assay is exemplified in: (a determining the presence of EF in B. anthracis cultures, or its absence in cultures of EF-defective strains; (b evaluating the anti-EF humoral response in experimental animals infected/vaccinated with B. anthracis; and (c rapid discrimination between EF producing and non-producing bacterial colonies. Furthermore, the assay may be amenable with high-throughput screening for EF inhibitory molecules.
The Pareidolia Test: A Simple Neuropsychological Test Measuring Visual Hallucination-Like Illusions

OpenAIRE

Mamiya, Yasuyuki; Nishio, Yoshiyuki; Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Yokoi, Kayoko; Uchiyama, Makoto; Baba, Toru; Iizuka, Osamu; Kanno, Shigenori; Kamimura, Naoto; Kazui, Hiroaki; Hashimoto, Mamoru; Ikeda, Manabu; Takeshita, Chieko; Shimomura, Tatsuo; Mori, Etsuro

2016-01-01

Background Visual hallucinations are a core clinical feature of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and this symptom is important in the differential diagnosis and prediction of treatment response. The pareidolia test is a tool that evokes visual hallucination-like illusions, and these illusions may be a surrogate marker of visual hallucinations in DLB. We created a simplified version of the pareidolia test and examined its validity and reliability to establish the clinical utility of this test....
AN EVALUATION OF TIMELINE VISUALIZATION AND TREE VIEWER IN CRIME NEWS

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NAZLENA MOHAMAD ALI

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Finding good and relevant information in crime news is one of the most challenging tasks faced by users. An increase in the amount of information from news media has caused difficulties for users in obtaining relevant information. Hence, visualization is one of the important aspects to enhance user’s understanding when browsing or searching for news. Crime news requires a proper approach to visualize a variety of important information such as suspect, victim, location, time and evidence. Visual navigation is more interactive than linear. This has motivated us to develop a prototype called Crime News Visualization (CNV, which mplements a timeline and tree viewer to assist users when browsing crime news chronologically. The prototype follows several phases of development starting with design concept, implementation and evaluation. News corpus used in this study is from the Bernama Library & Infolink Service (BLIS resource, with a sample of 247 crime news documents from year 1997 to 2012. A user experiment was conducted with 20 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in order to evaluate the acceptance and perception of interactive browsing of crime news using news portal (baseline and CNV (experimental. Findings revealed that more than 90% of the respondents indicated that the use of timeline visualization and tree viewer was helpful and had potential to improve the way users browse for crime news content.
78 FR 18837 - Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Visual Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-28

... updating our regulations is to address advances in medical technology and terminology. We have removed the... Medical Criteria for Evaluating Visual Disorders AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION: Final..., Office of Medical Listings Improvement, Social Security Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard...
Evaluating the effectiveness of using electroencephalogram power indices to measure visual fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Bin-Wei; Wang, Mao-Jiun J

2013-02-01

Electroencephalography (EEG) is widely used in cognitive and behavioral research. This study evaluates the effectiveness of using the EEG power index to measure visual fatigue. Three common visual fatigue measures, critical-flicker fusion (CFF), near-point accommodation (NPA), and subjective eye-fatigue rating, were used for comparison. The study participants were 20 men with a mean age of 20.4 yr. (SD = 1.5). The experimental task was a car-racing video game. Results indicated that the EEG power indices were valid as a visual fatigue measure and the sensitivity of the objective measures (CFF and EEG power index) was higher than the subjective measure. The EEG beta and EEG alpha were effective for measuring visual fatigue in short- and long-duration tasks, respectively. EEG beta/alpha were the most effective power indexes for the visual fatigue measure.
The coupling of cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism with brain activation is similar for simple and complex stimuli in human primary visual cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffeth, Valerie E M; Simon, Aaron B; Buxton, Richard B

2015-01-01

Quantitative functional MRI (fMRI) experiments to measure blood flow and oxygen metabolism coupling in the brain typically rely on simple repetitive stimuli. Here we compared such stimuli with a more naturalistic stimulus. Previous work on the primary visual cortex showed that direct attentional modulation evokes a blood flow (CBF) response with a relatively large oxygen metabolism (CMRO2) response in comparison to an unattended stimulus, which evokes a much smaller metabolic response relative to the flow response. We hypothesized that a similar effect would be associated with a more engaging stimulus, and tested this by measuring the primary human visual cortex response to two contrast levels of a radial flickering checkerboard in comparison to the response to free viewing of brief movie clips. We did not find a significant difference in the blood flow-metabolism coupling (n=%ΔCBF/%ΔCMRO2) between the movie stimulus and the flickering checkerboards employing two different analysis methods: a standard analysis using the Davis model and a new analysis using a heuristic model dependent only on measured quantities. This finding suggests that in the primary visual cortex a naturalistic stimulus (in comparison to a simple repetitive stimulus) is either not sufficient to provoke a change in flow-metabolism coupling by attentional modulation as hypothesized, that the experimental design disrupted the cognitive processes underlying the response to a more natural stimulus, or that the technique used is not sensitive enough to detect a small difference. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Evaluating Combinations of Ranked Lists and Visualizations of Inter-Document Similarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Allan, James; Leuski, Anton; Swan, Russell; Byrd, Donald

2001-01-01

Considers how ideas from document clustering can be used to improve retrieval accuracy of ranked lists in interactive systems and how to evaluate system effectiveness. Describes a TREC (Text Retrieval Conference) study that constructed and evaluated systems that present the user with ranked lists and a visualization of inter-document similarities.…
Integration of Multiple Cues for Visual Gloss Evaluation

OpenAIRE

Leloup, Frédéric B.; Hanselaer, Peter; Pointer, Michael R.; Dutré, Philip

2012-01-01

This study reports on a psychophysical experiment with real stimuli that differ in multiple visual gloss criteria. Four samples were presented to 15 observers under different conditions of illumination, resulting in a series of 16 stimuli. Through pairwise comparisons, a gloss scale was derived and the observers' strategy to evaluate gloss was investigated. The preference probability matrix P indicated a dichotomy among observers. A first group of observers used the distinctnes...
Evidence of gradual loss of precision for simple features and complex objects in visual working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Rademaker, Rosanne L; Park, Young Eun; Sack, Alexander T; Tong, Frank

2018-03-01

Previous studies have suggested that people can maintain prioritized items in visual working memory for many seconds, with negligible loss of information over time. Such findings imply that working memory representations are robust to the potential contaminating effects of internal noise. However, once visual information is encoded into working memory, one might expect it to inevitably begin degrading over time, as this actively maintained information is no longer tethered to the original perceptual input. Here, we examined this issue by evaluating working memory for single central presentations of an oriented grating, color patch, or face stimulus, across a range of delay periods (1, 3, 6, or 12 s). We applied a mixture-model analysis to distinguish changes in memory precision over time from changes in the frequency of outlier responses that resemble random guesses. For all 3 types of stimuli, participants exhibited a clear and consistent decline in the precision of working memory as a function of temporal delay, as well as a modest increase in guessing-related responses for colored patches and face stimuli. We observed a similar loss of precision over time while controlling for temporal distinctiveness. Our results demonstrate that visual working memory is far from lossless: while basic visual features and complex objects can be maintained in a quite stable manner over time, these representations are still subject to noise accumulation and complete termination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Work-Centered Design and Evaluation of a C2 Visualization Aid

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Roth, Emilie; Scott, Ronald; Kazmierczak, Tom; Whitaker, Randall; Stilson, Mona; Thomas-Meyers, Gina; Wampler, Jeffrey

2006-01-01

.... We have been developing and applying work-centered design and evaluation methodologies to design advanced visualization and support tools intended to more effectively support C2 cognitive and collaborative work...
Development and Evaluation of Secure Socket Layer Visualization Tool with Packet Capturing Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arai Masayuki

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Secure Socket Layer (SSL has become a fundamental technology that secures browser-processed personal details sent to the server. As a result, communication and computer engineers are advised to learn the protocol. However, understanding SSL is very difficult because of its intricate communication procedure. To solve this problem, we developed a visualization tool for understanding SSL. This paper describes the design, implementation methods, and evaluation of the tool. The evaluation results show that the visualization tool is effective for learning SSL.
Picasso: A Modular Framework for Visualizing the Learning Process of Neural Network Image Classifiers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan Henderson

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Picasso is a free open-source (Eclipse Public License web application written in Python for rendering standard visualizations useful for analyzing convolutional neural networks. Picasso ships with occlusion maps and saliency maps, two visualizations which help reveal issues that evaluation metrics like loss and accuracy might hide: for example, learning a proxy classification task. Picasso works with the Tensorflow deep learning framework, and Keras (when the model can be loaded into the Tensorflow backend. Picasso can be used with minimal configuration by deep learning researchers and engineers alike across various neural network architectures. Adding new visualizations is simple: the user can specify their visualization code and HTML template separately from the application code.
78 FR 25521 - Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Visual Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-01

... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION [Docket No. SSA-2010-0078] Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Visual Disorders AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION: Final rules; Correction. SUMMARY: The Social Security Administration published a document in the Federal Register of March 28, 2013, in FR Doc...
Evaluation of IOTA Simple Ultrasound Rules to Distinguish Benign and Malignant Ovarian Tumours.

Science.gov (United States)

Garg, Sugandha; Kaur, Amarjit; Mohi, Jaswinder Kaur; Sibia, Preet Kanwal; Kaur, Navkiran

2017-08-01

IOTA stands for International Ovarian Tumour Analysis group. Ovarian cancer is one of the common cancers in women and is diagnosed at later stage in majority. The limiting factor for early diagnosis is lack of standardized terms and procedures in gynaecological sonography. Introduction of IOTA rules has provided some consistency in defining morphological features of ovarian masses through a standardized examination technique. To evaluate the efficacy of IOTA simple ultrasound rules in distinguishing benign and malignant ovarian tumours and establishing their use as a tool in early diagnosis of ovarian malignancy. A hospital based case control prospective study was conducted. Patients with suspected ovarian pathology were evaluated using IOTA ultrasound rules and designated as benign or malignant. Findings were correlated with histopathological findings. Collected data was statistically analysed using chi-square test and kappa statistical method. Out of initial 55 patients, 50 patients were included in the final analysis who underwent surgery. IOTA simple rules were applicable in 45 out of these 50 patients (90%). The sensitivity for the detection of malignancy in cases where IOTA simple rules were applicable was 91.66% and the specificity was 84.84%. Accuracy was 86.66%. Classifying inconclusive cases as malignant, the sensitivity and specificity was 93% and 80% respectively. High level of agreement was found between USG and histopathological diagnosis with Kappa value as 0.323. IOTA simple ultrasound rules were highly sensitive and specific in predicting ovarian malignancy preoperatively yet being reproducible, easy to train and use.
Sensitive visual test for concave diffraction gratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruner, E. C., Jr.

1972-01-01

A simple visual test for the evaluation of concave diffraction gratings is described. It is twice as sensitive as the Foucault knife edge test, from which it is derived, and has the advantage that the images are straight and free of astigmatism. It is particularly useful for grating with high ruling frequency where the above image faults limit the utility of the Foucault test. The test can be interpreted quantitatively and can detect zonal grating space errors of as little as 0.1 A.
Prey capture behaviour evoked by simple visual stimuli in larval zebrafish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isaac Henry Bianco

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding how the nervous system recognises salient stimuli in the environ- ment and selects and executes the appropriate behavioural responses is a fundamen- tal question in systems neuroscience. To facilitate the neuroethological study of visually-guided behaviour in larval zebrafish, we developed virtual reality assays in which precisely controlled visual cues can be presented to larvae whilst their behaviour is automatically monitored using machine-vision algorithms. Freely swimming larvae responded to moving stimuli in a size-dependent manner: they directed multiple low amplitude orienting turns (∼ 20◦ towards small moving spots (1◦ but reacted to larger spots (10◦ with high-amplitude aversive turns (∼ 60◦. The tracking of small spots led us to examine how larvae respond to prey during hunting routines. By analysing movie sequences of larvae hunting parame- cia, we discovered that all prey capture routines commence with eye convergence and larvae maintain their eyes in a highly converged position for the duration of the prey-tracking and capture swim phases. We adapted our virtual reality assay to deliver artificial visual cues to partially restrained larvae and found that small moving spots evoked convergent eye movements and J-turns of the tail, which are defining features of natural hunting. We propose that eye convergence represents the engagement of a predatory mode of behaviour in larval fish and serves to increase the region of binocular visual space to enable stereoscopic targeting of prey.
A combined pulmonary-radiology workshop for visual evaluation of COPD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barr, R Graham; Berkowitz, Eugene A; Bigazzi, Francesca

2012-01-01

The purposes of this study were: to describe chest CT findings in normal non-smoking controls and cigarette smokers with and without COPD; to compare the prevalence of CT abnormalities with severity of COPD; and to evaluate concordance between visual and quantitative chest CT (QCT) scoring....

Visual attention capacity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Habekost, Thomas; Starrfelt, Randi

2009-01-01

Psychophysical studies have identified two distinct limitations of visual attention capacity: processing speed and apprehension span. Using a simple test, these cognitive factors can be analyzed by Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention (TVA). The method has strong specificity and sensitivity......, and measurements are highly reliable. As the method is theoretically founded, it also has high validity. TVA-based assessment has recently been used to investigate a broad range of neuropsychological and neurological conditions. We present the method, including the experimental paradigm and practical guidelines...... to patient testing, and review existing TVA-based patient studies organized by lesion anatomy. Lesions in three anatomical regions affect visual capacity: The parietal lobes, frontal cortex and basal ganglia, and extrastriate cortex. Visual capacity thus depends on large, bilaterally distributed anatomical...
Visual MRI grading system to evaluate atrophy of the supeaspinatus muscle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Hyun Kyoung; Hong, Sung Hwan; Yoo, Hye Jin; Choi, Ja Young; Kim, Sae Hoon; Choi, Jung Ah; Kang, Heung Sik [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2014-08-15

To investigate the interobserver reproducibility and diagnostic feasibility of a visual grading system for assessing atrophy of the supraspinatus muscle on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Three independent radiologists retrospectively evaluated the occupying ratio of the supraspinatus muscle in the supraspinatus fossa on 192 shoulder MRI examinations in 188 patients using a 3-point visual grading system (1, ≥ 60%; 2, 30-59%; 3, < 30%) on oblique sagittal T1-weighted images. The inter-reader agreement and the agreement with the reference standard (3-point grades according to absolute occupying ratio values quantitatively measured by directly contouring the muscles on MRI) were analyzed using weighted kappa. The visual grading was applied by a single reader to a group of 100 consecutive patients who had undergone rotator cuff repair to retrospectively determine the association between the visual grades at preoperative state and postsurgical occurrences of retear. The inter-reader weighted kappa value for the visual grading was 0.74 when averaged across three reader pairs (0.70-0.77 for individual reader pairs). The weighted kappa value between the visual grading and the reference standard ranged from 0.75 to 0.83. There was a significant difference in retear rates of the rotator cuff between the 3 visual grades of supraspinatus muscle atrophy on MRI in univariable analysis (p < 0.001), but not in multivariable analysis (p = 0.026). The 3-point visual grading system may be a feasible method to assess the severity of supraspinatus muscle atrophy on MRI and assist in the clinical management of patients with rotator cuff tear.
Visual MRI grading system to evaluate atrophy of the supeaspinatus muscle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Hyun Kyoung; Hong, Sung Hwan; Yoo, Hye Jin; Choi, Ja Young; Kim, Sae Hoon; Choi, Jung Ah; Kang, Heung Sik

2014-01-01

To investigate the interobserver reproducibility and diagnostic feasibility of a visual grading system for assessing atrophy of the supraspinatus muscle on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Three independent radiologists retrospectively evaluated the occupying ratio of the supraspinatus muscle in the supraspinatus fossa on 192 shoulder MRI examinations in 188 patients using a 3-point visual grading system (1, ≥ 60%; 2, 30-59%; 3, < 30%) on oblique sagittal T1-weighted images. The inter-reader agreement and the agreement with the reference standard (3-point grades according to absolute occupying ratio values quantitatively measured by directly contouring the muscles on MRI) were analyzed using weighted kappa. The visual grading was applied by a single reader to a group of 100 consecutive patients who had undergone rotator cuff repair to retrospectively determine the association between the visual grades at preoperative state and postsurgical occurrences of retear. The inter-reader weighted kappa value for the visual grading was 0.74 when averaged across three reader pairs (0.70-0.77 for individual reader pairs). The weighted kappa value between the visual grading and the reference standard ranged from 0.75 to 0.83. There was a significant difference in retear rates of the rotator cuff between the 3 visual grades of supraspinatus muscle atrophy on MRI in univariable analysis (p < 0.001), but not in multivariable analysis (p = 0.026). The 3-point visual grading system may be a feasible method to assess the severity of supraspinatus muscle atrophy on MRI and assist in the clinical management of patients with rotator cuff tear.
[Issues in psychiatric evaluation of children and adolescents with visual impairment].

Science.gov (United States)

Saisky, Yaniv; Hasid, Soli; Ebert, Tanya; Kosov, Irene

2014-02-01

Approximately 8% from those who are defined as blind in Israel are children and adolescents. Visual impairment is correlated with a high rate of psychopathology. However, some of these children and adolescents do not receive appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Often, the clinicians and those who treat the children/adolescents lack the proper professional knowledge related to the unique diagnosis and treatment of children/ adolescents who are visually impaired. Visual impairment might influence different aspects of the psychiatric diagnosis. These aspects include the influence of the impairment on different developmental axes; the reciprocal relationship between the child and his/her environment; the clinical presentation of different psychopathologies; and the different treatment modalities. In this review we discuss these issues. Moreover, we raise the question as to whether there is a need to adapt the psychiatric evaluation and the treatment specifically to the visually impaired child. The review is based on the existing literature in addition to our clinical experience, which stems from our work with children and adolescents who are at the "Jewish Institute for the Blind", an institute for children and adolescents with visual impairment in Israel.
Overview of the Visual Arts Curriculum, and Its Relationship with Evaluation and Instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Imonikebe, Manasseh Emamoke

2013-01-01

Evaluation and instruction play very important roles in curriculum implementation. As a result, the two concepts are often enshrined in the curriculum document. This article therefore examined the Visual Arts curriculum and its relationship with evaluation and instruction. Furthermore, the roles of Evaluation and Instruction in curriculum planning…
Evaluation of IOTA Simple Ultrasound Rules to Distinguish Benign and Malignant Ovarian Tumours

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Amarjit; Mohi, Jaswinder Kaur; Sibia, Preet Kanwal; Kaur, Navkiran

2017-01-01

Introduction IOTA stands for International Ovarian Tumour Analysis group. Ovarian cancer is one of the common cancers in women and is diagnosed at later stage in majority. The limiting factor for early diagnosis is lack of standardized terms and procedures in gynaecological sonography. Introduction of IOTA rules has provided some consistency in defining morphological features of ovarian masses through a standardized examination technique. Aim To evaluate the efficacy of IOTA simple ultrasound rules in distinguishing benign and malignant ovarian tumours and establishing their use as a tool in early diagnosis of ovarian malignancy. Materials and Methods A hospital based case control prospective study was conducted. Patients with suspected ovarian pathology were evaluated using IOTA ultrasound rules and designated as benign or malignant. Findings were correlated with histopathological findings. Collected data was statistically analysed using chi-square test and kappa statistical method. Results Out of initial 55 patients, 50 patients were included in the final analysis who underwent surgery. IOTA simple rules were applicable in 45 out of these 50 patients (90%). The sensitivity for the detection of malignancy in cases where IOTA simple rules were applicable was 91.66% and the specificity was 84.84%. Accuracy was 86.66%. Classifying inconclusive cases as malignant, the sensitivity and specificity was 93% and 80% respectively. High level of agreement was found between USG and histopathological diagnosis with Kappa value as 0.323. Conclusion IOTA simple ultrasound rules were highly sensitive and specific in predicting ovarian malignancy preoperatively yet being reproducible, easy to train and use. PMID:28969237
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...
Visual Representation Determines Search Difficulty: Explaining Visual Search Asymmetries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neil eBruce

2011-07-01

Full Text Available In visual search experiments there exist a variety of experimental paradigms in which a symmetric set of experimental conditions yields asymmetric corresponding task performance. There are a variety of examples of this that currently lack a satisfactory explanation. In this paper, we demonstrate that distinct classes of asymmetries may be explained by virtue of a few simple conditions that are consistent with current thinking surrounding computational modeling of visual search and coding in the primate brain. This includes a detailed look at the role that stimulus familiarity plays in the determination of search performance. Overall, we demonstrate that all of these asymmetries have a common origin, namely, they are a consequence of the encoding that appears in the visual cortex. The analysis associated with these cases yields insight into the problem of visual search in general and predictions of novel search asymmetries.
Development of the simple evaluation method of the soil biomass by the ATP measurement

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Urashima, Y.; Nakajima, M.; Kaneda, Satoshi; Murakami, T.

2007-01-01

Roč. 78, č. 2 (2007), s. 187-190 ISSN 0029-0610 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60660521 Keywords : simple evaluation method * soil biomass * ATP measurement Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour
Mastering algebra retrains the visual system to perceive hierarchical structure in equations.

Science.gov (United States)

Marghetis, Tyler; Landy, David; Goldstone, Robert L

2016-01-01

Formal mathematics is a paragon of abstractness. It thus seems natural to assume that the mathematical expert should rely more on symbolic or conceptual processes, and less on perception and action. We argue instead that mathematical proficiency relies on perceptual systems that have been retrained to implement mathematical skills. Specifically, we investigated whether the visual system-in particular, object-based attention-is retrained so that parsing algebraic expressions and evaluating algebraic validity are accomplished by visual processing. Object-based attention occurs when the visual system organizes the world into discrete objects, which then guide the deployment of attention. One classic signature of object-based attention is better perceptual discrimination within, rather than between, visual objects. The current study reports that object-based attention occurs not only for simple shapes but also for symbolic mathematical elements within algebraic expressions-but only among individuals who have mastered the hierarchical syntax of algebra. Moreover, among these individuals, increased object-based attention within algebraic expressions is associated with a better ability to evaluate algebraic validity. These results suggest that, in mastering the rules of algebra, people retrain their visual system to represent and evaluate abstract mathematical structure. We thus argue that algebraic expertise involves the regimentation and reuse of evolutionarily ancient perceptual processes. Our findings implicate the visual system as central to learning and reasoning in mathematics, leading us to favor educational approaches to mathematics and related STEM fields that encourage students to adapt, not abandon, their use of perception.
Data visualization

CERN Document Server

Azzam, Tarek

2013-01-01

Do you communicate data and information to stakeholders? In Part 1, we introduce recent developments in the quantitative and qualitative data visualization field and provide a historical perspective on data visualization, its potential role in evaluation practice, and future directions. Part 2 delivers concrete suggestions for optimally using data visualization in evaluation, as well as suggestions for best practices in data visualization design. It focuses on specific quantitative and qualitative data visualization approaches that include data dashboards, graphic recording, and geographic information systems (GIS). Readers will get a step-by-step process for designing an effective data dashboard system for programs and organizations, and various suggestions to improve their utility.
VRML metabolic network visualizer.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojdestvenski, Igor

2003-03-01

A successful date collection visualization should satisfy a set of many requirements: unification of diverse data formats, support for serendipity research, support of hierarchical structures, algorithmizability, vast information density, Internet-readiness, and other. Recently, virtual reality has made significant progress in engineering, architectural design, entertainment and communication. We experiment with the possibility of using the immersive abstract three-dimensional visualizations of the metabolic networks. We present the trial Metabolic Network Visualizer software, which produces graphical representation of a metabolic network as a VRML world from a formal description written in a simple SGML-type scripting language.
Optimized constitutive distributions visualized by lamina formulas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Pauli; Pedersen, Niels Leergaard

2017-01-01

For optimal design most parameters may be classified in size, shape, and topology, such as simple density variables and parameters for surface description. Density and surface can be rather directly visualized. Extending the design to material design in sense of design of distributions of constit......For optimal design most parameters may be classified in size, shape, and topology, such as simple density variables and parameters for surface description. Density and surface can be rather directly visualized. Extending the design to material design in sense of design of distributions...
New procedures to evaluate visually lossless compression for display systems

Science.gov (United States)

Stolitzka, Dale F.; Schelkens, Peter; Bruylants, Tim

2017-09-01

Visually lossless image coding in isochronous display streaming or plesiochronous networks reduces link complexity and power consumption and increases available link bandwidth. A new set of codecs developed within the last four years promise a new level of coding quality, but require new techniques that are sufficiently sensitive to the small artifacts or color variations induced by this new breed of codecs. This paper begins with a summary of the new ISO/IEC 29170-2, a procedure for evaluation of lossless coding and reports the new work by JPEG to extend the procedure in two important ways, for HDR content and for evaluating the differences between still images, panning images and image sequences. ISO/IEC 29170-2 relies on processing test images through a well-defined process chain for subjective, forced-choice psychophysical experiments. The procedure sets an acceptable quality level equal to one just noticeable difference. Traditional image and video coding evaluation techniques, such as, those used for television evaluation have not proven sufficiently sensitive to the small artifacts that may be induced by this breed of codecs. In 2015, JPEG received new requirements to expand evaluation of visually lossless coding for high dynamic range images, slowly moving images, i.e., panning, and image sequences. These requirements are the basis for new amendments of the ISO/IEC 29170-2 procedures described in this paper. These amendments promise to be highly useful for the new content in television and cinema mezzanine networks. The amendments passed the final ballot in April 2017 and are on track to be published in 2018.
Color waves : a simple heuristic for choosing false colors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Overveld, van C.W.A.M.

1997-01-01

A simple heuristic is presented for choosing false colors for visualizing scalar functions on two-dimensional domains. The color scheme allows inspection of the function on several length scales simultanously.
Gambling in the visual periphery: a conjoint-measurement analysis of human ability to judge visual uncertainty.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hang Zhang

Full Text Available Recent work in motor control demonstrates that humans take their own motor uncertainty into account, adjusting the timing and goals of movement so as to maximize expected gain. Visual sensitivity varies dramatically with retinal location and target, and models of optimal visual search typically assume that the visual system takes retinal inhomogeneity into account in planning eye movements. Such models can then use the entire retina rather than just the fovea to speed search. Using a simple decision task, we evaluated human ability to compensate for retinal inhomogeneity. We first measured observers' sensitivity for targets, varying contrast and eccentricity. Observers then repeatedly chose between targets differing in eccentricity and contrast, selecting the one they would prefer to attempt: e.g., a low contrast target at 2° versus a high contrast target at 10°. Observers knew they would later attempt some of their chosen targets and receive rewards for correct classifications. We evaluated performance in three ways. Equivalence: Do observers' judgments agree with their actual performance? Do they correctly trade off eccentricity and contrast and select the more discriminable target in each pair? Transitivity: Are observers' choices self-consistent? Dominance: Do observers understand that increased contrast improves performance? Decreased eccentricity? All observers exhibited patterned failures of equivalence, and seven out of eight observers failed transitivity. There were significant but small failures of dominance. All these failures together reduced their winnings by 10%-18%.
A simple labeled test meal for the evaluation of gastric emptying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishii, Keita; Tanabe, Satoshi; Mitsuhashi, Toshiharu; Saigenji, Katsunori [Kitasato Univ., Sagamihara, Kanagawa (Japan). School of Medicine

1994-10-01

We developed a simple test meal for the evaluation of gastric emptying. Preparation of a test meal for routine clinical use in institutions should be as simple as possible. The newly developed test meal consists of instant noodles labeled with 37 MBq (1 mCi) technetium-99m and does not require the use of cooking utensils. The test meal was given with drinking water (180 ml) to healthy adult volunteers (6 men, 34.5[+-]2.2 years old) and gastric emptying was measured at 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 80, 100, 120 minutes after the end of the meal, and results were compared with those derived without drinking water. The emptying pattern of the test meal with water exhibited an exponential pattern typical of a liquid meal, and that without water formed a linear pattern after an initial lag phase in keeping with gastric emptying of a solid meal. In addition, the test meal was given to 11 patients of diabetic gastroparesis (5 men, 6 women, 50.4[+-]4.5 years old), and gastric emptying was measured. At each period evaluated, emptying was significantly slower in diabetic gastroparesis than in healthy controls (6 men, 1 woman, 32.1[+-]3.0 years old). These results show that the test meal is reliable and applicable to the clinical assessment of gastric emptying, while fulfilling the need for simplicity. (author).
Visualizing Sound Directivity via Smartphone Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Hawley, Scott H.; McClain, Robert E.

2018-02-01

When Yang-Hann Kim received the Rossing Prize in Acoustics Education at the 2015 meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, he stressed the importance of offering visual depictions of sound fields when teaching acoustics. Often visualization methods require specialized equipment such as microphone arrays or scanning apparatus. We present a simple method for visualizing angular dependence in sound fields, made possible via the confluence of sensors available via a new smartphone app that the authors have developed.
Teach yourself visually complete Excel

CERN Document Server

McFedries, Paul

2013-01-01

Get the basics of Excel and then go beyond with this new instructional visual guide While many users need Excel just to create simple worksheets, many businesses and professionals rely on the advanced features of Excel to handle things like database creation and data analysis. Whatever project you have in mind, this visual guide takes you step by step through what each step should look like. Veteran author Paul McFedries first presents the basics and then gradually takes it further with his coverage of designing worksheets, collaborating between worksheets, working with visual data
Visualized Evaluation of Blood Flow to the Gastric Conduit and Complications in Esophageal Reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Noma, Kazuhiro; Shirakawa, Yasuhiro; Kanaya, Nobuhiko; Okada, Tsuyoshi; Maeda, Naoaki; Ninomiya, Takayuki; Tanabe, Shunsuke; Sakurama, Kazufumi; Fujiwara, Toshiyoshi

2018-03-01

Evaluation of the blood supply to gastric conduits is critically important to avoid complications after esophagectomy. We began visual evaluation of blood flow using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescent imaging in July 2015, to reduce reconstructive complications. In this study, we aimed to statistically verify the efficacy of blood flow evaluation using our simplified ICG method. A total of 285 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy and gastric conduit reconstruction were reviewed and divided into 2 groups: before and after introduction of ICG evaluation. The entire cohort and 68 patient pairs after propensity score matching (PS-M) were evaluated for clinical outcomes and the effect of visualized evaluation on reducing the risk of complication. The leakage rate in the ICG group was significantly lower than in the non-ICG group for each severity grade, both in the entire cohort (285 subjects) and after PS-M; the rates of other major complications, including recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and pneumonia, were not different. The duration of postoperative ICU stay was approximately 1 day shorter in the ICG group than in the non-ICG group in the entire cohort, and approximately 2 days shorter after PS-M. Visualized evaluation of blood flow with ICG methods significantly reduced the rate of anastomotic complications of all Clavien-Dindo (CD) grades. Odds ratios for ICG evaluation decreased with CD grade (0.3419 for CD ≥ 1; 0.241 for CD ≥ 2; and 0.2153 for CD ≥ 3). Objective evaluation of blood supply to the reconstructed conduit using ICG fluorescent imaging reduces the risk and degree of anastomotic complication. Copyright © 2017 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Visual Short-Term Memory Capacity for Simple and Complex Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Luria, Roy; Sessa, Paola; Gotler, Alex; Jolicoeur, Pierre; Dell'Acqua, Roberto

2010-01-01

Does the capacity of visual short-term memory (VSTM) depend on the complexity of the objects represented in memory? Although some previous findings indicated lower capacity for more complex stimuli, other results suggest that complexity effects arise during retrieval (due to errors in the comparison process with what is in memory) that is not…
Visual memory in musicians and non-musicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, Ana Carolina; Loureiro, Maurício; Caramelli, Paulo

2014-01-01

Many investigations have reported structural, functional, and cognitive changes in the brains of musicians, which occur as a result of many years of musical practice. We aimed to investigate if intensive, long-term musical practice is associated with improved visual memory ability. Musicians and non-musicians, who were comparable in age, gender, and education, were submitted to a visual memory test. The test consisted of the presentation of four sets of stimuli, each one containing eight figures to be memorized. Each set was followed by individual figures and the subject was required to indicate if each figure was or was not present in the memorized set, by pressing the corresponding keys. We divided the test in two parts, in which the stimuli had greater or reduced semantic coding. Overall, musicians showed better performance on reaction times, but not on accuracy. An additional analysis revealed no significant interaction between group and any part of the test in the prediction of the outcomes. When simple reaction time was included as covariate, no significant difference between groups was found on reaction times. In the group of musicians, we found some significant correlations between variables related to musical practice and performance in the visual memory test. In summary, our data provide no evidence of enhanced visual memory ability in musicians, since there was no difference in accuracy between groups. Our results suggest that performance of musicians in the visual memory test may be associated with better sensorimotor integration, since although they have presented shorter reaction times, such effect disappeared when taken in consideration the simple reaction time test. However, given existing evidence of associations between simple reaction time and cognitive function, their performance in the visual memory test could also be related to enhanced visual attention ability, as has been suggested by previous studies, but this hypothesis deserves more
Substantial interobserver variation of thyroid volume and function by visual evaluation of thyroid (99m)Tc scintigraphy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Soelberg, Kerstin; Grupe, Peter; Boel-Jørgensen, Henrik

2014-01-01

(99m)Tc-pertechnetate scintigraphy is much used in the evaluation of patients with nodular goitre. We investigated the ability of experienced observers to estimate the thyroid 24-h (131)I uptake (RAIU) and the thyroid volume by visual evaluation of the scintigram.......(99m)Tc-pertechnetate scintigraphy is much used in the evaluation of patients with nodular goitre. We investigated the ability of experienced observers to estimate the thyroid 24-h (131)I uptake (RAIU) and the thyroid volume by visual evaluation of the scintigram....
Computerized evaluation of deambulatory pattern before and after visual rehabilitation treatment performed with biofeedback in visually impaired patients suffering from macular degeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Pacella

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Aims: The aim of this study was double: the primary endpoint was to evaluate the efficacy of visual rehabilitation of visually impaired patients with macular degeneration (AMD. The secondary endpoint was to assess the effect of rehabilitation treatment on the ambulatory pattern using a computerized evaluation of walking, focusing the attention on space-time parameters that are influenced in patients with visual impairment. Methods: 10 patients with AMD were enrolled, 6 males and 4 females, and examined 15 eyes, at Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Visual rehabilitation was carried out with the use of a microperimeter MP1 using the examination of biofeedback. Patients are asked to move their eyes in coordination with an audible feedback that alerts the patient when he is setting properly the fixation target previously selected. All patients were subjected to 10 sessions lasting 15 minutes each for each eye, 1 time per week. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA was assessed by far with the ETDRS optotype IN LOG MAR, and by close to 25 cm by adding + 4 ball (addition to near to the BCVA. For each eye the PB ( print body on the distance of 25 cm was measured; It fixation stability for 30 seconds was examined by microperimeter. Gait Analysis was performed with system ELITE BTS SpA (Milan, Italy. Results: At the end of the rehabilitation treatment with biofeedback it was found a marked improvement in BCVA. The BCVA before the rehabilitation treatment was ETDRS 12 LETTERS = 0.86 logMAR. At the end of the visual rehabilitation 16 LETTERS = 0.78 logMAR. The near visual acuity presented a decrease of the printer body measurement (PB and a statistically significant improvement in the fixation stability. Analysis of the spatial and temporal parameters of gait cycle, aimed at assessing the global aspects of gait (speed, rhythm, symmetry, fluidity, dynamic balance showed no significant changes
A human visual model-based approach of the visual attention and performance evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Le Meur, Olivier; Barba, Dominique; Le Callet, Patrick; Thoreau, Dominique

2005-03-01

In this paper, a coherent computational model of visual selective attention for color pictures is described and its performances are precisely evaluated. The model based on some important behaviours of the human visual system is composed of four parts: visibility, perception, perceptual grouping and saliency map construction. This paper focuses mainly on its performances assessment by achieving extended subjective and objective comparisons with real fixation points captured by an eye-tracking system used by the observers in a task-free viewing mode. From the knowledge of the ground truth, qualitatively and quantitatively comparisons have been made in terms of the measurement of the linear correlation coefficient (CC) and of the Kulback Liebler divergence (KL). On a set of 10 natural color images, the results show that the linear correlation coefficient and the Kullback Leibler divergence are of about 0.71 and 0.46, respectively. CC and Kl measures with this model are respectively improved by about 4% and 7% compared to the best model proposed by L.Itti. Moreover, by comparing the ability of our model to predict eye movements produced by an average observer, we can conclude that our model succeeds quite well in predicting the spatial locations of the most important areas of the image content.
Visual ergonomic evaluations on four different designs of LED traffic signs

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yi-Chun; Huang, Ting-Yuan; Lee, Tsung-Xian; Sun, Ching-Cherng

2017-08-01

To investigate the legibility and visual comfort of LED traffic signs, an ergonomic experiment is performed on four custom-designed LED traffic signs, including three self-luminous ones as LED lightbox, LED backlight and regional LED backlight, and one non-self-luminous sign with external LED lighting. The four signs are hanged side-by-side and evaluated by observers through questionnaires. The signage dimension is one-sixth of the real freeway traffic signs, and the observation distance is 25 m. The luminance of three self-luminous signs is 216 cd/m2. The illuminance of external LED lighting is 400 lux on the traffic sign. The ambient illuminance is 2.8 and 6.0 lux in two rounds. The results show that self-luminous traffic signs provide superior legibility, visual comfort and user preference than the non-self-luminous one. Among the three self-luminous signs, regional LED backlight is most susceptible to the ambient illumination. LED lightbox has significantly better preference score than LED backlight under darker ambient lighting. Only LED lightbox has significantly better visual comfort than external LED lighting in the brighter environment. Based on the four LED traffic signs evaluated in this study, we suggest LED lightbox as the prior choice. Further investigations on the effect of ambient illumination and other designs of self-luminous traffic signs are in progress.
Correlation between contrast sensitivity and visual acuity in retinitis pigmentosa patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Akeo, Kiyoshi; Hiida, Yoshiki; Saga, Masamichi; Inoue, Rikako; Oguchi, Yoshihisa

2002-01-01

High-contrast figures such as Landolt rings are insufficient to evaluate the function of the foveal cones of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients. We investigated the correlation between visual function as determined with Landolt rings and with the Vistech Contrast Sensitivity Function Test (VCTS) at various spatial frequencies, in addition to the Cambridge Low Contrast Grating (CLCG). The study included 30 retinitis pigmentosa patients (53 eyes). All patients were assessed with Landolt rings, the Vistech method, and the CLCG. We estimated the relative contribution of contrast sensitivity to visual acuity by VCTS at each spatial frequency and by CLCG by simple linear regression analysis. The results of the regression analysis of VCTS at 1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 cycles/degree showed a significant correlation between Landolt rings and VCTS and between CLCG and VCTS that was strongest at 6.0 cycles/degree. There was no significant correlation between Landolt rings and VCTS or between CLCG and VCTS at 12.0 and 18.0 cycles/degree. Patients with a visual acuity of 20/25 and CLCG greater than 100 were divided into two groups according to their contrast sensitivity at 18.0 cycles/degree on VCTS. The VCTS at the highest frequency was useful for evaluating the foveal visual function in RP patients having good visual acuity with the Landolt rings. Thus, contrast sensitivity should be useful in detecting minute impairment or improvement of visual function in RP. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel
Development of real time visual evaluation system for sodium transient thermohydraulic experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanigawa, Shingo

1990-01-01

A real time visual evaluation system, the Liquid Metal Visual Evaluation System (LIVES), has been developed for the Plant Dynamics Test Loop facility at O-arai Engineering Center. This facility is designed to provide sodium transient thermohydraulic experimental data not only in a fuel subassembly but also in a plant wide system simulating abnormal or accident conditions in liquid metal fast breeder reactors. Since liquid metal sodium is invisible, measurements to obtain experimental data are mainly conducted by numerous thermo couples installed at various locations in the test sections and the facility. The transient thermohydraulic phenomena are a result of complicated interactions among global and local scale three-dimensional phenomena, and short- and long-time scale phenomena. It is, therefore, difficult to grasp intuitively thermohydraulic behaviors and to observe accurately both temperature distribution and flow condition solely by digital data or various types of analog data in evaluating the experimental results. For effectively conducting sodium transient experiments and for making it possible to observe exactly thermohydraulic phenomena, the real time visualization technique for transient thermohydraulics has been developed using the latest Engineering Work Station. The system makes it possible to observe and compare instantly the experiment and analytical results while experiment or analysis is in progress. The results are shown by not only the time trend curves but also the graphic animations. This paper shows an outline of the system and sample applications of the system. (author)
Improving Readability of an Evaluation Tool for Low-Income Clients Using Visual Information Processing Theories

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Marilyn S.; Sylva, Kathryn; Martin, Anna; Metz, Diane; Wooten-Swanson, Patti

2008-01-01

Literacy is an issue for many low-income audiences. Using visual information processing theories, the goal was improving readability of a food behavior checklist and ultimately improving its ability to accurately capture existing changes in dietary behaviors. Using group interviews, low-income clients (n = 18) evaluated 4 visual styles. The text…
Complex Coronary Hemodynamics - Simple Analog Modelling as an Educational Tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Gaurav R; Peter, Elvis; Kakouros, Nikolaos

2017-01-01

Invasive coronary angiography remains the cornerstone for evaluation of coronary stenoses despite there being a poor correlation between luminal loss assessment by coronary luminography and myocardial ischemia. This is especially true for coronary lesions deemed moderate by visual assessment. Coronary pressure-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) has emerged as the gold standard for the evaluation of hemodynamic significance of coronary artery stenosis, which is cost effective and leads to improved patient outcomes. There are, however, several limitations to the use of FFR including the evaluation of serial stenoses. In this article, we discuss the electronic-hydraulic analogy and the utility of simple electrical modelling to mimic the coronary circulation and coronary stenoses. We exemplify the effect of tandem coronary lesions on the FFR by modelling of a patient with sequential disease segments and complex anatomy. We believe that such computational modelling can serve as a powerful educational tool to help clinicians better understand the complexity of coronary hemodynamics and improve patient care.
Influence of visual stimuli in the sound quality evaluation of loudspeaker systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karandreas, Theodoros-Alexandros; Christensen, Flemming

2006-01-01

There is currently an increasing demand to evaluate sound quality attributes of products and understand to what extend they influence a user's overall impression, since there is usually more than one modality stimulating this evaluation. The present study uses the loudspeakers as an example...... and evaluates the overall impression in relation to hearing and vision.In order to quantify the bias that the image of a loudspeaker has on the sound quality evaluation done by a naive listening panel, loudspeaker sounds of varied degradation are coupled with positively or negatively biasing visual input...
Lateralized visual behavior in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) performing audio-visual tasks: the right visual field advantage.

Science.gov (United States)

Delfour, F; Marten, K

2006-01-10

Analyzing cerebral asymmetries in various species helps in understanding brain organization. The left and right sides of the brain (lateralization) are involved in different cognitive and sensory functions. This study focuses on dolphin visual lateralization as expressed by spontaneous eye preference when performing a complex cognitive task; we examine lateralization when processing different visual stimuli displayed on an underwater touch-screen (two-dimensional figures, three-dimensional figures and dolphin/human video sequences). Three female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were submitted to a 2-, 3- or 4-, choice visual/auditory discrimination problem, without any food reward: the subjects had to correctly match visual and acoustic stimuli together. In order to visualize and to touch the underwater target, the dolphins had to come close to the touch-screen and to position themselves using monocular vision (left or right eye) and/or binocular naso-ventral vision. The results showed an ability to associate simple visual forms and auditory information using an underwater touch-screen. Moreover, the subjects showed a spontaneous tendency to use monocular vision. Contrary to previous findings, our results did not clearly demonstrate right eye preference in spontaneous choice. However, the individuals' scores of correct answers were correlated with right eye vision, demonstrating the advantage of this visual field in visual information processing and suggesting a left hemispheric dominance. We also demonstrated that the nature of the presented visual stimulus does not seem to have any influence on the animals' monocular vision choice.
Ayudas visuales simples aclaran los riesgos para la salud

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rocío García-Retamero

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Una comunicación transparente de los riesgos es un componente esencial de una toma de decisiones informada. Desafortunadamente, a muchas personas les cuesta entender los riesgos porque les faltan habilidades prácticas en matemáticas y de alfabetización en riesgos. Nuestra investigación muestra que las ayudas visuales bien diseñadas mejoran la comprensión de los riesgos gracias a que promueven una deliberación más profunda y reducen los sesgos en su representación.
Interactive SIGHT: textual access to simple bar charts

Science.gov (United States)

Demir, Seniz; Oliver, David; Schwartz, Edward; Elzer, Stephanie; Carberry, Sandra; Mccoy, Kathleen F.; Chester, Daniel

2010-12-01

Information graphics, such as bar charts and line graphs, are an important component of many articles from popular media. The majority of such graphics have an intention (a high-level message) to communicate to the graph viewer. Since the intended message of a graphic is often not repeated in the accompanying text, graphics together with the textual segments contribute to the overall purpose of an article and cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, these visual displays are provided in a format which is not readily accessible to everyone. For example, individuals with sight impairments who use screen readers to listen to documents have limited access to the graphics. This article presents a new accessibility tool, the Interactive SIGHT (Summarizing Information GrapHics Textually) system, that is intended to enable visually impaired users to access the knowledge that one would gain from viewing information graphics found on the web. The current system, which is implemented as a browser extension that works on simple bar charts, can be invoked by a user via a keystroke combination while navigating the web. Once launched, Interactive SIGHT first provides a brief summary that conveys the underlying intention of a bar chart along with the chart's most significant and salient features, and then produces history-aware follow-up responses to provide further information about the chart upon request from the user. We present two user studies that were conducted with sighted and visually impaired users to determine how effective the initial summary and follow-up responses are in conveying the informational content of bar charts, and to evaluate how easy it is to use the system interface. The evaluation results are promising and indicate that the system responses are well-structured and enable visually impaired users to answer key questions about bar charts in an easy-to-use manner. Post-experimental interviews revealed that visually impaired participants were very satisfied with
Using Visualization Science to Evaluate Effective Communication of Climate Indicators

Science.gov (United States)

Gerst, M.; Kenney, M. A.; Wolfinger, F.; Lloyd, A.

2015-12-01

Indicators are observations or calculations that are used to track social and environmental conditions over time. For a large coupled system such as the economy and environment, the choice of indicators requires a structured process that involves co-production among facilitators, subject-matter experts, decision-makers, and the general public. This co-production is needed in part because such indicators serve a duel role of scientifically tracking change and of communicating to non-scientists important changes and information that may be useful in decision contexts. Because the goal is to communicate and inform decisions it is critical that indicators be understood by non-scientific audiences, which may require different visualization techniques than for scientific audiences. Here we describe a process of rigorously evaluating visual communication efficacy by using a simplified taxonomy of visualization design problems and trade-offs to assess existing and redesigned indicator images. The experimental design is three-part. It involves testing non-scientific audiences' understandability of scientific images found in the literature along with similar information shaped by a partial co-production process that informed the U.S. Global Change Research Program prototype indicators system, released in Spring 2015. These recommendations for physical, natural, and societal indicators of changes and impacts involved input from over 200 subject-matter experts, organized into 13 technical teams. Using results from the first two parts, we then explore visualization design improvements that may increase understandability to non-scientific audiences. We anticipate that this work will highlight important trade-offs in visualization design when moving between audiences that will be of great use to scientists who wish to communicate their results broader audiences.
Perceptual evaluation of visual alerts in surveillance videos

Science.gov (United States)

Rogowitz, Bernice E.; Topkara, Mercan; Pfeiffer, William; Hampapur, Arun

2015-03-01

Visual alerts are commonly used in video monitoring and surveillance systems to mark events, presumably making them more salient to human observers. Surprisingly, the effectiveness of computer-generated alerts in improving human performance has not been widely studied. To address this gap, we have developed a tool for simulating different alert parameters in a realistic visual monitoring situation, and have measured human detection performance under conditions that emulated different set-points in a surveillance algorithm. In the High-Sensitivity condition, the simulated alerts identified 100% of the events with many false alarms. In the Lower-Sensitivity condition, the simulated alerts correctly identified 70% of the targets, with fewer false alarms. In the control condition, no simulated alerts were provided. To explore the effects of learning, subjects performed these tasks in three sessions, on separate days, in a counterbalanced, within subject design. We explore these results within the context of cognitive models of human attention and learning. We found that human observers were more likely to respond to events when marked by a visual alert. Learning played a major role in the two alert conditions. In the first session, observers generated almost twice as many False Alarms as in the No-Alert condition, as the observers responded pre-attentively to the computer-generated false alarms. However, this rate dropped equally dramatically in later sessions, as observers learned to discount the false cues. Highest observer Precision, Hits/(Hits + False Alarms), was achieved in the High Sensitivity condition, but only after training. The successful evaluation of surveillance systems depends on understanding human attention and performance.
Simple Evaluation of Load-Carrying Capacity of Multi-Span Folding Bridges based on Floating Supports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Marszałek

2014-12-01

Full Text Available [b]Abstract[/b]. The papers covers simple evaluation of load-carrying capacity of multi-span folding bridges based on floating supports. Combined bridges built in this approach, could be used as a temporary crossing. The methodology of this evaluation is shown graphically on the basis of designed nomograms for two existing bridge structures i.e. MS-54 and DMS-65, mounted on rigid and floating supports. These nomograms facilitate the simple and fast determination of the impact of changing fixed support into floating support with different bridge length spans on the carrying capacity of the bridge. The paper also presents the influence of long-term use (enlarging the mounting backlash in the joints of these structures on the carrying capacity of the bridge.[b]Keywords[/b]: building, folding bridges, nomograms, assembly clearances
Replicating receptive fields of simple and complex cells in primary visual cortex in a neuronal network model with temporal and population sparseness and reliability.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Takuma; Aoyagi, Toshio; Kaneko, Takeshi

2012-10-01

We propose a new principle for replicating receptive field properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex. We derive a learning rule for a feedforward network, which maintains a low firing rate for the output neurons (resulting in temporal sparseness) and allows only a small subset of the neurons in the network to fire at any given time (resulting in population sparseness). Our learning rule also sets the firing rates of the output neurons at each time step to near-maximum or near-minimum levels, resulting in neuronal reliability. The learning rule is simple enough to be written in spatially and temporally local forms. After the learning stage is performed using input image patches of natural scenes, output neurons in the model network are found to exhibit simple-cell-like receptive field properties. When the output of these simple-cell-like neurons are input to another model layer using the same learning rule, the second-layer output neurons after learning become less sensitive to the phase of gratings than the simple-cell-like input neurons. In particular, some of the second-layer output neurons become completely phase invariant, owing to the convergence of the connections from first-layer neurons with similar orientation selectivity to second-layer neurons in the model network. We examine the parameter dependencies of the receptive field properties of the model neurons after learning and discuss their biological implications. We also show that the localized learning rule is consistent with experimental results concerning neuronal plasticity and can replicate the receptive fields of simple and complex cells.
Simple method for evaluating Goldstone diagrams in an angular momentum coupled representation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuo, T.T.S.; Shurpin, J.; Tam, K.C.; Osnes, E.; Ellis, P.J.

1981-01-01

A simple and convenient method is derived for evaluating linked Goldstone diagrams in an angular momentum coupled representation. Our method is general, and can be used to evaluate any effective interaction and/or effective operator diagrams for both closed-shell nuclei (vacuum to vacuum linked diagrams) and open-shell nuclei (valence linked diagrams). The techniques of decomposing diagrams into ladder diagrams, cutting open internal lines and cutting off one-body insertions are introduced. These enable us to determine angular momentum factors associated with diagrams in the coupled representation directly, without the need for carrying out complicated angular momentum algebra. A summary of diagram rules is given
Visual Ecology and the Development of Visually Guided Behavior in the Cuttlefish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Cuttlefish are highly visual animals, a fact reflected in the large size of their eyes and visual-processing centers of their brain. Adults detect their prey visually, navigate using visual cues such as landmarks or the e-vector of polarized light and display intense visual patterns during mating and agonistic encounters. Although much is known about the visual system in adult cuttlefish, few studies have investigated its development and that of visually-guided behavior in juveniles. This review summarizes the results of studies of visual development in embryos and young juveniles. The visual system is the last to develop, as in vertebrates, and is functional before hatching. Indeed, embryonic exposure to prey, shelters or complex background alters postembryonic behavior. Visual acuity and lateralization, and polarization sensitivity improve throughout the first months after hatching. The production of body patterning in juveniles is not the simple stimulus-response process commonly presented in the literature. Rather, it likely requires the complex integration of visual information, and is subject to inter-individual differences. Though the focus of this review is vision in cuttlefish, it is important to note that other senses, particularly sensitivity to vibration and to waterborne chemical signals, also play a role in behavior. Considering the multimodal sensory dimensions of natural stimuli and their integration and processing by individuals offer new exciting avenues of future inquiry.

Visual Ecology and the Development of Visually Guided Behavior in the Cuttlefish.

Science.gov (United States)

Darmaillacq, Anne-Sophie; Mezrai, Nawel; O'Brien, Caitlin E; Dickel, Ludovic

2017-01-01

Cuttlefish are highly visual animals, a fact reflected in the large size of their eyes and visual-processing centers of their brain. Adults detect their prey visually, navigate using visual cues such as landmarks or the e -vector of polarized light and display intense visual patterns during mating and agonistic encounters. Although much is known about the visual system in adult cuttlefish, few studies have investigated its development and that of visually-guided behavior in juveniles. This review summarizes the results of studies of visual development in embryos and young juveniles. The visual system is the last to develop, as in vertebrates, and is functional before hatching. Indeed, embryonic exposure to prey, shelters or complex background alters postembryonic behavior. Visual acuity and lateralization, and polarization sensitivity improve throughout the first months after hatching. The production of body patterning in juveniles is not the simple stimulus-response process commonly presented in the literature. Rather, it likely requires the complex integration of visual information, and is subject to inter-individual differences. Though the focus of this review is vision in cuttlefish, it is important to note that other senses, particularly sensitivity to vibration and to waterborne chemical signals, also play a role in behavior. Considering the multimodal sensory dimensions of natural stimuli and their integration and processing by individuals offer new exciting avenues of future inquiry.
Visualizing Probabilistic Proof

OpenAIRE

Guerra-Pujol, Enrique

2015-01-01

The author revisits the Blue Bus Problem, a famous thought-experiment in law involving probabilistic proof, and presents simple Bayesian solutions to different versions of the blue bus hypothetical. In addition, the author expresses his solutions in standard and visual formats, i.e. in terms of probabilities and natural frequencies.
Does my step look big in this? A visual illusion leads to safer stepping behaviour.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David B Elliott

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tripping is a common factor in falls and a typical safety strategy to avoid tripping on steps or stairs is to increase foot clearance over the step edge. In the present study we asked whether the perceived height of a step could be increased using a visual illusion and whether this would lead to the adoption of a safer stepping strategy, in terms of greater foot clearance over the step edge. The study also addressed the controversial question of whether motor actions are dissociated from visual perception. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 21 young, healthy subjects perceived the step to be higher in a configuration of the horizontal-vertical illusion compared to a reverse configuration (p = 0.01. During a simple stepping task, maximum toe elevation changed by an amount corresponding to the size of the visual illusion (p<0.001. Linear regression analyses showed highly significant associations between perceived step height and maximum toe elevation for all conditions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The perceived height of a step can be manipulated using a simple visual illusion, leading to the adoption of a safer stepping strategy in terms of greater foot clearance over a step edge. In addition, the strong link found between perception of a visual illusion and visuomotor action provides additional support to the view that the original, controversial proposal by Goodale and Milner (1992 of two separate and distinct visual streams for perception and visuomotor action should be re-evaluated.
Evaluation of Simple Treat 3.0 for two hydrophobic and slowly biodegradable chemicals: Polycyclic musks HHCB and AHTN

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Artola-Garicano, E.; Hermens, J.L.M.; Vaes, W.H.J.

2003-01-01

In the current study, predictions by Simple Treat 3.0, a fate model for organic chemicals in sewage treatment plants (STPs), are compared with actual measurements in three STPs. Two polycyclic musks, Tonalide® (AHTN) and Galaxolide® (HHCB), were used for model evaluation. Results show that Simple
The effects of repeated testing, simulated malingering, and traumatic brain injury on high-precision measures of simple visual reaction time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David L Woods

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Simple reaction time (SRT, the latency to respond to a stimulus, has been widely used as a basic measure of processing speed. In the current experiments, we examined clinically-relevant properties of a new SRT test that presents visual stimuli to the left or right hemifield at varying stimulus onset asynchronies. Experiment 1 examined test-retest reliability in participants who underwent three test sessions at weekly intervals. In the first test, log-transformed (log-SRT z-scores, corrected for the influence of age and computer-use, were well predicted by regression functions derived from a normative population of 189 control participants. Test-retest reliability of log-SRT z-scores was measured with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.83 and equaled or exceeded those of other SRT tests and other widely used tests of processing speed that are administered manually. No significant learning effects were observed across test sessions. Experiment 2 investigated the same participants when instructed to malinger during a fourth testing session: 94% showed abnormal log-SRT z-scores, with 83% producing log-SRT z-scores exceeding a cutoff of 3.0, a degree of abnormality never seen in full-effort conditions. Thus, a log-SRT z-score cutoff of 3.0 had a sensitivity (83% and specificity (100% that equaled or exceeded that of existing symptom validity tests. We argue that even expert malingerers, fully informed of the malingering-detection metric, would be unable to successfully feign impairments on the SRT test because of the precise control of SRT latencies that would be required. Experiment 3 investigated 26 patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI tested more than one year post-injury. The 22 patients with mild TBI showed insignificantly faster SRTs than controls, but a small group of four patients with severe TBI showed slowed SRTs. Simple visual reaction time is a reliable measure of processing speed that is sensitive to the effects of
Joint evaluation of communication quality and user experience in an audio-visual virtual reality meeting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Anders Kalsgaard; Hoffmann, Pablo F.; Carrozzino, Marcello

2013-01-01

The state-of-the-art speech intelligibility tests are created with the purpose of evaluating acoustic communication devices and not for evaluating audio-visual virtual reality systems. This paper present a novel method to evaluate a communication situation based on both the speech intelligibility...
A simple labeled test meal for the evaluation of gastric emptying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishii, Keita; Tanabe, Satoshi; Mitsuhashi, Toshiharu; Saigenji, Katsunori

1994-01-01

We developed a simple test meal for the evaluation of gastric emptying. Preparation of a test meal for routine clinical use in institutions should be as simple as possible. The newly developed test meal consists of instant noodles labeled with 37 MBq (1 mCi) technetium-99m and does not require the use of cooking utensils. The test meal was given with drinking water (180 ml) to healthy adult volunteers (6 men, 34.5±2.2 years old) and gastric emptying was measured at 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 80, 100, 120 minutes after the end of the meal, and results were compared with those derived without drinking water. The emptying pattern of the test meal with water exhibited an exponential pattern typical of a liquid meal, and that without water formed a linear pattern after an initial lag phase in keeping with gastric emptying of a solid meal. In addition, the test meal was given to 11 patients of diabetic gastroparesis (5 men, 6 women, 50.4±4.5 years old), and gastric emptying was measured. At each period evaluated, emptying was significantly slower in diabetic gastroparesis than in healthy controls (6 men, 1 woman, 32.1±3.0 years old). These results show that the test meal is reliable and applicable to the clinical assessment of gastric emptying, while fulfilling the need for simplicity. (author)
Avaliação da acuidade visual Snellen Snellen visual acuity evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcio Zapparoli

2009-12-01

âncias diversas, mantém a razão de proporcionalidade dos optotipos baseada no ângulo visual e se aproxima em muito ao padrão teórico preconizado por Herman Snellen em 1862.PURPOSE: To evaluate the visual acuity (VA measurement by Snellen chart at three main Ophthalmology centers in Curitiba, compare these measurements with a computerized method for calibrating VA and also with the standard theory developed by Hermann Snellen. METHODS: Descriptive study including 15 Ophthalmology clinics and a computerized method to measure the VA. Using a tape measure and a caliper, measurement of the distance was obtained from the sitting patients' eye to VA optotypes projection on the wall. At the same time, measurement of the size of the letters of 4 lines of the VA projection on the wall was performed. RESULTS: To analyze the results, it was opted to compare the angles presented by each clinic for each measurement. It was not surprising that no clinic presented an exact angle of 5 arch minutes. Comparing clinics results with computerized method, we observed that only 2 clinics obtained better results if compared with the angles obtained from optotypes projection, but the data is very similar and with no statistical significance. In relation to the other clinics, the superiority of the computerized method is very relevant. All had differences in comparison to the gold standard. Individually, comparing computerized method to standard Snellen theory, it was observed that a condition very close to the ideal was obtained, in other words, results very similar to 5 arch minutes were noted in all the visual acuities analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that there is a great heterogeneity in the evaluation of VA in different Ophthalmology centers. Also, the same patient, evaluated in different clinics, can obtain different VA measurements. The computerized method is practical, portable, adjustable for different distances, and maintains optotypes proportionality ratio based on visual angle
Simple pulmonary eosinophilia evaluated by means of FDG PET: the findings of 14 cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Tae Jung; Lee, Kyung Won [Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Bundang (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyae Young; Lee, Joo Hyuk; Kim, Eun A; Kim, Seok Ki; Kang, Keon Wook [National Cancer Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2005-12-15

We wanted to describe the findings of simple pulmonary eosinophilia with using 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). We analysed the findings of 14 patients who underwent thoracic computed tomography (CT) and PET, and then they were subsequently proven to have simple pulmonary eosinophilia. PET studies were performed in four patients with malignancy to evaluate for cancer metastasis, and PET scans were also done in 10 healthy subjects who underwent volunteer cancer screening. The PET scans were evaluated by using the maximum standardized uptake values (SUVs). The subjects' CT findings also were reviewed and correlated with the PET findings. A total of 42 nodules were detected on the CT scans. There were single nodules in three patients and multiple nodules in 11 patients (mean number of nodules: 3, range: 1-10, mean diameter: 9.5 mm {+-} 4.7). Twelve of 42 (28.6%) nodules showed FDG uptake and their mean maximum SUV was 2.5 {+-} 1.6 (range: 0.6-5.3). Five of six solid nodules showed FDG uptake (2.2 {+-} 1.1, range: 0.9-3.6), six of 11 semisolid nodules showed FDG uptake (3.1 {+-} 1.8, range: 0.6-5.3) and one of 25 pure ground-glass opacity nodule showed a maximum SUV of 0.8. The maximum SUVs of seven nodules in five patients were greater than 2.5. The maximum SUVs were significantly different according to the nodule types ({rho} < 0.001). Simple pulmonary eosinophilia commonly causes an increase in FDG uptake. Therefore, correlation of the PET findings with the CT findings or the peripheral eosinophil counts can help physicians arrive at the correct diagnosis of simple pulmonary eosinophilia.
Screening for aortoiliac lesions by visual interpretation of the common femoral Doppler waveform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eiberg, J P; Jensen, F; Grønvall Rasmussen, J B

2001-01-01

to study the accuracy of simple visual interpretation of the common femoral artery Doppler waveform for screening the aorto-iliac segment for significant occlusive disease.......to study the accuracy of simple visual interpretation of the common femoral artery Doppler waveform for screening the aorto-iliac segment for significant occlusive disease....
Improved CORF model of simple cell combined with non-classical receptive field and its application on edge detection

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiao; Chai, Guobei; Liu, Wei; Bao, Wenzhuo; Zhao, Xiaoning; Ming, Delie

2018-02-01

Simple cells in primary visual cortex are believed to extract local edge information from a visual scene. In this paper, inspired by different receptive field properties and visual information flow paths of neurons, an improved Combination of Receptive Fields (CORF) model combined with non-classical receptive fields was proposed to simulate the responses of simple cell's receptive fields. Compared to the classical model, the proposed model is able to better imitate simple cell's physiologic structure with consideration of facilitation and suppression of non-classical receptive fields. And on this base, an edge detection algorithm as an application of the improved CORF model was proposed. Experimental results validate the robustness of the proposed algorithm to noise and background interference.
Assessment of daylight quality in simple rooms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnsen, Kjeld; Dubois, Marie-Claude; Sørensen, Karl Grau

The present report documents the results of a study on daylight conditions in simple rooms of residential buildings. The overall objective of the study was to develop a basis for a method for the assessment of daylight quality in a room with simple geometry and window configurations. As a tool...... in daylighting conditions for a number of lighting parameters. The results gave clear indications of, for instance, which room would be the brightest, under which conditions might glare be a problem and which type of window would yield the greatest luminous variation (or visual interest), etc....
Simple real-time computerized tasks for detection of malingering among murderers with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kertzman, Semion; Grinspan, Haim; Birger, Moshe; Shliapnikov, Nina; Alish, Yakov; Ben Nahum, Zeev; Mester, Roberto; Kotler, Moshe

2006-01-01

It is our contention that computer-based two-alternative forced choice techniques can be useful tools for the detection of patients with schizophrenia who feign acute psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairment as opposed to patients with schizophrenia with a true active psychosis. In our experiment, Visual Simple and Choice Reaction Time tasks were used. Reaction time in milliseconds was recorded and accuracy rate was obtained for all subjects' responses. Both types of task were administered to 27 patients with schizophrenia suspected of having committed murder. Patients with schizophrenia who were clinically assessed as malingerers achieved significantly fewer correct results, were significantly slower and less consistent in their reaction time. Congruence of performance between the Simple and Choice tasks was an additional parameter for the accurate diagnosis of malingering. The four parameters of both tests (accuracy of response, reaction time, standard deviation of reaction time and task congruency) are simple and constitute a user-friendly means for the detection of malingering in forensic practice. Another advantage of this procedure is that the software automatically measures and evaluates all the parameters.
Time-Sharing-Based Synchronization and Performance Evaluation of Color-Independent Visual-MIMO Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Tae-Ho; Kim, Jai-Eun; Kim, Ki-Doo

2018-05-14

In the field of communication, synchronization is always an important issue. The communication between a light-emitting diode (LED) array (LEA) and a camera is known as visual multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), for which the data transmitter and receiver must be synchronized for seamless communication. In visual-MIMO, LEDs generally have a faster data rate than the camera. Hence, we propose an effective time-sharing-based synchronization technique with its color-independent characteristics providing the key to overcome this synchronization problem in visual-MIMO communication. We also evaluated the performance of our synchronization technique by varying the distance between the LEA and camera. A graphical analysis is also presented to compare the symbol error rate (SER) at different distances.
The Attentional Drift Diffusion Model of Simple Perceptual Decision-Making

OpenAIRE

Gabriela Tavares; Pietro Perona; Antonio Rangel; Antonio Rangel

2017-01-01

Perceptual decisions requiring the comparison of spatially distributed stimuli that are fixated sequentially might be influenced by fluctuations in visual attention. We used two psychophysical tasks with human subjects to investigate the extent to which visual attention influences simple perceptual choices, and to test the extent to which the attentional Drift Diffusion Model (aDDM) provides a good computational description of how attention affects the underlying decision processes. We find e...
Multivariate Gradient Analysis for Evaluating and Visualizing a Learning System Platform for Computer Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Mather, Richard

2015-01-01

This paper explores the application of canonical gradient analysis to evaluate and visualize student performance and acceptance of a learning system platform. The subject of evaluation is a first year BSc module for computer programming. This uses "Ceebot," an animated and immersive game-like development environment. Multivariate…
Subjective evaluation of two stereoscopic imaging systems exploiting visual attention to improve 3D quality of experience

Science.gov (United States)

Hanhart, Philippe; Ebrahimi, Touradj

2014-03-01

Crosstalk and vergence-accommodation rivalry negatively impact the quality of experience (QoE) provided by stereoscopic displays. However, exploiting visual attention and adapting the 3D rendering process on the fly can reduce these drawbacks. In this paper, we propose and evaluate two different approaches that exploit visual attention to improve 3D QoE on stereoscopic displays: an offline system, which uses a saliency map to predict gaze position, and an online system, which uses a remote eye tracking system to measure real time gaze positions. The gaze points were used in conjunction with the disparity map to extract the disparity of the object-of-interest. Horizontal image translation was performed to bring the fixated object on the screen plane. The user preference between standard 3D mode and the two proposed systems was evaluated through a subjective evaluation. Results show that exploiting visual attention significantly improves image quality and visual comfort, with a slight advantage for real time gaze determination. Depth quality is also improved, but the difference is not significant.
Recognition of simple visual images using a sparse distributed memory: Some implementations and experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Jaeckel, Louis A.

1990-01-01

Previously, a method was described of representing a class of simple visual images so that they could be used with a Sparse Distributed Memory (SDM). Herein, two possible implementations are described of a SDM, for which these images, suitably encoded, will serve both as addresses to the memory and as data to be stored in the memory. A key feature of both implementations is that a pattern that is represented as an unordered set with a variable number of members can be used as an address to the memory. In the 1st model, an image is encoded as a 9072 bit string to be used as a read or write address; the bit string may also be used as data to be stored in the memory. Another representation, in which an image is encoded as a 256 bit string, may be used with either model as data to be stored in the memory, but not as an address. In the 2nd model, an image is not represented as a vector of fixed length to be used as an address. Instead, a rule is given for determining which memory locations are to be activated in response to an encoded image. This activation rule treats the pieces of an image as an unordered set. With this model, the memory can be simulated, based on a method of computing the approximate result of a read operation.
LOD map--A visual interface for navigating multiresolution volume visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chaoli; Shen, Han-Wei

2006-01-01

In multiresolution volume visualization, a visual representation of level-of-detail (LOD) quality is important for us to examine, compare, and validate different LOD selection algorithms. While traditional methods rely on ultimate images for quality measurement, we introduce the LOD map--an alternative representation of LOD quality and a visual interface for navigating multiresolution data exploration. Our measure for LOD quality is based on the formulation of entropy from information theory. The measure takes into account the distortion and contribution of multiresolution data blocks. A LOD map is generated through the mapping of key LOD ingredients to a treemap representation. The ordered treemap layout is used for relative stable update of the LOD map when the view or LOD changes. This visual interface not only indicates the quality of LODs in an intuitive way, but also provides immediate suggestions for possible LOD improvement through visually-striking features. It also allows us to compare different views and perform rendering budget control. A set of interactive techniques is proposed to make the LOD adjustment a simple and easy task. We demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach on large scientific and medical data sets.
Applications of uncertainty analysis to visual evaluation of density in radiographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, Suguru; Ohtsuka, Akiyoshi; Fujita, Hiroshi.

1981-01-01

Uncertainty analysis, developed as a method of absolute judgment in psychology, is applied to a method of radiographic image evaluation with perceptual fluctuations and to an examination of visual evaluation of density in radiographs. Subjects are composed of three groups of four neurosurgeons, four radiologic technologists and four nonprofessionals. By using a five-category rating scale, each observer is directed to classify 255 radiographs randomly presented without feedback. Characteristics of each observer and each group can be shown quantitatively by calculated information values. It is also described that bivariate uncertainty analysis or entropy method can be used to calculate the degree of agreement of evaluation. (author)

Applications of uncertainty analysis to visual evaluation of density in radiographs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uchida, S [Gifu Univ. (Japan); Ohtsuka, A; Fujita, H

1981-03-01

Uncertainty analysis, developed as a method of absolute judgment in psychology, is applied to a method of radiographic image evaluation with perceptual fluctuations and to an examination of visual evaluation of density in radiographs. Subjects are composed of three groups of four neurosurgeons, four radiologic technologists and four nonprofessionals. By using a five-category rating scale, each observer is directed to classify 255 radiographs randomly presented without feedback. Characteristics of each observer and each group can be shown quantitatively by calculated information values. It is also described that bivariate uncertainty analysis or entropy method can be used to calculate the degree of agreement of evaluation.
Principles of visual attention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bundesen, Claus; Habekost, Thomas

research as a field that is fundamentally fragmented. This book takes a different perspective and presents a unified theory of visual attention: the TVA model. The TVA model explains the many aspects of visual attention by just two mechanisms for selection of information: filtering and pigeonholing......The nature of attention is one of the oldest and most central problems in psychology. A huge amount of research has been produced on this subject in the last half century, especially on attention in the visual modality, but a general explanation has remained elusive. Many still view attention....... These mechanisms are described in a set of simple equations, which allow TVA to mathematically model a large number of classical results in the attention literature. The theory explains psychological and neuroscientific findings by the same equations; TVA is a complete theory of visual attention, linking mind...
Influence of visual stimuli on the sound quality evaluation of loudspeaker systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karandreas, Theodoros-Alexandros; Christensen, Flemming

Product sound quality evaluation aims to identify relevant attributes and assess their influence on the overall auditory impression. Extending this sound specific rationale, the present study evaluates overall impression in relation to hearing and vision, specifically for loudspeakers. In order...... to quantify the bias that the image of a loudspeaker has on the sound quality evaluation of a naive listening panel, loudspeaker sounds of varied degradation are coupled with positively or negatively biasing visual input of actual loudspeakers, and in a separate experiment by pictures of the same loudspeakers....
Brain mechanisms for simple perception and bistable perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Megan; Arteaga, Daniel; He, Biyu J

2013-08-27

When faced with ambiguous sensory inputs, subjective perception alternates between the different interpretations in a stochastic manner. Such multistable perception phenomena have intrigued scientists and laymen alike for over a century. Despite rigorous investigations, the underlying mechanisms of multistable perception remain elusive. Recent studies using multivariate pattern analysis revealed that activity patterns in posterior visual areas correlate with fluctuating percepts. However, increasing evidence suggests that vision--and perception at large--is an active inferential process involving hierarchical brain systems. We applied searchlight multivariate pattern analysis to functional magnetic resonance imaging signals across the human brain to decode perceptual content during bistable perception and simple unambiguous perception. Although perceptually reflective activity patterns during simple perception localized predominantly to posterior visual regions, bistable perception involved additionally many higher-order frontoparietal and temporal regions. Moreover, compared with simple perception, both top-down and bottom-up influences were dramatically enhanced during bistable perception. We further studied the intermittent presentation of ambiguous images--a condition that is known to elicit perceptual memory. Compared with continuous presentation, intermittent presentation recruited even more higher-order regions and was accompanied by further strengthened top-down influences but relatively weakened bottom-up influences. Taken together, these results strongly support an active top-down inferential process in perception.
Special Relativity as a Simple Geometry Problem

Science.gov (United States)

de Abreu, Rodrigo; Guerra, Vasco

2009-01-01

The null result of the Michelson-Morley experiment and the constancy of the one-way speed of light in the "rest system" are used to formulate a simple problem, to be solved by elementary geometry techniques using a pair of compasses and non-graduated rulers. The solution consists of a drawing allowing a direct visualization of all the fundamental…
Short report: evaluation of a simple and inexpensive photometric device for the measurement of hemoglobin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borrmann, Steffen; Oyakhirome, Sunny; Esser, Gilbert; Trinkle, Cordula; Issifou, Saadou; Grobusch, Martin P.; Krishna, Sanjeev; Kremsner, Peter G.

2004-01-01

We have evaluated the accuracy of a simple and inexpensive photometric device (DHT) for the estimation of the blood concentration of hemoglobin by comparison with an automated, high-resolution, flow cytometry-based hematology analyzer (CellDyn 3000) and a centrifugal quantitative buffy coat
Visual functions in phenylketonuria-evaluating the dopamine and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids depletion hypotheses.

Science.gov (United States)

Gramer, Gwendolyn; Förl, Birgit; Springer, Christina; Weimer, Petra; Haege, Gisela; Mackensen, Friederike; Müller, Edith; Völcker, Hans Eberhard; Hoffmann, Georg Friedrich; Lindner, Martin; Krastel, Hermann; Burgard, Peter

2013-01-01

In phenylketonuria presymptomatic treatment following newborn screening prevents severe mental and physical impairment. The reasons for subtle impairments of cerebral functions despite early treatment remain unclear. We assessed a broad spectrum of visual functions in early-treated patients with phenylketonuria and evaluated two hypotheses-the dopamine and the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) depletion hypotheses. Contrast sensitivity, colour vision, electroretinography, frequency doubling technology campimetry (FDT), and their relation with blood phenylalanine and docosahexaenoic acid levels were assessed in 36 patients with phenylketonuria and 18 age-matched healthy controls. Contrast sensitivity was significantly lower and total error scores in colour vision significantly higher in patients than controls. Electroretinography results differed significantly between patients and controls. We found a trend for the effect of phenylalanine-levels on contrast sensitivity and a significant effect on colour vision/FDT results. Docosahexaenoic acid levels in erythrocytes were not associated with visual functions. This is the first evaluation of visual functions in phenylketonuria using a comprehensive ophthalmological test battery. We found no evidence supporting the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids depletion hypothesis. However, the effect of phenylalanine-levels on visual functions suggests that imbalance between phenylalanine and tyrosine may affect retinal dopamine levels in phenylketonuria. This is supported by the similar patterns of visual functions in patients with phenylketonuria observed in our study and patients with Parkinson's disease. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Evaluation and recommendations concerning the visual resource inventory and evaluation systems used within the forest service and the bureau of land management

Science.gov (United States)

Blaise George Grden

1979-01-01

This paper is an investigation of the Visual Management System (VMS) and the Visual Resource Inventory and Evaluation Process (VRIEP). Questionnaires were developed and sent to persons who were experienced with VMS and/or VRIEP. VMS has been found easier to under-stand and apply than VRIEP. The methodology of VRIEP has been found to he a more complete approach than...
Success in Architecture: Handedness and/or Visual Thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, John M.; Lansky, Leonard M.

1980-01-01

Some data on sex and handedness in relation to academic predictors and success in architectural education were reexamined. The new variable was the notion of visual thinking, measured by the manner, "visually" or "cognitively," of executing a simple line drawing. As expected, significant differences appeared between persons using these modes.…
FE-ANN based modeling of 3D Simple Reinforced Concrete Girders for Objective Structural Health Evaluation : Tech Transfer Summary

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

The objective of this study was to develop an objective, quantitative method for evaluating damage to bridge girders by using artificial neural networks (ANNs). This evaluation method, which is a supplement to visual inspection, requires only the res...
Right hemispheric dominance of visual phenomena evoked by intracerebral stimulation of the human visual cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Jonas, Jacques; Frismand, Solène; Vignal, Jean-Pierre; Colnat-Coulbois, Sophie; Koessler, Laurent; Vespignani, Hervé; Rossion, Bruno; Maillard, Louis

2014-07-01

Electrical brain stimulation can provide important information about the functional organization of the human visual cortex. Here, we report the visual phenomena evoked by a large number (562) of intracerebral electrical stimulations performed at low-intensity with depth electrodes implanted in the occipito-parieto-temporal cortex of 22 epileptic patients. Focal electrical stimulation evoked primarily visual hallucinations with various complexities: simple (spot or blob), intermediary (geometric forms), or complex meaningful shapes (faces); visual illusions and impairments of visual recognition were more rarely observed. With the exception of the most posterior cortical sites, the probability of evoking a visual phenomenon was significantly higher in the right than the left hemisphere. Intermediary and complex hallucinations, illusions, and visual recognition impairments were almost exclusively evoked by stimulation in the right hemisphere. The probability of evoking a visual phenomenon decreased substantially from the occipital pole to the most anterior sites of the temporal lobe, and this decrease was more pronounced in the left hemisphere. The greater sensitivity of the right occipito-parieto-temporal regions to intracerebral electrical stimulation to evoke visual phenomena supports a predominant role of right hemispheric visual areas from perception to recognition of visual forms, regardless of visuospatial and attentional factors. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Continuously variable rating: a new, simple and logical procedure to evaluate original scientific publications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauricio Rocha e Silva

2011-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Impact Factors (IF are widely used surrogates to evaluate single articles, in spite of known shortcomings imposed by cite distribution skewness. We quantify this asymmetry and propose a simple computer-based procedure for evaluating individual articles. METHOD: (a Analysis of symmetry. Journals clustered around nine Impact Factor points were selected from the medical ‘‘Subject Categories’’ in Journal Citation Reports 2010. Citable items published in 2008 were retrieved and ranked by granted citations over the Jan/2008 - Jun/2011 period. Frequency distribution of cites, normalized cumulative cites and absolute cites/decile were determined for each journal cluster. (b Positive Predictive Value. Three arbitrarily established evaluation classes were generated: LOW (1.33.9. Positive Predictive Value for journal clusters within each class range was estimated. (c Continuously Variable Rating. An alternative evaluation procedure is proposed to allow the rating of individually published articles in comparison to all articles published in the same journal within the same year of publication. The general guiding lines for the construction of a totally dedicated software program are delineated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Skewness followed the Pareto Distribution for (1simple computer based procedure capable of accurately providing a valid rating for each article within the journal and time frame in which it was published.
Specvis: Free and open-source software for visual field examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Dzwiniel, Piotr; Gola, Mateusz; Wójcik-Gryciuk, Anna; Waleszczyk, Wioletta J

2017-01-01

Visual field impairment affects more than 100 million people globally. However, due to the lack of the access to appropriate ophthalmic healthcare in undeveloped regions as a result of associated costs and expertise this number may be an underestimate. Improved access to affordable diagnostic software designed for visual field examination could slow the progression of diseases, such as glaucoma, allowing for early diagnosis and intervention. We have developed Specvis, a free and open-source application written in Java programming language that can run on any personal computer to meet this requirement (http://www.specvis.pl/). Specvis was tested on glaucomatous, retinitis pigmentosa and stroke patients and the results were compared to results using the Medmont M700 Automated Static Perimeter. The application was also tested for inter-test intrapersonal variability. The results from both validation studies indicated low inter-test intrapersonal variability, and suitable reliability for a fast and simple assessment of visual field impairment. Specvis easily identifies visual field areas of zero sensitivity and allows for evaluation of its levels throughout the visual field. Thus, Specvis is a new, reliable application that can be successfully used for visual field examination and can fill the gap between confrontation and perimetry tests. The main advantages of Specvis over existing methods are its availability (free), affordability (runs on any personal computer), and reliability (comparable to high-cost solutions).
Evaluating Sketchiness as a Visual Variable for the Depiction of Qualitative Uncertainty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boukhelifa, Nadia; Bezerianos, Anastasia; Isenberg, Tobias; Fekete, Jean-Daniel

2012-01-01

We report on results of a series of user studies on the perception of four visual variables that are commonly used in the literature to depict uncertainty. To the best of our knowledge, we provide the first formal evaluation of the use of these variables to facilitate an easier reading of
Introduction to the special issue on visual aesthetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marković Slobodan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Visual aesthetics encompasses the studies of the relationship between vision and various aesthetic phenomena - from the beauty ratings of simple visual patterns to the appreciation of visual art, from the preference for natural objects and scenes to the preference for products of human creativity, from the aesthetic effects of culture to the aesthetic effects of biology, from the universal aesthetic sensitivity to the individual differences in taste, and so on. In this special issue ten papers reported the most recent studies on very different subjects related to visual aesthetics.
Fast and simple fat grafting of the breast

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Rasmus Nygård; Gunnarsson, Gudjon L; Børsen-Koch, Mikkel

2015-01-01

Fat grafting (FG) is being used at an escalating rate for correction of shape and volume of all types of breast surgery in order to optimize the aesthetic result in spite of an ongoing debate of the oncologic safety. In this paper we demonstrate our simple and fast sedimentation based FG technique...... in the attached video as visualized surgery. We have used this simple approach for 348 procedures in 176 women to optimize and correct the aesthetic result following all types of breast surgery. We prefer this simple technique as no technique has been shown to be superior to other more costly techniques...... and furthermore there are still questions about the oncologic safety in using adipose derived stem cells (ADSC). Simple fat harvesting using low vacuum and preparation by sedimentation is a fast and effective method to perform FG successfully for correction of shape and volume deficits of the breast following...
Auditory, visual and auditory-visual memory and sequencing performance in typically developing children.

Science.gov (United States)

Pillai, Roshni; Yathiraj, Asha

2017-09-01

The study evaluated whether there exists a difference/relation in the way four different memory skills (memory score, sequencing score, memory span, & sequencing span) are processed through the auditory modality, visual modality and combined modalities. Four memory skills were evaluated on 30 typically developing children aged 7 years and 8 years across three modality conditions (auditory, visual, & auditory-visual). Analogous auditory and visual stimuli were presented to evaluate the three modality conditions across the two age groups. The children obtained significantly higher memory scores through the auditory modality compared to the visual modality. Likewise, their memory scores were significantly higher through the auditory-visual modality condition than through the visual modality. However, no effect of modality was observed on the sequencing scores as well as for the memory and the sequencing span. A good agreement was seen between the different modality conditions that were studied (auditory, visual, & auditory-visual) for the different memory skills measures (memory scores, sequencing scores, memory span, & sequencing span). A relatively lower agreement was noted only between the auditory and visual modalities as well as between the visual and auditory-visual modality conditions for the memory scores, measured using Bland-Altman plots. The study highlights the efficacy of using analogous stimuli to assess the auditory, visual as well as combined modalities. The study supports the view that the performance of children on different memory skills was better through the auditory modality compared to the visual modality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Colour evaluation in scars: tristimulus colorimeter, narrow-band simple reflectance meter or subjective evaluation?

Science.gov (United States)

Draaijers, Lieneke J; Tempelman, Fenike R H; Botman, Yvonne A M; Kreis, Robert W; Middelkoop, Esther; van Zuijlen, Paul P M

2004-03-01

The evaluation of scar colour is, at present, usually limited to an assessment according to a scar assessment scale. Although useful, these assessment scales only evaluate subjectively the degree of scar colour. In this study, the reliability of the subjective assessment of scar colour by observers is compared to the reliability of the measurements of two objective colour measurement instruments. Four independent observers subjectively assessed the vascularisation and pigmentation of 49 scar areas in 20 patients. The degree of vascularisation and pigmentation was scored according to a scale ranging from '1', when it appeared to be like healthy skin, to '10', which corresponds to the worst imaginable outcome of vascularisation or pigmentation. The observers also scored the pigmentation categories of the scar (hypopigmention, hyperpigmention or mixed pigmentation). Finally, each observer measured the scar areas with a tristimulus colorimeter (Minolta Chromameter) and a narrow-band simple reflectance meter (DermaSpectrometer). A single observer could reliably carry out measurements of the DermaSpectrometer and the Minolta Chromameter for the evaluation of scar colour (r = 0.72). The vascularisation of scars could also be assessed reliably with a single observer (r = 0.76) whereas for a reliable assessment of pigmentation at least three observers were necessary (r > or = 0.77). The agreement between the observers for the pigmentation categories also turned out to be unacceptably low (k = 0.349). This study shows that an overall evaluation of scar colour with the DermaSpectrometer and the Minolta Chromameter is more reliable than the evaluation of scar colour with observers. Of both instruments for measuring scar colour, we prefer, because of its feasibility, the DermaSpectrometer.
Estimating mast production: an evaluation of visual surveys and comparison with seed traps using white oaks

Science.gov (United States)

Roger W. Perry; Ronald E. Thill

1999-01-01

Perry and Thill compared five types of visual mast surveyed with seed trap data from 105 white oaks (Quercus alba L.) during 1996-1997 in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. They also evaluated these visual survey methods for their usefulness in detecting differences in acorn density among areas. Indices derived from all five methods were highly...
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.

Aneurysm Recurrence Volumetry Is More Sensitive than Visual Evaluation of Aneurysm Recurrences.

Science.gov (United States)

Schönfeld, M H; Schlotfeldt, V; Forkert, N D; Goebell, E; Groth, M; Vettorazzi, E; Cho, Y D; Han, M H; Kang, H-S; Fiehler, J

2016-03-01

Considerable inter-observer variability in the visual assessment of aneurysm recurrences limits its use as an outcome parameter evaluating new coil generations. The purpose of this study was to compare visual assessment of aneurysm recurrences and aneurysm recurrence volumetry with an example dataset of HydroSoft coils (HSC) versus bare platinum coils (BPC). For this retrospective study, 3-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography datasets acquired 6 and 12 months after endovascular therapy using BPC only or mainly HSC were analyzed. Aneurysm recurrence volumes were visually rated by two observersas well as quantified by subtraction of the datasets after intensity-based rigid registration. A total of 297 aneurysms were analyzed (BPC: 169, HSC: 128). Recurrences were detected by aneurysm recurrence volumetry in 9 of 128 (7.0 %) treated with HSC and in 24 of 169 (14.2 %) treated with BPC (odds ratio: 2.39, 95 % confidence interval: 1.05-5.48; P = 0.039). Aneurysm recurrence volumetry revealed an excellent correlation between observers (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93). In contrast, no significant difference in aneurysm recurrence was found for visual assessment (3.9 % in HSC cases and 4.7 % in BPC cases). Recurrences were observed in aneurysms smaller than the sample median in 10 of 33 (30.3 %) by aneurysm recurrence volumetry and in 1 of 13 (7.7 %) by visual assessment. Aneurysm recurrences were detected more frequently by aneurysm recurrence volumetry when compared with visual assessment. By using aneurysm recurrence volumetry, differences between treatment groups were detected with higher sensitivity and inter-observer validity probably because of the higher detection rate of recurrences in small aneurysms.
SeeDB: Efficient Data-Driven Visualization Recommendations to Support Visual Analytics.

Science.gov (United States)

Vartak, Manasi; Rahman, Sajjadur; Madden, Samuel; Parameswaran, Aditya; Polyzotis, Neoklis

2015-09-01

Data analysts often build visualizations as the first step in their analytical workflow. However, when working with high-dimensional datasets, identifying visualizations that show relevant or desired trends in data can be laborious. We propose SeeDB, a visualization recommendation engine to facilitate fast visual analysis: given a subset of data to be studied, SeeDB intelligently explores the space of visualizations, evaluates promising visualizations for trends, and recommends those it deems most "useful" or "interesting". The two major obstacles in recommending interesting visualizations are (a) scale : evaluating a large number of candidate visualizations while responding within interactive time scales, and (b) utility : identifying an appropriate metric for assessing interestingness of visualizations. For the former, SeeDB introduces pruning optimizations to quickly identify high-utility visualizations and sharing optimizations to maximize sharing of computation across visualizations. For the latter, as a first step, we adopt a deviation-based metric for visualization utility, while indicating how we may be able to generalize it to other factors influencing utility. We implement SeeDB as a middleware layer that can run on top of any DBMS. Our experiments show that our framework can identify interesting visualizations with high accuracy. Our optimizations lead to multiple orders of magnitude speedup on relational row and column stores and provide recommendations at interactive time scales. Finally, we demonstrate via a user study the effectiveness of our deviation-based utility metric and the value of recommendations in supporting visual analytics.
Results from Evaluations of Gridded CrIS/ATMS Visualization for Operational Forecasting

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, E.; Zavodsky, B.; Dostalek, J.; Berndt, E.; Hoese, D.; White, K.; Bowlan, M.; Gambacorta, A.; Wheeler, A.; Haisley, C.; Smith, N.

2017-12-01

For forecast challenges which require diagnosis of the three-dimensional atmosphere, current observations, such as radiosondes, may not offer enough information. Satellite data can help fill the spatial and temporal gaps between soundings. In particular, temperature and moisture retrievals from the NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS), which combines infrared soundings from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) with the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) to retrieve profiles of temperature and moisture. NUCAPS retrievals are available in a wide swath with approximately 45-km spatial resolution at nadir and a local Equator crossing time of 1:30 A.M./P.M. enabling three-dimensional observations at asynoptic times. This abstract focuses on evaluation of a new visualization for NUCAPS within the operational National Weather Service Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) decision support system that allows these data to be viewed in gridded horizontal maps or vertical cross sections. Two testbed evaluations have occurred in 2017: a Cold Air Aloft (CAA) evaluation at the Alaska Center Weather Service Unit and a Convective Potential evaluation at the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed. For CAA, at high latitudes during the winter months, the air at altitudes used by passenger and cargo aircraft can reach temperatures cold enough (-65°C) to begin to freeze jet fuel, and Gridded NUCAPS visualization was shown to help fill in the spatial and temporal gaps in data-sparse areas across the Alaskan airspace by identifying the 3D spatial extent of cold air features. For convective potential, understanding the vertical distribution of temperature and moisture is also very important for forecasting the potential for convection related to severe weather such as lightning, large hail, and tornadoes. The Gridded NUCAPS visualization was shown to aid forecasters in understanding temperature and moisture characteristics at critical levels
Simple and efficient methods for the accurate evaluation of patterning effects in ultrafast photonic switches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Jing; Ding, Yunhong; Peucheret, Christophe

2011-01-01

Although patterning effects (PEs) are known to be a limiting factor of ultrafast photonic switches based on semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), a simple approach for their evaluation in numerical simulations and experiments is missing. In this work, we experimentally investigate and verify...... as well as the operation bit rate. Furthermore, a simple and effective method for probing the maximum PEs is demonstrated, which may relieve the computational effort or the experimental difficulties associated with the use of long PRBSs for the simulation or characterization of SOA-based switches. Good...... agrement with conventional PRBS characterization is obtained. The method is suitable for quick and systematic estimation and optimization of the switching performance....
An investigation of how design managers in organisations in Bahrain manage and evaluate visual communication design for strategic advantage

OpenAIRE

Hallak, Lilian Issa Anton

2015-01-01

The role of visual communication design continues to increase in importance around the world. In Bahrain, organisations are increasingly considering visual communication design as a means of accomplishing organisational goals. The research aims to understand the process by which design managers in organisations in Bahrain manage and evaluate visual communication designs to gain strategic advantage. Even though the management of visual communication design has not yet been recognised as a ...
Comparative Study for Evaluation of Mass Flow Rate for Simple Solar Still and Active with Heat Pump

OpenAIRE

Hidouri Khaoula; Benhmidene Ali; Chaouachi Bechir; Ravishankar Sathyamurthy

2017-01-01

In isolated and arid areas, especially in the almost Maghreb regions, the abundant solar radiation intensity along the year and the available brackish water resources are the two favorable conditions for using solar desalination technology to produce fresh water. The present study is based on the use of three groups of correlation, for evaluating mass transfer. Theoretical results are compared with those obtained experimentally for a Simple Solar Distiller (SSD) and a Simple Solar Distiller H...
Evaluating the Performance of a Visually Guided Hearing Aid Using a Dynamic Auditory-Visual Word Congruence Task.

Science.gov (United States)

Roverud, Elin; Best, Virginia; Mason, Christine R; Streeter, Timothy; Kidd, Gerald

2017-12-15

The "visually guided hearing aid" (VGHA), consisting of a beamforming microphone array steered by eye gaze, is an experimental device being tested for effectiveness in laboratory settings. Previous studies have found that beamforming without visual steering can provide significant benefits (relative to natural binaural listening) for speech identification in spatialized speech or noise maskers when sound sources are fixed in location. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of the VGHA in listening conditions in which target speech could switch locations unpredictably, requiring visual steering of the beamforming. To address this aim, the present study tested an experimental simulation of the VGHA in a newly designed dynamic auditory-visual word congruence task. Ten young normal-hearing (NH) and 11 young hearing-impaired (HI) adults participated. On each trial, three simultaneous spoken words were presented from three source positions (-30, 0, and 30 azimuth). An auditory-visual word congruence task was used in which participants indicated whether there was a match between the word printed on a screen at a location corresponding to the target source and the spoken target word presented acoustically from that location. Performance was compared for a natural binaural condition (stimuli presented using impulse responses measured on KEMAR), a simulated VGHA condition (BEAM), and a hybrid condition that combined lowpass-filtered KEMAR and highpass-filtered BEAM information (BEAMAR). In some blocks, the target remained fixed at one location across trials, and in other blocks, the target could transition in location between one trial and the next with a fixed but low probability. Large individual variability in performance was observed. There were significant benefits for the hybrid BEAMAR condition relative to the KEMAR condition on average for both NH and HI groups when the targets were fixed. Although not apparent in the averaged data, some
ESTEEM: A Novel Framework for Qualitatively Evaluating and Visualizing Spatiotemporal Embeddings in Social Media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arendt, Dustin L.; Volkova, Svitlana

2017-07-30

Analyzing and visualizing large amounts of social media communications and contrasting short-term conversation changes over time and geo-locations is extremely important for commercial and government applications. Earlier approaches for large-scale text stream summarization used dynamic topic models and trending words. Instead, we rely on text embeddings – low-dimensional word representations in a continuous vector space where similar words are embedded nearby each other. This paper presents ESTEEM,1 a novel tool for visualizing and evaluating spatiotemporal embeddings learned from streaming social media texts. Our tool allows users to monitor and analyze query words and their closest neighbors with an interactive interface. We used state-of- the-art techniques to learn embeddings and developed a visualization to represent dynamically changing relations between words in social media over time and other dimensions. This is the first interactive visualization of streaming text representations learned from social media texts that also allows users to contrast differences across multiple dimensions of the data.
Simple economic evaluation and applications experiments for photovoltaic systems for remote sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rios, M. Jr.

1980-01-01

A simple evaluation of the cost effectiveness of photovoltaic systems is presented. The evaluation is based on a calculation of breakeven costs of photovoltaics (PV) arrays with the levelized costs of two alternative energy sources (1) extension of the utility grid and (2) diesel generators. A selected number of PV applications experiments that are in progress in remote areas of the US are summarized. These applications experiments range from a 23 watt insect survey trap to a 100 kW PV system for a national park complex. It is concluded that PV systems for remote areas are now cost effective in remote small applications with commercially available technology and will be cost competitive for intermediate scale systems (approx. 10 kW) in the 1980s if the DOE 1986 Commercial Readiness Goals are achieved.
How art changes your brain: differential effects of visual art production and cognitive art evaluation on functional brain connectivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolwerk, Anne; Mack-Andrick, Jessica; Lang, Frieder R; Dörfler, Arnd; Maihöfner, Christian

2014-01-01

Visual art represents a powerful resource for mental and physical well-being. However, little is known about the underlying effects at a neural level. A critical question is whether visual art production and cognitive art evaluation may have different effects on the functional interplay of the brain's default mode network (DMN). We used fMRI to investigate the DMN of a non-clinical sample of 28 post-retirement adults (63.71 years ±3.52 SD) before (T0) and after (T1) weekly participation in two different 10-week-long art interventions. Participants were randomly assigned to groups stratified by gender and age. In the visual art production group 14 participants actively produced art in an art class. In the cognitive art evaluation group 14 participants cognitively evaluated artwork at a museum. The DMN of both groups was identified by using a seed voxel correlation analysis (SCA) in the posterior cingulated cortex (PCC/preCUN). An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to relate fMRI data to psychological resilience which was measured with the brief German counterpart of the Resilience Scale (RS-11). We observed that the visual art production group showed greater spatial improvement in functional connectivity of PCC/preCUN to the frontal and parietal cortices from T0 to T1 than the cognitive art evaluation group. Moreover, the functional connectivity in the visual art production group was related to psychological resilience (i.e., stress resistance) at T1. Our findings are the first to demonstrate the neural effects of visual art production on psychological resilience in adulthood.
Comparative evaluation of audio and audio - tactile methods to improve oral hygiene status of visually impaired school children

OpenAIRE

R Krishnakumar; Swarna Swathi Silla; Sugumaran K Durai; Mohan Govindarajan; Syed Shaheed Ahamed; Logeshwari Mathivanan

2016-01-01

Background: Visually impaired children are unable to maintain good oral hygiene, as their tactile abilities are often underdeveloped owing to their visual disturbances. Conventional brushing techniques are often poorly comprehended by these children and hence, it was decided to evaluate the effectiveness of audio and audio-tactile methods in improving the oral hygiene of these children. Objective: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of audio and audio-tactile methods in improving oral h...
Finding minimal action sequences with a simple evaluation of actions

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Ashvin; Gurney, Kevin N.

2014-01-01

Animals are able to discover the minimal number of actions that achieves an outcome (the minimal action sequence). In most accounts of this, actions are associated with a measure of behavior that is higher for actions that lead to the outcome with a shorter action sequence, and learning mechanisms find the actions associated with the highest measure. In this sense, previous accounts focus on more than the simple binary signal of “was the outcome achieved?”; they focus on “how well was the outcome achieved?” However, such mechanisms may not govern all types of behavioral development. In particular, in the process of action discovery (Redgrave and Gurney, 2006), actions are reinforced if they simply lead to a salient outcome because biological reinforcement signals occur too quickly to evaluate the consequences of an action beyond an indication of the outcome's occurrence. Thus, action discovery mechanisms focus on the simple evaluation of “was the outcome achieved?” and not “how well was the outcome achieved?” Notwithstanding this impoverishment of information, can the process of action discovery find the minimal action sequence? We address this question by implementing computational mechanisms, referred to in this paper as no-cost learning rules, in which each action that leads to the outcome is associated with the same measure of behavior. No-cost rules focus on “was the outcome achieved?” and are consistent with action discovery. No-cost rules discover the minimal action sequence in simulated tasks and execute it for a substantial amount of time. Extensive training, however, results in extraneous actions, suggesting that a separate process (which has been proposed in action discovery) must attenuate learning if no-cost rules participate in behavioral development. We describe how no-cost rules develop behavior, what happens when attenuation is disrupted, and relate the new mechanisms to wider computational and biological context. PMID:25506326
Complex cells decrease errors for the Müller-Lyer illusion in a model of the visual ventral stream.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeman, Astrid; Obst, Oliver; Brooks, Kevin R

2014-01-01

To improve robustness in object recognition, many artificial visual systems imitate the way in which the human visual cortex encodes object information as a hierarchical set of features. These systems are usually evaluated in terms of their ability to accurately categorize well-defined, unambiguous objects and scenes. In the real world, however, not all objects and scenes are presented clearly, with well-defined labels and interpretations. Visual illusions demonstrate a disparity between perception and objective reality, allowing psychophysicists to methodically manipulate stimuli and study our interpretation of the environment. One prominent effect, the Müller-Lyer illusion, is demonstrated when the perceived length of a line is contracted (or expanded) by the addition of arrowheads (or arrow-tails) to its ends. HMAX, a benchmark object recognition system, consistently produces a bias when classifying Müller-Lyer images. HMAX is a hierarchical, artificial neural network that imitates the "simple" and "complex" cell layers found in the visual ventral stream. In this study, we perform two experiments to explore the Müller-Lyer illusion in HMAX, asking: (1) How do simple vs. complex cell operations within HMAX affect illusory bias and precision? (2) How does varying the position of the figures in the input image affect classification using HMAX? In our first experiment, we assessed classification after traversing each layer of HMAX and found that in general, kernel operations performed by simple cells increase bias and uncertainty while max-pooling operations executed by complex cells decrease bias and uncertainty. In our second experiment, we increased variation in the positions of figures in the input images that reduced bias and uncertainty in HMAX. Our findings suggest that the Müller-Lyer illusion is exacerbated by the vulnerability of simple cell operations to positional fluctuations, but ameliorated by the robustness of complex cell responses to such
Limitations of Human Visual Working Memory

OpenAIRE

Wesenick, Maria-Barbara

2004-01-01

The present empirical study investigates limitations of human visual working memory (VWM). The experiments of the present work involve the experimental paradigm of change detection using simple geometrical objects in the form of rectangles of different colour, length, and orientation. It can be shown, that a limited performance in the temporary storage of visual information has multiple sources. Limitations of VWM can be attributed to a limited capacity or a limited duration, but also to limi...
Analgesic effectiveness of prophylactic therapy and continued therapy with naproxen sodium post simple extraction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angel Asmat-Abanto

2015-02-01

Full Text Available To compare the analgesic effectiveness of the prophylactic therapy and continued therapy with naproxen sodium after a simple dental extraction. Material and methods: This prospective randomized, parallel, single-blind clinical trial was developed in the Dental Clinic of the Universidad Alas Peruanas in Trujillo (Peru. The patients, who required simple extraction due to dental caries, were randomly distributed into three groups: 30 of them took 550mg naproxen sodium in the preoperative period and then every 12 hours, other 30 took 550mg naproxen sodium in the postoperative period and then every 12 hours, and 30(control group, received 400mg ibuprofen in the postoperative period and then every 8 hours, depending on the established criteria. The procedure was standardized, analgesic effectiveness was assessed by visual analog scale and the presence of adverse drug reactions was evaluated as well. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan’s test using IBM SPSS 22 with a significance level of 5%. Results: Continued therapy with naproxen sodium showed greater analgesic effectiveness after a simple extraction at 1, 8 and 24 hours (p<0.005. Conclusion: Continued therapy with naproxen sodium presented greater effectiveness than prophylactic therapy with naproxen sodium after a simple extraction.
A visual analogue scale and a Likert scale are simple and responsive tools for assessing dysphagia in eosinophilic oesophagitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, C C; Wolf, W A; Cotton, C C; Dellon, E S

2017-06-01

While symptom scores have been developed to evaluate dysphagia in eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), their complexity may limit clinical use. To evaluate a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a 10-point Likert scale (LS) for assessment of dysphagia severity before and after EoE treatment. We conducted a prospective cohort study enrolling consecutive adults undergoing out-patient endoscopy. Incident cases of EoE were diagnosed per consensus guidelines. At diagnosis and after 8 weeks of treatment, symptoms were measured using the VAS, LS and the Mayo Dysphagia Questionnaire (MDQ). The percentage change in scores before and after treatment were compared overall, in treatment responders (dysphagia severity in EoE in clinical practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
A Visual Analogue Scale and a Likert Scale are Simple and Responsive Tools for Assessing Dysphagia in Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Craig C.; Wolf, W. Asher; Cotton, Cary C.; Dellon, Evan S.

2017-01-01

Background While symptom scores have been developed to evaluate dysphagia in eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), their complexity may limit clinical use. Aim We aimed to evaluate a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a 10 point Likert scale (LS) for assessment of dysphagia severity before and after EoE treatment. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study enrolling consecutive adults undergoing outpatient endoscopy. Incident cases of EoE were diagnosed per consensus guidelines. At diagnosis and after 8 weeks of treatment, symptoms were measured using the VAS, LS, and the Mayo Dysphagia Questionnaire (MDQ). The percentage change in scores before and after treatment were compared overall, in treatment responders (dysphagia severity in EoE in clinical practice. PMID:28370355
Windows Phone 7 Made Simple

CERN Document Server

Trautschold, Martin

2011-01-01

With Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has created a completely new smartphone operating system that focuses on allowing users to be productive with their smartphone in new ways, while offering seamless integration and use of Microsoft Office Mobile as well as other productivity apps available in the Microsoft App Store. Windows Phone 7 Made Simple offers a clear, visual, step-by-step approach to using your Windows Phone 7 smartphone, no matter what the manufacturer. Author Jon Westfall is an expert in mobile devices, recognized by Microsoft as a "Most Valuable Professional" with experience
The Attentional Drift Diffusion Model of Simple Perceptual Decision-Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Tavares

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Perceptual decisions requiring the comparison of spatially distributed stimuli that are fixated sequentially might be influenced by fluctuations in visual attention. We used two psychophysical tasks with human subjects to investigate the extent to which visual attention influences simple perceptual choices, and to test the extent to which the attentional Drift Diffusion Model (aDDM provides a good computational description of how attention affects the underlying decision processes. We find evidence for sizable attentional choice biases and that the aDDM provides a reasonable quantitative description of the relationship between fluctuations in visual attention, choices and reaction times. We also find that exogenous manipulations of attention induce choice biases consistent with the predictions of the model.
The Attentional Drift Diffusion Model of Simple Perceptual Decision-Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavares, Gabriela; Perona, Pietro; Rangel, Antonio

2017-01-01

Perceptual decisions requiring the comparison of spatially distributed stimuli that are fixated sequentially might be influenced by fluctuations in visual attention. We used two psychophysical tasks with human subjects to investigate the extent to which visual attention influences simple perceptual choices, and to test the extent to which the attentional Drift Diffusion Model (aDDM) provides a good computational description of how attention affects the underlying decision processes. We find evidence for sizable attentional choice biases and that the aDDM provides a reasonable quantitative description of the relationship between fluctuations in visual attention, choices and reaction times. We also find that exogenous manipulations of attention induce choice biases consistent with the predictions of the model.

How Art Changes Your Brain: Differential Effects of Visual Art Production and Cognitive Art Evaluation on Functional Brain Connectivity

Science.gov (United States)

Bolwerk, Anne; Mack-Andrick, Jessica; Lang, Frieder R.; Dörfler, Arnd; Maihöfner, Christian

2014-01-01

Visual art represents a powerful resource for mental and physical well-being. However, little is known about the underlying effects at a neural level. A critical question is whether visual art production and cognitive art evaluation may have different effects on the functional interplay of the brain's default mode network (DMN). We used fMRI to investigate the DMN of a non-clinical sample of 28 post-retirement adults (63.71 years ±3.52 SD) before (T0) and after (T1) weekly participation in two different 10-week-long art interventions. Participants were randomly assigned to groups stratified by gender and age. In the visual art production group 14 participants actively produced art in an art class. In the cognitive art evaluation group 14 participants cognitively evaluated artwork at a museum. The DMN of both groups was identified by using a seed voxel correlation analysis (SCA) in the posterior cingulated cortex (PCC/preCUN). An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to relate fMRI data to psychological resilience which was measured with the brief German counterpart of the Resilience Scale (RS-11). We observed that the visual art production group showed greater spatial improvement in functional connectivity of PCC/preCUN to the frontal and parietal cortices from T0 to T1 than the cognitive art evaluation group. Moreover, the functional connectivity in the visual art production group was related to psychological resilience (i.e., stress resistance) at T1. Our findings are the first to demonstrate the neural effects of visual art production on psychological resilience in adulthood. PMID:24983951
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.
Evaluation of contrast visual acuity in patients with retinitis pigmentosa

Science.gov (United States)

Oomachi, Kazumi; Ogata, Kazuha; Sugawara, Takeshi; Hagiwara, Akira; Hata, Akira; Yamamoto, Shuichi

2011-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to determine visual acuity at different contrast levels under photopic and mesopic conditions in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Methods Sixty eyes of 31 normal controls, 92 eyes of 52 patients with retinitis pigmentosa without other ocular disorders (RP-1 group), and 20 eyes of 14 patients with retinitis pigmentosa with cataracts and without other ocular disorders (RP-2 group) were studied. Conventional visual acuity was measured using a conventional Landolt ring chart with 100% contrast and luminance of 150 cd/m2. All of the patients with retinitis pigmentosa had a decimal visual acuity better than 1.0. Contrast visual acuity was measured with the same Landolt ring chart with contrasts of 100% and 10% and under photopic (200 cd/m2) and mesopic (10 cd/m2) conditions. Decimal visual acuities were converted to logMAR units for the analyses. Results The 100% contrast visual acuity and the 10% contrast visual acuity determined under both photopic and mesopic conditions were significantly poorer in both the RP-1 and RP-2 groups than in the controls. The differences between the conventional visual acuity and the 100% contrast visual acuity were significantly greater in the RP-1 and RP-2 groups than in the controls under both photopic and mesopic conditions. The differences between the 100% contrast visual acuity and the 10% contrast visual acuity were not significant among the three groups under photopic and mesopic conditions. Conclusion Contrast visual acuities were greatly reduced in patients with retinitis pigmentosa with relatively well preserved conventional visual acuity, and the contrast visual acuity was largely influenced by ambient light levels in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Although a longitudinal study for confirmation has to be performed, our findings indicate that contrast visual acuity is a better test to follow changes in visual function in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. PMID:22069346
Image quality evaluation of full reference algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

He, Nannan; Xie, Kai; Li, Tong; Ye, Yushan

2018-03-01

Image quality evaluation is a classic research topic, the goal is to design the algorithm, given the subjective feelings consistent with the evaluation value. This paper mainly introduces several typical reference methods of Mean Squared Error(MSE), Peak Signal to Noise Rate(PSNR), Structural Similarity Image Metric(SSIM) and feature similarity(FSIM) of objective evaluation methods. The different evaluation methods are tested by Matlab, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods are obtained by analyzing and comparing them.MSE and PSNR are simple, but they are not considered to introduce HVS characteristics into image quality evaluation. The evaluation result is not ideal. SSIM has a good correlation and simple calculation ,because it is considered to the human visual effect into image quality evaluation,However the SSIM method is based on a hypothesis,The evaluation result is limited. The FSIM method can be used for test of gray image and color image test, and the result is better. Experimental results show that the new image quality evaluation algorithm based on FSIM is more accurate.
Evaluation of anatomical and visual function for early detection of ethambutol toxicity among tuberculosis patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Mani Penny Tevaraj

2017-11-01

Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate if early ethambutol toxicity can be detected by comparing pre-and post-treatment anatomical and visual function using retinal nerve fiber thickness, pattern visual evoked potentials and conventional optic nerve function tests.METHODS:This was a prospective study involving 72 eyes of 36 patients treated with ethambutol according to directly observed treatment short-course(DOTSstrategy in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia. The visual acuity and optic nerve function tests were performed by a single investigator. Likewise, Humphrey automated perimetry, optical coherence tomography(OCTmeasurement of the retinal nerve fibre layer(RNFLand pattern visual evoked potential(PVEPwere performed by a single technician. The examinations were performed before initiating ethambutol treatment and 3mo after that.RESULTS: There was no change in visual acuity, colour vision, light brightness, red saturation and fundus findings pre and post ethambutol. However, there was a statistically significant deterioration in the mean deviation of the visual field post treatment(P=0.010. There were also significant changes on OCT and PVEP, with increased RNFL thickness in all quadrants(PPCONCLUSION: Ethambutol toxicity is a known complication of tuberculosis treatment. Early detection of this toxicity may prevent severe irreversible visual loss. The use of OCT to detect RNFL thickness and PVEP to assess P100 latency and amplitude can assist in the detection of subclinical anatomical and visual function changes prior to development of abnormalities on conventional optic nerve function tests.
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 ...
Experimental guinea pig model of dermatophytosis: a simple and useful tool for the evaluation of new diagnostics and antifungals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saunte, D.M.; Hasselby, J.P.; Brillowska-Dabrowska, A.

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to establish a simple guinea pig model for the purpose of evaluating diagnostic principles and treatment modalities for dermatophytic infections. The following variables were evaluated; pre-treatment of the skin by shaving versus tape stripping, Microsporum canis...
DLNE: A hybridization of deep learning and neuroevolution for visual control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Andreas Precht; Thorhauge, Mark; Funch, Mikkel Hvilshj

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the potential of combining deep learning and neuroevolution to create a bot for a simple first person shooter (FPS) game capable of aiming and shooting based on high-dimensional raw pixel input. The deep learning component is responsible for visual recognition...... on evolution, and (3) how well they allow the deep network and evolved network to interface with each other. Overall, the results suggest that combining deep learning and neuroevolution in a hybrid approach is a promising research direction that could make complex visual domains directly accessible to networks...... and translating raw pixels to compact feature representations, while the evolving network takes those features as inputs to infer actions. Two types of feature representations are evaluated in terms of (1) how precise they allow the deep network to recognize the position of the enemy, (2) their effect...
The Visual Geophysical Exploration Environment: A Multi-dimensional Scientific Visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Pandya, R. E.; Domenico, B.; Murray, D.; Marlino, M. R.

2003-12-01

The Visual Geophysical Exploration Environment (VGEE) is an online learning environment designed to help undergraduate students understand fundamental Earth system science concepts. The guiding principle of the VGEE is the importance of hands-on interaction with scientific visualization and data. The VGEE consists of four elements: 1) an online, inquiry-based curriculum for guiding student exploration; 2) a suite of El Nino-related data sets adapted for student use; 3) a learner-centered interface to a scientific visualization tool; and 4) a set of concept models (interactive tools that help students understand fundamental scientific concepts). There are two key innovations featured in this interactive poster session. One is the integration of concept models and the visualization tool. Concept models are simple, interactive, Java-based illustrations of fundamental physical principles. We developed eight concept models and integrated them into the visualization tool to enable students to probe data. The ability to probe data using a concept model addresses the common problem of transfer: the difficulty students have in applying theoretical knowledge to everyday phenomenon. The other innovation is a visualization environment and data that are discoverable in digital libraries, and installed, configured, and used for investigations over the web. By collaborating with the Integrated Data Viewer developers, we were able to embed a web-launchable visualization tool and access to distributed data sets into the online curricula. The Thematic Real-time Environmental Data Distributed Services (THREDDS) project is working to provide catalogs of datasets that can be used in new VGEE curricula under development. By cataloging this curricula in the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE), learners and educators can discover the data and visualization tool within a framework that guides their use.
Improved visualization of delayed perfusion in lung MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Risse, Frank; Eichinger, Monika; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Semmler, Wolfhard; Puderbach, Michael

2011-01-01

Introduction: The investigation of pulmonary perfusion by three-dimensional (3D) dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) was proposed recently. Subtraction images are generated for clinical evaluation, but temporal information is lost and perfusion defects might therefore be masked in this process. The aim of this study is to demonstrate a simple analysis strategy and classification for 3D-DCE-MRI perfusion datasets in the lung without omitting the temporal information. Materials and methods: Pulmonary perfusion measurements were performed in patients with different lung diseases using a 1.5 T MR-scanner with a time-resolved 3D-GRE pulse sequence. 25 3D-volumes were acquired after iv-injection of 0.1 mmol/kg KG Gadolinium-DTPA. Three parameters were determined for each pixel: (1) peak enhancement S n,max normalized to the arterial input function to detect regions of reduced perfusion; (2) time between arterial peak enhancement in the large pulmonary artery and tissue peak enhancement τ to visualize regions with delayed bolus onset; and (3) ratio R = S n,max /τ was calculated to visualize impaired perfusion, irrespectively of whether related to reduced or delayed perfusion. Results: A manual selection of peak perfusion images is not required. Five different types of perfusion can be found: (1) normal perfusion; (2) delayed non-reduced perfusion; (3) reduced non-delayed perfusion; (4) reduced and delayed perfusion; and (5) no perfusion. Types II and IV could not be seen in subtraction images since the temporal information is necessary for this purpose. Conclusions: The analysis strategy in this study allows for a simple and observer-independent visualization and classification of impaired perfusion in dynamic contrast-enhanced pulmonary perfusion MRI by using the temporal information of the datasets.
Bloom: A Relationship Visualization Tool for Complex Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Horsfall

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Faced with an ever-increasing capacity to collect and store data, organizations must find a way to make sense of it to their advantage. Methods are required to simplify the data so that it can inform strategic decisions and help solve problems. Visualization tools are becoming increasingly popular since they can display complex relationships in a simple, visual format. This article describes Bloom, a project at Carleton University to develop an open source visualization tool for complex networks and business ecosystems. It provides an overview of the visualization technology used in the project and demonstrates its potential impact through a case study using real-world data.
The attentional drift-diffusion model extends to simple purchasing decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Krajbich, Ian; Lu, Dingchao; Camerer, Colin; Rangel, Antonio

2012-01-01

How do we make simple purchasing decisions (e.g., whether or not to buy a product at a given price)? Previous work has shown that the attentional drift-diffusion model (aDDM) can provide accurate quantitative descriptions of the psychometric data for binary and trinary value-based choices, and of how the choice process is guided by visual attention. Here we extend the aDDM to the case of purchasing decisions, and test it using an eye-tracking experiment. We find that the model also provides a reasonably accurate quantitative description of the relationship between choice, reaction time, and visual fixations using parameters that are very similar to those that best fit the previous data. The only critical difference is that the choice biases induced by the fixations are about half as big in purchasing decisions as in binary choices. This suggests that a similar computational process is used to make binary choices, trinary choices, and simple purchasing decisions.
Holistic and Individualistic Evaluations of Digital Visual Art Portfolios: A Mixed Methods Study

Science.gov (United States)

Cavill, William D., Jr.

2017-01-01

The high-stakes nature of portfolio evaluation makes it necessary to perform such assessments in the fairest and most equitable manner possible. Determining whether or not there is a difference between holistically and individualistically derived scores for digital visual art portfolios and how those differences can be explained was the focus of…
A Simple Method for Estimating the Economic Cost of Productivity Loss Due to Blindness and Moderate to Severe Visual Impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Eckert, Kristen A; Carter, Marissa J; Lansingh, Van C; Wilson, David A; Furtado, João M; Frick, Kevin D; Resnikoff, Serge

2015-01-01

To estimate the annual loss of productivity from blindness and moderate to severe visual impairment (MSVI) using simple models (analogous to how a rapid assessment model relates to a comprehensive model) based on minimum wage (MW) and gross national income (GNI) per capita (US$, 2011). Cost of blindness (COB) was calculated for the age group ≥50 years in nine sample countries by assuming the loss of current MW and loss of GNI per capita. It was assumed that all individuals work until 65 years old and that half of visual impairment prevalent in the ≥50 years age group is prevalent in the 50-64 years age group. For cost of MSVI (COMSVI), individual wage and GNI loss of 30% was assumed. Results were compared with the values of the uncorrected refractive error (URE) model of productivity loss. COB (MW method) ranged from $0.1 billion in Honduras to $2.5 billion in the United States, and COMSVI ranged from $0.1 billion in Honduras to $5.3 billion in the US. COB (GNI method) ranged from $0.1 million in Honduras to $7.8 billion in the US, and COMSVI ranged from $0.1 billion in Honduras to $16.5 billion in the US. Most GNI method values were near equivalent to those of the URE model. Although most people with blindness and MSVI live in developing countries, the highest productivity losses are in high income countries. The global economy could improve if eye care were made more accessible and more affordable to all.
An Empirical Study on Using Visual Embellishments in Visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Borgo, R; Abdul-Rahman, A; Mohamed, F; Grant, P W; Reppa, I; Floridi, L; Chen, Min

2012-12-01

In written and spoken communications, figures of speech (e.g., metaphors and synecdoche) are often used as an aid to help convey abstract or less tangible concepts. However, the benefits of using rhetorical illustrations or embellishments in visualization have so far been inconclusive. In this work, we report an empirical study to evaluate hypotheses that visual embellishments may aid memorization, visual search and concept comprehension. One major departure from related experiments in the literature is that we make use of a dual-task methodology in our experiment. This design offers an abstraction of typical situations where viewers do not have their full attention focused on visualization (e.g., in meetings and lectures). The secondary task introduces "divided attention", and makes the effects of visual embellishments more observable. In addition, it also serves as additional masking in memory-based trials. The results of this study show that visual embellishments can help participants better remember the information depicted in visualization. On the other hand, visual embellishments can have a negative impact on the speed of visual search. The results show a complex pattern as to the benefits of visual embellishments in helping participants grasp key concepts from visualization.
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.
Evaluation Study of Short-Term Programs at a Residential School for Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired

Science.gov (United States)

Pogrund, Rona L.; Darst, Shannon; Boland, Teryl

2013-01-01

Introduction: The results of a 2009-2010 program evaluation study that examined parents, teachers of students with visual impairments, administrators, and students regarding overall satisfaction with and effectiveness of the short-term programs at a residential school for students who are blind and visually impaired are described. The findings are…
A simple, rapid, and sensitive system for the evaluation of anti-viral drugs in rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Xiaoguang [Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Sendai 980-8575 (Japan); Department of Medical Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086 (China); Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Kumamoto 860-0811 (Japan); Qian, Hua [Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Sendai 980-8575 (Japan); Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Kumamoto 860-0811 (Japan); Miyamoto, Fusako [Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Sendai 980-8575 (Japan); Naito, Takeshi [Laboratory of Virus Control, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, 53 Kawaramachi, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Kawaji, Kumi [Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Sendai 980-8575 (Japan); Kajiwara, Kazumi [Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); JST Innovation Plaza Kyoto, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Nishigyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8245 (Japan); Hattori, Toshio [Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Sendai 980-8575 (Japan); Matsuoka, Masao [Laboratory of Virus Control, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, 53 Kawaramachi, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Watanabe, Kentaro; Oishi, Shinya; Fujii, Nobutaka [Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); and others

2012-07-27

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We established a novel, simple and rapid in vivo system for evaluation of anti-HIV-1 drugs with rats. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The system may be applicable for other antiviral drugs, and/or useful for initial screening in vivo. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In this system, TRI-1144 displayed the most potent anti-HIV-1 activity in vivo. -- Abstract: The lack of small animal models for the evaluation of anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) agents hampers drug development. Here, we describe the establishment of a simple and rapid evaluation system in a rat model without animal infection facilities. After intraperitoneal administration of test drugs to rats, antiviral activity in the sera was examined by the MAGI assay. Recently developed inhibitors for HIV-1 entry, two CXCR4 antagonists, TF14016 and FC131, and four fusion inhibitors, T-20, T-20EK, SC29EK, and TRI-1144, were evaluated using HIV-1{sub IIIB} and HIV-1{sub BaL} as representative CXCR4- and CCR5-tropic HIV-1 strains, respectively. CXCR4 antagonists were shown to only possess anti-HIV-1{sub IIIB} activity, whereas fusion inhibitors showed both anti-HIV-1{sub IIIB} and anti-HIV-1{sub BaL} activities in rat sera. These results indicate that test drugs were successfully processed into the rat sera and could be detected by the MAGI assay. In this system, TRI-1144 showed the most potent and sustained antiviral activity. Sera from animals not administered drugs showed substantial anti-HIV-1 activity, indicating that relatively high dose or activity of the test drugs might be needed. In conclusion, the novel rat system established here, 'phenotypic drug evaluation', may be applicable for the evaluation of various antiviral drugs in vivo.
Supporting interactive visual analytics of energy behavior in buildings through affine visualizations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Matthias; Brewer, Robert S.; Grønbæk, Kaj

2016-01-01

Domain experts dealing with big data are typically not familiar with advanced data mining tools. This especially holds true for domain experts within energy management. In this paper, we introduce a visual analytics approach that empowers such users to visually analyze energy behavior based......Viz, that interactively maps data from real world buildings. It is an overview +detail inter-active visual analytics tool supporting both rapid ad hoc explorations and structured evaluation of hypotheses about patterns and anomalies in resource consumption data mixed with occupant survey data. We have evaluated...... the approach with five domain experts within energy management, and further with 10 data analytics experts and found that it was easily attainable and that it supported visual analysis of mixed consumption and survey data. Finally, we discuss future perspectives of affine visual analytics for mixed...
A simple integrated assessment approach to global change simulation and evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Ogutu, Keroboto; D'Andrea, Fabio; Ghil, Michael

2016-04-01

We formulate and study the Coupled Climate-Economy-Biosphere (CoCEB) model, which constitutes the basis of our idealized integrated assessment approach to simulating and evaluating global change. CoCEB is composed of a physical climate module, based on Earth's energy balance, and an economy module that uses endogenous economic growth with physical and human capital accumulation. A biosphere model is likewise under study and will be coupled to the existing two modules. We concentrate on the interactions between the two subsystems: the effect of climate on the economy, via damage functions, and the effect of the economy on climate, via a control of the greenhouse gas emissions. Simple functional forms of the relation between the two subsystems permit simple interpretations of the coupled effects. The CoCEB model is used to make hypotheses on the long-term effect of investment in emission abatement, and on the comparative efficacy of different approaches to abatement, in particular by investing in low carbon technology, in deforestation reduction or in carbon capture and storage (CCS). The CoCEB model is very flexible and transparent, and it allows one to easily formulate and compare different functional representations of climate change mitigation policies. Using different mitigation measures and their cost estimates, as found in the literature, one is able to compare these measures in a coherent way.

Visual communication in presentation on physics

Science.gov (United States)

Grebenyuk, Konstantin A.

2005-06-01

It is essential that our audience be attentive during lecture, report or another presentation on physics. Therefore we have to take care of both speech and visual communication with audience. Three important aspects of successful visual aids use are singled out in this paper. The main idea is that physicists could appreciably increase efficiency of their presentations by use of these simple principles of presentation art. Recommendations offered are results of special literature research, author' s observations and experience of communication with skilled masters of presentations.
Evaluation of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residents' Operative Skills: Feasibility and Engagement Study Using SIMPL Software for a Mobile Phone.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaban, Leonard B; Cappetta, Alyssa; George, Brian C; Lahey, Edward T; Bohnen, Jordan D; Troulis, Maria J

2017-10-01

There are no universally accepted tools to evaluate operative skills of surgical residents in a timely fashion. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using a smartphone application, SIMPL (System for Improving and Measuring Procedural Learning), developed by a multi-institutional research collaborative, to achieve a high rate of timely operative evaluations and resident communication and to collect performance data. The authors hypothesized that these goals would be achieved because the process is convenient and efficient. This was a prospective feasibility and engagement study using SIMPL to evaluate residents' operative skills. SIMPL requires the attending surgeon to answer 3 multiple-choice questions: 1) What level of help (Zwisch Scale) was required by the trainee? 2) What was the level of performance? 3) How complex was the case? The evaluator also can dictate a narrative. The sample was composed of 3 faculty members and 3 volunteer senior residents. Predictor variables were the surgeons, trainees, and procedures performed. Outcome variables included number and percentage of procedures performed by faculty-and-resident pairs assessed, time required to complete assessments, time lapsed to submission, percentage of assessments with narratives, and residents' response rates. From March through June 2016, 151 procedures were performed in the operating room by the faculty-and-resident teams. There were 107 assessments submitted (71%). Resident response (self-assessment) to faculty evaluations was 81%. Recorded time to complete assessments (n = 75 of 107) was shorter than 2 minutes. The time lapsed to submission was shorter than 72 hours (100%). Dictations were submitted for 35 evaluations (33%). Data for the type of help, performance, and complexity of cases were collected for each resident. SIMPL facilitates timely intraoperative evaluations of surgical skills, engagement by faculty and residents, and collection of detailed procedural
Evaluation of a visual acuity test using closed Landolt-Cs to determine malingering.

Science.gov (United States)

Kröger, Nils; Jürgens, Clemens; Kohlmann, Thomas; Tost, Frank

2017-12-01

To evaluate a visual acuity test (VAT) with unexpected optotypes to detect malingering. We tested two groups. Group 1 consisted of 20 individuals with normal best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Group 2 included participants with ocular diseases and reduced BCVA. All subjects underwent a VAT proposed by Gräf and Roesen to assess suspected malingering. This test used 36 charts with one Landolt-C per page. The first 20 optotypes were Landolt-Cs, while at positions 21, 26, 30, and 34 closed rings were presented. The testing distance was adapted to 50% of the test person's visual acuity. The test person was requested to name the gap direction of the Landolt-C within 3 s. The complete testing conversation was recorded digitally to determine response latency for each optotype from the audio tracks. The average response time was 0.46 s in group 1 and 0.45 s in group 2 for the first 20 Landolt-Cs. In both groups the response time was significantly extended (p ring compared to the mean of the first 20 Landolt-Cs, (group 1: 2.9 s; group 2: 2.3 s). The following three closed rings had also longer response times. However, these differences were not significant. Our results suggest that the proposed test may be helpful to evaluate ocular malingering. The testing procedure appeared to be feasible and showed good repeatability. The fast training effect may be a limitation for malingering detection.
Basic multisensory functions can be acquired after congenital visual pattern deprivation in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Putzar, Lisa; Gondan, Matthias; Röder, Brigitte

2012-01-01

People treated for bilateral congenital cataracts offer a model to study the influence of visual deprivation in early infancy on visual and multisensory development. We investigated cross-modal integration capabilities in cataract patients using a simple detection task that provided redundant information to two different senses. In both patients and controls, redundancy gains were consistent with coactivation models, indicating an integrated processing of modality-specific information. This finding is in contrast with recent studies showing impaired higher-level multisensory interactions in cataract patients. The present results suggest that basic cross-modal integrative processes for simple short stimuli do not depend on visual and/or crossmodal input since birth.
Basic multisensory functions can be acquired after congenital visual pattern deprivation in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Putzar, L.; Gondan, Matthias; Röder, B.

2012-01-01

People treated for bilateral congenital cataracts offer a model to study the influence of visual deprivation in early infancy on visual and multisensory development. We investigated cross-modal integration capabilities in cataract patients using a simple detection task that provided redundant...... information to two different senses. In both patients and controls, redundancy gains were consistent with coactivation models, indicating an integrated processing of modality-specific information. This finding is in contrast with recent studies showing impaired higher-level multisensory interactions...... in cataract patients. The present results suggest that basic cross-modal integrative processes for simple short stimuli do not depend on visual and/or crossmodal input since birth....
AERYN: A simple standalone application for visualizing and enhancing elemental maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mouchi, Vincent; Crowley, Quentin G.; Ubide, Teresa

2016-01-01

Interpretation of high spatial resolution elemental mineral maps can be hindered by high frequency fluctuations, as well as by strong naturally-occurring or analytically-induced variations. We have developed a new standalone program named AERYN (Aspect Enhancement by Removing Yielded Noise) to produce more reliable element distribution maps from previously reduced geochemical data. The program is Matlab-based, designed with a graphic user interface and is capable of rapidly generating elemental maps from data acquired by a range of analytical techniques. A visual interface aids selection of appropriate outlier rejection and drift-correction parameters, thereby facilitating recognition of subtle elemental fluctuations which may otherwise be obscured. Examples of use are provided for quantitative trace element maps acquired using both laser ablation (LA-) ICP-MS and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa. We demonstrate how AERYN allows recognition of high frequency elemental fluctuations, including those which occur perpendicular to the maximum concentration gradient. Such data treatment compliments commonly used processing methods to provide greater flexibility and control in producing elemental maps from micro-analytical techniques. - Highlights: • Matlab-based application to improve visualization of elemental maps. • Capable of detrending when data set shows drift. • Compatible with processed data text files from LA-ICP-MS, EDS and EPMA. • Option to filter geochemical trends to observe high-frequency fluctuations.
Visualization of decision processes using a cognitive architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Livingston, Mark A.; Murugesan, Arthi; Brock, Derek; Frost, Wende K.; Perzanowski, Dennis

2013-01-01

Cognitive architectures are computational theories of reasoning the human mind engages in as it processes facts and experiences. A cognitive architecture uses declarative and procedural knowledge to represent mental constructs that are involved in decision making. Employing a model of behavioral and perceptual constraints derived from a set of one or more scenarios, the architecture reasons about the most likely consequence(s) of a sequence of events. Reasoning of any complexity and depth involving computational processes, however, is often opaque and challenging to comprehend. Arguably, for decision makers who may need to evaluate or question the results of autonomous reasoning, it would be useful to be able to inspect the steps involved in an interactive, graphical format. When a chain of evidence and constraint-based decision points can be visualized, it becomes easier to explore both how and why a scenario of interest will likely unfold in a particular way. In initial work on a scheme for visualizing cognitively-based decision processes, we focus on generating graphical representations of models run in the Polyscheme cognitive architecture. Our visualization algorithm operates on a modified version of Polyscheme's output, which is accomplished by augmenting models with a simple set of tags. We provide example visualizations and discuss properties of our technique that pose challenges for our representation goals. We conclude with a summary of feedback solicited from domain experts and practitioners in the field of cognitive modeling.
Visual object recognition and category-specificity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gerlach, Christian

This thesis is based on seven published papers. The majority of the papers address two topics in visual object recognition: (i) category-effects at pre-semantic stages, and (ii) the integration of visual elements into elaborate shape descriptions corresponding to whole objects or large object parts...... (shape configuration). In the early writings these two topics were examined more or less independently. In later works, findings concerning category-effects and shape configuration merge into an integrated model, termed RACE, advanced to explain category-effects arising at pre-semantic stages in visual...... in visual long-term memory. In the thesis it is described how this simple model can account for a wide range of findings on category-specificity in both patients with brain damage and normal subjects. Finally, two hypotheses regarding the neural substrates of the model's components - and how activation...
Gestalt perceptual organization of visual stimuli captures attention automatically: Electrophysiological evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Marini

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The visual system leverages organizational regularities of perceptual elements to create meaningful representations of the world. One clear example of such function, which has been formalized in the Gestalt psychology principles, is the perceptual grouping of simple visual elements (e.g., lines and arcs into unitary objects (e.g., forms and shapes. The present study sought to characterize automatic attentional capture and related cognitive processing of Gestalt-like visual stimuli at the psychophysiological level by using event-related potentials (ERPs. We measured ERPs during a simple visual reaction time task with bilateral presentations of physically matched elements with or without a Gestalt organization. Results showed that Gestalt (vs. non-Gestalt stimuli are characterized by a larger N2pc together with enhanced ERP amplitudes of non-lateralized components (N1, N2, P3 starting around 150ms post-stimulus onset. Thus, we conclude that Gestalt stimuli capture attention automatically and entail characteristic psychophysiological signatures at both early and late processing stages.
Application of a visual soil examination and evaluation technique at site and farm level

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sonneveld, M.P.W.; Heuvelink, G.B.M.; Moolenaar, S.W.

2014-01-01

Visual soil examination and evaluation (VSEE) techniques are semi-quantitative methods that provide rapid and cost-effective information on soil quality. These are mostly applied at site or field level, but there is an increased need for soil quality indicators at farm level to allow integration
Quantitative evaluation of regional cerebral blood flow by visual stimulation in 99mTc-HMPAO brain SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juh, R. H.; Suh, T. S.; Chung, Y. A.

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of visual activation and quantitative analysis of regional cerebral blood flow. Visual activation was known to increase regional cerebral blood flow in the visual cortex in occipital lobe. We evaluated that change in the distribution of 99mTc-HMPAO (Hexamethyl propylene amine oxime) to reflect in regional cerebral blood flow. The six volunteers were injected with 925 MBq (mean ages: 26.75 years, n=6, 3men, 3women) underwent MRI and 99mTc- HMPAO SPECT during a rest state with closed eyes and visual stimulated with 8 Hz LED. We delineate the region of interest and calculated the mean count per voxel in each of the fifteen slices to quantitative analysis. The ROI to whole brain ratio and regional index was calculated pixel to pixel subtraction visual non-activation image from visual activation image and constructed brain map using a statistical parameter map (SPM99). The mean regional cerebral blood flow was increased due to visual stimulation. The increase rate of the mean regional cerebral blood flow which of the activation region in primary visual cortex of occipital lobe was 32.50±5.67%. The significant activation sites using a statistical parameter of brain constructed a rendering image and image fusion with SPECT and MRI. Visual activation was revealed significant increase through quantitative analysis in visual cortex. Activation region was certified in Talairach coordinate and primary visual cortex (Ba17),visual association area (Ba18,19) of Brodmann
Quantitative evaluation of regional cerebral blood flow by visual stimulation in 99mTc- HMPAO brain SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juh, Ra Hyeong; Suh, Tae Suk; Kwark, Chul Eun; Choe, Bo Young; Lee, Hyoung Koo; Chung, Yong An; Kim, Sung Hoon; Chung, Soo Kyo

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of visual activation and quantitative analysis of regional cerebral blood flow. Visual activation was known to increase regional cerebral blood flow in the visual cortex in occipital lobe. We evaluated that change in the distribution of '9 9m Tc-HMPAO (Hexamethyl propylene amine oxime) to reflect in regional cerebral blood flow. The six volunteers were injected with 925 MBq (mean ages: 26.75 years, n=6, 3men, 3women) underwent MRI and 99m Tc-HMPAO SPECT during a rest state with closed eyes and visual stimulated with 8 Hz LED. We delineate the region of interest and calculated the mean count per voxel in each of the fifteen slices to quantitative analysis. The ROI to whole brain ratio and regional index was calculated pixel to pixel subtraction visual non-activation image from visual activation image and constructed brain map using a statistical parameter map(SPM99). The mean regional cerebral blood flow was increased due to visual stimulation. The increase rate of the mean regional cerebral blood flow which of the activation region in primary visual cortex of occipital lobe was 32.50±5.67%. The significant activation sites using a statistical parameter of brain constructed a rendering image and image fusion with SPECT and MRI. Visual activation was revealed significant increase through quantitative analysis in visual cortex. Activation region was certified in Talairach coordinate and primary visual cortex (Ba17),visual association area (Ba18,19) of Brodmann
Clinical evaluation of semiautonomous smart wheelchair architecture (Drive-Safe System) with visually impaired individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Vinod; Simpson, Richard C; LoPresti, Edmund F; Schmeler, Mark

2012-01-01

Nonambulatory, visually impaired individuals mostly rely on caregivers for their day-to-day mobility needs. The Drive-Safe System (DSS) is a modular, semiautonomous smart wheelchair system aimed at providing independent mobility to people with visual and mobility impairments. In this project, clinical evaluation of the DSS was performed in a controlled laboratory setting with individuals who have visual impairment but no mobility impairment. Their performance using DSS was compared with their performance using a standard cane for navigation assistance. Participants rated their subjective appraisal of the DSS by using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index inventory. DSS significantly reduced the number and severity of collisions compared with using a cane alone and without increasing the time required to complete the task. Users rated DSS favorably; they experienced less physical demand when using the DSS, but did not feel any difference in perceived effort, mental demand, and level of frustration when using the DSS alone or along with a cane in comparison with using a cane alone. These findings suggest that the DSS can be a safe, reliable, and easy-to-learn and operate independent mobility solution for visually impaired wheelchair users.
Filling the Astronomical Void - A Visual Medium for a Visual Subject

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, J.

1996-12-01

Astronomy is fundamentally a visual subject. The modern science of astronomy has at its foundation the ancient art of observing the sky visually. The visual elements of astronomy are arguably the most important. Every person in the entire world is affected by visually-observed astronomical phenomena such as the seasonal variations in daylight. However, misconceptions abound and the average person cannot recognize the simple signs in the sky that point to the direction, the hour and the season. Educators and astronomy popularizers widely lament that astronomy is not appreciated in our society. Yet, there is a remarkable dearth of popular literature for teaching the visual elements of astronomy. This is what I refer to as *the astronomical void.* Typical works use illustrations sparsely, relying most heavily on text-based descriptions of the visual astronomical phenomena. Such works leave significant inferential gaps to the inexperienced reader, who is unequipped for making astronomical observations. Thus, the astronomical void remains unfilled by much of the currently available literature. I therefore propose the introduction of a visually-oriented medium for teaching the visual elements of Astronomy. To this end, I have prepared a series of astronomy "comic strips" that are intended to fill the astronomical void. By giving the illustrations the central place, the comic strip medium permits the depiction of motion and other sequential activity, thus effectively representing astronomical phenomena. In addition to the practical advantages, the comic strip is a "user friendly" medium that is inviting and entertaining to a reader. At the present time, I am distributing a monthly comic strip entitled *Starman*, which appears in the newsletters of over 120 local astronomy organizations and on the web at http://www.cyberdrive.net/ starman. I hope to eventually publish a series of full-length books and believe that astronomical comic strips will help expand the perimeter of
What you say matters: exploring visual-verbal interactions in visual working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Mate, Judit; Allen, Richard J; Baqués, Josep

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore whether the content of a simple concurrent verbal load task determines the extent of its interference on memory for coloured shapes. The task consisted of remembering four visual items while repeating aloud a pair of words that varied in terms of imageability and relatedness to the task set. At test, a cue appeared that was either the colour or the shape of one of the previously seen objects, with participants required to select the object's other feature from a visual array. During encoding and retention, there were four verbal load conditions: (a) a related, shape-colour pair (from outside the experimental set, i.e., "pink square"); (b) a pair of unrelated but visually imageable, concrete, words (i.e., "big elephant"); (c) a pair of unrelated and abstract words (i.e., "critical event"); and (d) no verbal load. Results showed differential effects of these verbal load conditions. In particular, imageable words (concrete and related conditions) interfered to a greater degree than abstract words. Possible implications for how visual working memory interacts with verbal memory and long-term memory are discussed.
VisComposer: A Visual Programmable Composition Environment for Information Visualization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Honghui Mei

2018-03-01

Full Text Available As the amount of data being collected has increased, the need for tools that can enable the visual exploration of data has also grown. This has led to the development of a variety of widely used programming frameworks for information visualization. Unfortunately, such frameworks demand comprehensive visualization and coding skills and require users to develop visualization from scratch. An alternative is to create interactive visualization design environments that require little to no programming. However, these tools only supports a small portion of visual forms.We present a programmable integrated development environment (IDE, VisComposer, that supports the development of expressive visualization using a drag-and-drop visual interface. VisComposer exposes the programmability by customizing desired components within a modularized visualization composition pipeline, effectively balancing the capability gap between expert coders and visualization artists. The implemented system empowers users to compose comprehensive visualizations with real-time preview and optimization features, and supports prototyping, sharing and reuse of the effects by means of an intuitive visual composer. Visual programming and textual programming integrated in our system allow users to compose more complex visual effects while retaining the simplicity of use. We demonstrate the performance of VisComposer with a variety of examples and an informal user evaluation. Keywords: Information Visualization, Visualization authoring, Interactive development environment
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.
[Change settings for visual analyzer of child users of mobile communication: longitudinal study].

Science.gov (United States)

Khorseva, N I; Grigor'ev, Iu G; Gorbunova, N V

2014-01-01

The paper represents theresults of longitudinal monitoring of the changes in the parameters of simple visual-motor reaction, the visual acuity and the rate of the visual discrimination in the child users of mobile communication, which indicate the multivariability of the possible effects of radiation from mobile phones on the auditory system of children.
A simple, rapid, and sensitive system for the evaluation of anti-viral drugs in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiaoguang; Qian, Hua; Miyamoto, Fusako; Naito, Takeshi; Kawaji, Kumi; Kajiwara, Kazumi; Hattori, Toshio; Matsuoka, Masao; Watanabe, Kentaro; Oishi, Shinya; Fujii, Nobutaka

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We established a novel, simple and rapid in vivo system for evaluation of anti-HIV-1 drugs with rats. ► The system may be applicable for other antiviral drugs, and/or useful for initial screening in vivo. ► In this system, TRI-1144 displayed the most potent anti-HIV-1 activity in vivo. -- Abstract: The lack of small animal models for the evaluation of anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) agents hampers drug development. Here, we describe the establishment of a simple and rapid evaluation system in a rat model without animal infection facilities. After intraperitoneal administration of test drugs to rats, antiviral activity in the sera was examined by the MAGI assay. Recently developed inhibitors for HIV-1 entry, two CXCR4 antagonists, TF14016 and FC131, and four fusion inhibitors, T-20, T-20EK, SC29EK, and TRI-1144, were evaluated using HIV-1 IIIB and HIV-1 BaL as representative CXCR4- and CCR5-tropic HIV-1 strains, respectively. CXCR4 antagonists were shown to only possess anti-HIV-1 IIIB activity, whereas fusion inhibitors showed both anti-HIV-1 IIIB and anti-HIV-1 BaL activities in rat sera. These results indicate that test drugs were successfully processed into the rat sera and could be detected by the MAGI assay. In this system, TRI-1144 showed the most potent and sustained antiviral activity. Sera from animals not administered drugs showed substantial anti-HIV-1 activity, indicating that relatively high dose or activity of the test drugs might be needed. In conclusion, the novel rat system established here, “phenotypic drug evaluation”, may be applicable for the evaluation of various antiviral drugs in vivo.
Association between visual impairment and patient-reported visual disability at different stages of cataract surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Acosta-Rojas, E Ruthy; Comas, Mercè; Sala, Maria; Castells, Xavier

2006-10-01

To evaluate the association between visual impairment (visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereopsis) and patient-reported visual disability at different stages of cataract surgery. A cohort of 104 patients aged 60 years and over with bilateral cataract was assessed preoperatively, after first-eye surgery (monocular pseudophakia) and after second-eye surgery (binocular pseudophakia). Partial correlation coefficients (PCC) and linear regression models were calculated. In patients with bilateral cataracts, visual disability was associated with visual acuity (PCC = -0.30) and, to a lesser extent, with contrast sensitivity (PCC = 0.16) and stereopsis (PCC = -0.09). In monocular and binocular pseudophakia, visual disability was more strongly associated with stereopsis (PCC = -0.26 monocular and -0.51 binocular) and contrast sensitivity (PCC = 0.18 monocular and 0.34 binocular) than with visual acuity (PCC = -0.18 monocular and -0.18 binocular). Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and stereopsis accounted for between 17% and 42% of variance in visual disability. The association of visual impairment with patient-reported visual disability differed at each stage of cataract surgery. Measuring other forms of visual impairment independently from visual acuity, such as contrast sensitivity or stereopsis, could be important in evaluating both needs and outcomes in cataract surgery. More comprehensive assessment of the impact of cataract on patients should include measurement of both visual impairment and visual disability.

Incorporating big data into treatment plan evaluation: Development of statistical DVH metrics and visualization dashboards.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayo, Charles S; Yao, John; Eisbruch, Avraham; Balter, James M; Litzenberg, Dale W; Matuszak, Martha M; Kessler, Marc L; Weyburn, Grant; Anderson, Carlos J; Owen, Dawn; Jackson, William C; Haken, Randall Ten

2017-01-01

To develop statistical dose-volume histogram (DVH)-based metrics and a visualization method to quantify the comparison of treatment plans with historical experience and among different institutions. The descriptive statistical summary (ie, median, first and third quartiles, and 95% confidence intervals) of volume-normalized DVH curve sets of past experiences was visualized through the creation of statistical DVH plots. Detailed distribution parameters were calculated and stored in JavaScript Object Notation files to facilitate management, including transfer and potential multi-institutional comparisons. In the treatment plan evaluation, structure DVH curves were scored against computed statistical DVHs and weighted experience scores (WESs). Individual, clinically used, DVH-based metrics were integrated into a generalized evaluation metric (GEM) as a priority-weighted sum of normalized incomplete gamma functions. Historical treatment plans for 351 patients with head and neck cancer, 104 with prostate cancer who were treated with conventional fractionation, and 94 with liver cancer who were treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy were analyzed to demonstrate the usage of statistical DVH, WES, and GEM in a plan evaluation. A shareable dashboard plugin was created to display statistical DVHs and integrate GEM and WES scores into a clinical plan evaluation within the treatment planning system. Benchmarking with normal tissue complication probability scores was carried out to compare the behavior of GEM and WES scores. DVH curves from historical treatment plans were characterized and presented, with difficult-to-spare structures (ie, frequently compromised organs at risk) identified. Quantitative evaluations by GEM and/or WES compared favorably with the normal tissue complication probability Lyman-Kutcher-Burman model, transforming a set of discrete threshold-priority limits into a continuous model reflecting physician objectives and historical experience
Social Set Visualizer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flesch, Benjamin; Hussain, Abid; Vatrapu, Ravi

2015-01-01

-edge open source visual analytics libraries from D3.js and creation of new visualizations (ac-tor mobility across time, conversational comets etc). Evaluation of the dashboard consisting of technical testing, usability testing, and domain-specific testing with CSR students and yielded positive results.......This paper presents a state-of-the art visual analytics dash-board, Social Set Visualizer (SoSeVi), of approximately 90 million Facebook actions from 11 different companies that have been mentioned in the traditional media in relation to garment factory accidents in Bangladesh. The enterprise...
[Evaluation of a simple screening tool for ambulant fall prevention].

Science.gov (United States)

Knobe, M; Rasche, P; Rentemeister, L; Bliemel, C; Bücking, B; Bollheimer, L C; Pape, H-C

2018-02-02

An individual's risk of falling is generally difficult to detect and it is likely to be underestimated. Thus, preventive measures are challenging and they demand sufficient integration and implementation into aftercare and outpatient management. The Aachen Falls Prevention Scale (AFPS) is a quick and easy tool for patient-driven fall risk assessment. Older adults' risk of falling is identified in a suitable manner and they then have the opportunity to independently assess and monitor their risk of falling. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the AFPS as a simple screening tool in geriatric trauma patients via the identification of influencing factors, e.g. objective or subjective fall risk, fear of falling (FOF) and demographic data. In this context, we investigated older adults' willingness to take part in special activities concerning fall prevention. Retrospectively, all patients over 70 years of age who received in-hospital fracture treatment between July 2014 and April 2016 were analyzed at a level I trauma center. After identification of 884 patients, participants completed a short questionnaire (47 questions, yes/no, Likert scale) comprising the AFPS. A history of falls in the past year was considered an indicator of a balance disorder. In addition, ambulant patients were invited to participate between July and August 2016. In total, 201 patients (mean 80.4 years, range 63-97 years) performed a self-assessment based on the AFPS. After steps 1 and 2 of the AFPS had been completed, 95 (47%) participants rated their subjective risk of falling as high (more than 5 points). Of the participants 84 (42%) were objectively classified as "fallers" with significant effects on their AFPS evaluation and rating of their subjective risk of falling. Furthermore, 67% of the participants identified a general practitioner as their main contact person, and 43% of the respondents viewed the AFPS as a beneficial screening tool in fall risk evaluation (8
Characteristics of the visual response in archery different qualifications 14–16 years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina Mylchenko

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose: levels of simple visually motor reaction at archers of various qualification are defined. Materials and methods: 15 shooters took part in research from onions of various qualification. Used the software Complex-reaction for definition of visual reaction Results: average values in groups on simple visually motor reaction to neurodynamic functions at athletes of a different floor who specialize in difficult and coordination types sports are defined. Conclusions: during experiment the group of candidates for the master of sports showed stabler result, the group of 1 categories showed the best result in reaction speed, but results significantly differ. The group of 2 categories showed average results in the test that testifies to insignificant level of preparation.
Congenital simple hamartoma of the retinal pigment epithelium: a case report

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Mariana Rossi Thorell

2014-04-01

Full Text Available We report the case of a 56-year-old woman who presented for a routine ophthalmological examination without visual symptoms and had a unilateral black retinal lesion that was detected by clinical examination. Fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography findings were compatible with a congenital simple hamartoma of the retinal pigment epithelium. It is very important to detect this tumor and differentiate it from other pigmented fundus lesions that can compromise visual function or result in systemic conditions such as those caused by malignant tumors.
Nickel deposited on the skin-visualization by DMG test.

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Julander, Anneli; Skare, Lizbet; Vahter, Marie; Lidén, Carola

2011-03-01

Nickel is the most common cause of contact allergy and an important risk factor for hand eczema. Visualization techniques may be powerful in showing exposures. The dimethylglyoxime (DMG) test might be used to establish skin exposure to nickel. To develop and evaluate methods for visualization of nickel on the skin by the DMG test and hand imprints. Nickel solutions at different concentrations were applied in duplicate on the hands in healthy subjects (n = 5). The DMG test and acid wipe sampling for quantification were then performed. Hand imprints were taken after manipulation of nickel-releasing tools (n = 1), and in workers performing their normal tasks (n = 7). The imprints were developed by the DMG test. The DMG test on hands gave positive results in all subjects. The lowest concentration giving rise to a colour change was set to 0.13 µg/cm(2) for DMG testing on skin. DMG test-developed imprints worked well except when hands were heavily contaminated by other particles/dust. The DMG test may be used as a simple and powerful tool for visualization of nickel on skin. DMG test-developed hand imprints may, in the future, be used for semi-quantitative or quantitative exposure assessment. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
The subtlety of simple eyes: the tuning of visual fields to perceptual challenges in birds

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Martin, Graham R.

2014-01-01

Birds show interspecific variation both in the size of the fields of individual eyes and in the ways that these fields are brought together to produce the total visual field. Variation is found in the dimensions of all main parameters: binocular region, cyclopean field and blind areas. There is a phylogenetic signal with respect to maximum width of the binocular field in that passerine species have significantly broader field widths than non-passerines; broadest fields are found among crows (Corvidae). Among non-passerines, visual fields show considerable variation within families and even within some genera. It is argued that (i) the main drivers of differences in visual fields are associated with perceptual challenges that arise through different modes of foraging, and (ii) the primary function of binocularity in birds lies in the control of bill position rather than in the control of locomotion. The informational function of binocular vision does not lie in binocularity per se (two eyes receiving slightly different information simultaneously about the same objects from which higher-order depth information is extracted), but in the contralateral projection of the visual field of each eye. Contralateral projection ensures that each eye receives information from a symmetrically expanding optic flow-field from which direction of travel and time to contact targets can be extracted, particularly with respect to the control of bill position. PMID:24395967
Quantitative Evaluation of Stereo Visual Odometry for Autonomous Vessel Localisation in Inland Waterway Sensing Applications

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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.
Simulator Evaluation of Drivers’ Performance on Rural Highways in relation to Drivers’ Visual Attention Demands

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Yaqin Qin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aim of the study is to investigate, by means of a driving simulator experiment, drivers’ performance in terms of lateral position, speed, deceleration, steering angle, and breaking times on a divided two-lane rural highway in relation to drivers’ visual attention (VD. In the experiment, the virtual scene of twenty different geometric alignment sections without traffic and the VD testing were designed. Twenty-three experienced drivers with the calibration of attention capacity participated in a 30 km drive in an interactive fixed-base simulator. Each participant was required to drive with the controlled speed of 60 km/h along the central lane as repeating random number and was evaluated on VD and driving performances. Three different data analysis techniques were used: (a statistical tests and hypothesis test of curvature change rate (CCR of the geometric alignments, visual attention demands, and driving performance data, (b correlation analysis of VD, CCRs, and driving behaviors, and (c regression analysis of the VD and CCRs. Results have showed that the driving performance can be effectively influenced by the highway alignment and a prediction model built in this study can evaluate the drivers’ visual attention demands before the highway constructed. The interactions among VD, driving behavior, and CCRs were also found.
Uma experiência didática de corrosão usando colorimetria visual

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Bárbara Bidoia Bidetti

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a simple and rapid method of evaluating galvanized steel sheet corrosion in a CuSO4 solution, as an experimentation proposal for corrosion teaching. Galvanized steel corrosion is present in tanks and tubing by leading of natural or industrial waters which contain soluble copper compounds. This was the rationale for choosing the Cu2+ ions solution as an oxidizing agent. The method principle is based on visual colorimetry because the used oxidant has an intense blue color. Thus, a change in its concentration as a result of the corrosive process can be followed by a color intensity change in the solution thereby allowing evaluation of the corrosion rate.
Influence of social presence on eye movements in visual search tasks.

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Liu, Na; Yu, Ruifeng

2017-12-01

This study employed an eye-tracking technique to investigate the influence of social presence on eye movements in visual search tasks. A total of 20 male subjects performed visual search tasks in a 2 (target presence: present vs. absent) × 2 (task complexity: complex vs. simple) × 2 (social presence: alone vs. a human audience) within-subject experiment. Results indicated that the presence of an audience could evoke a social facilitation effect on response time in visual search tasks. Compared with working alone, the participants made fewer and shorter fixations, larger saccades and shorter scan path in simple search tasks and more and longer fixations, smaller saccades and longer scan path in complex search tasks when working with an audience. The saccade velocity and pupil diameter in the audience-present condition were larger than those in the working-alone condition. No significant change in target fixation number was observed between two social presence conditions. Practitioner Summary: This study employed an eye-tracking technique to examine the influence of social presence on eye movements in visual search tasks. Results clarified the variation mechanism and characteristics of oculomotor scanning induced by social presence in visual search.
Evaluation of Post-Operative Visual Outcomes of Cataract Surgery in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Data was compiled on demographic characteristics, pre- and postoperative visual acuities and surgical complications. The preoperative and postoperative visual status was classified using the World Health Organization (WHO) category of Visual Impairment and Blindness. The standard parameters of assessing outcome of ...
Utility of a simple lighting device to improve chest compressions learning.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Calvete, L; Barcala-Furelos, R; Moure-González, J D; Abelairas-Gómez, C; Rodríguez-Núñez, A

2017-11-01

The recommendations on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) emphasize the quality of the manoeuvres, especially chest compressions (CC). Audiovisual feedback devices could improve the quality of the CC during CPR. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a simple lighting device as a visual aid during CPR on a mannequin. Twenty-two paediatricians who attended an accredited paediatric CPR course performed, in random order, 2min of CPR on a mannequin without and with the help of a simple lighting device, which flashes at a frequency of 100 cycles per minute. The following CC variables were analyzed using a validated compression quality meter (CPRmeter ® ): depth, decompression, rate, CPR time and percentage of compressions. With the lighting device, participants increased average quality (60.23±54.50 vs. 79.24±9.80%; P=.005), percentage in target depth (48.86±42.67 vs. 72.95±20.25%; P=.036) and rate (35.82±37.54 vs. 67.09±31.95%; P=.024). A simple light device that flashes at the recommended frequency improves the quality of CC performed by paediatric residents on a mannequin. The usefulness of this CPR aid system should be assessed in real patients. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
Experimental Study on Subjective Evaluation for Visual Information by Event-Related Potential: Evaluation of Food and its Appearance

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Motoshi Tanaka

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Evaluating subjective judgment for visual information by event-related potential (ERP quantitatively was studied. Pictures of food were displayed as visual information. And P300 component of the ERP was focused. The P300 is related to cognition and/or judgment, and has the latency in the range from 250 to 500 ms. As a fundamental study, the ERP was measured when subjectively judging food and its appearance by three-grade scale with the opinion “like”, “favorite” and “more favorite”. Sushi and cooked rice were selected as typical foods. And bottles which had almost the same shape without labels, but the colors were different, were used for an opinion test of the food appearance. Five pictures for each food were chosen by subjects before measurements. And no food which the subjects disliked was chosen because almost the same P300 amplitude appeared in both cases where the subjects judged as “like” and “dislike”. In results, the P300 amplitude by each subject's opinion was different, and the P300 area (surrounded by ERP waveform from the latency 250 to 500 ms became larger when the subjects judged as “more favorite”. These results indicate the feasibility of quantitative evaluation of subjective judgment by the ERP.
Crowding with conjunctions of simple features.

Science.gov (United States)

Põder, Endel; Wagemans, Johan

2007-11-20

Several recent studies have related crowding with the feature integration stage in visual processing. In order to understand the mechanisms involved in this stage, it is important to use stimuli that have several features to integrate, and these features should be clearly defined and measurable. In this study, Gabor patches were used as target and distractor stimuli. The stimuli differed in three dimensions: spatial frequency, orientation, and color. A group of 3, 5, or 7 objects was presented briefly at 4 deg eccentricity of the visual field. The observers' task was to identify the object located in the center of the group. A strong effect of the number of distractors was observed, consistent with various spatial pooling models. The analysis of incorrect responses revealed that these were a mix of feature errors and mislocalizations of the target object. Feature errors were not purely random, but biased by the features of distractors. We propose a simple feature integration model that predicts most of the observed regularities.
From Question Answering to Visual Exploration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McColgin, Dave W.; Gregory, Michelle L.; Hetzler, Elizabeth G.; Turner, Alan E.

2006-08-11

Research in Question Answering has focused on the quality of information retrieval or extraction using the metrics of precision and recall to judge success; these metrics drive toward finding the specific best answer(s) and are best supportive of a lookup type of search. These do not address the opportunity that users? natural language questions present for exploratory interactions. In this paper, we present an integrated Question Answering environment that combines a visual analytics tool for unstructured text and a state-of-the-art query expansion tool designed to compliment the cognitive processes associated with an information analysts work flow. Analysts are seldom looking for factoid answers to simple questions; their information needs are much more complex in that they may be interested in patterns of answers over time, conflicting information, and even related non-answer data may be critical to learning about a problem or reaching prudent conclusions. In our visual analytics tool, questions result in a comprehensive answer space that allows users to explore the variety within the answers and spot related information in the rest of the data. The exploratory nature of the dialog between the user and this system requires tailored evaluation methods that better address the evolving user goals and counter cognitive biases inherent to exploratory search tasks.
Thinking outside the box: Developing dynamic data visualizations for psychology with Shiny

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David Alexander Ellis

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The study of human perception has helped psychologists effectively communicate data rich stories by converting numbers into graphical illustrations and data visualization remains a powerful means for psychology to discover, understand and present results to others. However, despite an exponential rise in computing power, the World Wide Web and ever more complex data sets, psychologists often limit themselves to static visualizations. While these are often adequate, their application across professional psychology remains limited. This is surprising as it is now possible to build dynamic representations based around simple or complex psychological data sets. Previously, knowledge of HTML, CSS or Java was essential, but here we develop several interactive visualizations using a simple web application framework that runs under the R statistical platform: Shiny. Shiny can help researchers quickly produce interactive data visualizations that will supplement and support current and future publications. This has clear benefits for researchers, the wider academic community, students, practitioners, and interested members of the public.
Executive and Perceptual Distraction in Visual Working Memory

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

The contents of visual working memory are likely to reflect the influence of both executive control resources and information present in the environment. We investigated whether executive attention is critical in the ability to exclude unwanted stimuli by introducing concurrent potentially distracting irrelevant items to a visual working memory paradigm, and manipulating executive load using simple or more demanding secondary verbal tasks. Across 7 experiments varying in presentation format, timing, stimulus set, and distractor number, we observed clear disruptive effects of executive load and visual distraction, but relatively minimal evidence supporting an interactive relationship between these factors. These findings are in line with recent evidence using delay-based interference, and suggest that different forms of attentional selection operate relatively independently in visual working memory. PMID:28414499
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
[An epidemiological study of visual disability and visual rehabilitation in Beijing].

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Yan-hong; Ding, Ji-yuan; Peng, Hong; Shi, Ji-liang; Qu, Cheng-yi; Liu, Xi-pu

2009-12-01

To investigate the status of visual disability and the demands for visual rehabilitation services in Beijing. Five hundred and fifty-five persons with visual disability in Beijing from the Second National Survey on Disability of China were involved in this study. Their visual disability and demands for rehabilitation were evaluated. About three fourth of the visual disabled persons were over 60 years of age. Cataract, retinal and choroidal diseases, and glaucoma were the three leading causes of the visual impairment. Medical service was the number one (82.0%) demand for the persons with visual disability, although 89.4% of them had previously received some kinds of medial services. People who had received visual aid devices or rehabilitation training were 26.7% and 5.8%, respectively, while more people showed their demand for these service (36.6% and 11.9%, respectively). The demand for visual rehabilitation varied in different groups of age and severity of disability. Accessibility of high quality medical services for preventable blindness diseases should be further promoted. Public health education on visual rehabilitation is also needed.

Visual target distance, but not visual cursor path length produces shifts in motor behavior

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Nike eWendker

2014-03-01

Full Text Available When using tools effects in body space and distant space often do not correspond. Findings so far demonstrated that in this case visual feedback has more impact on action control than proprioceptive feedback. The present study varies the dimensional overlap between visual and proprioceptive action effects and investigates its impact on aftereffects in motor responses. In two experiments participants perform linear hand movements on a covered digitizer tablet to produce ∩-shaped cursor trajectories on the display. The shape of hand motion and cursor motion (linear vs. curved is dissimilar and therefore does not overlap. In one condition the length of hand amplitude and visual target distance is similar and constant while the length of the cursor path is dissimilar and varies. In another condition the length of the hand amplitude varies while the lengths of visual target distance (similar or dissimilar and cursor path (dissimilar are constant. First, we found that aftereffects depended on the relation between hand path length and visual target distance, and not on the relation between hand and cursor path length. Second, increasing contextual interference did not reveal larger aftereffects. Finally, data exploration demonstrated a considerable benefit from gain repetitions across trials when compared to gain switches. In conclusion, dimensional overlap between visual and proprioceptive action effects modulates human information processing in visually controlled actions. However, adjustment of the internal model seems to occur very fast for this kind of simple linear transformation, so that the impact of prior visual feedback is fleeting.
Evaluation of the limits of visual detection of image misregistration in a brain fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET-MRI study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, J.C.H.; Studholme, C.; Hawkes, D.J.; Maisey, M.N.

1997-01-01

In routine clinical work, registration accuracy is assessed by visual inspection. However, the accuracy of visual assessment of registration has not been evaluated. This study establishes the limits of visual detection of misregistration in a registered brain fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography to magnetic resonance image volume. The ''best'' registered image volume was obtained by automatic registration using mutual information optimization. Translational movements by 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm and 4 mm, and rotational movements by 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 in the positive and negative directions in the x- (lateral), y- (anterior-posterior) and z- (axial) axes were introduced to this standard. These 48 images plus six ''best'' registered images were presented in random sequence to five observers for visual categorization of registration accuracy. No observer detected a definite misregistration in the ''best'' registered image. Evaluation for inter-observer variation using observer pairings showed a high percentage of agreement in assigned categories for both translational and rotational misregistrations. Assessment of the limits of detection of misregistration showed that a 2-mm translational misregistration was detectable by all observers in the x- and y-axes and 3-mm translational misregistration in the z-axis. With rotational misregistrations, rotation around the z-axis was detectable by all at 2 rotation whereas rotation around the y-axis was detected at 3-4 . Rotation around the x-axis was not symmetric with a positive rotation being identified at 2 whereas negative rotation was detected by all only at 4 . Therefore, visual analysis appears to be a sensitive and practical means to assess image misregistration accuracy. The awareness of the limits of visual detection of misregistration will lead to increase care when evaluating registration quality in both research and clinical settings. (orig.). With 6 figs., 3 tabs
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.
Evaluating Visual Activity Schedules as Evidence-Based Practice for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, Victoria; Sartini, Emily; Spriggs, Amy D.

2015-01-01

A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted for articles published between 1993 and 2013 to evaluate the quality of the Visual Activity Schedules (VAS) literature using current evidence-based criteria developed by Horner et al. (Except Child 71:165-179, 2005). Authors sought to determine whether VAS can be considered an evidence-based…
Evaluation of visual impairment in Usher syndrome 1b and Usher syndrome 2a.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pennings, R.J.E.; Huygen, P.L.M.; Orten, D.J.; Wagenaar, M.; Aarem, A. van; Kremer, J.M.J.; Kimberling, W.J.; Cremers, C.W.R.J.; Deutman, A.F.

2004-01-01

PURPOSE: To evaluate visual impairment in Usher syndrome 1b (USH1b) and Usher syndrome 2a (USH2a). METHODS: We carried out a retrospective study of 19 USH1b patients and 40 USH2a patients. Cross-sectional regression analyses of the functional acuity score (FAS), functional field score (FFS) and
[A case of carbon monoxide poisoning by explosion of coal mine presenting as visual agnosia: re-evaluation after 40 years].

Science.gov (United States)

Takaiwa, Akiko; Yamashita, Kenichiro; Nomura, Takuo; Shida, Kenshiro; Taniwaki, Takayuki

2005-11-01

We re-evaluated a case of carbon monoxide poisoning presenting as visual agnosia who had been injured by explosion of Miike-Mikawa coal mine 40 years ago. In an early stage, his main neuropsychological symptoms were visual agnosia, severe anterograde amnesia, alexia, agraphia, constructional apraxia, left hemispatial neglect and psychic paralysis of gaze, in addition to pyramidal and extra pyramidal signs. At the time of re-evaluation after 40 years, he still showed visual agnosia associated with agraphia and constructional apraxia. Concerning visual agnosia, recognition of the real object was preserved, while recognition of object photographs and picture was impaired. Thus, this case was considered to have picture agnosia as he could not recognize the object by pictorial cues on the second dimensional space. MRI examination revealed low signal intensity lesions and cortical atrophy in the bilateral parieto-occipital lobes on T1-weighted images. Therefore, the bilateral parieto-occipital lesions are likely to be responsible for his picture agnosia.
A case of carbon monoxide poisoning by explosion of coal mine presenting as visual agnosia: re-evaluation after 40 years

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takaiwa, A.; Yamashita, K.; Nomura, T.; Shida, K.; Taniwaki, T. [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Science

2005-11-15

We re-evaluated a case of carbon monoxide poisoning presenting as visual agnosia who had been injured by explosion of Miike-Mikawa coal mine 40 years ago. In an early stage, his main neuropsychological symptoms were visual agnosia, severe anterograde amnesia, alexia, agraphia, constructional apraxia, left hemispatial neglect and psychic paralysis of gaze, in addition to pyramidal and extra pyramidal signs. At the time of re-evaluation after 40 years, he still showed visual agnosia associated with agraphia and constructional apraxia. Concerning visual agnosia, recognition of the real object was preserved, while recognition of object photographs and picture was impaired. Thus, this case was considered to have picture agnosia as he could not recognize the object by pictorial cues on the second dimensional space. MRI examination revealed low signal intensity lesions and cortical atrophy in the bilateral parieto-occipital lobes on T1-weighted images. Therefore, the bilateral parieto-occipital lesions are likely to be responsible for his picture agnosia.
Complex cells decrease errors for the Müller-Lyer illusion in a model of the visual ventral stream

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Astrid eZeman

2014-09-01

Full Text Available To improve robustness in object recognition, many artificial visual systems imitate the way in which the human visual cortex encodes object information as a hierarchical set of features. These systems are usually evaluated in terms of their ability to accurately categorize well-defined, unambiguous objects and scenes. In the real world, however, not all objects and scenes are presented clearly, with well-defined labels and interpretations. Visual illusions demonstrate a disparity between perception and objective reality, allowing psychophysicists to methodically manipulate stimuli and study our interpretation of the environment. One prominent effect, the Müller-Lyer illusion, is demonstrated when the perceived length of a line is contracted (or expanded by the addition of arrowheads (or arrow-tails to its ends. HMAX, a benchmark object recognition system, consistently produces a bias when classifying Müller-Lyer images. HMAX is a hierarchical, artificial neural network that imitates the ‘simple’ and ‘complex’ cell layers found in the visual ventral stream. In this study, we perform two experiments to explore the Müller-Lyer illusion in HMAX, asking: 1 How do simple versus complex cell operations within HMAX affect illusory bias and precision? 2 How does varying the position of the figures in the input image affect classification using HMAX? In our first experiment, we assessed classification after traversing each layer of HMAX and found that in general, kernel operations performed by simple cells increase bias and uncertainty while max-pooling operations executed by complex cells decrease bias and uncertainty. In our second experiment, we increased variation in the positions of figures in the input that reduced bias and uncertainty in HMAX. Our findings suggest that the Müller-Lyer illusion is exacerbated by the vulnerability of simple cell operations to positional fluctuations, but ameliorated by the robustness of complex cell
Quantitative evaluation of regional cerebral blood flow by visual stimulation in {sup 99m}Tc- HMPAO brain SPECT

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Juh, Ra Hyeong; Suh, Tae Suk; Kwark, Chul Eun; Choe, Bo Young; Lee, Hyoung Koo; Chung, Yong An; Kim, Sung Hoon; Chung, Soo Kyo [College of Medicine, The Catholic Univ. of Seoul, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2002-06-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of visual activation and quantitative analysis of regional cerebral blood flow. Visual activation was known to increase regional cerebral blood flow in the visual cortex in occipital lobe. We evaluated that change in the distribution of '9{sup 9m}Tc-HMPAO (Hexamethyl propylene amine oxime) to reflect in regional cerebral blood flow. The six volunteers were injected with 925 MBq (mean ages: 26.75 years, n=6, 3men, 3women) underwent MRI and {sup 99m}Tc-HMPAO SPECT during a rest state with closed eyes and visual stimulated with 8 Hz LED. We delineate the region of interest and calculated the mean count per voxel in each of the fifteen slices to quantitative analysis. The ROI to whole brain ratio and regional index was calculated pixel to pixel subtraction visual non-activation image from visual activation image and constructed brain map using a statistical parameter map(SPM99). The mean regional cerebral blood flow was increased due to visual stimulation. The increase rate of the mean regional cerebral blood flow which of the activation region in primary visual cortex of occipital lobe was 32.50{+-}5.67%. The significant activation sites using a statistical parameter of brain constructed a rendering image and image fusion with SPECT and MRI. Visual activation was revealed significant increase through quantitative analysis in visual cortex. Activation region was certified in Talairach coordinate and primary visual cortex (Ba17),visual association area (Ba18,19) of Brodmann.
Quantitative evaluation of regional cerebral blood flow by visual stimulation in {sup 99m}Tc-HMPAO brain SPECT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juh, R. H.; Suh, T. S.; Chung, Y. A. [The Catholic Univ., of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2002-07-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of visual activation and quantitative analysis of regional cerebral blood flow. Visual activation was known to increase regional cerebral blood flow in the visual cortex in occipital lobe. We evaluated that change in the distribution of 99mTc-HMPAO (Hexamethyl propylene amine oxime) to reflect in regional cerebral blood flow. The six volunteers were injected with 925 MBq (mean ages: 26.75 years, n=6, 3men, 3women) underwent MRI and 99mTc- HMPAO SPECT during a rest state with closed eyes and visual stimulated with 8 Hz LED. We delineate the region of interest and calculated the mean count per voxel in each of the fifteen slices to quantitative analysis. The ROI to whole brain ratio and regional index was calculated pixel to pixel subtraction visual non-activation image from visual activation image and constructed brain map using a statistical parameter map (SPM99). The mean regional cerebral blood flow was increased due to visual stimulation. The increase rate of the mean regional cerebral blood flow which of the activation region in primary visual cortex of occipital lobe was 32.50{+-}5.67%. The significant activation sites using a statistical parameter of brain constructed a rendering image and image fusion with SPECT and MRI. Visual activation was revealed significant increase through quantitative analysis in visual cortex. Activation region was certified in Talairach coordinate and primary visual cortex (Ba17),visual association area (Ba18,19) of Brodmann.
Visual Short-Term Memory for Complex Objects in 6- and 8-Month-Old Infants

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Mee-Kyoung; Luck, Steven J.; Oakes, Lisa M.

2014-01-01

Infants' visual short-term memory (VSTM) for simple objects undergoes dramatic development: Six-month-old infants can store in VSTM information about only a simple object presented in isolation, whereas 8-month-old infants can store information about simple objects presented in multiple-item arrays. This study extended this work to examine…
Predicting visual acuity from detection thresholds.

Science.gov (United States)

Newacheck, J S; Haegerstrom-Portnoy, G; Adams, A J

1990-03-01

Visual performance based exclusively on high luminance and high contrast letter acuity measures often fails to predict individual performance at low contrast and low luminance. Here we measured visual acuity over a wide range of contrasts and luminances (low mesopic to photopic) for 17 young normal observers. Acuity vs. contrast functions appear to fit a single template which can be displaced laterally along the log contrast axis. The magnitude of this lateral displacement for different luminances was well predicted by the contrast threshold difference for a 4 min arc spot. The acuity vs. contrast template, taken from the mean of all 17 subjects, was used in conjunction with individual spot contrast threshold measures to predict an individual's visual acuity over a wide range of luminance and contrast levels. The accuracy of the visual acuity predictions from this simple procedure closely approximates test-retest accuracy for both positive (projected Landolt rings) and negative contrast (Bailey-Lovie charts).
Comparative evaluation of rotational stability and visual outcome of toric intraocular lenses with and without a capsular tension ring.

Science.gov (United States)

Rastogi, Anju; Khanam, Samreen; Goel, Yashpal; Thacker, Prolima; Kumar, Prateek

2018-03-01

To evaluate the rotational stability of toric intraocular lens (IOL) when co-implanted with a capsular tension ring (CTR) as compared to that of a toric IOL without a CTR. This was a prospective randomized clinical trial performed in a tertiary care centre in India. Fifty adult human eyes with visually significant cataract and regular corneal astigmatism ≥1.5D divided into two groups of 25 eyes each, A and B by simple randomization. Eyes with corneal pathology, lens subluxation, and a specular endothelial cell count IOL. In Group A, a CTR was put in the bag before IOL implantation. The groups were called for follow-up on day 1, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months, postoperatively. The axis of the toric IOL on each visit was measured by slit lamp imaging in retroillumination and analyzed digitally. Mean rotation of toric IOL at 3 months postoperatively was 1.85 ± 1.72° in Group A and 4.02 ± 2.04° in Group B. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.003). Coimplantation of a CTR is a safe and effective technique for ensuring better rotational stability of toric IOLs.
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.
Information Visualization Techniques for Effective Cross-Discipline Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Ward

2013-04-01

Collaboration between research groups in different fields is a common occurrence, but it can often be frustrating due to the absence of a common vocabulary. This lack of a shared context can make expressing important concepts and discussing results difficult. This problem may be further exacerbated when communicating to an audience of laypeople. Without a clear frame of reference, simple concepts are often rendered difficult-to-understand at best, and unintelligible at worst. An easy way to alleviate this confusion is with the use of clear, well-designed visualizations to illustrate an idea, process or conclusion. There exist a number of well-described machine-learning and statistical techniques which can be used to illuminate the information present within complex high-dimensional datasets. Once the information has been separated from the data, clear communication becomes a matter of selecting an appropriate visualization. Ideally, the visualization is information-rich but data-scarce. Anything from a simple bar chart, to a line chart with confidence intervals, to an animated set of 3D point-clouds can be used to render a complex idea as an easily understood image. Several case studies will be presented in this work. In the first study, we will examine how a complex statistical analysis was applied to a high-dimensional dataset, and how the results were succinctly communicated to an audience of microbiologists and chemical engineers. Next, we will examine a technique used to illustrate the concept of the singular value decomposition, as used in the field of computer vision, to a lay audience of undergraduate students from mixed majors. We will then examine a case where a simple animated line plot was used to communicate an approach to signal decomposition, and will finish with a discussion of the tools available to create these visualizations.
A method to measure the effect of food appearance factors on children's visual preferences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kildegaard, Heidi; Olsen, Annemarie; Gabrielsen, Gorm

2011-01-01

The aim of the study was to examine children’s visual preferences for two food products; yoghurts and smoothies, by using a conjoint layout. In total, 274 children performed an incomplete ranking of 8 pictures formed by three factors each with two levels (23 design). The three food appearance...... for the eight smoothies. The children visually preferred the two products without visible fruit and colour had a large influence on visual preferences too. As regards the yoghurts, the children accepted a less simple variant whereas the most preferred smoothie was very simple. Significant synergetic effects...... between food appearance factors and segmentation factors were found. Additionally gender and ethnicity were found to be influential drivers for food choice....
Factors influencing visual rehabilitation after occlusion therapy in unilateral amblyopia in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Vimla; Chaudhuri, Zia; Saxena, Rohit; Gill, Kulwant; Sachdeva, M M

2005-12-01

Amblyopia is one of the most common causes of visual impairment in adults and children, and visual loss may be permanent if not treated in time. Though many studies have been done on occlusion therapy which is the mainstay in the treatment of unilateral amblyopia, discrepancies exist in literature about quantification of treatment and follow up measures. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the factors responsible for the successful outcome of treatment and the optimum time required for the same in children with unilateral amblyopia. Baseline characteristics of 63 verbal patients with unilateral amblyopia (strabismic, anisometropic, mixed) referred to the Strabismus and Amblyopia Clinic at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, New Delhi between September 2001 to December 2002 who improved to the desired level of visual acuity after treatment for amblyopia in the mentioned time period, were analyzed to assess for factors that directly or indirectly influenced the optimum visual rehabilitation and the average duration of therapy required for the same. The evaluation included assessment of the baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and refractive status in both eyes, the age at presentation, the type of amblyopia present, fixation pattern in the amblyopic eye, inter-eye visual acuity difference, and evaluation of compliance through a parental diary system. Baseline BCVA in the amblyopic eye was similar in all the three groups. Patients with anisometropic amblyopia showed a quicker response to therapy. Compliance to treatment was the major factor affecting the overall time required for a successful outcome in most cases. The overall time required for the treatment to be successful (including the period of maintenance) was about 1,089 h. This hospital-based study showed that the average duration of occlusion therapy to achieve stable isoacuity was 7.2 months with an average occlusion of 6-7 h/day. Compliance to therapy was the most
Visual detection of West Nile virus using reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with a vertical flow visualization strip

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zengguo eCao

2016-04-01

Full Text Available West Nile virus (WNV causes a severe zoonosis, which can lead to a large number of casualties and considerable economic losses. A rapid and accurate identification methodfor WNV for use in field laboratories is urgently needed. Here, a method utilizing reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with a vertical flow visualization strip (RT-LAMP-VF was developed to detect the envelope (E gene of WNV. The RT-LAMP-VF assay could detect 102 copies/μl ofan WNV RNA standard using a 40 min amplification reaction followed by a 2 min incubationof the amplification product on the visualization strip, and no cross-reaction with other closely related members of theFlavivirus genus was observed. The assay was further evaluated using cells and mouse brain tissues infected with a recombinant rabies virus expressing the E protein of WNV.The assay produced sensitivities of 101.5TCID50/ml and 101.33 TCID50/ml for detection of the recombinant virus in the cells and brain tissues, respectively. Overall, the RT-LAMP-VF assay developed in this study is rapid, simple and effective, and it is therefore suitable for clinical application in the field.
Assessment of visual disability using visual evoked potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Jihoon; Oh, Seiyul; Kyung, Sungeun

2012-08-06

disability in a range >5.77 μV. The results could be useful, especially in cases of no obvious pale disc with trauma. Visual acuity quantification using absolute value of amplitude in pattern visual evoked potentials was useful in confirming subjective visual acuity for cutoff values >5.77 μV in disability evaluation to discriminate the malingering from real disability.
Preoperative Quantitative MR Tractography Compared with Visual Tract Evaluation in Patients with Neuropathologically Confirmed Gliomas Grades II and III: A Prospective Cohort Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delgado, Anna F.; Nilsson, Markus; Latini, Francesco; Mårtensson, Johanna; Zetterling, Maria; Berntsson, Shala G.; Alafuzoff, Irina; Lätt, Jimmy; Larsson, Elna-Marie

2016-01-01

Background and Purpose. Low-grade gliomas show infiltrative growth in white matter tracts. Diffusion tensor tractography can noninvasively assess white matter tracts. The aim was to preoperatively assess tumor growth in white matter tracts using quantitative MR tractography (3T). The hypothesis was that suspected infiltrated tracts would have altered diffusional properties in infiltrated tract segments compared to noninfiltrated tracts. Materials and Methods. Forty-eight patients with suspected low-grade glioma were included after written informed consent and underwent preoperative diffusion tensor imaging in this prospective review-board approved study. Major white matter tracts in both hemispheres were tracked, segmented, and visually assessed for tumor involvement in thirty-four patients with gliomas grade II or III (astrocytomas or oligodendrogliomas) on postoperative neuropathological evaluation. Relative fractional anisotropy (rFA) and mean diffusivity (rMD) in tract segments were calculated and compared with visual evaluation and neuropathological diagnosis. Results. Tract segment infiltration on visual evaluation was associated with a lower rFA and high rMD in a majority of evaluated tract segments (89% and 78%, resp.). Grade II and grade III gliomas had similar infiltrating behavior. Conclusion. Quantitative MR tractography corresponds to visual evaluation of suspected tract infiltration. It may be useful for an objective preoperative evaluation of tract segment involvement

HEALTH SELF-EVALUATION OF ELDERLY PERSONS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS IN RELATION TO GENDER AND STATE OF HEALTH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amela Teskeredžić

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Health self-evaluation, as a subjective measure, is related to person’s well-being because it encapsulates physical and emotional health evaluation. It has been concluded that subjective health is, for most of people, number one trait of quality of living that is connected to health. Individual is to decide which aspects of objective situation are important for their satisfaction in life. In other words, way in which a person will perceive and react to an objective situation depends on their personal traits. Aim of this research was to examine the differences in relation to gender and health state of visually impaired older persons of that live in institutional accommodation, by self-evaluation. Respondents sample was comprised of 40 visually impaired older persons, both genders (13 male and 27 female that live in nursing home “Dom penzionera” in Tuzla. Research has been conducted by interview, using questionnaire “Quality of life of adult persons with motoric disabilities in territory of Vojvodina” (Susnjevic, 2015. Because of the structure of questions in questionnaire, it was possible to apply it on visually impaired persons as well. Data acquired had been processed with descriptive statistics, hi-squre and t – test, in order to determine if there were differences in relation to gender and selfevaluation of physical and social functioning. Results of the research have shown that although means have proven that there are differences in acquired results between respondents of male and female gender, results of t-test have shown that those differences are not statistically significant. Presence of any kind of damage, and visual impairment as well can influence person’s psychological and physical integrity.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WEB DESIGN: VISUAL DESIGN EVALUATION OF DESTINATION WEB SITES

OpenAIRE

Fırlar, Belma; Okat Özdem, Özen

2013-01-01

As in the literature, the researchs about web site efficiency are mostly about site context. The analysis about function are mostly superficial. Whereas, controlling every little part of a web site respective is a necessity to show its efficiency. Here in this context in the study of perception and response event web sites that play an important role in visual design criteria are below the lens as featured and the web sites evaulated by heuristic evaluation method.The research focus of this s...
Visualization Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — FUNCTION: Evaluates and improves the operational effectiveness of existing and emerging electronic warfare systems. By analyzing and visualizing simulation results...
EVALUATION OF THE USER STRATEGY ON 2D AND 3D CITY MAPS BASED ON NOVEL SCANPATH COMPARISON METHOD AND GRAPH VISUALIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Dolezalova

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The paper is dealing with scanpath comparison of eye-tracking data recorded during case study focused on the evaluation of 2D and 3D city maps. The experiment contained screenshots from three map portals. Two types of maps were used - standard map and 3D visualization. Respondents’ task was to find particular point symbol on the map as fast as possible. Scanpath comparison is one group of the eye-tracking data analyses methods used for revealing the strategy of the respondents. In cartographic studies, the most commonly used application for scanpath comparison is eyePatterns that output is hierarchical clustering and a tree graph representing the relationships between analysed sequences. During an analysis of the algorithm generating a tree graph, it was found that the outputs do not correspond to the reality. We proceeded to the creation of a new tool called ScanGraph. This tool uses visualization of cliques in simple graphs and is freely available at www.eyetracking.upol.cz/scangraph. Results of the study proved the functionality of the tool and its suitability for analyses of different strategies of map readers. Based on the results of the tool, similar scanpaths were selected, and groups of respondents with similar strategies were identified. With this knowledge, it is possible to analyse the relationship between belonging to the group with similar strategy and data gathered from the questionnaire (age, sex, cartographic knowledge, etc. or type of stimuli (2D, 3D map.
Evaluation of the User Strategy on 2d and 3d City Maps Based on Novel Scanpath Comparison Method and Graph Visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Dolezalova, J.; Popelka, S.

2016-06-01

The paper is dealing with scanpath comparison of eye-tracking data recorded during case study focused on the evaluation of 2D and 3D city maps. The experiment contained screenshots from three map portals. Two types of maps were used - standard map and 3D visualization. Respondents' task was to find particular point symbol on the map as fast as possible. Scanpath comparison is one group of the eye-tracking data analyses methods used for revealing the strategy of the respondents. In cartographic studies, the most commonly used application for scanpath comparison is eyePatterns that output is hierarchical clustering and a tree graph representing the relationships between analysed sequences. During an analysis of the algorithm generating a tree graph, it was found that the outputs do not correspond to the reality. We proceeded to the creation of a new tool called ScanGraph. This tool uses visualization of cliques in simple graphs and is freely available at www.eyetracking.upol.cz/scangraph. Results of the study proved the functionality of the tool and its suitability for analyses of different strategies of map readers. Based on the results of the tool, similar scanpaths were selected, and groups of respondents with similar strategies were identified. With this knowledge, it is possible to analyse the relationship between belonging to the group with similar strategy and data gathered from the questionnaire (age, sex, cartographic knowledge, etc.) or type of stimuli (2D, 3D map).
Semer: a simple calculational tool for the economic evaluations of reactor systems and associated innovations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nisan, S.; Rouyer, J.L.

2001-01-01

This paper summarises part of our on-going investigations on the economic evaluations of various nuclear and fossil energy systems and related innovations. These investigations are principally concerned with the development of the code system SEMER and its validation. SEMER has been developed to furnish top management and project leaders a simple tool for cost evaluations enabling a choice between competitive technological options. The cost evaluation models, actually integrated in the SEMER system, already cover a very wide range of electricity producing systems and, where relevant, their associated fuel cycles: The ''global models'', allowing rapid but relatively approximate overall cost estimations (about 15 % error). These include: Almost all the electricity producing systems using fossil energies (Oil, Coal, Gas, including gas turbines with combined cycles); Nuclear reactor systems including all the French PWRs, HTRs, Compact PWRs, and PWRs for nuclear propulsion systems. (author)
The impact of interference on short-term memory for visual orientation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rademaker, Rosanne L; Bloem, Ilona M; De Weerd, Peter; Sack, Alexander T

2015-12-01

Visual short-term memory serves as an efficient buffer for maintaining no longer directly accessible information. How robust are visual memories against interference? Memory for simple visual features has proven vulnerable to distractors containing conflicting information along the relevant stimulus dimension, leading to the idea that interacting feature-specific channels at an early stage of visual processing support memory for simple visual features. Here we showed that memory for a single randomly orientated grating was susceptible to interference from a to-be-ignored distractor grating presented midway through a 3-s delay period. Memory for the initially presented orientation became noisier when it differed from the distractor orientation, and response distributions were shifted toward the distractor orientation (by ∼3°). Interestingly, when the distractor was rendered task-relevant by making it a second memory target, memory for both retained orientations showed reduced reliability as a function of increased orientation differences between them. However, the degree to which responses to the first grating shifted toward the orientation of the task-relevant second grating was much reduced. Finally, using a dichoptic display, we demonstrated that these systematic biases caused by a consciously perceived distractor disappeared once the distractor was presented outside of participants' awareness. Together, our results show that visual short-term memory for orientation can be systematically biased by interfering information that is consciously perceived. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
A simple evaluation of containment integrity against ex-vessel steam explosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiura, Hiroshi

2000-01-01

The guideline for consideration to severe accidents on containment design for next-generation LWR was published in 1999. In order to verify the validity of future containment designs, we have developed a method of assessing for the containment integrity against ex-vessel steam explosion. First, we conducted a simple evaluation on an Advanced PWR. The strength of the reactor cavity wall was assumed to be equivalent to the total strain energy which would accumulate by the time one reinforcing bar element would first reach the failure strain in FEM analyses. As a result, the strength was evaluated to be about 72 MJ. The explosion energy was assumed to be a function of the mass of the dropping melted core and the conversion ratio. Assuming the conversion ratio of 1%, it was estimated that the explosion energy would amount to about 1 MJ if the melt mass corresponds to the break of one instrumentation guide tube penetration, and about 40 MJ if the mass corresponds to the simultaneous break of all penetrations. Therefore, it is expected that the explosion energy would be less than the wall strength; thus, the containment integrity would be maintained even if an ex-vessel steam explosion were to occur. (author)
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.
Executive and perceptual distraction in visual working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Richard J; Baddeley, Alan D; Hitch, Graham J

2017-09-01

The contents of visual working memory are likely to reflect the influence of both executive control resources and information present in the environment. We investigated whether executive attention is critical in the ability to exclude unwanted stimuli by introducing concurrent potentially distracting irrelevant items to a visual working memory paradigm, and manipulating executive load using simple or more demanding secondary verbal tasks. Across 7 experiments varying in presentation format, timing, stimulus set, and distractor number, we observed clear disruptive effects of executive load and visual distraction, but relatively minimal evidence supporting an interactive relationship between these factors. These findings are in line with recent evidence using delay-based interference, and suggest that different forms of attentional selection operate relatively independently in visual working memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
Correction of refractive errors in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) involved in visual research.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Jude F; Boisvert, Chantal J; Reuter, Jon D; Reynolds, John H; Leblanc, Mathias

2014-08-01

Macaques are the most common animal model for studies in vision research, and due to their high value as research subjects, often continue to participate in studies well into old age. As is true in humans, visual acuity in macaques is susceptible to refractive errors. Here we report a case study in which an aged macaque demonstrated clear impairment in visual acuity according to performance on a demanding behavioral task. Refraction demonstrated bilateral myopia that significantly affected behavioral and visual tasks. Using corrective lenses, we were able to restore visual acuity. After correction of myopia, the macaque's performance on behavioral tasks was comparable to that of a healthy control. We screened 20 other male macaques to assess the incidence of refractive errors and ocular pathologies in a larger population. Hyperopia was the most frequent ametropia but was mild in all cases. A second macaque had mild myopia and astigmatism in one eye. There were no other pathologies observed on ocular examination. We developed a simple behavioral task that visual research laboratories could use to test visual acuity in macaques. The test was reliable and easily learned by the animals in 1 d. This case study stresses the importance of screening macaques involved in visual science for refractive errors and ocular pathologies to ensure the quality of research; we also provide simple methodology for screening visual acuity in these animals.
Visual application of the American Board of Orthodontics Grading System.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Steven A; Freer, Terry J

2005-05-01

Assessment of treatment outcomes has traditionally been accomplished using the subjective opinion of experienced clinicians. Reduced subjectivity in the assessment of orthodontic treatment can be achieved with the use of an occlusal index. To implement an index for quality assurance purposes is time-consuming and subject to the inherent error of the index. Quality assessment of orthodontic treatment on a routine basis has been difficult to implement in private practice. To investigate whether a clinician can accurately apply the American Board of Orthodontics Objective Grading System by direct visual inspection instead of measuring individual traits. A random sample of 30 cases was selected, including pretreatment and post-treatment upper and lower study casts and panoramic radiographs. The cases were examined and scored with the standardized measuring gauge according to the protocol provided by the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO). The records were re-examined 6 weeks later and the individual traits scored by visual inspection (VI). There were no significant differences between the pre- and post-treatment ABO gauge and VI scores. This study suggests that occlusal traits defined by the ABO Objective Grading System can be accurately assessed by visual inspection. The VI score provides a simple and convenient method for critical evaluation of treatment outcome by a clinician.
Is Fourier analysis performed by the visual system or by the visual investigator.

Science.gov (United States)

Ochs, A L

1979-01-01

A numerical Fourier transform was made of the pincushion grid illusion and the spectral components orthogonal to the illusory lines were isolated. Their inverse transform creates a picture of the illusion. The spatial-frequency response of cortical, simple receptive field neurons similarly filters the grid. A complete set of these neurons thus approximates a two-dimensional Fourier analyzer. One cannot conclude, however, that the brain actually uses frequency-domain information to interpret visual images.
Using Complex Auditory-Visual Samples to Produce Emergent Relations in Children with Autism

Science.gov (United States)

Groskreutz, Nicole C.; Karsina, Allen; Miguel, Caio F.; Groskreutz, Mark P.

2010-01-01

Six participants with autism learned conditional relations between complex auditory-visual sample stimuli (dictated words and pictures) and simple visual comparisons (printed words) using matching-to-sample training procedures. Pre- and posttests examined potential stimulus control by each element of the complex sample when presented individually…
SPV: a JavaScript Signaling Pathway Visualizer.

Science.gov (United States)

Calderone, Alberto; Cesareni, Gianni

2018-03-24

The visualization of molecular interactions annotated in web resources is useful to offer to users such information in a clear intuitive layout. These interactions are frequently represented as binary interactions that are laid out in free space where, different entities, cellular compartments and interaction types are hardly distinguishable. SPV (Signaling Pathway Visualizer) is a free open source JavaScript library which offers a series of pre-defined elements, compartments and interaction types meant to facilitate the representation of signaling pathways consisting of causal interactions without neglecting simple protein-protein interaction networks. freely available under Apache version 2 license; Source code: https://github.com/Sinnefa/SPV_Signaling_Pathway_Visualizer_v1.0. Language: JavaScript; Web technology: Scalable Vector Graphics; Libraries: D3.js. sinnefa@gmail.com.
Research and development of the software for visualizing nuclear reactor and neutronics analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okui, Shota; Sekimoto, Hiroshi

2009-01-01

It is not easy to image three-dimensional construct of a nuclear reactor with only its two-dimensional figure because it contains a number of structures and its construction is very complicated. Several visualization softwares for the nuclear reactor or some other plant exist, but require high skills and their operation is not simple. In this study, we developed nuclear reactor visualization software, called 'Visual Reactor (VR)', which does not require specific skills. We added the neutronics analysis code to that software. This code executes cell calculation, neutron diffusion calculation and nuclide burnup calculation by itself without any other codes. We tried to treat simple physics model in order to perform these calculation in a short time. Neutronics characteristics, such as neutron flux and power density distribution, are visualized on structure of nuclear reactor. Target operating system is Microsoft Windows XP or Vista. VR is utilized to figure out the structure of nuclear reactor and whole picture of neutronics characteristics. (author)
Long-Term Memory Search across the Visual Brain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Fedurco

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Signal transmission from the human retina to visual cortex and connectivity of visual brain areas are relatively well understood. How specific visual perceptions transform into corresponding long-term memories remains unknown. Here, I will review recent Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (BOLD fMRI in humans together with molecular biology studies (animal models aiming to understand how the retinal image gets transformed into so-called visual (retinotropic maps. The broken object paradigm has been chosen in order to illustrate the complexity of multisensory perception of simple objects subject to visual —rather than semantic— type of memory encoding. The author explores how amygdala projections to the visual cortex affect the memory formation and proposes the choice of experimental techniques needed to explain our massive visual memory capacity. Maintenance of the visual long-term memories is suggested to require recycling of GluR2-containing α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPAR and β2-adrenoreceptors at the postsynaptic membrane, which critically depends on the catalytic activity of the N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF and protein kinase PKMζ.
The Box-and-Dot Method: A Simple Strategy for Counting Significant Figures

Science.gov (United States)

Stephenson, W. Kirk

2009-01-01

A visual method for counting significant digits is presented. This easy-to-learn (and easy-to-teach) method, designated the box-and-dot method, uses the device of "boxing" significant figures based on two simple rules, then counting the number of digits in the boxes. (Contains 4 notes.)
ON CONSTRUCTION OF A RELIABLE GROUND TRUTH FOR EVALUATION OF VISUAL SLAM ALGORITHMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Bayer

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this work we are concerning the problem of localization accuracy evaluation of visual-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM techniques. Quantitative evaluation of the SLAM algorithm performance is usually done using the established metrics of Relative pose error and Absolute trajectory error which require a precise and reliable ground truth. Such a ground truth is usually hard to obtain, while it requires an expensive external localization system. In this work we are proposing to use the SLAM algorithm itself to construct a reliable ground-truth by offline frame-by-frame processing. The generated ground-truth is suitable for evaluation of different SLAM systems, as well as for tuning the parametrization of the on-line SLAM. The presented practical experimental results indicate the feasibility of the proposed approach.
A Simple and Automatic Method for Locating Surgical Guide Hole

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xun; Chen, Ming; Tang, Kai

2017-12-01

Restoration-driven surgical guides are widely used in implant surgery. This study aims to provide a simple and valid method of automatically locating surgical guide hole, which can reduce operator's experiences and improve the design efficiency and quality of surgical guide. Few literatures can be found on this topic and the paper proposed a novel and simple method to solve this problem. In this paper, a local coordinate system for each objective tooth is geometrically constructed in CAD system. This coordinate system well represents dental anatomical features and the center axis of the objective tooth (coincide with the corresponding guide hole axis) can be quickly evaluated in this coordinate system, finishing the location of the guide hole. The proposed method has been verified by comparing two types of benchmarks: manual operation by one skilled doctor with over 15-year experiences (used in most hospitals) and automatic way using one popular commercial package Simplant (used in few hospitals).Both the benchmarks and the proposed method are analyzed in their stress distribution when chewing and biting. The stress distribution is visually shown and plotted as a graph. The results show that the proposed method has much better stress distribution than the manual operation and slightly better than Simplant, which will significantly reduce the risk of cervical margin collapse and extend the wear life of the restoration.

Evaluation of Sports Visualization Based on Wearable Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Wang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In order to visualize the physical education classroom in school, we create a visualized movement management system, which records the student's exercise data efficiently and stores data in the database that enables virtual reality client to call. Each individual's exercise data are gathered as the source material to study the law of group movement, playing a strategic role in managing physical education. Through the combination of wearable devices, virtual reality and network technology, the student movement data (time, space, rate, etc. are collected in real time to drive the role model in virtual scenes, which visualizes the movement data. Moreover, the Markov chain based algorithm is used to predict the movement state. The test results show that this method can quantize the student movement data. Therefore, the application of this system in PE classes can help teacher to observe the students’ real-time movement amount and state, so as to improve the teaching quality.
Museums for all: evaluation of an audio descriptive guide for visually impaired visitors at the science museum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Soler Gallego

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Translation and interpreting are valuable tools to improve accessibility at museums. Theese tools permit the museum communicate with visitors with different capabilities. The aim of this article is to show the results of a study carried out within the TACTO project, aimed at creating and evaluating an audio descriptive guide for visually impaired visitors at the Science Museum of Granada. The project focused on the linguistic aspects of the guide’s contents and its evaluation, which combined the participatory observation with a survey and interview. The results from this study allow us to conclude that the proposed design improves visually impaired visitors’ access to the museum. However, the expectations and specific needs of each visitor change considerably depending on individual factors such as their level of disability and museum visiting habits.
Relativity of Visual Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arto Mutanen

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Communication is sharing and conveying information. In visual communication especially visual messages have to be formulated and interpreted. The interpretation is relative to a method of information presentation method which is human construction. This holds also in the case of visual languages. The notions of syntax and semantics for visual languages are not so well founded as they are for natural languages. Visual languages are both syntactically and semantically dense. The density is connected to the compositionality of the (pictorial languages. In the paper Charles Sanders Peirce’s theory of signs will be used in characterizing visual languages. This allows us to relate visual languages to natural languages. The foundation of information presentation methods for visual languages is the logic of perception, but only if perception is understood as propositional perception. This allows us to understand better the relativity of information presentation methods, and hence to evaluate the cultural relativity of visual communication.
Visual evaluation of beef tenderness by using surface structural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Very low negative correlations were observed between colour and shear force (r = −0.242). Therefore, although it may be possible to judge meat colour by visual analysis, it does not appear possible to predict tenderness by colour judgment. There is potential for an experienced eye to predict tenderness by observing visual ...
Evaluation and diagnosis of the hair loss patient: part II. Trichoscopic and laboratory evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Mubki, Thamer; Rudnicka, Lidia; Olszewska, Malgorzata; Shapiro, Jerry

2014-09-01

The use of trichoscopy for evaluating a number of hair and scalp disorders is gaining popularity. It is a simple and noninvasive in vivo tool for visualizing hair shafts and the scalp. Recently, alopecias have been classified according to their trichoscopic findings. The second part of this 2-part continuing medical education article reviews recent advances in this field and describes a systematic approach for using the differential diagnostic findings of trichoscopy in alopecia. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Investigating Complexity Using Excel and Visual Basic.

Science.gov (United States)

Zetie, K. P.

2001-01-01

Shows how some of the simple ideas in complexity can be investigated using a spreadsheet and a macro written in Visual Basic. Shows how the sandpile model of Bak, Chao, and Wiesenfeld can be simulated and animated. The model produces results that cannot easily be predicted from its properties. (Author/MM)
Semer: a simple calculational tool for the economic evaluations of reactor systems and associated innovations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nisan, S. [CEA Cadarache, Nuclear Reactor Directorate, DRN, Dept. of Reactor Studies, DER, Reactor and Innovative Systems Service, SERSI, 13 - Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Rouyer, J.L. [Electricite de France (EDF), Pole Industrie, Div. Ingenierie et Services, 93 - Saint-Denis (France)

2001-07-01

This paper summarises part of our on-going investigations on the economic evaluations of various nuclear and fossil energy systems and related innovations. These investigations are principally concerned with the development of the code system SEMER and its validation. SEMER has been developed to furnish top management and project leaders a simple tool for cost evaluations enabling a choice between competitive technological options. The cost evaluation models, actually integrated in the SEMER system, already cover a very wide range of electricity producing systems and, where relevant, their associated fuel cycles: The ''global models'', allowing rapid but relatively approximate overall cost estimations (about 15 % error). These include: Almost all the electricity producing systems using fossil energies (Oil, Coal, Gas, including gas turbines with combined cycles); Nuclear reactor systems including all the French PWRs, HTRs, Compact PWRs, and PWRs for nuclear propulsion systems. (author)
A simple method of digitizing analog scintigrams for quantification and digital archiving

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schramm, M.; Kaempfer, B.; Wolf, H.; Clausen, M.; Wendhausen, H.; Henze, E.

1993-01-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate a quick, reliable and cheap method of digitizing analog scintigrams. 40 whole-body bone scintigrams were obtained simultaneously in analog and genuine digital format. The analog scans on X-ray film were then digitized seecondarily by three different methods: 300 dpi flatbed scanning, high-resolution camera scanning and camcorder recording. A simple exposure approach using a light box, a cheap camcorder, a PC and image grabber hard- and software proved to be optimal. Visual interpretation showed no differences in clinical findings when comparing the analog images with their secondarily digitized counterparts. To test the possibility of quantification, 126 equivalent ROIs were drawn both in the genuine digital and the secondarily digitized images. Comparing the ROI count to whole-body count percentage of the corresponding ROIs showed the correlation to be linear. The evaluation of phantom studies showed the linear correlation to be true within a wide activity range. Thus, secondary digitalization of analog scintigrams is an easy, cheap and reliable method of archiving images and allows secondary digital quantification. (orig.) [de
[A simple method of digitizing analog scintigrams for quantification and digital archiving].

Science.gov (United States)

Schramm, M; Kämpfer, B; Wolf, H; Clausen, M; Wendhausen, H; Henze, E

1993-02-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate a quick, reliable and cheap method of digitizing analog scintigrams. 40 whole-body bone scintigrams were obtained simultaneously in analog and genuine digital format. The analog scans on x-ray film were then digitized secondarily by three different methods: 300 dpi flat-bed scanning, high-resolution camera scanning and camcorder recording. A simple exposure approach using a light box, a cheap camcorder, a PC and image grabber hard- and software proved to be optimal. Visual interpretation showed no differences in clinical findings when comparing the analog images with their secondarily digitized counterparts. To test the possibility of quantification, 126 equivalent ROIs were drawn both in the genuine digital and the secondarily digitized images. Comparing the ROI count to whole-body count percentage of the corresponding ROIs showed the correlation to be linear. The evaluation of phantom studies showed the linear correlation to be true within a wide activity range. Thus, secondary digitalization of analog scintigrams is an easy, cheap and reliable method of archiving images and allows secondary digital quantification.
Software complex for geophysical data visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Kryukov, Ilya A.; Tyugin, Dmitry Y.; Kurkin, Andrey A.; Kurkina, Oxana E.

2013-04-01

The effectiveness of current research in geophysics is largely determined by the degree of implementation of the procedure of data processing and visualization with the use of modern information technology. Realistic and informative visualization of the results of three-dimensional modeling of geophysical processes contributes significantly into the naturalness of physical modeling and detailed view of the phenomena. The main difficulty in this case is to interpret the results of the calculations: it is necessary to be able to observe the various parameters of the three-dimensional models, build sections on different planes to evaluate certain characteristics and make a rapid assessment. Programs for interpretation and visualization of simulations are spread all over the world, for example, software systems such as ParaView, Golden Software Surfer, Voxler, Flow Vision and others. However, it is not always possible to solve the problem of visualization with the help of a single software package. Preprocessing, data transfer between the packages and setting up a uniform visualization style can turn into a long and routine work. In addition to this, sometimes special display modes for specific data are required and existing products tend to have more common features and are not always fully applicable to certain special cases. Rendering of dynamic data may require scripting languages that does not relieve the user from writing code. Therefore, the task was to develop a new and original software complex for the visualization of simulation results. Let us briefly list of the primary features that are developed. Software complex is a graphical application with a convenient and simple user interface that displays the results of the simulation. Complex is also able to interactively manage the image, resize the image without loss of quality, apply a two-dimensional and three-dimensional regular grid, set the coordinate axes with data labels and perform slice of data. The
Visual coherence for large-scale line-plot visualizations

KAUST Repository

Muigg, Philipp

2011-06-01

Displaying a large number of lines within a limited amount of screen space is a task that is common to many different classes of visualization techniques such as time-series visualizations, parallel coordinates, link-node diagrams, and phase-space diagrams. This paper addresses the challenging problems of cluttering and overdraw inherent to such visualizations. We generate a 2x2 tensor field during line rasterization that encodes the distribution of line orientations through each image pixel. Anisotropic diffusion of a noise texture is then used to generate a dense, coherent visualization of line orientation. In order to represent features of different scales, we employ a multi-resolution representation of the tensor field. The resulting technique can easily be applied to a wide variety of line-based visualizations. We demonstrate this for parallel coordinates, a time-series visualization, and a phase-space diagram. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to integrate a focus+context approach by incorporating a second tensor field. Our approach achieves interactive rendering performance for large data sets containing millions of data items, due to its image-based nature and ease of implementation on GPUs. Simulation results from computational fluid dynamics are used to evaluate the performance and usefulness of the proposed method. © 2011 The Author(s).
Visual coherence for large-scale line-plot visualizations

KAUST Repository

Muigg, Philipp; Hadwiger, Markus; Doleisch, Helmut; Grö ller, Eduard M.

2011-01-01

Displaying a large number of lines within a limited amount of screen space is a task that is common to many different classes of visualization techniques such as time-series visualizations, parallel coordinates, link-node diagrams, and phase-space diagrams. This paper addresses the challenging problems of cluttering and overdraw inherent to such visualizations. We generate a 2x2 tensor field during line rasterization that encodes the distribution of line orientations through each image pixel. Anisotropic diffusion of a noise texture is then used to generate a dense, coherent visualization of line orientation. In order to represent features of different scales, we employ a multi-resolution representation of the tensor field. The resulting technique can easily be applied to a wide variety of line-based visualizations. We demonstrate this for parallel coordinates, a time-series visualization, and a phase-space diagram. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to integrate a focus+context approach by incorporating a second tensor field. Our approach achieves interactive rendering performance for large data sets containing millions of data items, due to its image-based nature and ease of implementation on GPUs. Simulation results from computational fluid dynamics are used to evaluate the performance and usefulness of the proposed method. © 2011 The Author(s).
Tunoe Knob wind turbine array. Visualization and aesthetic evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

The aesthetic affects of locating a wind turbine array in the Danish coastal waters at Tunoe Knob between Tunoe and the Juttish east coast are discussed. The visualization project made use of a video film which analyzed the effect of the configurations of the wind turbine array on the coastal landscape as seen from a number viewpoints. A computer model illustrated the aesthetic effects of viewing the windmills as the viewer moves along the east coast of Jutland and across the sea towards the islands of Tunoe and Samsoe. The results should form the basis of the authorities' decision-making regarding the configuration of the wind turbine array. An account of the methods of visualization and a description of the visualization methods, in addition to the criteria on which the choice of the configuration was based are given. The chosen configuration is visualized, from points that are near and far from the wind turbine array, in the form of maps, diagrams and photographs of the sea and landscape. (AB)
Visualization and evaluation of flow during water filtration: Parameterization and sensitivity analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bílek Petr

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with visualization and evaluation of flow during filtration of water seeded by artificial microscopic particles. Planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF is a wide spread method for visualization and non-invasive characterization of flow. However the method uses fluorescent dyes or fluorescent particles in special cases. In this article the flow is seeded by non-fluorescent monodisperse polystyrene particles with the diameter smaller than one micrometer. The monodisperse sub-micron particles are very suitable for testing of textile filtration materials. Nevertheless non-fluorescent particles are not useful for PLIF method. A water filtration setup with an optical access to the place, were a tested filter is mounted, was built and used for the experiments. Concentration of particles in front of and behind the tested filter in a laser light sheet measured is and the local filtration efficiency expressed is. The article describes further progress in the measurement. It was carried out sensitivity analysis, parameterization and performance of the method during several simulations and experiments.
A simple model for indentation creep

Science.gov (United States)

Ginder, Ryan S.; Nix, William D.; Pharr, George M.

2018-03-01

A simple model for indentation creep is developed that allows one to directly convert creep parameters measured in indentation tests to those observed in uniaxial tests through simple closed-form relationships. The model is based on the expansion of a spherical cavity in a power law creeping material modified to account for indentation loading in a manner similar to that developed by Johnson for elastic-plastic indentation (Johnson, 1970). Although only approximate in nature, the simple mathematical form of the new model makes it useful for general estimation purposes or in the development of other deformation models in which a simple closed-form expression for the indentation creep rate is desirable. Comparison to a more rigorous analysis which uses finite element simulation for numerical evaluation shows that the new model predicts uniaxial creep rates within a factor of 2.5, and usually much better than this, for materials creeping with stress exponents in the range 1 ≤ n ≤ 7. The predictive capabilities of the model are evaluated by comparing it to the more rigorous analysis and several sets of experimental data in which both the indentation and uniaxial creep behavior have been measured independently.
Automated visual grading of grain kernels by machine vision

Science.gov (United States)

Dubosclard, Pierre; Larnier, Stanislas; Konik, Hubert; Herbulot, Ariane; Devy, Michel

2015-04-01

This paper presents two automatic methods for visual grading, designed to solve the industrial problem of evaluation of seed lots from the characterization of a representative sample. The sample is thrown in bulk onto a tray placed in a chamber for acquiring color image in a controlled and reproducible manner. Two image processing methods have been developed to separate, and then characterize each seed present in the image. A shape learning is performed on isolated seeds. Collected information is used for the segmentation. The first approach adopted for the segmentation step is based on simple criteria such as regions, edges and normals to the boundary. Marked point processes are used in the second approach, leading to tackle the problem by a technique of energy minimization. In both approaches, an active contour with shape prior is performed to improve the results. A classification is done on shape or color descriptors to evaluate the quality of the sample.
Automatic visual grading of grain products by machine vision

Science.gov (United States)

Dubosclard, Pierre; Larnier, Stanislas; Konik, Hubert; Herbulot, Ariane; Devy, Michel

2015-11-01

This paper presents two automatic methods for visual grading, deterministic and probabilistic, designed to solve the industrial problem of evaluation of seed lots from the characterization of a representative sample. The sample is thrown in bulk onto a tray placed in a chamber for acquiring color image in a controlled and reproducible manner. Two image-processing methods have been developed to separate and then characterize each seed present in the image. A shape learning is performed on isolated seeds. Collected information is used for the segmentation. The first approach adopted for the segmentation step is based on simple criteria such as regions, edges, and normals to the boundary. Marked point processes are used in the second approach, leading to tackling of the problem by a technique of energy minimization. In both approaches, an active contour with prior shape is performed to improve the results. A classification is done on shape or color descriptors to evaluate the quality of the sample.
Sketchy Rendering for Information Visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, J; Isenberg, P; Isenberg, T; Dykes, J; Boukhelifa, N; Slingsby, A

2012-12-01

We present and evaluate a framework for constructing sketchy style information visualizations that mimic data graphics drawn by hand. We provide an alternative renderer for the Processing graphics environment that redefines core drawing primitives including line, polygon and ellipse rendering. These primitives allow higher-level graphical features such as bar charts, line charts, treemaps and node-link diagrams to be drawn in a sketchy style with a specified degree of sketchiness. The framework is designed to be easily integrated into existing visualization implementations with minimal programming modification or design effort. We show examples of use for statistical graphics, conveying spatial imprecision and for enhancing aesthetic and narrative qualities of visualization. We evaluate user perception of sketchiness of areal features through a series of stimulus-response tests in order to assess users' ability to place sketchiness on a ratio scale, and to estimate area. Results suggest relative area judgment is compromised by sketchy rendering and that its influence is dependent on the shape being rendered. They show that degree of sketchiness may be judged on an ordinal scale but that its judgement varies strongly between individuals. We evaluate higher-level impacts of sketchiness through user testing of scenarios that encourage user engagement with data visualization and willingness to critique visualization design. Results suggest that where a visualization is clearly sketchy, engagement may be increased and that attitudes to participating in visualization annotation are more positive. The results of our work have implications for effective information visualization design that go beyond the traditional role of sketching as a tool for prototyping or its use for an indication of general uncertainty.
Sparse coding can predict primary visual cortex receptive field changes induced by abnormal visual input.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Jonathan J; Dayan, Peter; Goodhill, Geoffrey J

2013-01-01

Receptive fields acquired through unsupervised learning of sparse representations of natural scenes have similar properties to primary visual cortex (V1) simple cell receptive fields. However, what drives in vivo development of receptive fields remains controversial. The strongest evidence for the importance of sensory experience in visual development comes from receptive field changes in animals reared with abnormal visual input. However, most sparse coding accounts have considered only normal visual input and the development of monocular receptive fields. Here, we applied three sparse coding models to binocular receptive field development across six abnormal rearing conditions. In every condition, the changes in receptive field properties previously observed experimentally were matched to a similar and highly faithful degree by all the models, suggesting that early sensory development can indeed be understood in terms of an impetus towards sparsity. As previously predicted in the literature, we found that asymmetries in inter-ocular correlation across orientations lead to orientation-specific binocular receptive fields. Finally we used our models to design a novel stimulus that, if present during rearing, is predicted by the sparsity principle to lead robustly to radically abnormal receptive fields.
Adaptive optics without altering visual perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, D E; Hart, N W; Hofer, H J

2014-04-01

Adaptive optics combined with visual psychophysics creates the potential to study the relationship between visual function and the retina at the cellular scale. This potential is hampered, however, by visual interference from the wavefront-sensing beacon used during correction. For example, we have previously shown that even a dim, visible beacon can alter stimulus perception (Hofer et al., 2012). Here we describe a simple strategy employing a longer wavelength (980nm) beacon that, in conjunction with appropriate restriction on timing and placement, allowed us to perform psychophysics when dark adapted without altering visual perception. The method was verified by comparing detection and color appearance of foveally presented small spot stimuli with and without the wavefront beacon present in 5 subjects. As an important caution, we found that significant perceptual interference can occur even with a subliminal beacon when additional measures are not taken to limit exposure. Consequently, the lack of perceptual interference should be verified for a given system, and not assumed based on invisibility of the beacon. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Audiovisual correspondence between musical timbre and visual shapes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad eAdeli

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This article investigates the cross-modal correspondences between musical timbre and shapes. Previously, such features as pitch, loudness, light intensity, visual size, and color characteristics have mostly been used in studies of audio-visual correspondences. Moreover, in most studies, simple stimuli e.g. simple tones have been utilized. In this experiment, 23 musical sounds varying in fundamental frequency and timbre but fixed in loudness were used. Each sound was presented once against colored shapes and once against grayscale shapes. Subjects had to select the visual equivalent of a given sound i.e. its shape, color (or grayscale and vertical position. This scenario permitted studying the associations between normalized timbre and visual shapes as well as some of the previous findings for more complex stimuli. 119 subjects (31 females and 88 males participated in the online experiment. Subjects included 36 claimed professional musicians, 47 claimed amateur musicians and 36 claimed non-musicians. 31 subjects have also claimed to have synesthesia-like experiences. A strong association between timbre of envelope normalized sounds and visual shapes was observed. Subjects have strongly associated soft timbres with blue, green or light gray rounded shapes, harsh timbres with red, yellow or dark gray sharp angular shapes and timbres having elements of softness and harshness together with a mixture of the two previous shapes. Color or grayscale had no effect on timbre-shape associations. Fundamental frequency was not associated with height, grayscale or color. The significant correspondence between timbre and shape revealed by the present work allows designing substitution systems which might help the blind to perceive shapes through timbre.
Subjective Evaluation of Audiovisual Signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Fikejz

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with subjective evaluation of audiovisual signals, with emphasis on the interaction between acoustic and visual quality. The subjective test is realized by a simple rating method. The audiovisual signal used in this test is a combination of images compressed by JPEG compression codec and sound samples compressed by MPEG-1 Layer III. Images and sounds have various contents. It simulates a real situation when the subject listens to compressed music and watches compressed pictures without the access to original, i.e. uncompressed signals.
Visualizing common operating picture of critical infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Rummukainen, Lauri; Oksama, Lauri; Timonen, Jussi; Vankka, Jouko

2014-05-01

This paper presents a solution for visualizing the common operating picture (COP) of the critical infrastructure (CI). The purpose is to improve the situational awareness (SA) of the strategic-level actor and the source system operator in order to support decision making. The information is obtained through the Situational Awareness of Critical Infrastructure and Networks (SACIN) framework. The system consists of an agent-based solution for gathering, storing, and analyzing the information, and a user interface (UI) is presented in this paper. The UI consists of multiple views visualizing information from the CI in different ways. Different CI actors are categorized in 11 separate sectors, and events are used to present meaningful incidents. Past and current states, together with geographical distribution and logical dependencies, are presented to the user. The current states are visualized as segmented circles to represent event categories. Geographical distribution of assets is displayed with a well-known map tool. Logical dependencies are presented in a simple directed graph, and users also have a timeline to review past events. The objective of the UI is to provide an easily understandable overview of the CI status. Therefore, testing methods, such as a walkthrough, an informal walkthrough, and the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT), were used in the evaluation of the UI. Results showed that users were able to obtain an understanding of the current state of CI, and the usability of the UI was rated as good. In particular, the designated display for the CI overview and the timeline were found to be efficient.
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.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the human primary visual cortex during visual stimulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miki, Atsushi; Abe, Haruki; Nakajima, Takashi; Fujita, Motoi; Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Kuwabara, Takeo; Naruse, Shoji; Takagi, Mineo.

1995-01-01

Signal changes in the human primary visual cortex during visual stimulation were evaluated using non-invasive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The experiments were performed on 10 normal human volunteers and 2 patients with homonymous hemianopsia, including one who was recovering from the exacerbation of multiple sclerosis. The visual stimuli were provided by a pattern generator using the checkerboard pattern for determining the visual evoked potential of full-field and hemifield stimulation. In normal volunteers, a signal increase was observed on the bilateral primary visual cortex during the full-field stimulation and on the contra-lateral cortex during hemifield stimulation. In the patient with homonymous hemianopsia after cerebral infarction, the signal change was clearly decreased on the affected side. In the other patient, the one recovering from multiple sclerosis with an almost normal visual field, the fMRI was within normal limits. These results suggest that it is possible to visualize the activation of the visual cortex during visual stimulation, and that there is a possibility of using this test as an objective method of visual field examination. (author)
Interactive data visualization foundations, techniques, and applications

CERN Document Server

Ward, Matthew; Keim, Daniel

2010-01-01

Visualization is the process of representing data, information, and knowledge in a visual form to support the tasks of exploration, confirmation, presentation, and understanding. This book is designed as a textbook for students, researchers, analysts, professionals, and designers of visualization techniques, tools, and systems. It covers the full spectrum of the field, including mathematical and analytical aspects, ranging from its foundations to human visual perception; from coded algorithms for different types of data, information and tasks to the design and evaluation of new visualization techniques. Sample programs are provided as starting points for building one's own visualization tools. Numerous data sets have been made available that highlight different application areas and allow readers to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different visualization methods. Exercises, programming projects, and related readings are given for each chapter. The book concludes with an examination of several existin...
Emerging category representation in the visual forebrain hierarchy of pigeons (Columba livia).

Science.gov (United States)

Azizi, Amir Hossein; Pusch, Roland; Koenen, Charlotte; Klatt, Sebastian; Bröcker, Franziska; Thiele, Samuel; Kellermann, Janosch; Güntürkün, Onur; Cheng, Sen

2018-06-06

Recognizing and categorizing visual stimuli are cognitive functions vital for survival, and an important feature of visual systems in primates as well as in birds. Visual stimuli are processed along the ventral visual pathway. At every stage in the hierarchy, neurons respond selectively to more complex features, transforming the population representation of the stimuli. It is therefore easier to read-out category information in higher visual areas. While explicit category representations have been observed in the primate brain, less is known on equivalent processes in the avian brain. Even though their brain anatomies are radically different, it has been hypothesized that visual object representations are comparable across mammals and birds. In the present study, we investigated category representations in the pigeon visual forebrain using recordings from single cells responding to photographs of real-world objects. Using a linear classifier, we found that the population activity in the visual associative area mesopallium ventrolaterale (MVL) distinguishes between animate and inanimate objects, although this distinction is not required by the task. By contrast, a population of cells in the entopallium, a region that is lower in the hierarchy of visual areas and that is related to the primate extrastriate cortex, lacked this information. A model that pools responses of simple cells, which function as edge detectors, can account for the animate vs. inanimate categorization in the MVL, but performance in the model is based on different features than in MVL. Therefore, processing in MVL cells is very likely more abstract than simple computations on the output of edge detectors. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Challenges in Evaluating Relationships Between Quantitative Data (Carbon Dioxide) and Qualitative Data (Self-Reported Visual Changes)

Science.gov (United States)

Mendez, C. M.; Foy, M.; Mason, S.; Wear, M. L.; Meyers, V.; Law, J.; Alexander, D.; Van Baalen, M.

2014-01-01

Understanding the nuances in clinical data is critical in developing a successful data analysis plan. Carbon dioxide (CO2) data are collected on board the International Space Station (ISS) in a continuous stream. Clinical data on ISS are primarily collected via conversations between individual crewmembers and NASA Flight Surgeons during weekly Private Medical Conferences (PMC). Law, et.al, 20141 demonstrated a statistically significant association between weekly average CO2 levels on ISS and self-reported headaches over the reporting period from March 14, 2001 to May 31, 2012. The purpose of this analysis is to describe the evaluation of a possible association between visual changes and CO2 levels on ISS and to discuss challenges in developing an appropriate analysis plan. METHODS & PRELIMINARY RESULTS: A first analysis was conducted following the same study design as the published work on CO2 and self-reported headaches1; substituting self-reported changes in visual acuity in place of self-reported headaches. The analysis demonstrated no statistically significant association between visual impairment characterized by vision symptoms self-reported during PMCs and ISS average CO2 levels over ISS missions. Closer review of the PMC records showed that vision outcomes are not well-documented in terms of clinical severity, timing of onset, or timing of resolution, perhaps due to the incipient nature of vision changes. Vision has been monitored in ISS crewmembers, pre- and post-flight, using standard optometry evaluations. In-flight visual assessments were limited early in the ISS program, primarily consisting of self-perceived changes reported by crewmembers. Recently, on-orbit capabilities have greatly improved. Vision data ranges from self-reported post-flight changes in visual acuity, pre- to postflight changes identified during fundoscopic examination, and in-flight progression measured by advanced on-orbit clinical imaging capabilities at predetermined testing
Conditional Probability Modulates Visual Search Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryan eCort

2013-10-01

Full Text Available We investigated the effects of probability on visual search. Previous work has shown that people can utilize spatial and sequential probability information to improve target detection. We hypothesized that performance improvements from probability information would extend to the efficiency of visual search. Our task was a simple visual search in which the target was always present among a field of distractors, and could take one of two colors. The absolute probability of the target being either color was 0.5; however, the conditional probability – the likelihood of a particular color given a particular combination of two cues – varied from 0.1 to 0.9. We found that participants searched more efficiently for high conditional probability targets and less efficiently for low conditional probability targets, but only when they were explicitly informed of the probability relationship between cues and target color.
simple sequence repeat (SSR)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the present study, 78 mapped simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers representing 11 linkage groups of adzuki bean were evaluated for transferability to mungbean and related Vigna spp. 41 markers amplified characteristic bands in at least one Vigna species. The transferability percentage across the genotypes ranged ...
A zero-footprint 3D visualization system utilizing mobile display technology for timely evaluation of stroke patients

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Young Woo; Guo, Bing; Mogensen, Monique; Wang, Kevin; Law, Meng; Liu, Brent

2010-03-01

When a patient is accepted in the emergency room suspected of stroke, time is of the utmost importance. The infarct brain area suffers irreparable damage as soon as three hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. A CT scan is one of standard first line of investigations with imaging and is crucial to identify and properly triage stroke cases. The availability of an expert Radiologist in the emergency environment to diagnose the stroke patient in a timely manner only increases the challenges within the clinical workflow. Therefore, a truly zero-footprint web-based system with powerful advanced visualization tools for volumetric imaging including 2D. MIP/MPR, 3D display can greatly facilitate this dynamic clinical workflow for stroke patients. Together with mobile technology, the proper visualization tools can be delivered at the point of decision anywhere and anytime. We will present a small pilot project to evaluate the use of mobile technologies using devices such as iPhones in evaluating stroke patients. The results of the evaluation as well as any challenges in setting up the system will also be discussed.
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
Evaluation of a four month rehabilitation program for stroke patients with balance problems and binocular visual dysfunction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schow, Trine; Harris, Paul; Teasdale, Thomas William

2016-01-01

Trine Schow, Paul Harris, Thomas William Teasdale, Morten Arendt Rasmussen. Evaluation of a four month rehabilitation program for stroke patients with balance problems and binocular visual dysfunction. NeuroRehabilitation. 2016 Apr 6;38(4):331-41. doi: 10.3233/NRE-161324....
Developing visual images for communicating information aboutantiretroviral side effects to a low-literate population.

Science.gov (United States)

Dowse, Ros; Ramela, Thato; Barford, Kirsty-Lee; Browne, Sara

2010-09-01

The side effects of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy are linked to altered quality of life and adherence. Poor adherence has also been associated with low health-literacy skills, with an uninformed patient more likely to make ARV-related decisions that compromise the efficacy of the treatment. Low literacy skills disempower patients in interactions with healthcare providers and preclude the use of existing written patient information materials, which are generally written at a high reading level. Visual images or pictograms used as a counselling tool or included in patient information leaflets have been shown to improve patients' knowledge, particularly in low-literate groups. The objective of this study was to design visuals or pictograms illustrating various ARV side effects and to evaluate them in a low-literate South African Xhosa population. Core images were generated either from a design workshop or from posed photos or images from textbooks. The research team worked closely with a graphic artist. Initial versions of the images were discussed and assessed in group discussions, and then modified and eventually evaluated quantitatively in individual interviews with 40 participants who each had a maximum of 10 years of schooling. The familiarity of the human body, its facial expressions, postures and actions contextualised the information and contributed to the participants' understanding. Visuals that were simple, had a clear central focus and reflected familiar body experiences (e.g. vomiting) were highly successful. The introduction of abstract elements (e.g. fever) and metaphorical images (e.g. nightmares) presented problems for interpretation, particularly to those with the lowest educational levels. We recommend that such visual images should be designed in collaboration with the target population and a graphic artist, taking cognisance of the audience's literacy skills and culture, and should employ a multistage iterative process of modification and
The role of early trabeculectomy in the control of chronic simple glaucoma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dastur Y

1994-04-01

Full Text Available Seventy patients of bilateral chronic simple glaucoma with a mean age of 59.7 years, an intra-ocular pressure over 25 mmg Hg, optic disc cupping, and without visual field loss were selected. The eye with higher intra-ocular pressure or the larger optic disc cup was treated by early trabeculectomy while the other eye of the same patient was subjected to medical therapy with topical beta blockers for 3 years (without any surgical treatment. Both the eyes of 70 patients were compared after 3 years. Eyes which had undergone trabeculectomy had a mean intra-ocular pressure of 11.7 mm Hg against 18 mm Hg in the medically treated eyes. Surgically treated eyes had decrease in the mean cup : disc ratio (from 0.54 : 1 to 0.48 : 1 whereas medically treated eyes showed an increase from 0.41:1 to 0.51: 1. Visual field loss occurred in 3/70 operated eyes and in 27/70 medically treated eyes. Twenty-one of 70 treated eyes developed cataract and 12 of these required cataract surgery. Only 18/70 medically treated eyes developed cataracts but none of these required cataract surgery. Early trabeculectomy in cases of chronic simple glaucoma resulted in a large reduction of intra-ocular pressure and consequently reduced the size of optic disc cup and the chances of visual field loss.
StentBoost Visualization for the Evaluation of Coronary Stent Expansion During Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

OpenAIRE

Cura, Fernando; Albertal, Mariano; Candiello, Alfonsina; Nau, Gerardo; Bonvini, Victor; Tricherri, Hernan; Padilla, Lucio T.; Belardi, Jorge A.

2013-01-01

Introduction Inadequate stent implantation is associated with stent thrombosis and restenosis. StentBoost can enhance stent visualization and evaluate stent expansion. Currently, there are limited comparison studies between StentBoost and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). We aimed to test the correlation and agreement between IVUS and StentBoost measurements. Methods From December 2010 to December 2011, 38 patients (54 stents) were analyzed using IVUS and StentBoost. Minimal stent diameter and...
Evaluation of a four month rehabilitation program for stroke patients with balance problems and binocular visual dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Schow, Trine; Harris, Paul; Teasdale, Thomas William; Rasmussen, Morten Arendt

2016-04-06

Balance problems and binocular visual dysfunction (BVD) are common problems after stroke, however evidence of an effective rehabilitation method are limited. To evaluate the effect of a four-month rehabilitation program for individuals with balance problems and BVD after a stroke. About 40 sessions of 1.5 hours duration over four months with visual therapy and balance rehabilitation, was provided to all 29 participants, aged 18-67 years, in groups of 7-8 individuals. Several measures for BVD, balance, gait, Health Related Quality Of Life (HRQoL) and functional recovery were used at baseline, at the end of training and at a six-month follow up (FU). We found significant improvements in stereopsis, vergence, saccadic movements, burden of binocular visual symptoms, balance and gait speed, fatigue, HRQoL and functional recovery. Moreover, 60% of the participants were in employment at the six-month FU, compared to only 23% before training. All improvements were sustained at the six-month FU. Although a control group is lacking, the evidence suggests that the positive improvement is a result of the combined visual and balance training. The combination of balance and visual training appears to facilitate changes at a multimodal level affecting several functions important in daily life.
Evaluation of visual and computer-based CT analysis for the identification of functional patterns of obstruction and restriction in hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Joseph; Bartholmai, Brian J; Brun, Anne Laure; Egashira, Ryoko; Rajagopalan, Srinivasan; Karwoski, Ronald; Kouranos, Vasileios; Kokosi, Maria; Hansell, David M; Wells, Athol U

2017-11-01

To determine whether computer-based quantification (CALIPER software) is superior to visual computed tomography (CT) scoring in the identification of CT patterns indicative of restrictive and obstructive functional indices in hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). A total of 135 consecutive HP patients had CT parenchymal patterns evaluated quantitatively by both visual scoring and CALIPER. Results were evaluated against: forced vital capacity (FVC), total lung capacity (TLC), diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DL CO ) and a composite physiological index (CPI) to identify which CT scoring method better correlated with functional indices. CALIPER-derived scores of total interstitial lung disease extent correlated more strongly than visual scores: FVC (CALIPER R = 0.73, visual R = 0.51); DL CO (CALIPER R = 0.61, visual R = 0.48); and CPI (CALIPER R = 0·70, visual R = 0·55). The CT variable that correlated most strongly with restrictive functional indices was CALIPER pulmonary vessel volume (PVV): FVC R = 0.75, DL CO R = 0.68 and CPI R = 0.76. Ground-glass opacity quantified by CALIPER alone demonstrated strong associations with restrictive functional indices: CALIPER FVC R = 0.65; DL CO R = 0.59; CPI R = 0.64; and visual = not significant. Decreased attenuation lung quantified by CALIPER was a better morphological measure of obstructive lung disease than equivalent visual scores as judged by relationships with TLC (CALIPER R = 0.63 and visual R = 0.12). All results were maintained on multivariate analysis. CALIPER improved on visual scoring in HP as judged by restrictive and obstructive functional correlations. Decreased attenuation regions of the lung quantified by CALIPER demonstrated better linkages to obstructive lung physiology than visually quantified CT scores. A novel CALIPER variable, the PVV, demonstrated the strongest linkages with restrictive functional indices and could represent a new
Information theoretic analysis of canny edge detection in visual communication

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Bo; Rahman, Zia-ur

2011-06-01

In general edge detection evaluation, the edge detectors are examined, analyzed, and compared either visually or with a metric for specific an application. This analysis is usually independent of the characteristics of the image-gathering, transmission and display processes that do impact the quality of the acquired image and thus, the resulting edge image. We propose a new information theoretic analysis of edge detection that unites the different components of the visual communication channel and assesses edge detection algorithms in an integrated manner based on Shannon's information theory. The edge detection algorithm here is considered to achieve high performance only if the information rate from the scene to the edge approaches the maximum possible. Thus, by setting initial conditions of the visual communication system as constant, different edge detection algorithms could be evaluated. This analysis is normally limited to linear shift-invariant filters so in order to examine the Canny edge operator in our proposed system, we need to estimate its "power spectral density" (PSD). Since the Canny operator is non-linear and shift variant, we perform the estimation for a set of different system environment conditions using simulations. In our paper we will first introduce the PSD of the Canny operator for a range of system parameters. Then, using the estimated PSD, we will assess the Canny operator using information theoretic analysis. The information-theoretic metric is also used to compare the performance of the Canny operator with other edge-detection operators. This also provides a simple tool for selecting appropriate edgedetection algorithms based on system parameters, and for adjusting their parameters to maximize information throughput.

Substantial adverse association of visual and vascular comorbidities on visual disability in multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Marrie, Ruth Ann; Cutter, Gary; Tyry, Tuula

2011-12-01

Visual comorbidities are common in multiple sclerosis (MS) but the impact of visual comorbidities on visual disability is unknown. We assessed the impact of visual and vascular comorbidities on severity of visual disability in MS. In 2006, we queried participants of the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) about cataracts, glaucoma, uveitis, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, heart disease, diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. We assessed visual disability using the Vision subscale of Performance Scales. Using Cox regression, we investigated whether visual or vascular comorbidities affected the time between MS symptom onset and the development of mild, moderate and severe visual disability. Of 8983 respondents, 1415 (15.9%) reported a visual comorbidity while 4745 (52.8%) reported a vascular comorbidity. The median (interquartile range) visual score was 1 (0-2). In a multivariable Cox model the risk of mild visual disability was higher among participants with vascular (hazard ratio [HR] 1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39-1.51) and visual comorbidities (HR 1.47; 95% CI: 1.37-1.59). Vascular and visual comorbidities were similarly associated with increased risks of moderate and severe visual disability. Visual and vascular comorbidities are associated with progression of visual disability in MS. Clinicians hearing reports of worsening visual symptoms in MS patients should consider visual comorbidities as contributing factors. Further study of these issues using objective, systematic neuro-ophthalmologic evaluations is warranted.
Visualizing deep neural network by alternately image blurring and deblurring.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feng; Liu, Haijun; Cheng, Jian

2018-01-01

Visualization from trained deep neural networks has drawn massive public attention in recent. One of the visualization approaches is to train images maximizing the activation of specific neurons. However, directly maximizing the activation would lead to unrecognizable images, which cannot provide any meaningful information. In this paper, we introduce a simple but effective technique to constrain the optimization route of the visualization. By adding two totally inverse transformations, image blurring and deblurring, to the optimization procedure, recognizable images can be created. Our algorithm is good at extracting the details in the images, which are usually filtered by previous methods in the visualizations. Extensive experiments on AlexNet, VGGNet and GoogLeNet illustrate that we can better understand the neural networks utilizing the knowledge obtained by the visualization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
SimpleGeO - new developments in the interactive creation and debugging of geometries for Monte Carlo simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theis, Christian; Feldbaumer, Eduard; Forkel-Wirth, Doris; Jaegerhofer, Lukas; Roesler, Stefan; Vincke, Helmut; Buchegger, Karl Heinz

2010-01-01

Nowadays radiation transport Monte Carlo simulations have become an indispensable tool in various fields of physics. The applications are diversified and range from physics simulations, like detector studies or shielding design, to medical applications. Usually a significant amount of time is spent on the quite cumbersome and often error prone task of implementing geometries, before the actual physics studies can be performed. SimpleGeo is an interactive solid modeler which allows for the interactive creation and visualization of geometries for various Monte Carlo particle transport codes in 3D. Even though visual validation of the geometry is important, it might not reveal subtle errors like overlapping or undefined regions. These might eventually corrupt the execution of the simulation or even lead to incorrect results, the latter being sometimes hard to identify. In many cases a debugger is provided by the Monte Carlo package, but most often they lack interactive visual feedback, thus making it hard for the user to localize and correct the error. In this paper we describe the latest developments in SimpleGeo, which include debugging facilities that support immediate visual feedback, and apply various algorithms based on deterministic, Monte Carlo or Quasi Monte Carlo methods. These approaches allow for a fast and robust identification of subtle geometry errors that are also marked visually. (author)
Web tools for effective retrieval, visualization, and evaluation of cardiology medical images and records

Science.gov (United States)

Masseroli, Marco; Pinciroli, Francesco

2000-12-01

To provide easy retrieval, integration and evaluation of multimodal cardiology images and data in a web browser environment, distributed application technologies and java programming were used to implement a client-server architecture based on software agents. The server side manages secure connections and queries to heterogeneous remote databases and file systems containing patient personal and clinical data. The client side is a Java applet running in a web browser and providing a friendly medical user interface to perform queries on patient and medical test dat and integrate and visualize properly the various query results. A set of tools based on Java Advanced Imaging API enables to process and analyze the retrieved cardiology images, and quantify their features in different regions of interest. The platform-independence Java technology makes the developed prototype easy to be managed in a centralized form and provided in each site where an intranet or internet connection can be located. Giving the healthcare providers effective tools for querying, visualizing and evaluating comprehensively cardiology medical images and records in all locations where they can need them- i.e. emergency, operating theaters, ward, or even outpatient clinics- the developed prototype represents an important aid in providing more efficient diagnoses and medical treatments.
Incorporating big data into treatment plan evaluation: Development of statistical DVH metrics and visualization dashboards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles S. Mayo, PhD

2017-07-01

Conclusions: Statistical DVH offers an easy-to-read, detailed, and comprehensive way to visualize the quantitative comparison with historical experiences and among institutions. WES and GEM metrics offer a flexible means of incorporating discrete threshold-prioritizations and historic context into a set of standardized scoring metrics. Together, they provide a practical approach for incorporating big data into clinical practice for treatment plan evaluations.
Interactive Visualization of Healthcare Data Using Tableau.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Inseok; Chang, Hyejung

2017-10-01

Big data analysis is receiving increasing attention in many industries, including healthcare. Visualization plays an important role not only in intuitively showing the results of data analysis but also in the whole process of collecting, cleaning, analyzing, and sharing data. This paper presents a procedure for the interactive visualization and analysis of healthcare data using Tableau as a business intelligence tool. Starting with installation of the Tableau Desktop Personal version 10.3, this paper describes the process of understanding and visualizing healthcare data using an example. The example data of colon cancer patients were obtained from health insurance claims in years 2012 and 2013, provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. To explore the visualization of healthcare data using Tableau for beginners, this paper describes the creation of a simple view for the average length of stay of colon cancer patients. Since Tableau provides various visualizations and customizations, the level of analysis can be increased with small multiples, view filtering, mark cards, and Tableau charts. Tableau is a software that can help users explore and understand their data by creating interactive visualizations. The software has the advantages that it can be used in conjunction with almost any database, and it is easy to use by dragging and dropping to create an interactive visualization expressing the desired format.
Tissue adhesives for simple traumatic lacerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Beam, Joel W

2008-01-01

independently randomized and evaluated, and the other group randomized the patient and assigned all lacerations to a treatment group (tissue adhesive with SWC or tissue adhesive with tissue adhesive). The sample sizes ranged between 60 and 163 lacerations, and all 11 studies were performed in emergency departments. The primary measure in all included studies was cosmetic outcome. The majority of groups used the Cosmetic Visual Analogue Scale, the Wound Evaluation Score, or a combination of these measures. Three groups measured cosmetic outcome with nonvalidated scoring systems. Assessment time periods were grouped and reported at (1) 5 to 14 days, (2) 1 to 3 months, and (3) 9 to 12 months after wound closure. Secondary outcomes were pain (as noted on visual analogue scale) and time to complete the procedure (as mean number of minutes). The 11 studies scored from 1 to 3 on the Jadad Scale. Adequate allocation concealment was reported in only 1 group. Examining cosmetic outcome, 8 groups (565 lacerations) used the Cosmetic Visual Analogue Scale to compare tissue adhesives and SWC. The authors reported no significant differences in scores at the time periods of 5 to 14 days, 1 to 3 months, and 9 to 12 months. A subgroup analysis showed a significant ( P = .005) superiority of butylcyanoacrylate over SWC at 1 to 3 months. Using the Wound Evaluation Score, 4 studies (364 lacerations) compared tissue adhesives with SWC. No significant differences in cosmetic scores were found at 5 to 14 days, 1 to 3 months, or 9 to 12 months. One group (83 lacerations) compared butylcyanoacrylate with octylcyanoacrylate and reported no significant differences in cosmetic scores using the Cosmetic Visual Analogue Scale at 1 to 3 months and the Wound Evaluation Score at 5 to 14 days and 1 to 3 months. Examining secondary outcomes, 6 groups (570 lacerations) compared tissue adhesives with SWC using the visual analogue scale for pain. Scores reported by parents, patients, physicians, and nurses
3D Stereoscopic Visualization of Fenestrated Stent Grafts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Zhonghua; Squelch, Andrew; Bartlett, Andrew; Cunningham, Kylie; Lawrence-Brown, Michael

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to present a technique of stereoscopic visualization in the evaluation of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm treated with fenestrated stent grafts compared with conventional 2D visualizations. Two patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm undergoing fenestrated stent grafting were selected for inclusion in the study. Conventional 2D views including axial, multiplanar reformation, maximum-intensity projection, and volume rendering and 3D stereoscopic visualizations were assessed by two experienced reviewers independently with regard to the treatment outcomes of fenestrated repair. Interobserver agreement was assessed with Kendall's W statistic. Multiplanar reformation and maximum-intensity projection visualizations were scored the highest in the evaluation of parameters related to the fenestrated stent grafting, while 3D stereoscopic visualization was scored as valuable in the evaluation of appearance (any distortions) of the fenestrated stent. Volume rendering was found to play a limited role in the follow-up of fenestrated stent grafting. 3D stereoscopic visualization adds additional information that assists endovascular specialists to identify any distortions of the fenestrated stents when compared with 2D visualizations.
Breaking the excitation-inhibition balance makes the cortical network’s space-time dynamics distinguish simple visual scenes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roland, Per E.; Bonde, Lars H.; Forsberg, Lars E.

2017-01-01

Brain dynamics are often taken to be temporal dynamics of spiking and membrane potentials in a balanced network. Almost all evidence for a balanced network comes from recordings of cell bodies of few single neurons, neglecting more than 99% of the cortical network. We examined the space......-time dynamics of excitation and inhibition simultaneously in dendrites and axons over four visual areas of ferrets exposed to visual scenes with stationary and moving objects. The visual stimuli broke the tight balance between excitation and inhibition such that the network exhibited longer episodes of net...... excitation subsequently balanced by net inhibition, in contrast to a balanced network. Locally in all four areas the amount of net inhibition matched the amount of net excitation with a delay of 125 ms. The space-time dynamics of excitation-inhibition evolved to reduce the complexity of neuron interactions...
Crowded visual search in children with normal vision and children with visual impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Huurneman, Bianca; Cox, Ralf F A; Vlaskamp, Björn N S; Boonstra, F Nienke

2014-03-01

This study investigates the influence of oculomotor control, crowding, and attentional factors on visual search in children with normal vision ([NV], n=11), children with visual impairment without nystagmus ([VI-nys], n=11), and children with VI with accompanying nystagmus ([VI+nys], n=26). Exclusion criteria for children with VI were: multiple impairments and visual acuity poorer than 20/400 or better than 20/50. Three search conditions were presented: a row with homogeneous distractors, a matrix with homogeneous distractors, and a matrix with heterogeneous distractors. Element spacing was manipulated in 5 steps from 2 to 32 minutes of arc. Symbols were sized 2 times the threshold acuity to guarantee visibility for the VI groups. During simple row and matrix search with homogeneous distractors children in the VI+nys group were less accurate than children with NV at smaller spacings. Group differences were even more pronounced during matrix search with heterogeneous distractors. Search times were longer in children with VI compared to children with NV. The more extended impairments during serial search reveal greater dependence on oculomotor control during serial compared to parallel search. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Covariance Evaluation Methodology for Neutron Cross Sections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herman,M.; Arcilla, R.; Mattoon, C.M.; Mughabghab, S.F.; Oblozinsky, P.; Pigni, M.; Pritychenko, b.; Songzoni, A.A.

2008-09-01

We present the NNDC-BNL methodology for estimating neutron cross section covariances in thermal, resolved resonance, unresolved resonance and fast neutron regions. The three key elements of the methodology are Atlas of Neutron Resonances, nuclear reaction code EMPIRE, and the Bayesian code implementing Kalman filter concept. The covariance data processing, visualization and distribution capabilities are integral components of the NNDC methodology. We illustrate its application on examples including relatively detailed evaluation of covariances for two individual nuclei and massive production of simple covariance estimates for 307 materials. Certain peculiarities regarding evaluation of covariances for resolved resonances and the consistency between resonance parameter uncertainties and thermal cross section uncertainties are also discussed.
Visual attention capacity: a review of TVA-based patient studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Habekost, Thomas; Starrfelt, Randi

2009-02-01

Psychophysical studies have identified two distinct limitations of visual attention capacity: processing speed and apprehension span. Using a simple test, these cognitive factors can be analyzed by Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention (TVA). The method has strong specificity and sensitivity, and measurements are highly reliable. As the method is theoretically founded, it also has high validity. TVA-based assessment has recently been used to investigate a broad range of neuropsychological and neurological conditions. We present the method, including the experimental paradigm and practical guidelines to patient testing, and review existing TVA-based patient studies organized by lesion anatomy. Lesions in three anatomical regions affect visual capacity: The parietal lobes, frontal cortex and basal ganglia, and extrastriate cortex. Visual capacity thus depends on large, bilaterally distributed anatomical networks that include several regions outside the visual system. The two visual capacity parameters are functionally separable, but seem to rely on largely overlapping brain areas.
Interactive 3D visualization for theoretical virtual observatories

Science.gov (United States)

Dykes, T.; Hassan, A.; Gheller, C.; Croton, D.; Krokos, M.

2018-06-01

Virtual observatories (VOs) are online hubs of scientific knowledge. They encompass a collection of platforms dedicated to the storage and dissemination of astronomical data, from simple data archives to e-research platforms offering advanced tools for data exploration and analysis. Whilst the more mature platforms within VOs primarily serve the observational community, there are also services fulfilling a similar role for theoretical data. Scientific visualization can be an effective tool for analysis and exploration of data sets made accessible through web platforms for theoretical data, which often contain spatial dimensions and properties inherently suitable for visualization via e.g. mock imaging in 2D or volume rendering in 3D. We analyse the current state of 3D visualization for big theoretical astronomical data sets through scientific web portals and virtual observatory services. We discuss some of the challenges for interactive 3D visualization and how it can augment the workflow of users in a virtual observatory context. Finally we showcase a lightweight client-server visualization tool for particle-based data sets, allowing quantitative visualization via data filtering, highlighting two example use cases within the Theoretical Astrophysical Observatory.
Interactive 3D Visualization for Theoretical Virtual Observatories

Science.gov (United States)

Dykes, Tim; Hassan, A.; Gheller, C.; Croton, D.; Krokos, M.

2018-04-01

Virtual Observatories (VOs) are online hubs of scientific knowledge. They encompass a collection of platforms dedicated to the storage and dissemination of astronomical data, from simple data archives to e-research platforms offering advanced tools for data exploration and analysis. Whilst the more mature platforms within VOs primarily serve the observational community, there are also services fulfilling a similar role for theoretical data. Scientific visualization can be an effective tool for analysis and exploration of datasets made accessible through web platforms for theoretical data, which often contain spatial dimensions and properties inherently suitable for visualization via e.g. mock imaging in 2d or volume rendering in 3d. We analyze the current state of 3d visualization for big theoretical astronomical datasets through scientific web portals and virtual observatory services. We discuss some of the challenges for interactive 3d visualization and how it can augment the workflow of users in a virtual observatory context. Finally we showcase a lightweight client-server visualization tool for particle-based datasets allowing quantitative visualization via data filtering, highlighting two example use cases within the Theoretical Astrophysical Observatory.
Simple Rules, Not So Simple: The Use of International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Terminology and Simple Rules in Inexperienced Hands in a Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Meys, Evelyne; Rutten, Iris; Kruitwagen, Roy; Slangen, Brigitte; Lambrechts, Sandrina; Mertens, Helen; Nolting, Ernst; Boskamp, Dieuwke; Van Gorp, Toon

2017-12-01

To analyze how well untrained examiners - without experience in the use of International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology or simple ultrasound-based rules (simple rules) - are able to apply IOTA terminology and simple rules and to assess the level of agreement between non-experts and an expert. This prospective multicenter cohort study enrolled women with ovarian masses. Ultrasound was performed by non-expert examiners and an expert. Ultrasound features were recorded using IOTA nomenclature, and used for classifying the mass by simple rules. Interobserver agreement was evaluated with Fleiss' kappa and percentage agreement between observers. 50 consecutive women were included. We observed 46 discrepancies in the description of ovarian masses when non-experts utilized IOTA terminology. Tumor type was misclassified often (n = 22), resulting in poor interobserver agreement between the non-experts and the expert (kappa = 0.39, 95 %-CI 0.244 - 0.529, percentage of agreement = 52.0 %). Misinterpretation of simple rules by non-experts was observed 57 times, resulting in an erroneous diagnosis in 15 patients (30 %). The agreement for classifying the mass as benign, malignant or inconclusive by simple rules was only moderate between the non-experts and the expert (kappa = 0.50, 95 %-CI 0.300 - 0.704, percentage of agreement = 70.0 %). The level of agreement for all 10 simple rules features varied greatly (kappa index range: -0.08 - 0.74, percentage of agreement 66 - 94 %). Although simple rules are useful to distinguish benign from malignant adnexal masses, they are not that simple for untrained examiners. Training with both IOTA terminology and simple rules is necessary before simple rules can be introduced into guidelines and daily clinical practice. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.
Understanding the Influence from Web-shop Design on Consumers’ Visual Attention and Product Evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clement, Jesper; Kokkoli, Maria

Buying behaviour theory goes back to the start of the 50’s and over the years different models have been developed influenced by different sociological views and trends. In the age of digitalization and e-commerce these theories seem to be less useful and need revision. In the early days of the Web...... of the product package together with pictures of the pills are used as eye-catcher on-line. The market for e-health is increasing (Usher and Skinner, 2010) and distribution of consumers purchasing on-line health products looks similar to the distribution in average populations. As the on-line drug store goes...... across culture and national borders it also challenges marketer to make the right set-up for a web-shop. In this paper customers’ visual attention during search for drugs on-line is investigated, relating visual attention and evaluation to a particular web-design....
The effect of visual training for patients with visual field defects due to brain damage : a systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouwmeester, Lies; Heutink, Joost; Lucas, Cees

The objective of this review was to evaluate whether systematic visual training leads to ( 1) a restitution of the visual field ( restoration), ( 2) an increase in the visual search field size or an improvement in scanning strategies (compensation) and ( 3) a transfer of training-related
Método de avaliação visual da qualidade da estrutura aplicado a Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico sob diferentes sistemas de uso e manejo Visual assessment soil quality structure methodology applied to Oxisol under different soil use and management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neyde Fabíola Balarezo Giarola

2009-11-01

Full Text Available O aumento da demanda pela avaliação da qualidade da estrutura do solo para o adequado crescimento de plantas tem motivado pesquisadores a desenvolverem técnicas visuais de avaliação, a campo, simples e confiáveis para esse fim. No Brasil, um número reduzido de estudos foi realizado empregando métodos visuais de diagnóstico do estado estrutural de solos no campo. Esse trabalho testou a hipótese de que o método de Avaliação Visual da Qualidade da Estrutura do Solo desenvolvido por BALL et al. (2007 para solos de clima temperado pode ser aplicado na identificação de campo da qualidade estrutural de um Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico sob diferentes sistemas de uso e manejo. Para isso, foram avaliadas amostras indeformadas coletadas de mata preservada (M, sistema de integração lavoura-pecuária (ILP e sistema plantio direto (SPD. A avaliação da estrutura apoiou-se na aparência, na resistência e nas características das unidades estruturais de blocos de solo e foi definida por cinco escores visuais de classificação de qualidade. O método empregado permitiu distinguir a qualidade do solo de diferentes sistemas de uso e manejo a partir da avaliação da estrutura da camada estudada.The increasing demand for assessing soil structure for crop growth has motivated researchers to develop simple and reliable visual indicators to assess soil structure at the field. There are a few records in Brazil indicating the use of visual techniques for assessing soil physical quality. This paper tested the hypothesis that the Visual Soil Structure Quality Assessment methodology developed by BALL et al. (2007 is reliable for identifying the structural quality of tropical and subtropical soils under different soil management systems. Therefore, the overall objective of this paper was to visually identify the structural quality of an Oxisol under forest, crop-livestock rotation and no-till system. The structure evaluation was based on appearance
A simple gamma spectrometry method for evaluating the burnup of MTR-type HEU fuel elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makmal, T. [The Unit of Nuclear Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of The Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105 (Israel); Nuclear Physics and Engineering Division, Soreq Nuclear Research Center, Yavne 81800 (Israel); Aviv, O. [Radiation Safety Division, Soreq Nuclear Research Center, Yavne 81800 (Israel); Gilad, E., E-mail: gilade@bgu.ac.il [The Unit of Nuclear Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of The Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105 (Israel)

2016-10-21

A simple method for the evaluation of the burnup of a materials testing reactor (MTR) fuel element by gamma spectrometry is presented. The method was applied to a highly enriched uranium MTR nuclear fuel element that was irradiated in a 5 MW pool-type research reactor for a total period of 34 years. The experimental approach is based on in-situ measurements of the MTR fuel element in the reactor pool by a portable high-purity germanium detector located in a gamma cell. To corroborate the method, analytical calculations (based on the irradiation history of the fuel element) and computer simulations using a dedicated fuel cycle burnup code ORIGEN2 were performed. The burnup of the MTR fuel element was found to be 52.4±8.8%, which is in good agreement with the analytical calculations and the computer simulations. The method presented here is suitable for research reactors with either a regular or an irregular irradiation regime and for reactors with limited infrastructure and/or resources. In addition, its simplicity and the enhanced safety it confers may render this method suitable for IAEA inspectors in fuel element burnup assessments during on-site inspections. - Highlights: • Simple, inexpensive, safe and flexible experimental setup that can be quickly deployed. • Experimental results are thoroughly corroborated against ORIGEN2 burnup code. • Experimental uncertainty of 9% and 5% deviation between measurements and simulations. • Very high burnup MTR fuel element is examined, with 60% depletion of {sup 235}U. • Impact of highly irregular irradiation regime on burnup evaluation is studied.
Translating the Verbal to the Visual

Science.gov (United States)

Engbers, Susanna Kelly

2012-01-01

Communication has always been at least partly a visual experience--insofar as the speaker's appearance on a stage or the text's appearance on the page. Certainly, however, the experience is becoming more and more visual. Thus, equipping students with the tools necessary to analyze and evaluate the visual rhetoric that surrounds everyone is a task…

Novel surgical performance evaluation approximates Standardized Incidence Ratio with high accuracy at simple means.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabbay, Itay E; Gabbay, Uri

2013-01-01

Excess adverse events may be attributable to poor surgical performance but also to case-mix, which is controlled through the Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR). SIR calculations can be complicated, resource consuming, and unfeasible in some settings. This article suggests a novel method for SIR approximation. In order to evaluate a potential SIR surrogate measure we predefined acceptance criteria. We developed a new measure - Approximate Risk Index (ARI). "Number Needed for Event" (NNE) is the theoretical number of patients needed "to produce" one adverse event. ARI is defined as the quotient of the group of patients needed for no observed events Ge by total patients treated Ga. Our evaluation compared 2500 surgical units and over 3 million heterogeneous risk surgical patients that were induced through a computerized simulation. Surgical unit's data were computed for SIR and ARI to evaluate compliance with the predefined criteria. Approximation was evaluated by correlation analysis and performance prediction capability by Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis. ARI strongly correlates with SIR (r(2) = 0.87, p 0.9) 87% sensitivity and 91% specificity. ARI provides good approximation of SIR and excellent prediction capability. ARI is simple and cost-effective as it requires thorough risk evaluation of only the adverse events patients. ARI can provide a crucial screening and performance evaluation quality control tool. The ARI method may suit other clinical and epidemiological settings where relatively small fraction of the entire population is affected. Copyright © 2013 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Visual acuity and visual field impairment in Usher syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, A; Fishman, G A; Anderson, R J; Grover, S; Derlacki, D J

1998-02-01

To determine the extent of visual acuity and visual field impairment in patients with types 1 and 2 Usher syndrome. The records of 53 patients with type 1 and 120 patients with type 2 Usher syndrome were reviewed for visual acuity and visual field area at their most recent visit. Visual field areas were determined by planimetry of the II4e and V4e isopters obtained with a Goldmann perimeter. Both ordinary and logistic regression models were used to evaluate differences in visual acuity and visual field impairment between patients with type 1 and type 2 Usher syndrome. The difference in visual acuity of the better eye between patients with type 1 and type 2 varied by patient age (P=.01, based on a multiple regression model). The maximum difference in visual acuity between the 2 groups occurred during the third and fourth decades of life (with the type 1 patients being more impaired), while more similar acuities were seen in both younger and older patients. Fifty-one percent (n=27) of the type 1 patients had a visual acuity of 20/40 or better in at least 1 eye compared with 72% (n=87) of the type 2 patients (age-adjusted odds ratio, 3.9). Visual field area to both the II4e (P=.001) and V4e (Ptype 1 patients than type 2 patients. A concentric central visual field greater than 20 degrees in at least 1 eye was present in 20 (59%) of the available 34 visual fields of type 1 patients compared with 70 (67%) of the available 104 visual fields of type 2 patients (age-adjusted odds ratio, 2.9) with the V4e target and in 6 (21%) of the available 29 visual fields of type 1 patients compared with 36 (38%) of the available 94 visual fields of type 2 patients (age-adjusted odds ratio, 4.9) with the II4e target. The fraction of patients who had a visual acuity of 20/40 or better and a concentric central visual field greater than 20 degrees to the II4e target in at least 1 eye was 17% (n=5) in the type 1 patients and 35% (n=33) in the type 2 patients (age-adjusted odds ratio, 3
Similarity, Not Complexity, Determines Visual Working Memory Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Margaret C.; Linden, David E. J.; Roberts, Mark V.; Kriegeskorte, Nikolaus; Haenschel, Corinna

2015-01-01

A number of studies have shown that visual working memory (WM) is poorer for complex versus simple items, traditionally accounted for by higher information load placing greater demands on encoding and storage capacity limits. Other research suggests that it may not be complexity that determines WM performance per se, but rather increased…
The effect of visual training for patients with visual field defects due to brain damage: a systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouwmeester, Lies; Heutink, Joost; Lucas, Cees

2007-01-01

The objective of this review was to evaluate whether systematic visual training leads to (1) a restitution of the visual field (restoration), (2) an increase in the visual search field size or an improvement in scanning strategies (compensation) and (3) a transfer of training-related improvements in
Decisive Visual Saliency and Consumers' In-store Decisions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clement, Jesper; Aastrup, Jesper; Forsberg, Signe Charlotte

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on consumers' in-store visual tactics and decision-making. It has been argued that many consumers shop by routine or by simple rules and justification techniques when they purchase daily commodities. It has also been argued that they make a majority of decisions in the shop......, and that they are affected by the visual stimuli in the store. The objective for this paper is to investigate the visual saliency from two factors: 1) in-store signage and 2) placement of products. This is done by a triangulation method where we utilize data from an eye-track study and sales data from grocery stores....... The first study takes place in laboratory settings with a simulated purchase situation, and the second research design builds on manipulated in-store settings and data from real purchases. We found optimal placement of two comparable goods (branded good and private label) to increase visual attention...
Image based Monument Recognition using Graph based Visual Saliency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kalliatakis, Grigorios; Triantafyllidis, Georgios

2013-01-01

This article presents an image-based application aiming at simple image classification of well-known monuments in the area of Heraklion, Crete, Greece. This classification takes place by utilizing Graph Based Visual Saliency (GBVS) and employing Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) or Speeded......, the images have been previously processed according to the Graph Based Visual Saliency model in order to keep either SIFT or SURF features corresponding to the actual monuments while the background “noise” is minimized. The application is then able to classify these images, helping the user to better...
Eye tracking for visual marketing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wedel, M.; Pieters, R.

2008-01-01

We provide the theory of visual attention and eye-movements that serves as a basis for evaluating eye-tracking research and for discussing salient and emerging issues in visual marketing. Motivated from its rising importance in marketing practice and its potential for theoretical contribution, we
Storage of features, conjunctions and objects in visual working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, E K; Woodman, G F; Luck, S J

2001-02-01

Working memory can be divided into separate subsystems for verbal and visual information. Although the verbal system has been well characterized, the storage capacity of visual working memory has not yet been established for simple features or for conjunctions of features. The authors demonstrate that it is possible to retain information about only 3-4 colors or orientations in visual working memory at one time. Observers are also able to retain both the color and the orientation of 3-4 objects, indicating that visual working memory stores integrated objects rather than individual features. Indeed, objects defined by a conjunction of four features can be retained in working memory just as well as single-feature objects, allowing many individual features to be retained when distributed across a small number of objects. Thus, the capacity of visual working memory must be understood in terms of integrated objects rather than individual features.
Perceived visual informativeness (PVI): construct and scale development to assess visual information in printed materials.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Andy J; Jensen, Jakob D; Davis, LaShara A; Carcioppolo, Nick

2014-01-01

There is a paucity of research on the visual images used in health communication messages and campaign materials. Even though many studies suggest further investigation of these visual messages and their features, few studies provide specific constructs or assessment tools for evaluating the characteristics of visual messages in health communication contexts. The authors conducted 2 studies to validate a measure of perceived visual informativeness (PVI), a message construct assessing visual messages presenting statistical or indexical information. In Study 1, a 7-item scale was created that demonstrated good internal reliability (α = .91), as well as convergent and divergent validity with related message constructs such as perceived message quality, perceived informativeness, and perceived attractiveness. PVI also converged with a preference for visual learning but was unrelated to a person's actual vision ability. In addition, PVI exhibited concurrent validity with a number of important constructs including perceived message effectiveness, decisional satisfaction, and three key public health theory behavior predictors: perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy. Study 2 provided more evidence that PVI is an internally reliable measure and demonstrates that PVI is a modifiable message feature that can be tested in future experimental work. PVI provides an initial step to assist in the evaluation and testing of visual messages in campaign and intervention materials promoting informed decision making and behavior change.
Perception, Cognition, and Effectiveness of Visualizations with Applications in Science and Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Borkin, Michelle A.

Visualization is a powerful tool for data exploration and analysis. With data ever-increasing in quantity and becoming integrated into our daily lives, having effective visualizations is necessary. But how does one design an effective visualization? To answer this question we need to understand how humans perceive, process, and understand visualizations. Through visualization evaluation studies we can gain deeper insight into the basic perception and cognition theory of visualizations, both through domain-specific case studies as well as generalized laboratory experiments. This dissertation presents the results of four evaluation studies, each of which contributes new knowledge to the theory of perception and cognition of visualizations. The results of these studies include a deeper clearer understanding of how color, data representation dimensionality, spatial layout, and visual complexity affect a visualization's effectiveness, as well as how visualization types and visual attributes affect the memorability of a visualization. We first present the results of two domain-specific case study evaluations. The first study is in the field of biomedicine in which we developed a new heart disease diagnostic tool, and conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of 2D versus 3D data representations as well as color maps. In the second study, we developed a new visualization tool for filesystem provenance data with applications in computer science and the sciences more broadly. We additionally developed a new time-based hierarchical node grouping method. We then conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the new tool with its radial layout versus the conventional node-link diagram, and the new node grouping method. Finally, we discuss the results of two generalized studies designed to understand what makes a visualization memorable. In the first evaluation we focused on visualization memorability and conducted an online study using Amazon's Mechanical Turk with
Variação da acuidade visual em pacientes jovens com ectopia lentis submetidos à cirurgia Variation of visual acuity in young patients with ectopia lentis submitted to surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauro Waiswol

2005-08-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVOS:Avaliar os resultados quanto à acuidade visual, de dois procedimentos cirúrgicos para a ectopia lentis. MÉTODOS: Foram operados 51 olhos de 28 pacientes (16 do sexo masculino e 12 do feminino, com média de idade de 16,00±8,5 anos com ectopia lentis simples (19 casos, ou associada à síndrome de Marfan (nove casos, com diferentes graus de subluxação cristaliniana. Em 21 casos a técnica empregada foi a facectomia com implante de lente intra-ocular (LIO por fixação escleral e em 30 casos foi utilizada a facectomia com implante da lente intra-ocular no saco capsular, previamente expandido por anel endocapsular (ANEL. Os resultados enfatizaram a acuidade visual pré e pós-operatória em seguimento de seis meses. RESULTADOS:Em ambas as técnicas, a acuidade visual pós-operatória sem e com correção teve aumento significante, que foi maior nos casos operados com fixação escleral da lente intra-ocular. Mais do que a técnica empregada, os graus de subluxação pré-operatórios foram determinantes para os resultados. CONCLUSÕES: Mediante as técnicas operatórias apresentadas, a correção cirúrgica da ectopia lentis simples ou associada à síndrome de Marfan é segura e eficaz, com recuperação significante da acuidade visual, embora os resultados operatórios dependam, intrinsecamente, dos graus pré-operatórios de subluxação do cristalino.PURPOSE: To assess the results as to visual acuity of two different surgical procedures for ectopia lentis. METHODS: Fifty-one eyes of 28 patients (16 males and 12 females, mean age 16.00± 8.5 with simple (19 cases or Marfan syndrome-associated (9 cases ectopia lentis with different levels of subluxation underwent lens extraction with implantation of intraocular lenses (IOL with scleral fixation (21 cases or by lens extraction with implantation of the intraocular lenses in the capsular bag expanded by endocapsular ring (RING (30 cases. Result analysis emphasized pre- and
Adaptive semantics visualization

CERN Document Server

Nazemi, Kawa

2016-01-01

This book introduces a novel approach for intelligent visualizations that adapts the different visual variables and data processing to human’s behavior and given tasks. Thereby a number of new algorithms and methods are introduced to satisfy the human need of information and knowledge and enable a usable and attractive way of information acquisition. Each method and algorithm is illustrated in a replicable way to enable the reproduction of the entire “SemaVis” system or parts of it. The introduced evaluation is scientifically well-designed and performed with more than enough participants to validate the benefits of the methods. Beside the introduced new approaches and algorithms, readers may find a sophisticated literature review in Information Visualization and Visual Analytics, Semantics and information extraction, and intelligent and adaptive systems. This book is based on an awarded and distinguished doctoral thesis in computer science.
Advances and limitations of visual conditioning protocols in harnessed bees.

Science.gov (United States)

Avarguès-Weber, Aurore; Mota, Theo

2016-10-01

Bees are excellent invertebrate models for studying visual learning and memory mechanisms, because of their sophisticated visual system and impressive cognitive capacities associated with a relatively simple brain. Visual learning in free-flying bees has been traditionally studied using an operant conditioning paradigm. This well-established protocol, however, can hardly be combined with invasive procedures for studying the neurobiological basis of visual learning. Different efforts have been made to develop protocols in which harnessed honey bees could associate visual cues with reinforcement, though learning performances remain poorer than those obtained with free-flying animals. Especially in the last decade, the intention of improving visual learning performances of harnessed bees led many authors to adopt distinct visual conditioning protocols, altering parameters like harnessing method, nature and duration of visual stimulation, number of trials, inter-trial intervals, among others. As a result, the literature provides data hardly comparable and sometimes contradictory. In the present review, we provide an extensive analysis of the literature available on visual conditioning of harnessed bees, with special emphasis on the comparison of diverse conditioning parameters adopted by different authors. Together with this comparative overview, we discuss how these diverse conditioning parameters could modulate visual learning performances of harnessed bees. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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…
Evaluating spatial- and temporal-oriented multi-dimensional visualization techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chong Ho Yu

2003-07-01

Full Text Available Visualization tools are said to be helpful for researchers to unveil hidden patterns and..relationships among variables, and also for teachers to present abstract statistical concepts and..complicated data structures in a concrete manner. However, higher-dimension visualization..techniques can be confusing and even misleading, especially when human-instrument interface..and cognitive issues are under-applied. In this article, the efficacy of function-based, datadriven,..spatial-oriented, and temporal-oriented visualization techniques are discussed based..upon extensive review. Readers can find practical implications for both research and..instructional practices. For research purposes, the spatial-based graphs, such as Trellis displays..in S-Plus, are preferable over the temporal-based displays, such as the 3D animated plot in..SAS/Insight. For teaching purposes, the temporal-based displays, such as the 3D animation plot..in Maple, seem to have advantages over the spatial-based graphs, such as the 3D triangular..coordinate plot in SyStat.
Visual cortex in dementia with Lewy bodies: magnetic resonance imaging study

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, John-Paul; Firbank, Michael J.; He, Jiabao; Barnett, Nicola; Pearce, Sarah; Livingstone, Anthea; Vuong, Quoc; McKeith, Ian G.; O’Brien, John T.

2012-01-01

Background Visual hallucinations and visuoperceptual deficits are common in dementia with Lewy bodies, suggesting that cortical visual function may be abnormal. Aims To investigate: (1) cortical visual function using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); and (2) the nature and severity of perfusion deficits in visual areas using arterial spin labelling (ASL)-MRI. Method In total, 17 participants with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB group) and 19 similarly aged controls were presented with simple visual stimuli (checkerboard, moving dots, and objects) during fMRI and subsequently underwent ASL-MRI (DLB group n = 15, control group n = 19). Results Functional activations were evident in visual areas in both the DLB and control groups in response to checkerboard and objects stimuli but reduced visual area V5/MT (middle temporal) activation occurred in the DLB group in response to motion stimuli. Posterior cortical perfusion deficits occurred in the DLB group, particularly in higher visual areas. Conclusions Higher visual areas, particularly occipito-parietal, appear abnormal in dementia with Lewy bodies, while there is a preservation of function in lower visual areas (V1 and V2/3). PMID:22500014
Visual interface for space and terrestrial analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dombrowski, Edmund G.; Williams, Jason R.; George, Arthur A.; Heckathorn, Harry M.; Snyder, William A.

1995-01-01

The management of large geophysical and celestial data bases is now, more than ever, the most critical path to timely data analysis. With today's large volume data sets from multiple satellite missions, analysts face the task of defining useful data bases from which data and metadata (information about data) can be extracted readily in a meaningful way. Visualization, following an object-oriented design, is a fundamental method of organizing and handling data. Humans, by nature, easily accept pictorial representations of data. Therefore graphically oriented user interfaces are appealing, as long as they remain simple to produce and use. The Visual Interface for Space and Terrestrial Analysis (VISTA) system, currently under development at the Naval Research Laboratory's Backgrounds Data Center (BDC), has been designed with these goals in mind. Its graphical user interface (GUI) allows the user to perform queries, visualization, and analysis of atmospheric and celestial backgrounds data.
The Effects of Visual Complexity for Japanese Kanji Processing with High and Low Frequencies

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Tamaoka, Katsuo; Kiyama, Sachiko

2013-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of visual complexity for kanji processing by selecting target kanji from different stroke ranges of visually simple (2-6 strokes), medium (8-12 strokes), and complex (14-20 strokes) kanji with high and low frequencies. A kanji lexical decision task in Experiment 1 and a kanji naming task in Experiment 2…
Based on matlab 3d visualization programming in the application of the uranium exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi Jianquan

2012-01-01

Combined geological theory, geophysical curve and Matlab programming three dimensional visualization applied to the production of uranium exploration. With a simple Matlab programming, numerical processing and graphical visualization of convenient features, and effective in identifying ore bodies, recourse to ore, ore body delineation of the scope of analysis has played the role of sedimentary environment. (author)
[Describe and convince: visual rhetoric of cinematography in medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Panese, Francesco

2009-01-01

The tools of visualisation occupy a central place in medicine. Far from being simple accessories of glance, they literally constitute objects of medicine. Such empirical acknowledgement and epistemological position open a vast field of investigation: visual technologies of medical knowledge. This article studies the development and transformation of medical objects which have permitted to assess the role of temporality in the epistemology of medicine. It firstly examines the general problem of the relationships between cinema, animated image and medicine and secondly, the contribution of the German doctor Martin Weiser to medical cinematography as a method. Finally, a typology is sketched out organising the variety of the visual technology of movement under the perspective of the development of specific visual techniques in medicine.

Evaluation of Visual Alerts in the Maritime Domain

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Roberts, Shelley; Foster-Hunt, Tara

2008-01-01

.... As the auditory modality is overloaded in the current alerting system, one method of potentially reducing perceptual overload is to replace auditory alerts with alerts presented in the visual domain...
EVALUATION OF POSTOPERATIVE VISUAL OUTCOME IN TRAUMATIC CATARACT AND A STUDY OF POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS IN SUCH CASES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shantanu Bhattacharjee

2017-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Cataract formation is commonly observed as a result of blunt or penetrating ocular injury and constitutes one of major causes of acute or longstanding visual loss. The surgical technique, timing of surgery and postoperative complications have all been considered to be significant factors in determining the final visual outcome. The aim of the present study is to evaluate postoperative visual outcome in a series of patients with traumatic cataract and to assess the postoperative complications conducted at IQ City Medical College, Durgapur, West Bengal. MATERIALS AND METHODS A consecutive series of 45 patients with traumatic cataract were carefully selected from outpatient department between May 2015 and April 2017. All the patients had undergone manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS with IOL implantation. Postoperative visual outcome and postoperative complications were assessed. RESULTS Corrected Visual Acuity (VA at the end of 6th week in 45 cases ranged between 6/6 and 6/60. Subjective correction with glasses ranged from -2 dioptre spherical to +1.5 dioptre spherical. 25 cases (55.5% had VA 6/6-6/9, 15 cases (33.3% had VA of 6/12 to 6/18, 4 cases (8.9% had VA between 6/24 and 6/36 and 1 case had VA 6/60. The group which had VA between 6/12 and 6/18 was due to the presence of posterior capsular opacification. CONCLUSION The present study reveals most of the traumatic cataract cases had favourable visual outcome. Considering the fact that a good number of paediatric patients were treated in this study, it assumes more significance with the favourable visual outcome that could be achieved, thus preventing deprivation amblyopia and blindness.
A new dynamic visual acuity test to assess peripheral vestibular function.

Science.gov (United States)

Vital, Domenic; Hegemann, Stefan C A; Straumann, Dominik; Bergamin, Oliver; Bockisch, Christopher J; Angehrn, Dominik; Schmitt, Kai-Uwe; Probst, Rudolf

2010-07-01

To evaluate a novel test for dynamic visual acuity (DVA) that uses an adaptive algorithm for changing the size of Landolt rings presented during active or passive head impulses, and to compare the results with search-coil head impulse testing. Prospective study in healthy individuals and patients with peripheral vestibular deficits. Tertiary academic center. One hundred neuro-otologically healthy individuals (age range, 19-80 years) and 15 patients with bilateral (n = 5) or unilateral (n = 10) peripheral vestibular loss (age range, 27-72 years). Testing of static visual acuity (SVA), DVA during active and passive horizontal head rotations (optotype presentation at head velocities >100 degrees/s and >150 degrees/s), and quantitative horizontal head impulse testing with scleral search coils. Difference between SVA and DVA, that is, visual acuity loss (VA loss), gain of the high-acceleration vestibulo-ocular reflex. Passive head impulses and higher velocities were more effective than active impulses and lower velocities. Using passive head impulses and velocities higher than 150 degrees/s, the DVA test discriminated significantly (P test sensitivity was 100%, specificity was 94%, and accuracy was 95%, with search-coil head impulse testing used as a reference. In healthy individuals, VA loss increased significantly with age (P testing with Landolt rings that are adaptively changed in size enables detection of peripheral vestibular dysfunction in a fast and simple way.
Evaluation of a Public Child Eye Health Tertiary Facility for Pediatric Cataract in Southern Nigeria I: Visual Acuity Outcome

Science.gov (United States)

Duke, Roseline E.; Adio, Adedayo; Oparah, Sidney K.; Odey, Friday; Eyo, Okon A.

2016-01-01

Purpose: A retrospective study of the outcome of congenital and developmental cataract surgery was conducted in a public child eye health tertiary facility in children <16 years of age in Southern Nigeria, as part of an evaluation. Materials and Method: Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery with or without anterior vitrectomy was performed. The outcome measures were visual acuity (VA) and change (gain) in visual acuity. The age of the child at onset, duration of delay in presentation, ocular co-morbidity, non ocular co-morbidity, gender, and pre operative visual acuity were matched with postoperative visual acuity. A total of 66 children were studied for a period of six weeks following surgery. Results: Forty eight (72.7%) children had bilateral congenital cataracts and 18 (27.3%) children had bilateral developmental cataracts. There were 38(57.6%) males and 28 (42.4%) females in the study. Thirty Five (53%) children had good visual outcome (normal vision range 6/6/ -6/18) post-operatively. The number of children with blindness (vision <3/60) decreased from 61 (92.4%) pre-operatively to 4 (6.1%) post-operatively. Post operative complication occurred in 6.8% of cases six week after surgery. Delayed presentation had an inverse relationship with change (gain) in visual acuity (r = - 0.342; p-value = 0.005). Pre-operative visual acuity had a positive relationship with post operative change (gain) in visual acuity (r = 0.618; p-value = 0.000). Conclusion: Predictors of change in visual acuity in our study were; delayed presentation and pre-operative VA. Cataract surgery in children showed clinical benefit. PMID:27347247
Visual Inertial Navigation and Calibration

OpenAIRE

Skoglund, Martin A.

2011-01-01

Processing and interpretation of visual content is essential to many systems and applications. This requires knowledge of how the content is sensed and also what is sensed. Such knowledge is captured in models which, depending on the application, can be very advanced or simple. An application example is scene reconstruction using a camera; if a suitable model of the camera is known, then a model of the scene can be estimated from images acquired at different, unknown, locations, yet, the qual...
Learning from Balance Sheet Visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Tanlamai, Uthai; Soongswang, Oranuj

2011-01-01

This exploratory study examines alternative visuals and their effect on the level of learning of balance sheet users. Executive and regular classes of graduate students majoring in information technology in business were asked to evaluate the extent of acceptance and enhanced capability of these alternative visuals toward their learning…
Textile Visual Materials: Appropriate Technology in Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Donoghue, Beverly Emerson

An innovative educational medium--screenprinted visual aids on cloth--is one alternative to conventional media in Africa, where visual materials are important communication tools but conventional media and materials are often scarce. A production process for cloth visual aids was developed and evaluated in Ghana and Sudan through the…
Visual Descriptor Learning for Predicting Grasping Affordances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Mikkel Tang

2016-01-01

by the task of grasping unknown objects given visual sensor information. The contributions from this thesis stem from three works that all relate to the task of grasping unknown objects but with particular focus on the visual representation part of the problem. First an investigation of a visual feature space...... consisting of surface features was performed. Dimensions in the visual space were varied and the effects were evaluated with the task of grasping unknown object. The evaluation was performed using a novel probabilistic grasp prediction approach based on neighbourhood analysis. The resulting success......-rates for predicting grasps were between 75% and 90% depending on the object class. The investigations also provided insights into the importance of selecting a proper visual feature space when utilising it for predicting affordances. As a consequence of the gained insights, a semi-local surface feature, the Sliced...
End-User Development of Information Visualization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pantazos, Kostas; Lauesen, Søren; Vatrapu, Ravi

2013-01-01

such as data manipulation, but no formal training in programming. 18 visualization tools were surveyed from an enduser developer perspective. The results of this survey study show that end-user developers need better tools to create and modify custom visualizations. A closer collaboration between End......This paper investigates End-User Development of Information Visualization. More specifically, we investigated how existing visualization tools allow end-user developers to construct visualizations. End-user developers have some developing or scripting skills to perform relatively advanced tasks......-User Development and Information Visualization researchers could contribute towards the development of better tools to support custom visualizations. In addition, as empirical evaluations of these tools are lacking both research communities should focus more on this aspect. The study serves as a starting point...
Ophthalmologic abnormalities among students with cognitive impairment in eastern Taiwan: The special group with undetected visual impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsao, Wei-Shan; Hsieh, Hsi-Pao; Chuang, Yi-Ting; Sheu, Min-Muh

2017-05-01

Students with cognitive impairment are at increased risk of suffering from visual impairment due to refractive errors and ocular disease, which can adversely influence learning and daily activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ocular and visual status among students at the special education school in Hualien. All students at the National Hualien Special Education School were evaluated. Full eye examinations were conducted by a skilled ophthalmologist. The students' medical records and disability types were reviewed. A total of 241 students, aged 7-18 years, were examined. Visual acuity could be assessed in 138 students. A total of 169/477 (35.4%) eyes were found to suffer from refractive errors, including 20 eyes with high myopia (≤-6.0 D) and 16 eyes with moderate hypermetropia (+3.0 D to +5.0 D). A total of 84/241 (34.8%) students needed spectacles to correct their vision, thus improving their daily activities and learning process, but only 15/241 (6.2%) students were wearing suitable corrective spectacles. A total of 55/241 students (22.8%) had ocular disorders, which influenced their visual function. The multiple disability group had a statistically significant higher prevalence of ocular disorders (32.9%) than the simple intellectual disability group (19.6%). Students with cognitive impairment in eastern Taiwan have a high risk of visual impairment due to refractive errors and ocular disorders. Importantly, many students have unrecognized correctable refractive errors. Regular ophthalmic examination should be administered to address this issue and prevent further disability in this already handicapped group. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.
GABAA receptors in visual and auditory cortex and neural activity changes during basic visual stimulation

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Pengmin eQin

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Recent imaging studies have demonstrated that levels of resting GABA in the visual cortex predict the degree of stimulus-induced activity in the same region. These studies have used the presentation of discrete visual stimulus; the change from closed eyes to open also represents a simple visual stimulus, however, and has been shown to induce changes in local brain activity and in functional connectivity between regions. We thus aimed to investigate the role of the GABA system, specifically GABAA receptors, in the changes in brain activity between the eyes closed (EC and eyes open (EO state in order to provide detail at the receptor level to complement previous studies of GABA concentrations. We conducted an fMRI study involving two different modes of the change from EC to EO: An EO and EC block design, allowing the modelling of the haemodynamic response, followed by longer periods of EC and EO to allow the measuring of functional connectivity. The same subjects also underwent [18F]Flumazenil PET measure GABAA receptor binding potentials. It was demonstrated that the local-to-global ratio of GABAA receptor binding potential in the visual cortex predicted the degree of changes in neural activity from EC to EO. This same relationship was also shown in the auditory cortex. Furthermore, the local-to-global ratio of GABAA receptor binding potential in the visual cortex also predicts the change of functional connectivity between visual and auditory cortex from EC to EO. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of GABAA receptors in stimulus-induced neural activity in local regions and in inter-regional functional connectivity.
A simple technique for measurement of pressure in the tympanitic rumen of cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, C B; Whyte, T D

1978-05-13

The construction and method of use of a simple device for the non-invasive measurement of intra-rumenal pressure is outlined. Results obtained from calves suffering from increased intra-rumenal pressure (bloat) are shown. The method is capable of quantifying pressures involved in bloat and could be used to augment the visual assessment of bloat scoring.
The epistemic representation: visual production and communication of scientific knowledge.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco López Cantos

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Despite its great influence on the History of Science, visual representations have attracted marginal interest until very recently and have often been regarded as a simple aid for mere illustration or scientific demonstration. However, it has been shown that visualization is an integral element of reasoning and a highly effective and common heuristic strategy in the scientific community and that the study of the conditions of visual production and communication are essential in the development of scientific knowledge. In this paper we deal with the nature of the various forms of visual representation of knowledge that have been happening throughout the history of science, taking as its starting point the illustrated monumental works and three-dimensional models that begin to develop within the scientific community around the fifteenth century. The main thesis of this paper is that any scientific visual representations have common elements that allow us to approach them from epistemic nature, heuristic and communicative dimension.
A Method for Visualizing Transaction Logs of a Faceted OPAC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xi Niu

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The authors introduce a method for visualizing user transaction logs from a library catalog application. Simple visualization supporting intuitive or qualitative analysis to quickly make sense of complicated patterns can be a useful supplement or alternative to more common quantitative analysis. To this end, a visual flowchart is created illustrating an individual user session. This visualization can be used to qualitatively grasp user behavior within the application, possibly as an aid to identifying patterns or clusters of use. These flowcharts are created by automatically pre-processing apache transaction logs into an XML representation of meaningful user actions, which are then converted via JavaScript in a web browser to HTML table based flowcharts. The particular toolkit introduced is named Visualization for Understanding Transaction Logs (VUTL, and is available with an open source license. The toolkit has been prototyped with logs from the catalog applications of several academic and one public library.
Visualizing Sound Directivity via Smartphone Sensors

OpenAIRE

Hawley, Scott H.; McClain Jr, Robert E.

2017-01-01

We present a fast, simple method for automated data acquisition and visualization of sound directivity, made convenient and accessible via a smartphone app, "Polar Pattern Plotter." The app synchronizes measurements of sound volume with the phone's angular orientation obtained from either compass, gyroscope or accelerometer sensors and produces a graph and exportable data file. It is generalizable to various sound sources and receivers via the use of an input-jack-adaptor to supplant the smar...
Real-world spatial regularities affect visual working memory for objects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaiser, D.; Stein, T.; Peelen, M.V.

2015-01-01

Traditional memory research has focused on measuring and modeling the capacity of visual working memory for simple stimuli such as geometric shapes or colored disks. Although these studies have provided important insights, it is unclear how their findings apply to memory for more naturalistic
Competition Between Endogenous and Exogenous Orienting of Visual Attention

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Andrea; Henik, Avishai; Rafal, Robert

2005-01-01

The relation between reflexive and voluntary orienting of visual attention was investigated with 4 experiments: a simple detection task, a localization task, a saccade toward the target task, and a target identification task in which discrimination difficulty was manipulated. Endogenous and exogenous orienting cues were presented in each trial and…
Ink and Wash Painting for Children with Visual Impairment

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Chih-Ming; Chao, Hsin-Yi

2010-01-01

Five children with visual impairments received instruction in drawing, using ink and wash painting and calligraphy techniques. A special system developed by a blind Taiwanese Chinese calligrapher, Tsann-Cherng Liaw, was used to help the children orient and refine their work. Children's performance on simple drawing tasks was compared before and…
Comparative evaluation of rotational stability and visual outcome of toric intraocular lenses with and without a capsular tension ring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anju Rastogi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To evaluate the rotational stability of toric intraocular lens (IOL when co-implanted with a capsular tension ring (CTR as compared to that of a toric IOL without a CTR. Methods: This was a prospective randomized clinical trial performed in a tertiary care centre in India. Fifty adult human eyes with visually significant cataract and regular corneal astigmatism ≥1.5D divided into two groups of 25 eyes each, A and B by simple randomization. Eyes with corneal pathology, lens subluxation, and a specular endothelial cell count <2000/mm2 were excluded from the study. The eyes in both the groups underwent standard phacoemulsification and were implanted with a toric IOL. In Group A, a CTR was put in the bag before IOL implantation. The groups were called for follow-up on day 1, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months, postoperatively. The axis of the toric IOL on each visit was measured by slit lamp imaging in retroillumination and analyzed digitally. Results: Mean rotation of toric IOL at 3 months postoperatively was 1.85 ± 1.72° in Group A and 4.02 ± 2.04° in Group B. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.003. Conclusion: Coimplantation of a CTR is a safe and effective technique for ensuring better rotational stability of toric IOLs.
Evaluating the use of gas discharge visualization to measure massage therapy outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Haun, Jolie; Patel, Nitin; Schwartz, Gary; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl

2017-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of massage therapy using gas discharge visualization (GDV), a computerized biophysical electrophoton capture (EPC), in tandem with traditional self-report measures to evaluate the use of GDV measurement to assess the bioenergetic whole-person effects of massage therapy. Methods This study used a single treatment group, pre–post-repeated measures design with a sample of 23 healthy adults. This study utilized a single 50-min full-body relaxation massage with participants. GDV measurement method, an EPC, and traditional paper-based measures evaluating pain, stress, muscle tension, and well-being were used to assess intervention outcomes. Results Significant differences were found between pre- and post-measures of well-being, pain, stress, muscle tension, and GDV parameters. Pearson correlations indicate the GDV measure is correlated with pain and stress, variables that impact the whole person. Conclusions This study demonstrates that GDV parameters may be used to indicate significant bioenergetic change from pre- to post-massage. Findings warrant further investigation with a larger diverse sample size and control group to further explore GDV as a measure of whole-person bioenergetic effects associated with massage. PMID:26087069

Reappraising the functional implications of the primate visual anatomical hierarchy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegdé, Jay; Felleman, Daniel J

2007-10-01

The primate visual system has been shown to be organized into an anatomical hierarchy by the application of a few principled criteria. It has been widely assumed that cortical visual processing is also hierarchical, with the anatomical hierarchy providing a defined substrate for clear levels of hierarchical function. A large body of empirical evidence seemed to support this assumption, including the general observations that functional properties of visual neurons grow progressively more complex at progressively higher levels of the anatomical hierarchy. However, a growing body of evidence, including recent direct experimental comparisons of functional properties at two or more levels of the anatomical hierarchy, indicates that visual processing neither is hierarchical nor parallels the anatomical hierarchy. Recent results also indicate that some of the pathways of visual information flow are not hierarchical, so that the anatomical hierarchy cannot be taken as a strict flowchart of visual information either. Thus, while the sustaining strength of the notion of hierarchical processing may be that it is rather simple, its fatal flaw is that it is overly simplistic.
Validation of the Preverbal Visual Assessment (PreViAs) questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Ormaechea, Inés; González, Inmaculada; Duplá, María; Andres, Eva; Pueyo, Victoria

2014-10-01

Visual cognitive integrative functions need to be evaluated by a behavioral assessment, which requires an experienced evaluator. The Preverbal Visual Assessment (PreViAs) questionnaire was designed to evaluate these functions, both in general pediatric population or in children with high risk of visual cognitive problems, through primary caregivers' answers. We aimed to validate the PreViAs questionnaire by comparing caregiver reports with results from a comprehensive clinical protocol. A total of 220 infants (visual development, as determined by the clinical protocol. Their primary caregivers completed the PreViAs questionnaire, which consists of 30 questions related to one or more visual domains: visual attention, visual communication, visual-motor coordination, and visual processing. Questionnaire answers were compared with results of behavioral assessments performed by three pediatric ophthalmologists. Results of the clinical protocol classified 128 infants as having normal visual maturation, and 92 as having abnormal visual maturation. The specificity of PreViAs questionnaire was >80%, and sensitivity was 64%-79%. More than 80% of the infants were correctly classified, and test-retest reliability exceeded 0.9 for all domains. The PreViAs questionnaire is useful to detect abnormal visual maturation in infants from birth to 24months of age. It improves the anamnesis process in infants at risk of visual dysfunctions. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
Adapting models of visual aesthetics for personalized content creation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liapis, Antonios; Yannakakis, Georgios N.; Togelius, Julian

2012-01-01

This paper introduces a search-based approach to personalized content generation with respect to visual aesthetics. The approach is based on a two-step adaptation procedure where (1) the evaluation function that characterizes the content is adjusted to match the visual aesthetics of users and (2......) the content itself is optimized based on the personalized evaluation function. To test the efficacy of the approach we design fitness functions based on universal properties of visual perception, inspired by psychological and neurobiological research. Using these visual properties we generate aesthetically...... spaceships according to their visual taste: the impact of the various visual properties is adjusted based on player preferences and new content is generated online based on the updated computational model of visual aesthetics of the player. Results are presented which show the potential of the approach...
IViPP: A Tool for Visualization in Particle Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Hieu; Skiba, Elizabeth; Baldwin, Doug

2011-10-01

Experiments and simulations in physics generate a lot of data; visualization is helpful to prepare that data for analysis. IViPP (Interactive Visualizations in Particle Physics) is an interactive computer program that visualizes results of particle physics simulations or experiments. IViPP can handle data from different simulators, such as SRIM or MCNP. It can display relevant geometry and measured scalar data; it can do simple selection from the visualized data. In order to be an effective visualization tool, IViPP must have a software architecture that can flexibly adapt to new data sources and display styles. It must be able to display complicated geometry and measured data with a high dynamic range. We therefore organize it in a highly modular structure, we develop libraries to describe geometry algorithmically, use rendering algorithms running on the powerful GPU to display 3-D geometry at interactive rates, and we represent scalar values in a visual form of scientific notation that shows both mantissa and exponent. This work was supported in part by the US Department of Energy through the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), with special thanks to Craig Sangster at LLE.
A framework for interactive visualization of digital medical images.

Science.gov (United States)

Koehring, Andrew; Foo, Jung Leng; Miyano, Go; Lobe, Thom; Winer, Eliot

2008-10-01

The visualization of medical images obtained from scanning techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging is a well-researched field. However, advanced tools and methods to manipulate these data for surgical planning and other tasks have not seen widespread use among medical professionals. Radiologists have begun using more advanced visualization packages on desktop computer systems, but most physicians continue to work with basic two-dimensional grayscale images or not work directly with the data at all. In addition, new display technologies that are in use in other fields have yet to be fully applied in medicine. It is our estimation that usability is the key aspect in keeping this new technology from being more widely used by the medical community at large. Therefore, we have a software and hardware framework that not only make use of advanced visualization techniques, but also feature powerful, yet simple-to-use, interfaces. A virtual reality system was created to display volume-rendered medical models in three dimensions. It was designed to run in many configurations, from a large cluster of machines powering a multiwalled display down to a single desktop computer. An augmented reality system was also created for, literally, hands-on interaction when viewing models of medical data. Last, a desktop application was designed to provide a simple visualization tool, which can be run on nearly any computer at a user's disposal. This research is directed toward improving the capabilities of medical professionals in the tasks of preoperative planning, surgical training, diagnostic assistance, and patient education.
A Simple and Reliable Health Monitoring System For Shoulder Health: Proposal

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yann-Long

2014-01-01

Background The current health care system is complex and inefficient. A simple and reliable health monitoring system that can help patients perform medical self-diagnosis is seldom readily available. Because the medical system is vast and complex, it has hampered or delayed patients in seeking medical advice or treatment in a timely manner, which may potentially affect the patient’s chances of recovery, especially those with severe sicknesses such as cancer, and heart disease. Objective The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology in designing a simple, low cost, Internet-based health-screening platform. Methods This health-screening platform will enable patients to perform medical self-diagnosis over the Internet. Historical data has shown the importance of early detection to ensure patients receive proper treatment and speedy recovery. Results The platform is designed with special emphasis on the user interface. Standard Web-based user-interface design is adopted so the user feels ease to operate in a familiar Web environment. In addition, graphics such as charts and graphs are used generously to help users visualize and understand the result of the diagnostic. The system is developed using hypertext preprocessor (PHP) programming language. One important feature of this system platform is that it is built to be a stand-alone platform, which tends to have better user privacy security. The prototype system platform was developed by the National Cheng Kung University Ergonomic and Design Laboratory. Conclusions The completed prototype of this system platform was submitted to the Taiwan Medical Institute for evaluation. The evaluation of 120 participants showed that this platform system is a highly effective tool in health-screening applications, and has great potential for improving the medical care quality for the general public. PMID:24571980
A simple and reliable health monitoring system for shoulder health: proposal.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shuo-Fang; Lee, Yann-Long

2014-02-26

The current health care system is complex and inefficient. A simple and reliable health monitoring system that can help patients perform medical self-diagnosis is seldom readily available. Because the medical system is vast and complex, it has hampered or delayed patients in seeking medical advice or treatment in a timely manner, which may potentially affect the patient's chances of recovery, especially those with severe sicknesses such as cancer, and heart disease. The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology in designing a simple, low cost, Internet-based health-screening platform. This health-screening platform will enable patients to perform medical self-diagnosis over the Internet. Historical data has shown the importance of early detection to ensure patients receive proper treatment and speedy recovery. The platform is designed with special emphasis on the user interface. Standard Web-based user-interface design is adopted so the user feels ease to operate in a familiar Web environment. In addition, graphics such as charts and graphs are used generously to help users visualize and understand the result of the diagnostic. The system is developed using hypertext preprocessor (PHP) programming language. One important feature of this system platform is that it is built to be a stand-alone platform, which tends to have better user privacy security. The prototype system platform was developed by the National Cheng Kung University Ergonomic and Design Laboratory. The completed prototype of this system platform was submitted to the Taiwan Medical Institute for evaluation. The evaluation of 120 participants showed that this platform system is a highly effective tool in health-screening applications, and has great potential for improving the medical care quality for the general public.
Visual, tangible, and touch-screen: Comparison of platforms for displaying simple graphics.

Science.gov (United States)

Gershon, Pnina; Klatzky, Roberta L; Palani, Hari; Giudice, Nicholas A

2016-01-01

Four different platforms were compared in a task of exploring an angular stimulus and reporting its value. The angle was explored visually, tangibly as raised fine-grit sandpaper, or on a touch-screen with a frictional or vibratory signal. All platforms produced highly accurate angle judgments. Differences were found, however, in exploration time, with vision fastest as expected, followed by tangible, vibration, and friction. Relative to the tangible display, touch-screens evidenced greater noise in the perceived angular value, with a particular disadvantage for friction. The latter must be interpreted in the context of a first-generation display and a rapidly advancing technology. On the whole, the results point both to promise and barriers in the use of refreshable graphical displays for blind users.
Medial temporal lobe damage impairs representation of simple stimuli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David E Warren

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Medial temporal lobe damage in humans is typically thought to produce a circumscribed impairment in the acquisition of new enduring memories, but recent reports have documented deficits even in short-term maintenance. We examined possible maintenance deficits in a population of medial temporal lobe amnesics, with the goal of characterizing their impairments as either representational drift or outright loss of representation over time. Patients and healthy comparisons performed a visual search task in which the similarity of various lures to a target was varied parametrically. Stimuli were simple shapes varying along one of several visual dimensions. The task was performed in two conditions, one presenting a sample target simultaneously with the search array and the other imposing a delay between sample and array. Eye-movement data collected during search revealed that the duration of fixations to items varied with lure-target similarity for all participants, i.e., fixations were longer for items more similar to the target. In the simultaneous condition, patients and comparisons exhibited an equivalent effect of similarity on fixation durations. However, imposing a delay modulated the effect differently for the two groups: in comparisons, fixation duration to similar items was exaggerated; in patients, the original effect was diminished. These findings indicate that medial temporal lobe lesions subtly impair short-term maintenance of even simple stimuli, with performance reflecting not the complete loss of the maintained representation but rather a degradation or progressive drift of the representation over time.
Improving visual skills: II-remote assessment via Internet.

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, Maureen K; Grisham, J David; Wurm, Janice K; Wurm, William C

2009-02-01

Even though poor readers often have poor visual skills, such as binocular coordination and oculomotor control, students' visual skills are rarely assessed. Computer assessments have the potential to assist in identifying students whose visual skills are deficient. This study compared assessments made by an Internet-based computer orthoptics program with those of an on-site vision therapist. Students (N = 41) in grades 1 through 8, reading at least 2 levels below grade, were assessed for visual skill dysfunction (including binocular fusion and tracking ability) by a vision therapist at their school in Wisconsin. The therapist determined whether the student had adequate visual skills based on clinical and behavioral observations. A "remote" investigator located in California determined the adequacy of accommodative facility, tracking, and vergence skills in the same students, based on quantitative progress through the modules of an Internet-based computer orthoptics training program during 3 assessment sessions. The on-site therapist made 33 referrals for possible visual skills training (80%). The remote investigator made 25 referrals (61%), all of which were consistent with referrals made by the on-site therapist; thus, no false-positives occurred when using the remote assessment technique. The 8 additional referrals by the therapist were attributed to the ability to observe student behavior during assessment. Remote assessment of visual skills via an Internet orthoptics program may provide a simple means to detect visual skill problems experienced by poor readers.
Visual research in clinical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Bezemer, Jeff

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to explore what might be gained from collecting and analysing visual data, such as photographs, scans, drawings, video and screen recordings, in clinical educational research. Its focus is on visual research that looks at teaching and learning 'as it naturally occurs' in the work place, in simulation centres and other sites, and also involves the collection and analysis of visual learning materials circulating in these sites. With the ubiquity of digital recording devices, video data and visual learning materials are now relatively cheap to collect. Compared to other domains of education research visual materials are not widely used in clinical education research. The paper sets out to identify and reflect on the possibilities for visual research using examples from an ethnographic study on surgical and inter-professional learning in the operating theatres of a London hospital. The paper shows how visual research enables recognition, analysis and critical evaluation of (1) the hidden curriculum, such as the meanings implied by embodied, visible actions of clinicians; (2) the ways in which clinical teachers design multimodal learning environments using a range of modes of communication available to them, combining, for instance, gesture and speech; (3) the informal assessment of clinical skills, and the intricate relation between trainee performance and supervisor feedback; (4) the potentialities and limitations of different visual learning materials, such as textbooks and videos, for representing medical knowledge. The paper concludes with theoretical and methodological reflections on what can be made visible, and therefore available for analysis, explanation and evaluation if visual materials are used for clinical education research, and what remains unaccounted for if written language remains the dominant mode in the research cycle. Opportunities for quantitative analysis and ethical implications are also discussed. © 2016 John Wiley
Visual function, driving safety, and the elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Keltner, J L; Johnson, C A

1987-09-01

The authors have conducted a survey of the Departments of Motor Vehicles in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico requesting information about the visual standards, accidents, and conviction rates for different age groups. In addition, we have reviewed the literature on visual function and traffic safety. Elderly drivers have a greater number of vision problems that affect visual acuity and/or peripheral visual fields. Although the elderly are responsible for a small percentage of the total number of traffic accidents, the types of accidents they are involved in (e.g., failure to yield the right-of-way, intersection collisions, left turns onto crossing streets) may be related to peripheral and central visual field problems. Because age-related changes in performance occur at different rates for various individuals, licensing of the elderly driver should be based on functional abilities rather than age. Based on information currently available, we can make the following recommendations: (1) periodic evaluations of visual acuity and visual fields should be performed every 1 to 2 years in the population over age 65; (2) drivers of any age with multiple accidents or moving violations should have visual acuity and visual fields evaluated; and (3) a system should be developed for physicians to report patients with potentially unsafe visual function. The authors believe that these recommendations may help to reduce the number of traffic accidents that result from peripheral visual field deficits.
Evaluation of a simple Theileria annulata culture protocol from experimentally infected bovine whole blood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gharbi M.

2012-08-01

Full Text Available We have evaluated a new simple technique using whole blood from experimentally infected cattle for the isolation and cultivation of Theileria annulata. The study was carried out on 20 Holstein-Frisian bovines that had been experimentally infected with a virulent lethal dose of Theileria annulata. This technique has been compared to the classical peripheral blood monocyte isolation with Ficoll carried out on 22 experimentally infected Holstein-Friesian calves. The effectiveness of the reference technique was estimated to 86.4%, whilst the effectiveness of the new technique was 100%. Moreover, this new technique leads to time and money saving estimated to € 3.06 per sample. It decreases the contamination risks by reducing the steps of sample manipulation.
The Cost-effectiveness of Welcome to Medicare Visual Acuity Screening and a Possible Alternative Welcome to Medicare Eye Evaluation Among Persons Without Diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus

Science.gov (United States)

Rein, David B.; Wittenborn, John S.; Zhang, Xinzhi; Hoerger, Thomas J.; Zhang, Ping; Klein, Barbara Eden Kobrin; Lee, Kris E.; Klein, Ronald; Saaddine, Jinan B.

2013-01-01

Objective To estimate the cost-effectiveness of visual acuity screening performed in primary care settings and of dilated eye evaluations performed by an eye care professional among new Medicare enrollees with no diagnosed eye disorders. Medicare currently reimburses visual acuity screening for new enrollees during their initial preventive primary care health check, but dilated eye evaluations may be a more cost-effective policy. Design Monte Carlo cost-effectiveness simulation model with a total of 50 000 simulated patients with demographic characteristics matched to persons 65 years of age in the US population. Results Compared with no screening policy, dilated eye evaluations increased quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) by 0.008 (95% credible interval [CrI], 0.005–0.011) and increased costs by $94 (95% CrI, −$35 to $222). A visual acuity screening increased QALYs in less than 95% of the simulations (0.001 [95% CrI, −0.002 to 0.004) and increased total costs by $32 (95% CrI, −$97 to $159) per person. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of a visual acuity screening and an eye examination compared with no screening were $29 000 and $12 000 per QALY gained, respectively. At a willingness-to-pay value of $15 000 or more per QALY gained, a dilated eye evaluation was the policy option most likely to be cost-effective. Conclusions The currently recommended visual acuity screening showed limited efficacy and cost-effectiveness compared with no screening. In contrast, a new policy of reimbursement for Welcome to Medicare dilated eye evaluations was highly cost-effective. PMID:22232367
Temporal visual cues aid speech recognition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Xiang; Ross, Lars; Lehn-Schiøler, Tue

2006-01-01

of audio to generate an artificial talking-face video and measured word recognition performance on simple monosyllabic words. RESULTS: When presenting words together with the artificial video we find that word recognition is improved over purely auditory presentation. The effect is significant (p......BACKGROUND: It is well known that under noisy conditions, viewing a speaker's articulatory movement aids the recognition of spoken words. Conventionally it is thought that the visual input disambiguates otherwise confusing auditory input. HYPOTHESIS: In contrast we hypothesize...... that it is the temporal synchronicity of the visual input that aids parsing of the auditory stream. More specifically, we expected that purely temporal information, which does not convey information such as place of articulation may facility word recognition. METHODS: To test this prediction we used temporal features...
Evaluation of rotation and visual outcomes after implantation of monofocal and multifocal toric intraocular lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Garzón, Nuria; Poyales, Francisco; de Zárate, Begoña Ortíz; Ruiz-García, Jose Luis; Quiroga, Juan Antonio

2015-02-01

To evaluate rotational stability and its influence on postoperative visual acuity of different monofocal and multifocal toric intraocular lenses (IOLs). A prospective interventional study was designed. Ninety-one patients with a mean age of 71.65 ± 11.82 years were implanted with toric IOLs after phacoemulsification. Three monofocal toric IOLs (the Lentis LT [Oculentis, Berlin, Germany], enVista [Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY], and AcrySof IQ [Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX]) and one multifocal toric IOL (AcrySof IQ ReSTOR; Alcon Laboratories, Inc.) were implanted. Preoperative and postoperative images were taken to calculate the misalignment due to the marking method. To evaluate rotation in the different follow-up visits, another photograph was taken 1 hour and 1, 7 and 30 days postoperatively. Refraction, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), and corrected distance visual acuity were measured 30 days postoperatively. Postoperative UDVA was 0.1 logMAR or better in 64.6% of eyes implanted with monofocal IOLs and 46.4% of eyes implanted with multifocal IOLs. The enVista toric IOL showed the best UDVA compared to the other monofocal IOLs, with 81% of eyes with 0.1 logMAR or better. The mean misalignment in the total group studied was 0.07° ± 0.60°; 69.6% of monofocal IOLs and 67.9% of multifocal IOLs showed less than 5° of rotation. A correlation was found between postoperative UDVA and rotation in the monofocal and multifocal IOLs implanted (r = 0.439 [P < .011] and = 0.787 [P = .001], respectively). At 1 month postoperatively, UDVA was slightly more affected by IOL rotation in multifocal than monofocal toric IOLs. The marking method was also effective. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.
Visual aesthetics study: Gibson Dome area, Paradox Basin, Utah

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-03-01

The Visual Aesthetics study was performed as an initial assessment of concerns regarding impacts to visual resources that might be associated with the construction of a geologic nuclear waste repository and associated rail routes in the Gibson Dome location of southeastern Utah. Potential impacts to visual resources were evaluated by predicting visibility of the facility and railway routes using the US Forest Service (USFS) computer program, VIEWIT, and by applying the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Visual Resource Management (VRM) methodology. Five proposed facility sites in the Gibson Dome area and three proposed railway routes were evaluated for visual impact. 10 references, 19 figures, 5 tables
Model visualization for evaluation of biocatalytic processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Law, HEM; Lewis, DJ; McRobbie, I

2008-01-01

Biocatalysis offers great potential as an additional, and in some cases as an alternative, synthetic tool for organic chemists, especially as a route to introduce chirality. However, the implementation of scalable biocatalytic processes nearly always requires the introduction of process and/or bi......,S-EDDS), a biodegradable chelant, and is characterised by the use of model visualization using `windows of operation"....
Avaliação da vertical visual subjetiva em indivíduos brasileiros normais Subjective visual vertical evaluation in normal Brazilian subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline M. Kozoroski Kanashiro

2007-06-01

Full Text Available A função otolítica pode ser avaliada pela Vertical Visual Subjetiva (VVS que determina a capacidade de um indivíduo julgar se objetos estão na posição vertical na ausência de outras referências visuais. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a VVS em indivíduos brasileiros normais usando um aparelho portátil. As medidas da VVS foram realizadas em 160 indivíduos (16 a 85 anos. O valor médio da VVS foi obtido após dez ajustes. A VVS teve valores médios entre -2,0º e +2,4º (média=0,18º, e DP=0,77º. Não houve diferença entre as médias da VVS em relação à idade (teste de Kruskal-Wallis; p=0,40, mas as faixas etárias maiores tiveram variância maior (teste de Levene; p=0,016. Os valores da VVS encontrados neste estudo foram semelhantes aos registrados na literatura. Não houve diferença nas médias das inclinações da VVS de acordo com a idade, mas foi encontrada maior variância entre indivíduos mais idosos.Otolith function can be evaluated by subjective visual vertical (SVV that determine the capacity of a subject to judge if the objects are on vertical position with absence of any visual reference. The aim of this study was to evaluate the SVV in a sample of normal Brazilian subjects using a portable device. Measurements of SVV were performed in 160 normal subjects (aged from 16 to 85. SVV mean value was obtained after ten adjustments. SVV mean values ranged from -2.0º to +2.4º (mean=0.18º, and SD=0.77. Considering all age groups, there was no difference of SVV mean values (Kruskal-Wallis test; p=0.40, but older groups had a greater variance (Levene test; p=0.016. SVV values observed in this study are comparable to those described in previous studies. Although there was no difference in mean SVV-inclination according to age, there was a greater variance in older subjects.
Information efficiency in visual communication

Science.gov (United States)

Alter-Gartenberg, Rachel; Rahman, Zia-Ur

1993-01-01

This paper evaluates the quantization process in the context of the end-to-end performance of the visual-communication channel. Results show that the trade-off between data transmission and visual quality revolves around the information in the acquired signal, not around its energy. Improved information efficiency is gained by frequency dependent quantization that maintains the information capacity of the channel and reduces the entropy of the encoded signal. Restorations with energy bit-allocation lose both in sharpness and clarity relative to restorations with information bit-allocation. Thus, quantization with information bit-allocation is preferred for high information efficiency and visual quality in optimized visual communication.

Information efficiency in visual communication

Science.gov (United States)

Alter-Gartenberg, Rachel; Rahman, Zia-ur

1993-08-01

This paper evaluates the quantization process in the context of the end-to-end performance of the visual-communication channel. Results show that the trade-off between data transmission and visual quality revolves around the information in the acquired signal, not around its energy. Improved information efficiency is gained by frequency dependent quantization that maintains the information capacity of the channel and reduces the entropy of the encoded signal. Restorations with energy bit-allocation lose both in sharpness and clarity relative to restorations with information bit-allocation. Thus, quantization with information bit-allocation is preferred for high information efficiency and visual quality in optimized visual communication.
Accessing Earth Science Data Visualizations through NASA GIBS & Worldview

Science.gov (United States)

Cechini, M. F.; Boller, R. A.; Baynes, K.; Wong, M. M.; King, B. A.; Schmaltz, J. E.; De Luca, A. P.; King, J.; Roberts, J. T.; Rodriguez, J.; Thompson, C. K.; Pressley, N. N.

2017-12-01

For more than 20 years, the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) has operated dozens of remote sensing satellites collecting nearly 15 Petabytes of data that span thousands of science parameters. Within these observations are keys the Earth Scientists have used to unlock many things that we understand about our planet. Also contained within these observations are a myriad of opportunities for learning and education. The trick is making them accessible to educators and students in convenient and simple ways so that effort can be spent on lesson enrichment and not overcoming technical hurdles. The NASA Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) system and NASA Worldview website provide a unique view into EOS data through daily full resolution visualizations of hundreds of earth science parameters. For many of these parameters, visualizations are available within hours of acquisition from the satellite. For others, visualizations are available for the entire mission of the satellite. Accompanying the visualizations are visual aids such as color legends, place names, and orbit tracks. By using these visualizations, educators and students can observe natural phenomena that enrich a scientific education. This poster will provide an overview of the visualizations available in NASA GIBS and Worldview and how they are accessed. We invite discussion on how the visualizations can be used or improved for educational purposes.
Visualization system for grid environment in the nuclear field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Yoshio; Matsumoto, Nobuko; Idomura, Yasuhiro; Tani, Masayuki

2006-01-01

An innovative scientific visualization system is needed to integratedly visualize large amount of data which are distributedly generated in remote locations as a result of a large-scale numerical simulation using a grid environment. One of the important functions in such a visualization system is a parallel visualization which enables to visualize data using multiple CPUs of a supercomputer. The other is a distributed visualization which enables to execute visualization processes using a local client computer and remote computers. We have developed a toolkit including these functions in cooperation with the commercial visualization software AVS/Express, called Parallel Support Toolkit (PST). PST can execute visualization processes with three kinds of parallelism (data parallelism, task parallelism and pipeline parallelism) using local and remote computers. We have evaluated PST for large amount of data generated by a nuclear fusion simulation. Here, two supercomputers Altix3700Bx2 and Prism installed in JAEA are used. From the evaluation, it can be seen that PST has a potential to efficiently visualize large amount of data in a grid environment. (author)
Do Visual Aids Really Matter? A Comparison of Student Evaluations before and after Embedding Visuals into Video Lectures

Science.gov (United States)

Fish, Kristine; Mun, Jungwon; A'Jontue, RoseAnn

2016-01-01

Educational webcasts or video lectures as a teaching tool and a form of visual aid have become widely used with the rising prevalence of online and blended courses and with the increase of web-based video materials. Thus, research pertaining to factors enhancing the effectiveness of video lectures, such as number of visual aids, is critical. This…
[Analysis and evaluation of the visual effort in remote-control public traffic operators working with computer-based equipments].

Science.gov (United States)

Gullà, F; Zambelli, P; Bergamaschi, A; Piccoli, B

2007-01-01

The aim of this study is the objective evaluation of the visual effort in 6 public traffic controllers (4 male, 2 female, mean age 29,6), by means of electronic equipment. The electronic equipment quantify the observation distance and the observation time for each controller's occupational visual field. The quantification of these parameters is obtained by the emission of ultrasound at 40 KHz from an emission sensor (placed by the VDT screen) and the ultrasound reception by means of a receiving sensor (placed on the operator's head). The travelling time of the ultrasound (US), as the air speed is known and costant (about 340 m/s), it is used to calculate the distance between the emitting and the receiving sensor. The results show that the visual acuity required is of average level, while accommodation's and convergence's effort vary from average to intense (depending on the visual characteristics of the operator considered), ranging from 26,41 and 43,92% of accommodation and convergence available in each operator. The time actually spent in "near observation within the c.v.p." (Tscr) was maintained in a range from 2h 54' and 4h 05'.
Visual working memory continues to develop through adolescence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elif eIsbell

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The capacity of visual working memory (VWM refers to the amount of visual information that can be maintained in mind at once, readily accessible for ongoing tasks. In healthy young adults, the capacity limit of VWM corresponds to about three simple objects. While some researchers argued that VWM capacity becomes adult-like in early years of life, others claimed that the capacity of VWM continues to develop beyond middle childhood. Here we assessed whether VWM capacity reaches adult levels in adolescence. Using an adaptation of the visual change detection task, we measured visual working memory capacity estimates in 13 year-olds, 16-year-olds, and young adults. We tested whether the capacity estimates observed in early or later years of adolescence were comparable to the estimates obtained from adults. Our results demonstrated that the capacity of VWM continues to develop throughout adolescence, not reaching adult levels even in 16 year-olds. These findings suggest that VWM capacity displays a prolonged development, similar to the protracted trajectories observed in various other aspects of cognition.
Evaluation of pancreatic lipase activity by simple urine analysis after oral administration of a new iodine-131-labeled triglyceride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kropp, J.; Knapp, F.F. Jr.; Weyenberg, A.; McPherson, D.W.; Ambrose, K.R.; Callahan, A.P.; Bergmann, K. von; Biersack, H.J.

1994-01-01

A new iodine-131-labeled triglyceride analogue called ''MIPAG'' [1,2-dipalmitoyl-3-[(15-p-iodophenyl) pentadecan-1-oyl]rac-glycerol] has been prepared in which 15-(p-iodophenyl)pentadecanoic acid (IPPA) is attached to position-3. MIPAG has been developed for the evaluation of pancreatic exocrine function by simple urine analysis and has been evaluated in rats and humans. After oral administration, IPPA is released from the triglyceride by the action of pancreatic lipases followed by intestinal absorption and the principal IPPA metabolite (p-iodobenzoic acid. IBA) is primarily excreted in the urine. Excretion in the urine and feces was evaluated in rats, as well as the biodistribution in various organs over 21 days. Twenty patients without pancreatic disease (normals) and four patients with pancreatic insufficiency were also investigated. Following oral administration of 30 μCi of MIPAG, urine was collected for two successive 24-h periods. Blood samples were drawn and thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) analysis was performed on the serum lipid extracts. Urine from normals contained 44.9%±7.7% and 61.8%±8.4% of the administered activity after 24 and 48 h, respectively. The patients with pancreatic insufficiency excreted 13.1%±5.6% and 18.9%±6.2%, respectively, which was significantly decreased (P<0.001) compared with normals. The TLC profiles showed an increasing proportion of IBA with time. Urine analysis after oral administration of MIPAG thus appears to be an attractive new technique for the evaluation of pancreatic lipase activity by a simple urine analysis. (orig.)
Large Field Visualization with Demand-Driven Calculation

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Patrick J.; Henze, Chris

1999-01-01

We present a system designed for the interactive definition and visualization of fields derived from large data sets: the Demand-Driven Visualizer (DDV). The system allows the user to write arbitrary expressions to define new fields, and then apply a variety of visualization techniques to the result. Expressions can include differential operators and numerous other built-in functions, ail of which are evaluated at specific field locations completely on demand. The payoff of following a demand-driven design philosophy throughout becomes particularly evident when working with large time-series data, where the costs of eager evaluation alternatives can be prohibitive.
Visual artificial grammar learning: comparative research on humans, kea (Nestor notabilis) and pigeons (Columba livia)

Science.gov (United States)

Stobbe, Nina; Westphal-Fitch, Gesche; Aust, Ulrike; Fitch, W. Tecumseh

2012-01-01

Artificial grammar learning (AGL) provides a useful tool for exploring rule learning strategies linked to general purpose pattern perception. To be able to directly compare performance of humans with other species with different memory capacities, we developed an AGL task in the visual domain. Presenting entire visual patterns simultaneously instead of sequentially minimizes the amount of required working memory. This approach allowed us to evaluate performance levels of two bird species, kea (Nestor notabilis) and pigeons (Columba livia), in direct comparison to human participants. After being trained to discriminate between two types of visual patterns generated by rules at different levels of computational complexity and presented on a computer screen, birds and humans received further training with a series of novel stimuli that followed the same rules, but differed in various visual features from the training stimuli. Most avian and all human subjects continued to perform well above chance during this initial generalization phase, suggesting that they were able to generalize learned rules to novel stimuli. However, detailed testing with stimuli that violated the intended rules regarding the exact number of stimulus elements indicates that neither bird species was able to successfully acquire the intended pattern rule. Our data suggest that, in contrast to humans, these birds were unable to master a simple rule above the finite-state level, even with simultaneous item presentation and despite intensive training. PMID:22688635
Consumer visual appraisal and shelf life of leg chops from suckling kids raised with natural milk or milk replacer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ripoll, Guillermo; Alcalde, María J; Argüello, Anastasio; Córdoba, María G; Panea, Begoña

2018-05-01

The use of milk replacers to feed suckling kids could affect the shelf life and appearance of the meat. Leg chops were evaluated by consumers and the instrumental color was measured. A machine learning algorithm was used to relate them. The aim of this experiment was to study the shelf life of the meat of kids reared with dam's milk or milk replacers and to ascertain which illuminant and instrumental color variables are used by consumers as criteria to evaluate that visual appraisal. Meat from kids reared with milk replacers was more valuable and had a longer shelf life than meat from kids reared with natural milk. Consumers used the color of the whole surface of the leg chop to assess the appearance of meat. Lightness and hue angle were the prime cues used to evaluate the appearance of meat. Illuminant D65 was more useful for relating the visual appraisal with the instrumental color using a machine learning algorithm. The machine learning algorithms showed that the underlying rules used by consumers to evaluate the appearance of suckling kid meat are not at all linear and can be computationally schematized into a simple algorithm. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
College Aptitude Test Simple Checker (Version 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jake G. Maggay

2017-05-01

Full Text Available All enrolees of the Cagayan State University are required to take the College Aptitude Test (CAT. The CAT result serves as a basis for recommendation and admission to a specific course or field of specialization, thus, result must be accurate. The study a imed to develop a computerized College Aptitude Test (CAT Simple Checker of Cagayan State University – Lasam Campus to facilitate and to reduce the time of the guidance counsellor in checking many aptitude test papers as well as to ensure accuracy of resu lt. It followed the framework of Design Science Research in Information Systems which consists of six steps such as problem identification and motivation, definition of objectives for a solution based on the identified problem, design and development of th e system, demonstration of the system to the guidance counsellor, evaluation of the system’s functionality and impact and communication which involves documentation and publication. A combination of Visual Basic 6 as the programming language and SQL Server 2005 as the Database Management System (DBMS were used in the development of the system. As a result, the system provides support to the guidance counsellor in performing the assigned tasks by reducing the time consumed in checking aptitude test papers t hat makes the guidance counsellor more effective, efficient and productive.
GABA(A) receptors in visual and auditory cortex and neural activity changes during basic visual stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Pengmin; Duncan, Niall W; Wiebking, Christine; Gravel, Paul; Lyttelton, Oliver; Hayes, Dave J; Verhaeghe, Jeroen; Kostikov, Alexey; Schirrmacher, Ralf; Reader, Andrew J; Northoff, Georg

2012-01-01

Recent imaging studies have demonstrated that levels of resting γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the visual cortex predict the degree of stimulus-induced activity in the same region. These studies have used the presentation of discrete visual stimulus; the change from closed eyes to open also represents a simple visual stimulus, however, and has been shown to induce changes in local brain activity and in functional connectivity between regions. We thus aimed to investigate the role of the GABA system, specifically GABA(A) receptors, in the changes in brain activity between the eyes closed (EC) and eyes open (EO) state in order to provide detail at the receptor level to complement previous studies of GABA concentrations. We conducted an fMRI study involving two different modes of the change from EC to EO: an EO and EC block design, allowing the modeling of the haemodynamic response, followed by longer periods of EC and EO to allow the measuring of functional connectivity. The same subjects also underwent [(18)F]Flumazenil PET to measure GABA(A) receptor binding potentials. It was demonstrated that the local-to-global ratio of GABA(A) receptor binding potential in the visual cortex predicted the degree of changes in neural activity from EC to EO. This same relationship was also shown in the auditory cortex. Furthermore, the local-to-global ratio of GABA(A) receptor binding potential in the visual cortex also predicted the change in functional connectivity between the visual and auditory cortex from EC to EO. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of GABA(A) receptors in stimulus-induced neural activity in local regions and in inter-regional functional connectivity.
Evaluating the Cognitive Aspects of User Interaction with 2D Visual Tagging Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Olugbenga King

2008-04-01

Full Text Available There has been significant interest in thedevelopment and deployment of visual taggingapplications in recent times. But user perceptions aboutthe purpose and function of visual tagging systems havenot received much attention. This paper presents a userexperience study that investigates the cognitive modelsthat novice users have about interacting with visualtagging applications. The results of the study show thatalthough most users are unfamiliar with visual taggingtechnologies, they could accurately predict the purposeand mode of retrieval of data stored in visual tags. Thestudy concludes with suggestions on how to improve therecognition, ease of recall and design of visual tags.
IEA SHC Task 42/ECES Annex 29 – A Simple Tool for the Economic Evaluation of Thermal Energy Storages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rathgeber, Christoph; Hiebler, Stefan; Lävemann, Eberhard

2016-01-01

Within the framework of IEA SHC Task 42 / ECES Annex 29, a simple tool for the economic evaluation of thermal energy storages has been developed and tested on various existing storages. On that account, the storage capacity costs (costs per installed storage capacity) of thermal energy storages...... have been evaluated via a Top-down and a Bottom-up approach. The Top-down approach follows the assumption that the costs of energy supplied by the storage should not exceed the costs of energy from the market. The maximum acceptable storage capacity costs depend on the interest rate assigned...
Comparing Visual and Statistical Analysis of Multiple Baseline Design Graphs.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Katie; Dickenson, Tammiee S; Miller, Bridget; McGrath, Kathleen V

2018-04-01

A growing number of statistical analyses are being developed for single-case research. One important factor in evaluating these methods is the extent to which each corresponds to visual analysis. Few studies have compared statistical and visual analysis, and information about more recently developed statistics is scarce. Therefore, our purpose was to evaluate the agreement between visual analysis and four statistical analyses: improvement rate difference (IRD); Tau-U; Hedges, Pustejovsky, Shadish (HPS) effect size; and between-case standardized mean difference (BC-SMD). Results indicate that IRD and BC-SMD had the strongest overall agreement with visual analysis. Although Tau-U had strong agreement with visual analysis on raw values, it had poorer agreement when those values were dichotomized to represent the presence or absence of a functional relation. Overall, visual analysis appeared to be more conservative than statistical analysis, but further research is needed to evaluate the nature of these disagreements.
Diagnosing cerebral visual impairment in children with good visual acuity.

Science.gov (United States)

van Genderen, Maria; Dekker, Marjoke; Pilon, Florine; Bals, Irmgard

2012-06-01

To identify elements that could facilitate the diagnosis of cerebral visual impairment (CVI) in children with good visual acuity in the general ophthalmic clinic. We retrospectively investigated the clinical characteristics of 30 children with good visual acuity and CVI and compared them with those of 23 children who were referred with a suspicion of CVI, but proved to have a different diagnosis. Clinical characteristics included medical history, MRI findings, visual acuity, crowding ratio (CR), visual field assessment, and the results of ophthalmologic and orthoptic examination. We also evaluated the additional value of a short CVI questionnaire. Eighty-three percent of the children with an abnormal medical history (mainly prematurity and perinatal hypoxia) had CVI, in contrast with none of the children with a normal medical history. Cerebral palsy, visual field defects, and partial optic atrophy only occurred in the CVI group. 41% of the children with CVI had a CR ≥2.0, which may be related to dorsal stream dysfunction. All children with CVI, but also 91% of the children without CVI gave ≥3 affirmative answers on the CVI questionnaire. An abnormal pre- or perinatal medical history is the most important risk factor for CVI in children, and therefore in deciding which children should be referred for further multidisciplinary assessment. Additional symptoms of cerebral damage, i.e., cerebral palsy, visual field defects, partial optic atrophy, and a CR ≥2 may support the diagnosis. CVI questionnaires should not be used for screening purposes as they yield too many false positives.
Stroke survivors' views and experiences on impact of visual impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, Fiona J

2017-09-01

We sought to determine stroke survivors' views on impact of stroke-related visual impairment to quality of life. Stroke survivors with visual impairment, more than 1 year post stroke onset, were recruited. Semistructured biographical narrative interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic approach to analysis of the qualitative data was adopted. Transcripts were systematically coded using NVivo10 software. Thirty-five stroke survivors were interviewed across the UK: 16 females, 19 males; aged 20-75 years at stroke onset. Five qualitative themes emerged: "Formal care," "Symptoms and self," "Adaptations," "Daily life," and "Information." Where visual problems existed, they were often not immediately recognized as part of the stroke syndrome and attributed to other causes such as migraine. Many participants did not receive early vision assessment or treatment for their visual problems. Visual problems included visual field loss, double vision, and perceptual problems. Impact of visual problems included loss in confidence, being a burden to others, increased collisions/accidents, and fear of falling. They made many self-identified adaptations to compensate for visual problems: magnifiers, large print, increased lighting, use of white sticks. There was a consistent lack of support and provision of information about visual problems. Poststroke visual impairment causes considerable impact to daily life which could be substantially improved by simple measures including early formal visual assessment, management and advice on adaptive strategies and self-management options. Improved education about poststroke visual impairment for the public and clinicians could aid earlier diagnosis of visual impairments.
Development of a Low-Cost, Noninvasive, Portable Visual Speech Recognition Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohlberg, Gavriel D; Gal, Ya'akov Kobi; Lalwani, Anil K

2016-09-01

Loss of speech following tracheostomy and laryngectomy severely limits communication to simple gestures and facial expressions that are largely ineffective. To facilitate communication in these patients, we seek to develop a low-cost, noninvasive, portable, and simple visual speech recognition program (VSRP) to convert articulatory facial movements into speech. A Microsoft Kinect-based VSRP was developed to capture spatial coordinates of lip movements and translate them into speech. The articulatory speech movements associated with 12 sentences were used to train an artificial neural network classifier. The accuracy of the classifier was then evaluated on a separate, previously unseen set of articulatory speech movements. The VSRP was successfully implemented and tested in 5 subjects. It achieved an accuracy rate of 77.2% (65.0%-87.6% for the 5 speakers) on a 12-sentence data set. The mean time to classify an individual sentence was 2.03 milliseconds (1.91-2.16). We have demonstrated the feasibility of a low-cost, noninvasive, portable VSRP based on Kinect to accurately predict speech from articulation movements in clinically trivial time. This VSRP could be used as a novel communication device for aphonic patients. © The Author(s) 2016.
TOUCH INTERACTION WITH 3D GEOGRAPHICAL VISUALIZATION ON WEB: SELECTED TECHNOLOGICAL AND USER ISSUES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Herman

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The use of both 3D visualization and devices with touch displays is increasing. In this paper, we focused on the Web technologies for 3D visualization of spatial data and its interaction via touch screen gestures. At the first stage, we compared the support of touch interaction in selected JavaScript libraries on different hardware (desktop PCs with touch screens, tablets, and smartphones and software platforms. Afterward, we realized simple empiric test (within-subject design, 6 participants, 2 simple tasks, LCD touch monitor Acer and digital terrain models as stimuli focusing on the ability of users to solve simple spatial tasks via touch screens. An in-house testing web tool was developed and used based on JavaScript, PHP, and X3DOM languages and Hammer.js libraries. The correctness of answers, speed of users’ performances, used gestures, and a simple gesture metric was recorded and analysed. Preliminary results revealed that the pan gesture is most frequently used by test participants and it is also supported by the majority of 3D libraries. Possible gesture metrics and future developments including the interpersonal differences are discussed in the conclusion.
Visual cortical areas of the mouse: comparison of parcellation and network structure with primates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie-Eve eLaramée

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Brains have evolved to optimize sensory processing. In primates, complex cognitive tasks must be executed and evolution led to the development of large brains with many cortical areas. Rodents do not accomplish cognitive tasks of the same level of complexity as primates and remain with small brains both in relative and absolute terms. But is a small brain necessarily a simple brain? In this review, several aspects of the visual cortical networks have been compared between rodents and primates. The visual system has been used as a model to evaluate the level of complexity of the cortical circuits at the anatomical and functional levels. The evolutionary constraints are first presented in order to appreciate the rules for the development of the brain and its underlying circuits. The organization of sensory pathways, with their parallel and cross-modal circuits, is also examined. Other features of brain networks, often considered as imposing constraints on the development of underlying circuitry, are also discussed and their effect on the complexity of the mouse and primate brain are inspected. In this review, we discuss the common features of cortical circuits in mice and primates and see how these can be useful in understanding visual processing in these animals.

Visual cortical areas of the mouse: comparison of parcellation and network structure with primates

Science.gov (United States)

Laramée, Marie-Eve; Boire, Denis

2015-01-01

Brains have evolved to optimize sensory processing. In primates, complex cognitive tasks must be executed and evolution led to the development of large brains with many cortical areas. Rodents do not accomplish cognitive tasks of the same level of complexity as primates and remain with small brains both in relative and absolute terms. But is a small brain necessarily a simple brain? In this review, several aspects of the visual cortical networks have been compared between rodents and primates. The visual system has been used as a model to evaluate the level of complexity of the cortical circuits at the anatomical and functional levels. The evolutionary constraints are first presented in order to appreciate the rules for the development of the brain and its underlying circuits. The organization of sensory pathways, with their parallel and cross-modal circuits, is also examined. Other features of brain networks, often considered as imposing constraints on the development of underlying circuitry, are also discussed and their effect on the complexity of the mouse and primate brain are inspected. In this review, we discuss the common features of cortical circuits in mice and primates and see how these can be useful in understanding visual processing in these animals. PMID:25620914
Visual cortical areas of the mouse: comparison of parcellation and network structure with primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Laramée, Marie-Eve; Boire, Denis

2014-01-01

Brains have evolved to optimize sensory processing. In primates, complex cognitive tasks must be executed and evolution led to the development of large brains with many cortical areas. Rodents do not accomplish cognitive tasks of the same level of complexity as primates and remain with small brains both in relative and absolute terms. But is a small brain necessarily a simple brain? In this review, several aspects of the visual cortical networks have been compared between rodents and primates. The visual system has been used as a model to evaluate the level of complexity of the cortical circuits at the anatomical and functional levels. The evolutionary constraints are first presented in order to appreciate the rules for the development of the brain and its underlying circuits. The organization of sensory pathways, with their parallel and cross-modal circuits, is also examined. Other features of brain networks, often considered as imposing constraints on the development of underlying circuitry, are also discussed and their effect on the complexity of the mouse and primate brain are inspected. In this review, we discuss the common features of cortical circuits in mice and primates and see how these can be useful in understanding visual processing in these animals.
Effects of Perceptual Uncertainty on Arousal and Preference Across Different Visual Domains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramsøy, Thomas Z.; Friis-Olivarius, Morten; Jacobsen, Catrine

2012-01-01

To what extent can simple contextual events affect preference? In this study, three tests were applied to assert whether contextual unpredictability has a negative effect on preference for novel visual items. By asking subjects to rate their first impressions of novel brand logos while playing...... simple sounds, Study 1 shows that brand logos coupled to unpredictable sounds were rated less favorably than logos presented with a predictable sound. In Study 2, this effect is found to be equally strong for abstract art paintings. Finally, Study 3 demonstrates that the negative effect of unpredictable...... sounds on preference is associated with a stronger arousal response, as indexed by pupil dilation responses. These results suggest that unpredictable sounds engage an emotional response that affects the first impression of a concurrently presented visual object. We discuss these findings in light...
New developing reagent for latent fingermark visualization: Fuller’s earth (Multani Mitti

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pallavi Thakur

2016-12-01

Full Text Available A number of methods have been reported in the literature for the development of latent fingermarks on different surfaces. This paper reports a new and simple powdering method which is non-toxic and has been employed on different substrates successfully for the development and visualization of latent fingermarks up to the time period of 6 days in varying temperature conditions. In this investigation a less expensive, simple and easily available fuller’s earth (Multani Mitti powder has been used to decipher the latent fingermarks on different substrates namely black cardboard box, clear glass, coverslip box, steel surface, laminated wooden sheet, clear plastic, colored plastic bag and surface of highlighter pen. It is observed that it gives very clear results on majority of substrates and can be successfully used for the development and visualization of latent fingermarks.
Evaluation of Visual Field Progression in Glaucoma: Quasar Regression Program and Event Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Alemán, Valentín T; González-Hernández, Marta; Perera-Sanz, Daniel; Armas-Domínguez, Karintia

2016-01-01

To determine the sensitivity, specificity and agreement between the Quasar program, glaucoma progression analysis (GPA II) event analysis and expert opinion in the detection of glaucomatous progression. The Quasar program is based on linear regression analysis of both mean defect (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD). Each series of visual fields was evaluated by three methods; Quasar, GPA II and four experts. The sensitivity, specificity and agreement (kappa) for each method was calculated, using expert opinion as the reference standard. The study included 439 SITA Standard visual fields of 56 eyes of 42 patients, with a mean of 7.8 ± 0.8 visual fields per eye. When suspected cases of progression were considered stable, sensitivity and specificity of Quasar, GPA II and the experts were 86.6% and 70.7%, 26.6% and 95.1%, and 86.6% and 92.6% respectively. When suspected cases of progression were considered as progressing, sensitivity and specificity of Quasar, GPA II and the experts were 79.1% and 81.2%, 45.8% and 90.6%, and 85.4% and 90.6% respectively. The agreement between Quasar and GPA II when suspected cases were considered stable or progressing was 0.03 and 0.28 respectively. The degree of agreement between Quasar and the experts when suspected cases were considered stable or progressing was 0.472 and 0.507. The degree of agreement between GPA II and the experts when suspected cases were considered stable or progressing was 0.262 and 0.342. The combination of MD and PSD regression analysis in the Quasar program showed better agreement with the experts and higher sensitivity than GPA II.
Social Set Visualizer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flesch, Benjamin; Vatrapu, Ravi; Mukkamala, Raghava Rao

2015-01-01

approach to computational social science mentioned above. The development of the dashboard involved cutting-edge open source visual analytics libraries (D3.js) and creation of new visualizations such as of actor mobility across time and space, conversational comets, and more. Evaluation of the dashboard......Current state-of-the-art in big social data analytics is largely limited to graph theoretical approaches such as social network analysis (SNA) informed by the social philosophical approach of relational sociology. This paper proposes and illustrates an alternate holistic approach to big social data...
A cross-sectional survey and service evaluation of simple telehealth in primary care: what do patients think?

Science.gov (United States)

Cottrell, Elizabeth; McMillan, Kate; Chambers, Ruth

2012-01-01

To determine the patient experience of using a simple telehealth strategy to manage hypertension in adults. As part of a pragmatic service evaluation, the acceptability of, satisfaction with and ease of use of a simple telehealth strategy was determined via text, cross-sectional questionnaire survey administered by telephone, case studies, discussion groups and informal feedback from practices. This simple telehealth approach required patients to take home blood pressure (BP) readings and text them to a secure server ('Florence') for immediate automatic analysis and individual healthcare professional review. 124 intervention patients who used the Florence system. 10 volunteer general practitioner's (GP) practices in Stoke on Trent, UK, with poor health and high levels of material deprivation took part. Patient satisfaction was high. In particular, patients found the system easy to use, were very satisfied about the feedback from their GP regarding their BP readings, found the advice sent via Florence useful and preferred to send BP readings using Florence rather than having to go to the practice monthly to get BP checked. Overall satisfaction with the system was 4.81/5.00 at week 13 of the programme. Other advantages of being enrolled with Florence were improved education about hypertension, a greater feeling of support and companionship and flexibility which allowed self-care to occur at a time that suited the patient rather than their practice. This simple telehealth strategy for managing hypertension in the community was met with high levels of patient satisfaction and feelings of control and support. This management approach should thus be considered for widespread implementation for clinical management of hypertension and other long-term conditions involving monitoring of patients' bodily measurements and symptoms as a large number of meaningful readings can be obtained from many patients in a prompt, efficient, interactive and acceptable way.
Development of a test for recording both visual and auditory reaction times, potentially useful for future studies in patients on opioids therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Miceli, Luca; Bednarova, Rym; Rizzardo, Alessandro; Samogin, Valentina; Della Rocca, Giorgio

2015-01-01

Italian Road Law limits driving while undergoing treatment with certain kinds of medication. Here, we report the results of a test, run as a smartphone application (app), assessing auditory and visual reflexes in a sample of 300 drivers. The scope of the test is to provide both the police force and medication-taking drivers with a tool that can evaluate the individual's capacity to drive safely. The test is run as an app for Apple iOS and Android mobile operating systems and facilitates four different reaction times to be assessed: simple visual and auditory reaction times and complex visual and auditory reaction times. Reference deciles were created for the test results obtained from a sample of 300 Italian subjects. Results lying within the first three deciles were considered as incompatible with safe driving capabilities. Performance is both age-related (r>0.5) and sex-related (female reaction times were significantly slower than those recorded for male subjects, Psafely.
Affective Education for Visually Impaired Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Locke, Don C.; Gerler, Edwin R., Jr.

1981-01-01

Evaluated the effectiveness of the Human Development Program (HDP) and the Developing Understanding of Self and Others (DUSO) program used with visually impaired children. Although HDP and DUSO affected the behavior of visually impaired children, they did not have any effect on children's attitudes toward school. (RC)
Evaluation of visual quality of spherical and aspherical intraocular lenses by Optical Quality Analysis System

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Yan Chen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the impact of spherical and aspherical intraocular lenses on the postoperative visual quality of age-related cataract patients using Optical Quality Analysis System (OQAS. METHODS: Seventy-four eyes with age-related cataracts were randomly divided into spherical and aspherical lens implantation groups. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA was measured preoperatively, one day, one week, two weeks, one month and two months after surgery. A biometric systems analysis using the OQAS objective scattering index (OSI was performed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in visual acuity (P>0.05 before and after spherical and aspheric lens implantation. There was a negative linear correction between the OSI value and BCVA (r=-0.634, P=0.000, and positive corrections between the OSI value and the lens LOCUS III value of nucleus color (NC, nucleus opacity (NO, cortex (C and posterior lens capsular (P (r=0.704, P=0.000; r=0.514, P=0.000; r=0.276, P=0.020; r=0.417, P=0.000, respectively. OSI values of spherical vs aspherical lenses were 11.5±3.6 vs 11.8±3.4, 4.1±0.9 vs 3.3±0.8, 3.5±0.9 vs 2.7±0.7, 3.3±0.8 vs 2.6±0.7, 3.2±0.7 vs 2.5±0.8, and 3.2±0.8 vs 2.5±0.8 before and 1d, 1, 2wk, 1 and 2mo after surgery, respectively. All time points varied significantly (P<0.01 between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Aspherical IOLs does not significantly affect visual acuity compared with spherical IOLs. The OSI value, was significantly lower in the aspherical lens group compared with the spherical lens. This study shows that objective visual quality of aspheric IOLs is better than that of the spherical lens by means of OQAS biological measurement method.
A visual test based on a freeware software for quantifying and displaying night-vision disturbances: study in subjects after alcohol consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, José J; Ortiz, Carolina; Pozo, Antonio M; Anera, Rosario G; Soler, Margarita

2014-05-07

In this work, we propose the Halo test, a simple visual test based on a freeware software for quantifying and displaying night-vision disturbances perceived by subjects under different experimental conditions, more precisely studying the influence of the alcohol consumption on visual function. In the Halo test, viewed on a monitor, the subject's task consists of detecting luminous peripheral stimuli around a central high-luminance stimulus over a dark background. The test, performed by subjects before and after consuming alcoholic drinks, which deteriorate visual performance, evaluates the influence that alcohol consumption exerts on the visual-discrimination capacity under low illumination conditions. Measurements were made monocularly and binocularly. Pupil size was also measured in both conditions (pre/post). Additionally, we used a double-pass device to measure objectively the optical-quality of the eye and corroborate the results from the Halo test. We found a significant deterioration of the discrimination capacity after alcohol consumption, indicating that the higher the breath-alcohol content, the greater the deterioration of the visual-discrimination capacity. After alcohol intake, the graphical results showed a greater area of undetected peripheral stimuli around the central high-luminance stimulus. An enlargement of the pupil was also observed and the optical quality of the eye was deteriorated after alcohol consumption. A greater influence of halos and other night-vision disturbances were reported with the Halo test after alcohol consumption. The Halo freeware software constitutes a positive contribution for evaluating nighttime visual performance in clinical applications, such as reported here, but also in patients after refractive surgery (where halos are present) or for monitoring (time course) some ocular pathologies under pharmacological treatment.
Acerca da métrica da percepção do espaço visual On the metric of visual space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Aparecido da Silva

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Nesta revisão, analisamos diferentes aspectos relacionados à métrica da percepção visual. Atenção especial foi dada à mensuração de distância egocêntrica (distância de um observador a um objeto e à mensuração de distância exocêntrica (distância entre dois objetos, ou partes de um objeto. Além disso, foram, brevemente, consideradas as teorias, a natureza dos indícios de distância, os tipos de indicadores de distância percebida, e os ambientes nos quais as distâncias são mensuradas. Concluímos que, a relação entre distância percebida e distância real não reflete uma simples transformação de sua contraparte física; em vez disso, esta relação depende substancialmente do ambiente no qual as distâncias são estimadas bem como da combinação de indícios de distância presente neste ambiente.The major aim of this overview was the visual perception of egocentric (distance from an observer to a target and exocentric distance (distance between two targets. We considered different issues concerning the relationship between perceived distance and physical distance, giving special attention to the theories, to the cues regarding distance, how perceived distances are measured, and the types of visual environments where the measuring of distances occurred. We concluded that the perceived distance does not reflect a simple transformation of its physical counterpart; rather, the mapping between perceived distance and physical distance depends substantially on the type of visual environments where distances are measured, and, on the cue combination available in these environments.
Reliability of a Simple Physical Therapist Screening Tool to Assess Errors during Resistance Exercises for Musculoskeletal Pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Kenneth Jay; Sundstrup, E.; Andersen, L. L.

2014-01-01

The main objective was to investigate the intra- and intertester reliability of a simple screening tool assessing errors in exercise execution by visual observation. 38 participants with no previous resistance exercise experience practiced for two weeks four typical upper limb exercises using ela...
A Simple, Visually Oriented Communication System to Improve Postoperative Care Following Microvascular Free Tissue Transfer: Development, Results, and Implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Peter W; Landford, Wilmina; Gardenier, Jason; Otterburn, David M; Rohde, Christine H; Spector, Jason A

2016-07-01

Background Communication, particularly transmission of information between the surgical and nursing teams, has been identified as one of the most crucial determinants of patient outcomes. Nonetheless, transfer of information among and between the physician and nursing teams in the immediate postoperative period is often informal, verbal, and inconsistent. Methods An iterative process of multidisciplinary information gathering was undertaken to create a novel postoperative communication system (the "Pop-form"). Once developed, nurses were surveyed on multiple measures regarding the perceived likelihood that it would improve their ability to provide directed patient care. Data were quantified using a Likert scale (0-10), and statistically analyzed. Results The Pop-form records and transfers operative details, specific anatomic monitoring parameters, and senior physician contact information. Sixty-eight nurses completed surveys. The perceived usefulness of different components of the Pop-form system was as follows: 8.9 for the description of the procedure; 9.3 for the operative diagram; 9.4 for the monitoring details and parameters; and 9.4 for the direct contact information for the appropriate surgical team member. All respondents were in favor of widespread adoption of the Pop-form. Conclusion This uniform, visual communication system requires less than 1 minute to compose, yet formalizes and standardizes inter-team communication, and therefore shows promise for improving outcomes following microvascular free tissue transfer. We believe that this simple, innovative communication tool has the potential to be more broadly applied to many other health care settings. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.
Atypical Balance between Occipital and Fronto-Parietal Activation for Visual Shape Extraction in Dyslexia

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Whitfield-Gabrieli, Susan; Christodoulou, Joanna A.; Gabrieli, John D. E.

2013-01-01

Reading requires the extraction of letter shapes from a complex background of text, and an impairment in visual shape extraction would cause difficulty in reading. To investigate the neural mechanisms of visual shape extraction in dyslexia, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain activation while adults with or without dyslexia responded to the change of an arrow’s direction in a complex, relative to a simple, visual background. In comparison to adults with typical reading ability, adults with dyslexia exhibited opposite patterns of atypical activation: decreased activation in occipital visual areas associated with visual perception, and increased activation in frontal and parietal regions associated with visual attention. These findings indicate that dyslexia involves atypical brain organization for fundamental processes of visual shape extraction even when reading is not involved. Overengagement in higher-order association cortices, required to compensate for underengagment in lower-order visual cortices, may result in competition for top-down attentional resources helpful for fluent reading. PMID:23825653
Measuring listening effort: driving simulator versus simple dual-task paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yu-Hsiang; Aksan, Nazan; Rizzo, Matthew; Stangl, Elizabeth; Zhang, Xuyang; Bentler, Ruth

2014-01-01

The dual-task paradigm has been widely used to measure listening effort. The primary objectives of the study were to (1) investigate the effect of hearing aid amplification and a hearing aid directional technology on listening effort measured by a complicated, more real world dual-task paradigm and (2) compare the results obtained with this paradigm to a simpler laboratory-style dual-task paradigm. The listening effort of adults with hearing impairment was measured using two dual-task paradigms, wherein participants performed a speech recognition task simultaneously with either a driving task in a simulator or a visual reaction-time task in a sound-treated booth. The speech materials and road noises for the speech recognition task were recorded in a van traveling on the highway in three hearing aid conditions: unaided, aided with omnidirectional processing (OMNI), and aided with directional processing (DIR). The change in the driving task or the visual reaction-time task performance across the conditions quantified the change in listening effort. Compared to the driving-only condition, driving performance declined significantly with the addition of the speech recognition task. Although the speech recognition score was higher in the OMNI and DIR conditions than in the unaided condition, driving performance was similar across these three conditions, suggesting that listening effort was not affected by amplification and directional processing. Results from the simple dual-task paradigm showed a similar trend: hearing aid technologies improved speech recognition performance, but did not affect performance in the visual reaction-time task (i.e., reduce listening effort). The correlation between listening effort measured using the driving paradigm and the visual reaction-time task paradigm was significant. The finding showing that our older (56 to 85 years old) participants' better speech recognition performance did not result in reduced listening effort was not
Simple machines

CERN Document Server

Graybill, George

2007-01-01

Just how simple are simple machines? With our ready-to-use resource, they are simple to teach and easy to learn! Chocked full of information and activities, we begin with a look at force, motion and work, and examples of simple machines in daily life are given. With this background, we move on to different kinds of simple machines including: Levers, Inclined Planes, Wedges, Screws, Pulleys, and Wheels and Axles. An exploration of some compound machines follows, such as the can opener. Our resource is a real time-saver as all the reading passages, student activities are provided. Presented in s
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).
Do Visual Aids Really Matter?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristine Fish

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Educational webcasts or video lectures as a teaching tool and a form of visual aid have become widely used with the rising prevalence of online and blended courses and with the increase of web-based video materials. Thus, research pertaining to factors enhancing the effectiveness of video lectures, such as number of visual aids, is critical. This study compared student evaluations before and after embedding additional visual aids throughout video lectures in an online course. Slide transitions occurred on average every 40 seconds for the pre-treatment group with approximately 600 visuals total, compared to slide transitions every 10 seconds for the post-treatment group with approximately 2,000 visuals total. All students received the same audio recordings. Research questions addressed are: (1 Are student perceptions of the effectiveness of examples used to illustrate concepts affected by number of visual aids? (2 Is the extent to which students feel engaged during the lectures affected by number of visual aids? (3 Are students’ perceived overall learning experiences affected by number of visual aids? Surprisingly, results indicate that for questions #1 and #3, student ratings of those who viewed videos with fewer visuals rated their experiences higher than students who viewed more visuals. There was no significant difference found for question #2. Conclusion: Although some visuals have been shown to enhance learning, too many visuals may be a deterrent to learning.
The comparison of visual working memory representations with perceptual inputs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyun, Joo-seok; Woodman, Geoffrey F; Vogel, Edward K; Hollingworth, Andrew; Luck, Steven J

2009-08-01

The human visual system can notice differences between memories of previous visual inputs and perceptions of new visual inputs, but the comparison process that detects these differences has not been well characterized. In this study, the authors tested the hypothesis that differences between the memory of a stimulus array and the perception of a new array are detected in a manner that is analogous to the detection of simple features in visual search tasks. That is, just as the presence of a task-relevant feature in visual search can be detected in parallel, triggering a rapid shift of attention to the object containing the feature, the presence of a memory-percept difference along a task-relevant dimension can be detected in parallel, triggering a rapid shift of attention to the changed object. Supporting evidence was obtained in a series of experiments in which manual reaction times, saccadic reaction times, and event-related potential latencies were examined. However, these experiments also showed that a slow, limited-capacity process must occur before the observer can make a manual change detection response.

3D Nondestructive Visualization and Evaluation of TRISO Particles Distribution in HTGR Fuel Pebbles Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gongyi Yu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A nonuniform distribution of tristructural isotropic (TRISO particles within a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR pebble may lead to excessive thermal gradients and nonuniform thermal expansion during operation. If the particles are closely clustered, local hotspots may form, leading to excessive stresses on particle layers and an increased probability of particle failure. Although X-ray digital radiography (DR is currently used to evaluate the TRISO distributions in pebbles, X-ray DR projection images are two-dimensional in nature, which would potentially miss some details for 3D evaluation. This paper proposes a method of 3D visualization and evaluation of the TRISO distribution in HTGR pebbles using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT: first, a pebble is scanned on our high-resolution CBCT, and 2D cross-sectional images are reconstructed; secondly, all cross-sectional images are restructured to form the 3D model of the pebble; then, volume rendering is applied to segment and display the TRISO particles in 3D for visualization and distribution evaluation. For method validation, several pebbles were scanned and the 3D distributions of the TRISO particles within the pebbles were produced. Experiment results show that the proposed method provides more 3D than DR, which will facilitate pebble fabrication research and production quality control.
Design of an aid to visual inspection workstation

Science.gov (United States)

Tait, Robert; Harding, Kevin

2016-05-01

Visual Inspection is the most common means for inspecting manufactured parts for random defects such as pits, scratches, breaks, corrosion or general wear. The reason for the need for visual inspection is the very random nature of what might be a defect. Some defects may be very rare, being seen once or twice a year, but May still be critical to part performance. Because of this random and rare nature, even the most sophisticated image analysis programs have not been able to recognize all possible defects. Key to any future automation of inspection is obtaining good sample images of what might be a defect. However, most visual check take no images and consequently generate no digital data or historical record beyond a simple count. Any additional tool to captures such images must be able to do so without taking addition time. This paper outlines the design of a potential visual inspection station that would be compatible with current visual inspection methods, but afford the means for reliable digital imaging and in many cases augmented capabilities to assist the inspection. Considerations in this study included: resolution, depth of field, feature highlighting, and ease of digital capture, annotations and inspection augmentation for repeatable registration as well as operator assistance and training.
The Persuasive Power of Data Visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Anshul Vikram; Manivannan, Anjali; Nov, Oded; Satterthwaite, Margaret; Bertini, Enrico

2014-12-01

Data visualization has been used extensively to inform users. However, little research has been done to examine the effects of data visualization in influencing users or in making a message more persuasive. In this study, we present experimental research to fill this gap and present an evidence-based analysis of persuasive visualization. We built on persuasion research from psychology and user interfaces literature in order to explore the persuasive effects of visualization. In this experimental study we define the circumstances under which data visualization can make a message more persuasive, propose hypotheses, and perform quantitative and qualitative analyses on studies conducted to test these hypotheses. We compare visual treatments with data presented through barcharts and linecharts on the one hand, treatments with data presented through tables on the other, and then evaluate their persuasiveness. The findings represent a first step in exploring the effectiveness of persuasive visualization.
Comparative Study for Evaluation of Mass Flow Rate for Simple Solar Still and Active with Heat Pump

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hidouri Khaoula

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In isolated and arid areas, especially in the almost Maghreb regions, the abundant solar radiation intensity along the year and the available brackish water resources are the two favorable conditions for using solar desalination technology to produce fresh water. The present study is based on the use of three groups of correlation, for evaluating mass transfer. Theoretical results are compared with those obtained experimentally for a Simple Solar Distiller (SSD and a Simple Solar Distiller Hybrid with a Heat Pump (SSDHP stills. Experimental results and those calculated by Lewis number correlation show good agreements. Results obtained by Dunkle, Kumar and Tiwari correlations are not satisfactory with the experimental ones. Theoretical results, as well as statistical analysis, are presented. The model with heat pump ( for two configurations (111 and (001 give more output compared with the model without heat pump ((000 and (110. This results where agree for the use of the statistic results, the error it less with Lewis number as compared with the different correlation.
Public health nurse perceptions of Omaha System data visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seonah; Kim, Era; Monsen, Karen A

2015-10-01

Electronic health records (EHRs) provide many benefits related to the storage, deployment, and retrieval of large amounts of patient data. However, EHRs have not fully met the need to reuse data for decision making on follow-up care plans. Visualization offers new ways to present health data, especially in EHRs. Well-designed data visualization allows clinicians to communicate information efficiently and effectively, contributing to improved interpretation of clinical data and better patient care monitoring and decision making. Public health nurse (PHN) perceptions of Omaha System data visualization prototypes for use in EHRs have not been evaluated. To visualize PHN-generated Omaha System data and assess PHN perceptions regarding the visual validity, helpfulness, usefulness, and importance of the visualizations, including interactive functionality. Time-oriented visualization for problems and outcomes and Matrix visualization for problems and interventions were developed using PHN-generated Omaha System data to help PHNs consume data and plan care at the point of care. Eleven PHNs evaluated prototype visualizations. Overall PHNs response to visualizations was positive, and feedback for improvement was provided. This study demonstrated the potential for using visualization techniques within EHRs to summarize Omaha System patient data for clinicians. Further research is needed to improve and refine these visualizations and assess the potential to incorporate visualizations within clinical EHRs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Top-Down and Bottom-Up Visual Information Processing of Non-Social Stimuli in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Maekawa, Toshihiko; Tobimatsu, Shozo; Inada, Naoko; Oribe, Naoya; Onitsuka, Toshiaki; Kanba, Shigenobu; Kamio, Yoko

2011-01-01

Individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD) often show superior performance in simple visual tasks, despite difficulties in the perception of socially important information such as facial expression. The neural basis of visual perception abnormalities associated with HF-ASD is currently unclear. We sought to elucidate the…
Rethinking Visual Analytics for Streaming Data Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crouser, R. Jordan; Franklin, Lyndsey; Cook, Kris

2017-01-01

In the age of data science, the use of interactive information visualization techniques has become increasingly ubiquitous. From online scientific journals to the New York Times graphics desk, the utility of interactive visualization for both storytelling and analysis has become ever more apparent. As these techniques have become more readily accessible, the appeal of combining interactive visualization with computational analysis continues to grow. Arising out of a need for scalable, human-driven analysis, primary objective of visual analytics systems is to capitalize on the complementary strengths of human and machine analysis, using interactive visualization as a medium for communication between the two. These systems leverage developments from the fields of information visualization, computer graphics, machine learning, and human-computer interaction to support insight generation in areas where purely computational analyses fall short. Over the past decade, visual analytics systems have generated remarkable advances in many historically challenging analytical contexts. These include areas such as modeling political systems [Crouser et al. 2012], detecting financial fraud [Chang et al. 2008], and cybersecurity [Harrison et al. 2012]. In each of these contexts, domain expertise and human intuition is a necessary component of the analysis. This intuition is essential to building trust in the analytical products, as well as supporting the translation of evidence into actionable insight. In addition, each of these examples also highlights the need for scalable analysis. In each case, it is infeasible for a human analyst to manually assess the raw information unaided, and the communication overhead to divide the task between a large number of analysts makes simple parallelism intractable. Regardless of the domain, visual analytics tools strive to optimize the allocation of human analytical resources, and to streamline the sensemaking process on data that is massive
A STUDY ON USING 3D VISUALIZATION AND SIMULATION PROGRAM (OPTITEX 3D ON LEATHER APPAREL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ork Nilay

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Leather is a luxury garment. Design, material, labor, fitting and time costs are very effective on the production cost of the consumer leather good. 3D visualization and simulation programs which are getting popular in textile industry can be used for material, labor and time saving in leather apparel. However these programs have a very limited use in leather industry because leather material databases are not sufficient as in textile industry. In this research, firstly material properties of leather and textile fabric were determined by using both textile and leather physical test methods, and interpreted and introduced in the program. Detailed measures of an experimental human body were measured from a 3D body scanner. An avatar was designed according to these measurements. Then a prototype dress was made by using Computer Aided Design-CAD program for designing the patterns. After the pattern making, OptiTex 3D visualization and simulation program was used to visualize and simulate the dresses. Additionally the leather and cotton fabric dresses were sewn in real life. Then the visual and real life dresses were compared and discussed. 3D virtual prototyping seems a promising potential in future manufacturing technologies by evaluating the fitting of garments in a simple and quick way, filling the gap between 3D pattern design and manufacturing, providing virtual demonstrations to customers.
Pip and pop : Non-spatial auditory signals improve spatial visual search

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burg, E. van der; Olivers, C.N.L.; Bronkhorst, A.W.; Theeuwes, J.

2008-01-01

Searching for an object within a cluttered, continuously changing environment can be a very time-consuming process. The authors show that a simple auditory pip drastically decreases search times for a synchronized visual object that is normally very difficult to find. This effect occurs even though
PENERAPAN METODE SIMPLE ADDITIVE WEIGHTING DALAM PEMILIHAN TABLET PC UNTUK PEMULA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satria Yudha Prayogi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstrak — Teknologi berkembang secara terus-menerus menyebabkan sumber daya manusia juga harus berkembang untuk mengikutinya. Banyak produk – produk teknologi baru bermunculan yang diiringi dengan persaingan antara vendor raksasa teknologi dalam memasarkan produknya. Mulai dari ponsel yang dulunya hanya dimiliki oleh para eksekutif dan pebisnis kini dapat dimiliki oleh semua orang dari latar belakang apa saja, dari yang tua sampai yang muda. Setelah ponsel, muncul gadget baru bernama tablet. Ukurannya yang lebih besar dari ponsel membuat gadget ini memiliki ciri khas tersendiri. Setelah itu ada lagi phablet yang merupakan gabungan antara phone dan tablet. Namun kebutuhan manusia yang semakin banyak membuat para vendor teknologi harus memikirkan produk baru yang mampu mengimbangi kebutuhan manusia dengan baik. Tablet PC merupakan salah satu dari jawaban itu. Namun karena banyaknya produk di pasaran membuat pembeli bingung yang mana yang cocok untuk keperluannya, khususnya para pemula. Hanya dengan membaca info produk melalui majalah atau internet kadang tidak cukup untuk menemukan produk mana yang cocok untuk mereka gunakan. Dengan memanfaatkan konsep Sistem Pengambilan Keputusan dengan metode Simple Additive Weighting (SAW dan menggunakan aplikasi Mirosoft Visual Studio 2008 serta database MS Access 2007 dapat diimplementasikan untuk membuat analisa sistem dengan merancang aplikasi untuk menentukan Tablet PC yang cocok untuk digunakan oleh para pemula Keywords : Sistem Pendukung Keputusan, Simple Additive Weighting, Tablet PC, Mirosoft Visual Studio 2008, MS Access 2007
Basic Eye Health Care | Emerole | Journal of Health and Visual ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Visual function is of inestimable value to mankind. In spite of the important function the eyes perform, the simple things that can keep the eyes healthy are often ignored, resulting in damage to the eyes and vision. A review of literature on etiology, common symptoms and signs; prevention of avoidable causes and ...
Contextual modulation of primary visual cortex by auditory signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Petro, L S; Paton, A T; Muckli, L

2017-02-19

Early visual cortex receives non-feedforward input from lateral and top-down connections (Muckli & Petro 2013 Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 23, 195-201. (doi:10.1016/j.conb.2013.01.020)), including long-range projections from auditory areas. Early visual cortex can code for high-level auditory information, with neural patterns representing natural sound stimulation (Vetter et al. 2014 Curr. Biol. 24, 1256-1262. (doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.04.020)). We discuss a number of questions arising from these findings. What is the adaptive function of bimodal representations in visual cortex? What type of information projects from auditory to visual cortex? What are the anatomical constraints of auditory information in V1, for example, periphery versus fovea, superficial versus deep cortical layers? Is there a putative neural mechanism we can infer from human neuroimaging data and recent theoretical accounts of cortex? We also present data showing we can read out high-level auditory information from the activation patterns of early visual cortex even when visual cortex receives simple visual stimulation, suggesting independent channels for visual and auditory signals in V1. We speculate which cellular mechanisms allow V1 to be contextually modulated by auditory input to facilitate perception, cognition and behaviour. Beyond cortical feedback that facilitates perception, we argue that there is also feedback serving counterfactual processing during imagery, dreaming and mind wandering, which is not relevant for immediate perception but for behaviour and cognition over a longer time frame.This article is part of the themed issue 'Auditory and visual scene analysis'. © 2017 The Authors.
Sonographic Diagnosis of Tubal Cancer with IOTA Simple Rules Plus Pattern Recognition

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Tongsong, Theera; Wanapirak, Chanane; Tantipalakorn, Charuwan; Tinnangwattana, Dangcheewan

2017-11-26

Objective: To evaluate diagnostic performance of IOTA simple rules plus pattern recognition in predicting tubal cancer. Methods: Secondary analysis was performed on prospective database of our IOTA project. The patients recruited in the project were those who were scheduled for pelvic surgery due to adnexal masses. The patients underwent ultrasound examinations within 24 hours before surgery. On ultrasound examination, the masses were evaluated using the well-established IOTA simple rules plus pattern recognition (sausage-shaped appearance, incomplete septum, visible ipsilateral ovaries) to predict tubal cancer. The gold standard diagnosis was based on histological findings or operative findings. Results: A total of 482 patients, including 15 cases of tubal cancer, were evaluated by ultrasound preoperatively. The IOTA simple rules plus pattern recognition gave a sensitivity of 86.7% (13 in 15) and specificity of 97.4%. Sausage-shaped appearance was identified in nearly all cases (14 in 15). Incomplete septa and normal ovaries could be identified in 33.3% and 40%, respectively. Conclusion: IOTA simple rules plus pattern recognition is relatively effective in predicting tubal cancer. Thus, we propose the simple scheme in diagnosis of tubal cancer as follows. First of all, the adnexal masses are evaluated with IOTA simple rules. If the B-rules could be applied, tubal cancer is reliably excluded. If the M-rules could be applied or the result is inconclusive, careful delineation of the mass with pattern recognition should be performed. Creative Commons Attribution License
Rendering visual events as sounds: Spatial attention capture by auditory augmented reality.

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Stone, Scott A; Tata, Matthew S

2017-01-01

Many salient visual events tend to coincide with auditory events, such as seeing and hearing a car pass by. Information from the visual and auditory senses can be used to create a stable percept of the stimulus. Having access to related coincident visual and auditory information can help for spatial tasks such as localization. However not all visual information has analogous auditory percepts, such as viewing a computer monitor. Here, we describe a system capable of detecting and augmenting visual salient events into localizable auditory events. The system uses a neuromorphic camera (DAVIS 240B) to detect logarithmic changes of brightness intensity in the scene, which can be interpreted as salient visual events. Participants were blindfolded and asked to use the device to detect new objects in the scene, as well as determine direction of motion for a moving visual object. Results suggest the system is robust enough to allow for the simple detection of new salient stimuli, as well accurately encoding direction of visual motion. Future successes are probable as neuromorphic devices are likely to become faster and smaller in the future, making this system much more feasible.
Rendering visual events as sounds: Spatial attention capture by auditory augmented reality.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott A Stone

Full Text Available Many salient visual events tend to coincide with auditory events, such as seeing and hearing a car pass by. Information from the visual and auditory senses can be used to create a stable percept of the stimulus. Having access to related coincident visual and auditory information can help for spatial tasks such as localization. However not all visual information has analogous auditory percepts, such as viewing a computer monitor. Here, we describe a system capable of detecting and augmenting visual salient events into localizable auditory events. The system uses a neuromorphic camera (DAVIS 240B to detect logarithmic changes of brightness intensity in the scene, which can be interpreted as salient visual events. Participants were blindfolded and asked to use the device to detect new objects in the scene, as well as determine direction of motion for a moving visual object. Results suggest the system is robust enough to allow for the simple detection of new salient stimuli, as well accurately encoding direction of visual motion. Future successes are probable as neuromorphic devices are likely to become faster and smaller in the future, making this system much more feasible.
Visualization of a City Sustainability Index (CSI: Towards Transdisciplinary Approaches Involving Multiple Stakeholders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koichiro Mori

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We have developed a visualized 3-D model of a City Sustainability Index (CSI based on our original concept of city sustainability in which a sustainable city is defined as one that maximizes socio-economic benefits while meeting constraint conditions of the environment and socio-economic equity on a permanent basis. The CSI is based on constraint and maximization indicators. Constraint indicators assess whether a city meets the necessary minimum conditions for city sustainability. Maximization indicators measure the benefits that a city generates in socio-economic aspects. When used in the policy-making process, the choice of constraint indicators should be implemented using a top-down approach. In contrast, a bottom-up approach is more suitable for defining maximization indicators because this technique involves multiple stakeholders (in a transdisciplinary approach. Using different materials of various colors, shapes, sizes, we designed and constructed the visualized physical model of the CSI to help people evaluate and compare the performance of different cities in terms of sustainability. The visualized model of the CSI can convey complicated information in a simple and straightforward manner to diverse stakeholders so that the sustainability analysis can be understood intuitively by ordinary citizens as well as experts. Thus, the CSI model helps stakeholders to develop critical thinking about city sustainability and enables policymakers to make informed decisions for sustainability through a transdisciplinary approach.
Simple user’s guide on roof support installation and evaluation.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van der Merwe, JN

1998-11-01

Full Text Available stream_source_info col504.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 129313 Content-Encoding UTF-8 stream_name col504.pdf.txt Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 1 FINAL REPORT SIMRAC COL504 : SIMPLE USER’S... South African Roof Conditions................................8 2.1 Sandstone roof..............................................................................................9 2.2 Thin Coal Layer...
Engineering visualization utilizing advanced animation

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Sabionski, Gunter R.; Robinson, Thomas L., Jr.

1989-01-01

Engineering visualization is the use of computer graphics to depict engineering analysis and simulation in visual form from project planning through documentation. Graphics displays let engineers see data represented dynamically which permits the quick evaluation of results. The current state of graphics hardware and software generally allows the creation of two types of 3D graphics. The use of animated video as an engineering visualization tool is presented. The engineering, animation, and videography aspects of animated video production are each discussed. Specific issues include the integration of staffing expertise, hardware, software, and the various production processes. A detailed explanation of the animation process reveals the capabilities of this unique engineering visualization method. Automation of animation and video production processes are covered and future directions are proposed.
Pattern visual evoked potentials in malingering.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, A; Akio, T; Matsuda, E; Wakami, Y

2001-03-01

We previously developed a new method for estimating objective visual acuity by means of pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP). In this study, this method was applied to the diagnosis of malingering. Six patients ranging in age from 40 to 54 years (mean 47 years) with suspected malingering were evaluated by means of the visual evoked potential test, optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) inhibition test, and the visual field test. In the PVEP study, the stimulus consisted of black and white checkerboards (39', 26', 15', and 9') with a visual angle of 8 degrees, contrast level of 15%, and a frequency of 0.7 Hz. One hundred PVEP responses were averaged per session. Routine ophthalmic examinations were normal in all patients. Five patients had a tubularly constricted visual field, and the remaining patient had a normal visual field. The objective visual acuities of the six patients estimated from PVEP were better than their subjective visual acuities estimated with Landolt rings. Among a variety of psychophysical and electrophysiologic ancillary tests, we consider our PVEP method a useful method for objectively determining visual acuity in a patient with signs of ocular malingering.
Visual function of cataract with high myopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian-Tao Ren

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Cataract with high myopia is research priority associated with the large amount of high myopia patients. The unaided visual acuity and the best-corrected visual acuity are partial for the visual acuity of the patients with cataract. The mechanism and clinical significance of modern visual function measurements associated with cataract and high myopia, including accommodation and convergence, stereoscopic vision, contrast sensitivity, have been introduced. These measurements could be of great value in early diagnosis of cataract, assessment of surgical indication, customized intraocular lens(IOLselection and evaluation of visual performance after IOL implantation. They could also be helpful to the analysis of postoperative impaired visual function and its management. Having an adequate understanding of the contents and significance of visual function was helpful to the improvement of cataract surgery techniques and postoperative visual acuity.

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