Experience-dependent plasticity from eye opening enables lasting, visual cortex-dependent enhancement of motion vision.

Science.gov (United States)

Prusky, Glen T; Silver, Byron D; Tschetter, Wayne W; Alam, Nazia M; Douglas, Robert M

2008-09-24

Developmentally regulated plasticity of vision has generally been associated with "sensitive" or "critical" periods in juvenile life, wherein visual deprivation leads to loss of visual function. Here we report an enabling form of visual plasticity that commences in infant rats from eye opening, in which daily threshold testing of optokinetic tracking, amid otherwise normal visual experience, stimulates enduring, visual cortex-dependent enhancement (>60%) of the spatial frequency threshold for tracking. The perceptual ability to use spatial frequency in discriminating between moving visual stimuli is also improved by the testing experience. The capacity for inducing enhancement is transitory and effectively limited to infancy; however, enhanced responses are not consolidated and maintained unless in-kind testing experience continues uninterrupted into juvenile life. The data show that selective visual experience from infancy can alone enable visual function. They also indicate that plasticity associated with visual deprivation may not be the only cause of developmental visual dysfunction, because we found that experientially inducing enhancement in late infancy, without subsequent reinforcement of the experience in early juvenile life, can lead to enduring loss of function.

Wearing weighted backpack dilates subjective visual duration: The role of functional linkage between weight experience and visual timing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lina eJia

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Bodily state plays a critical role in our perception. In the present study, we asked the question whether and how bodily experience of weights influences time perception. Participants judged durations of a picture (a backpack or a trolley bag presented on the screen, while wearing different weight backpacks or without backpack. The results showed that the subjective dura-tion of the backpack picture was dilated when participants wore a medium weighted backpack relative to an empty backpack or without backpack, regardless of identity (e.g., color of the visual backpack. However, the duration dilation was not manifested for the picture of trolley bag. These findings suggest that weight experience modulates visual duration estimation through the linkage between the wore backpack and to-be-estimated visual target. The con-gruent action affordance between the wore backpack and visual inputs plays a critical role in the functional linkage between inner experience and time perception. We interpreted our findings within the framework of embodied time perception.

Visual signal quality assessment quality of experience (QOE)

CERN Document Server

Ma, Lin; Lin, Weisi; Ngan, King

2015-01-01

This book provides comprehensive coverage of the latest trends/advances in subjective and objective quality evaluation for traditional visual signals, such as 2D images and video, as well as the most recent challenges for the field of multimedia quality assessment and processing, such as mobile video and social media. Readers will learn how to ensure the highest storage/delivery/ transmission quality of visual content (including image, video, graphics, animation, etc.) from the server to the consumer, under resource constraints, such as computation, bandwidth, storage space, battery life, etc.    Provides an overview of quality assessment for traditional visual signals; Covers newly emerged visual signals such as social media, 3D image/video, mobile video, high dynamic range (HDR) images, graphics/animation, etc., which demand better quality of experience (QoE); Helps readers to develop better quality metrics and processing methods for newly emerged visual signals; Enables testing, optimizing, benchmarking...

Cortical activation during Braille reading is influenced by early visual experience in subjects with severe visual disability: a correlational fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Melzer, P; Morgan, V L; Pickens, D R; Price, R R; Wall, R S; Ebner, F F

2001-11-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed on blind adults resting and reading Braille. The strongest activation was found in primary somatic sensory/motor cortex on both cortical hemispheres. Additional foci of activation were situated in the parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes where visual information is processed in sighted persons. The regions were differentiated most in the correlation of their time courses of activation with resting and reading. Differences in magnitude and expanse of activation were substantially less significant. Among the traditionally visual areas, the strength of correlation was greatest in posterior parietal cortex and moderate in occipitotemporal, lateral occipital, and primary visual cortex. It was low in secondary visual cortex as well as in dorsal and ventral inferior temporal cortex and posterior middle temporal cortex. Visual experience increased the strength of correlation in all regions except dorsal inferior temporal and posterior parietal cortex. The greatest statistically significant increase, i.e., approximately 30%, was in ventral inferior temporal and posterior middle temporal cortex. In these regions, words are analyzed semantically, which may be facilitated by visual experience. In contrast, visual experience resulted in a slight, insignificant diminution of the strength of correlation in dorsal inferior temporal cortex where language is analyzed phonetically. These findings affirm that posterior temporal regions are engaged in the processing of written language. Moreover, they suggest that this function is modified by early visual experience. Furthermore, visual experience significantly strengthened the correlation of activation and Braille reading in occipital regions traditionally involved in the processing of visual features and object recognition suggesting a role for visual imagery. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Audio-visual interactions uniquely contribute to resolution of visual conflict in people possessing absolute pitch.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sujin Kim

Full Text Available Individuals possessing absolute pitch (AP are able to identify a given musical tone or to reproduce it without reference to another tone. The present study sought to learn whether this exceptional auditory ability impacts visual perception under stimulus conditions that provoke visual competition in the form of binocular rivalry. Nineteen adult participants with 3-19 years of musical training were divided into two groups according to their performance on a task involving identification of the specific note associated with hearing a given musical pitch. During test trials lasting just over half a minute, participants dichoptically viewed a scrolling musical score presented to one eye and a drifting sinusoidal grating presented to the other eye; throughout the trial they pressed buttons to track the alternations in visual awareness produced by these dissimilar monocular stimuli. On "pitch-congruent" trials, participants heard an auditory melody that was congruent in pitch with the visual score, on "pitch-incongruent" trials they heard a transposed auditory melody that was congruent with the score in melody but not in pitch, and on "melody-incongruent" trials they heard an auditory melody completely different from the visual score. For both groups, the visual musical scores predominated over the gratings when the auditory melody was congruent compared to when it was incongruent. Moreover, the AP participants experienced greater predominance of the visual score when it was accompanied by the pitch-congruent melody compared to the same melody transposed in pitch; for non-AP musicians, pitch-congruent and pitch-incongruent trials yielded equivalent predominance. Analysis of individual durations of dominance revealed differential effects on dominance and suppression durations for AP and non-AP participants. These results reveal that AP is accompanied by a robust form of bisensory interaction between tonal frequencies and musical notation that boosts

Trellis plots as visual aids for analyzing split plot experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kulahci, Murat; Menon, Anil

2017-01-01

The analysis of split plot experiments can be challenging due to a complicated error structure resulting from restrictions on complete randomization. Similarly, standard visualization methods do not provide the insight practitioners desire to understand the data, think of explanations, generate...... hypotheses, build models, or decide on next steps. This article demonstrates the effective use of trellis plots in the preliminary data analysis for split plot experiments to address this problem. Trellis displays help to visualize multivariate data by allowing for conditioning in a general way. They can...

Absence of visual experience modifies the neural basis of numerical thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanjlia, Shipra; Lane, Connor; Feigenson, Lisa; Bedny, Marina

2016-10-04

In humans, the ability to reason about mathematical quantities depends on a frontoparietal network that includes the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). How do nature and nurture give rise to the neurobiology of numerical cognition? We asked how visual experience shapes the neural basis of numerical thinking by studying numerical cognition in congenitally blind individuals. Blind (n = 17) and blindfolded sighted (n = 19) participants solved math equations that varied in difficulty (e.g., 27 - 12 = x vs. 7 - 2 = x), and performed a control sentence comprehension task while undergoing fMRI. Whole-cortex analyses revealed that in both blind and sighted participants, the IPS and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices were more active during the math task than the language task, and activity in the IPS increased parametrically with equation difficulty. Thus, the classic frontoparietal number network is preserved in the total absence of visual experience. However, surprisingly, blind but not sighted individuals additionally recruited a subset of early visual areas during symbolic math calculation. The functional profile of these "visual" regions was identical to that of the IPS in blind but not sighted individuals. Furthermore, in blindness, number-responsive visual cortices exhibited increased functional connectivity with prefrontal and IPS regions that process numbers. We conclude that the frontoparietal number network develops independently of visual experience. In blindness, this number network colonizes parts of deafferented visual cortex. These results suggest that human cortex is highly functionally flexible early in life, and point to frontoparietal input as a mechanism of cross-modal plasticity in blindness.

How stimuli presentation format affects visual attention and choice outcomes in choice experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orquin, Jacob Lund; Mueller Loose, Simone

This study analyses visual attention and part-worth utilities in choice experiments across three different choice stimuli presentation formats. Visual attention and choice behaviour in discrete choice experiments are found to be strongly affected by stimuli presentation format. These results...

Experience-independent development of the hamster circadian visual system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

August Kampf-Lassin

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Experience-dependent functional plasticity is a hallmark of the primary visual system, but it is not known if analogous mechanisms govern development of the circadian visual system. Here we investigated molecular, anatomical, and behavioral consequences of complete monocular light deprivation during extended intervals of postnatal development in Syrian hamsters. Hamsters were raised in constant darkness and opaque contact lenses were applied shortly after eye opening and prior to the introduction of a light-dark cycle. In adulthood, previously-occluded eyes were challenged with visual stimuli. Whereas image-formation and motion-detection were markedly impaired by monocular occlusion, neither entrainment to a light-dark cycle, nor phase-resetting responses to shifts in the light-dark cycle were affected by prior monocular deprivation. Cholera toxin-b subunit fluorescent tract-tracing revealed that in monocularly-deprived hamsters the density of fibers projecting from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN was comparable regardless of whether such fibers originated from occluded or exposed eyes. In addition, long-term monocular deprivation did not attenuate light-induced c-Fos expression in the SCN. Thus, in contrast to the thalamocortical projections of the primary visual system, retinohypothalamic projections terminating in the SCN develop into normal adult patterns and mediate circadian responses to light largely independent of light experience during development. The data identify a categorical difference in the requirement for light input during postnatal development between circadian and non-circadian visual systems.

The Fungible Audio-Visual Mapping and its Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Sa

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article draws a perceptual approach to audio-visual mapping. Clearly perceivable cause and effect relationships can be problematic if one desires the audience to experience the music. Indeed perception would bias those sonic qualities that fit previous concepts of causation, subordinating other sonic qualities, which may form the relations between the sounds themselves. The question is, how can an audio-visual mapping produce a sense of causation, and simultaneously confound the actual cause-effect relationships. We call this a fungible audio-visual mapping. Our aim here is to glean its constitution and aspect. We will report a study, which draws upon methods from experimental psychology to inform audio-visual instrument design and composition. The participants are shown several audio-visual mapping prototypes, after which we pose quantitative and qualitative questions regarding their sense of causation, and their sense of understanding the cause-effect relationships. The study shows that a fungible mapping requires both synchronized and seemingly non-related components – sufficient complexity to be confusing. As the specific cause-effect concepts remain inconclusive, the sense of causation embraces the whole. 

Sensory experience modifies feature map relationships in visual cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Cloherty, Shaun L; Hughes, Nicholas J; Hietanen, Markus A; Bhagavatula, Partha S

2016-01-01

The extent to which brain structure is influenced by sensory input during development is a critical but controversial question. A paradigmatic system for studying this is the mammalian visual cortex. Maps of orientation preference (OP) and ocular dominance (OD) in the primary visual cortex of ferrets, cats and monkeys can be individually changed by altered visual input. However, the spatial relationship between OP and OD maps has appeared immutable. Using a computational model we predicted that biasing the visual input to orthogonal orientation in the two eyes should cause a shift of OP pinwheels towards the border of OD columns. We then confirmed this prediction by rearing cats wearing orthogonally oriented cylindrical lenses over each eye. Thus, the spatial relationship between OP and OD maps can be modified by visual experience, revealing a previously unknown degree of brain plasticity in response to sensory input. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13911.001 PMID:27310531

[Nursing Experience of Using Mirror Visual Feedback for a Schizophrenia Patient With Visual Hallucinations].

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Shu-Ling; Chen, Yu-Chi; Chang, Hsiu-Ju

2018-06-01

The aim of this paper was to describe the nursing application of mirror visual feedback in a patient suffering from long-term visual hallucinations. The intervention period was from May 15th to October 19th, 2015. Using the five facets of psychiatric nursing assessment, several health problems were observed, including disturbed sensory perceptions (prominent visual hallucinations) and poor self-care (e.g. limited abilities to self-bathe and put on clothing). Furthermore, "caregiver role strain" due to the related intense care burden was noted. After building up a therapeutic interpersonal relationship, the technique of brain plasticity and mirror visual feedback were performed using multiple nursing care methods in order to help the patient suppress her visual hallucinations by enhancing a different visual stimulus. We also taught her how to cope with visual hallucinations in a proper manner. The frequency and content of visual hallucinations were recorded to evaluate the effects of management. The therapeutic plan was formulated together with the patient in order to boost her self-confidence, and a behavior contract was implemented in order to improve her personal hygiene. In addition, psychoeducation on disease-related topics was provided to the patient's family, and they were encouraged to attend relevant therapeutic activities. As a result, her family became less passive and negative and more engaged in and positive about her future. The crisis of "caregiver role strain" was successfully resolved. The current experience is hoped to serve as a model for enhancing communication and cooperation between family and staff in similar medical settings.

Active listening impairs visual perception and selectivity: an ERP study of auditory dual-task costs on visual attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Gherri, Elena; Eimer, Martin

2011-04-01

The ability to drive safely is disrupted by cell phone conversations, and this has been attributed to a diversion of attention from the visual environment. We employed behavioral and ERP measures to study whether the attentive processing of spoken messages is, in itself, sufficient to produce visual-attentional deficits. Participants searched for visual targets defined by a unique feature (Experiment 1) or feature conjunction (Experiment 2), and simultaneously listened to narrated text passages that had to be recalled later (encoding condition), or heard backward-played speech sounds that could be ignored (control condition). Responses to targets were slower in the encoding condition, and ERPs revealed that the visual processing of search arrays and the attentional selection of target stimuli were less efficient in the encoding relative to the control condition. Results demonstrate that the attentional processing of visual information is impaired when concurrent spoken messages are encoded and maintained, in line with cross-modal links in selective attention, but inconsistent with the view that attentional resources are modality-specific. The distraction of visual attention by active listening could contribute to the adverse effects of cell phone use on driving performance.

Investigating the Experiences of Special School Visual Arts ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper reports on a recent hermeneutic phenomenological study aimed at understanding the experiences of special school teachers in Hong Kong, and specifically visual arts teachers tasked with teaching students with intellectual disabilities. Illustrating the use of a phenomenological research method, the paper ...

Advocating for a Population-Specific Health Literacy for People With Visual Impairments.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Tracie; Lazard, Allison

2015-01-01

Health literacy, the ability to access, process, and understand health information, is enhanced by the visual senses among people who are typically sighted. Emotions, meaning, speed of knowledge transfer, level of attention, and degree of relevance are all manipulated by the visual design of health information when people can see. When consumers of health information are blind or visually impaired, they access, process, and understand their health information in a multitude of methods using a variety of accommodations depending upon their severity and type of impairment. They are taught, or they learn how, to accommodate their differences by using alternative sensory experiences and interpretations. In this article, we argue that due to the unique and powerful aspects of visual learning and due to the differences in knowledge creation when people are not visually oriented, health literacy must be considered a unique construct for people with visual impairment, which requires a distinctive theoretical basis for determining the impact of their mind-constructed representations of health.

Predictors of the long-term retention of a unique experience in young children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wessel, Ineke; Jansen, Josephien; Lammertink, Sophie; Nanninga, Eline

2016-01-01

We explored the predictive value of age, language ability and rehearsal for performance on various indices of long-term (episodic) memory in early childhood. Preschoolers engaged in a unique treasure-hunt experience. One year later, we tested recall, pictorial recognition and temporal ordering of

Visual Neuroscience: Unique Neural System for Flight Stabilization in Hummingbirds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibbotson, M R

2017-01-23

The pretectal visual motion processing area in the hummingbird brain is unlike that in other birds: instead of emphasizing detection of horizontal movements, it codes for motion in all directions through 360°, possibly offering precise visual stability control during hovering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visual expression of the experiences of restrictive eating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mark, Edith; Delmar, Charlotte

Background of the research: Visual methods are used in nursing research. These methods include media such as film, video, still images, material artifacts and drawing. The current study is a PhD project, dealing with children's experiences of eating restrictively (diabetes or obesity). Visual...... of reflection work. Children often end their drawing and throw the drawing work, because they have gained the insight that they were looking for. This insight can be shared and used in conversation with children who have difficulties in finding verbal expression. The drawing creates a passable path...... methods were used as a complement to qualitative research methods (e.g., interviews) in an effort to explore and identify children's perceptions of life situation. Purpose for the presentation: Presenting the use of visual methods as a research tool in the phenomenological nursing research...

Alpbach Summer School - a unique learning experience

Science.gov (United States)

Kern, K.; Aulinas, J.; Clifford, D.; Krejci, D.; Topham, R.

2011-12-01

The Alpbach Summer School is a ten-day program that provides a unique opportunity for young european science and engineering students, both undergraduate and graduate, to learn how to approach the entire design process of a space mission. The theme of the 2010 Summer School was "New Space Missions to Understand Climate Change", a current, challenging, very broad and complex topic. The program was established more than 35 years ago and is organised in two interrelated parts: a series of lectures held by renowned experts in the field (in the case of this specific year, climate change and space engineering experts) that provides a technical and scientific background for the workshops that follow, the core of the Summer School. For the workshops the students are split into four international, interdisciplinary teams of about 15 students. In 2010 every team had to complete a number of tasks, four in total: (1) identify climate change research gaps and design a space mission that has not yet been flown or proposed, (2) define the science objectives and requirements of the mission, (3) design a spacecraft that meets the mission requirements, which includes spacecraft design and construction, payload definition, orbit calculations, but also the satellite launch, operation and mission costs and (4) write up a short mission proposal and present the results to an expert review panel. Achieving these tasks in only a few days in a multicultural, interdisciplinary team represents a major challenge for all participants and provides an excellent practical learning experience. Over the course of the program, students do not just learn facts about climate change and space engineering, but scientists also learn from engineers and engineers from scientists. The participants have to deepen their knowledge in an often unfamiliar field, develop organisational and team-work skills and work under pressure. Moreover, teams are supported by team and roving tutors and get the opportunity to

The impact of presentation format on visual attention and choice in discrete choice experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mueller Loose, Simone; Orquin, Jacob Lund

in the product mock-up presentation required significantly fewer fixations and less decision time, and more within-alternative transitions were observed compared to the verbal and visual presentation formats. Attributes presented visually or at larger size had a higher impact on participants’ choices......Objectives. Discrete choice experiments in which participants choose between alternatives differing on attribute levels are an important research method for preference elicitation. In such experiments choice stimuli is typically presented in tables with verbally described attributes, in tables...... with visual attributes, or as product mock-ups simulating realistic products as close as possible. So far little is known about how presentation formats affect visual attention patterns and choice behavior. This study addresses the question by analysing visual attention and part-worth utilities in choice...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-03-20

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

Building effective learning experiences around visualizations: NASA Eyes on the Solar System and Infiniscope

Science.gov (United States)

Tamer, A. J. J.; Anbar, A. D.; Elkins-Tanton, L. T.; Klug Boonstra, S.; Mead, C.; Swann, J. L.; Hunsley, D.

2017-12-01

Advances in scientific visualization and public access to data have transformed science outreach and communication, but have yet to realize their potential impacts in the realm of education. Computer-based learning is a clear bridge between visualization and education, but creating high-quality learning experiences that leverage existing visualizations requires close partnerships among scientists, technologists, and educators. The Infiniscope project is working to foster such partnerships in order to produce exploration-driven learning experiences around NASA SMD data and images, leveraging the principles of ETX (Education Through eXploration). The visualizations inspire curiosity, while the learning design promotes improved reasoning skills and increases understanding of space science concepts. Infiniscope includes both a web portal to host these digital learning experiences, as well as a teaching network of educators using and modifying these experiences. Our initial efforts to enable student discovery through active exploration of the concepts associated with Small Worlds, Kepler's Laws, and Exoplanets led us to develop our own visualizations at Arizona State University. Other projects focused on Astrobiology and Mars geology led us to incorporate an immersive Virtual Field Trip platform into the Infiniscope portal in support of virtual exploration of scientifically significant locations. Looking to apply ETX design practices with other visualizations, our team at Arizona State partnered with the Jet Propulsion Lab to integrate the web-based version of NASA Eyes on the Eclipse within Smart Sparrow's digital learning platform in a proof-of-concept focused on the 2017 Eclipse. This goes a step beyond the standard features of "Eyes" by wrapping guided exploration, focused on a specific learning goal into standards-aligned lesson built around the visualization, as well as its distribution through Infiniscope and it's digital teaching network. Experience from this

Video game experience and its influence on visual attention parameters: an investigation using the framework of the Theory of Visual Attention (TVA).

Science.gov (United States)

Schubert, Torsten; Finke, Kathrin; Redel, Petra; Kluckow, Steffen; Müller, Hermann; Strobach, Tilo

2015-05-01

Experts with video game experience, in contrast to non-experienced persons, are superior in multiple domains of visual attention. However, it is an open question which basic aspects of attention underlie this superiority. We approached this question using the framework of Theory of Visual Attention (TVA) with tools that allowed us to assess various parameters that are related to different visual attention aspects (e.g., perception threshold, processing speed, visual short-term memory storage capacity, top-down control, spatial distribution of attention) and that are measurable on the same experimental basis. In Experiment 1, we found advantages of video game experts in perception threshold and visual processing speed; the latter being restricted to the lower positions of the used computer display. The observed advantages were not significantly moderated by general person-related characteristics such as personality traits, sensation seeking, intelligence, social anxiety, or health status. Experiment 2 tested a potential causal link between the expert advantages and video game practice with an intervention protocol. It found no effects of action video gaming on perception threshold, visual short-term memory storage capacity, iconic memory storage, top-down control, and spatial distribution of attention after 15 days of training. However, observations of a selected improvement of processing speed at the lower positions of the computer screen after video game training and of retest effects are suggestive for limited possibilities to improve basic aspects of visual attention (TVA) with practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experiences of Visually Impaired Students in Community College Math Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Swan, S. Tomeka

Blind and visually impaired students who attend community colleges face challenges in learning mathematics (Forrest, 2010). Scoy, McLaughlin, Walls, and Zuppuhaur (2006) claim these students are at a disadvantage in studying mathematics due to the visual and interactive nature of the subject, and by the way mathematics is taught. In this qualitative study six blind and visually impaired students attended three community colleges in one Mid-Atlantic state. They shared their experiences inside the mathematics classroom. Five of the students were enrolled in developmental level math, and one student was enrolled in college level math. The conceptual framework used to explore how blind and visually impaired students persist and succeed in math courses was Piaget's theory on constructivism. The data from this qualitative study was obtained through personal interviews. Based on the findings of this study, blind and visually impaired students need the following accommodations in order to succeed in community college math courses: Accommodating instructors who help to keep blind and visually impaired students motivated and facilitate their academic progress towards math completion, tutorial support, assistive technology, and a positive and inclusive learning environment.

Reading in the dark: neural correlates and cross-modal plasticity for learning to read entire words without visual experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Sigalov, Nadine; Maidenbaum, Shachar; Amedi, Amir

2016-03-01

Cognitive neuroscience has long attempted to determine the ways in which cortical selectivity develops, and the impact of nature vs. nurture on it. Congenital blindness (CB) offers a unique opportunity to test this question as the brains of blind individuals develop without visual experience. Here we approach this question through the reading network. Several areas in the visual cortex have been implicated as part of the reading network, and one of the main ones among them is the VWFA, which is selective to the form of letters and words. But what happens in the CB brain? On the one hand, it has been shown that cross-modal plasticity leads to the recruitment of occipital areas, including the VWFA, for linguistic tasks. On the other hand, we have recently demonstrated VWFA activity for letters in contrast to other visual categories when the information is provided via other senses such as touch or audition. Which of these tasks is more dominant? By which mechanism does the CB brain process reading? Using fMRI and visual-to-auditory sensory substitution which transfers the topographical features of the letters we compare reading with semantic and scrambled conditions in a group of CB. We found activation in early auditory and visual cortices during the early processing phase (letter), while the later phase (word) showed VWFA and bilateral dorsal-intraparietal activations for words. This further supports the notion that many visual regions in general, even early visual areas, also maintain a predilection for task processing even when the modality is variable and in spite of putative lifelong linguistic cross-modal plasticity. Furthermore, we find that the VWFA is recruited preferentially for letter and word form, while it was not recruited, and even exhibited deactivation, for an immediately subsequent semantic task suggesting that despite only short sensory substitution experience orthographic task processing can dominate semantic processing in the VWFA. On a wider

The impact of presentation format on visual attention and choice in discrete choice experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mueller Loose, Simone; Orquin, Jacob Lund

with visual attributes, or as product mock-ups simulating realistic products as close as possible. So far little is known about how presentation formats affect visual attention patterns and choice behavior. This study addresses the question by analysing visual attention and part-worth utilities in choice...... experiments across three different presentation formats. Method. Participants’ visual attention was measured by means of eye tracking during a discrete choice experiment for yoghurt products varying on six attributes with two to four levels. The study used a mixed within-between subjects design in which...... the presentation format varied between a verbal information table, a table with visual attributes levels and a realistic product mock-up presentation. Results. A strong relationship between attention and choice was observed so that attributes with a higher importance for participant choices also received a higher...

Investigation of unique hue setting changes with ageing

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Chenyang Fu; Kaida Xiao; Dimosthenis Karatzas; Sophie Wuerger

2011-01-01

Clromatic sensitivity along the protan, deutan, and tritan lines and the loci of the unique hues (red, green,yellow, blue) for a very large sample (n = 185) of colour-normal observers ranging from 18 to 75 years of age are assessed. Visual judgments are obtained under normal viewing conditions using colour patches on self-luminous display under controlled adaptation conditions. Trivector discrimination thresholds show an increase as a function of age along the protan, deutan, and tritan axes, with the largest increase present along the tritan line, less pronounced shifts in unique hue settings are also observed. Based on the chromatic (protan, deutan, tritan) thresholds and using scaled cone signals, we predict the unique hue changes with ageing. A dependency on age for unique red and unique yellow for predicted hue angle is found. We conclude that the chromatic sensitivity deteriorates significantly with age, whereas the appearance of unique hues is much less affected, remaining almost constant despite the known changes in the ocular media.%@@ Clromatic sensitivity along the protan, deutan, and tritan lines and the loci of the unique hues (red, green,yellow, blue) for a very large sample (n ＝ 185) of colour-normal observers ranging from 18 to 75 years of age are assessed.Visual judgments are obtained under normal viewing conditions using colour patches on self-luminous display under controlled adaptation conditions.Trivector discrimination thresholds show an increase as a function of age along the protan, deutan, and tritan axes, with the largest increase present along the tritan line, less pronounced shifts in unique hue settings are also observed.

Immersive visualization of dynamic CFD model results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comparato, J.R.; Ringel, K.L.; Heath, D.J.

2004-01-01

With immersive visualization the engineer has the means for vividly understanding problem causes and discovering opportunities to improve design. Software can generate an interactive world in which collaborators experience the results of complex mathematical simulations such as computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling. Such software, while providing unique benefits over traditional visualization techniques, presents special development challenges. The visualization of large quantities of data interactively requires both significant computational power and shrewd data management. On the computational front, commodity hardware is outperforming large workstations in graphical quality and frame rates. Also, 64-bit commodity computing shows promise in enabling interactive visualization of large datasets. Initial interactive transient visualization methods and examples are presented, as well as development trends in commodity hardware and clustering. Interactive, immersive visualization relies on relevant data being stored in active memory for fast response to user requests. For large or transient datasets, data management becomes a key issue. Techniques for dynamic data loading and data reduction are presented as means to increase visualization performance. (author)

Macular photostress and visual experience between microscope and intracameral illumination during cataract surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Hyejin; Nam, Dong Heun; Lee, Jong Yeon; Park, Su Jin; Kim, Yu Jeong; Kim, Seong-Woo; Chung, Tae-Young; Inoue, Makoto; Kim, Terry

2018-02-01

To evaluate macular photostress and visual experience between coaxial microscope illumination versus oblique intracameral illumination during cataract surgery. Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, South Korea. Prospective case series. Consecutive patients who had cataract surgery using microscope illumination and intracameral illumination were included. The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire (seeing strong lights, feeling photophobia, feeling startled (fright) when seeing lights, seeing any colors, seeing any instruments or surgical procedures, and estimating intraoperative visual function) designed to describe their cataract surgery experience. The images projected on the retina of the model eye (rear view) with artificial opaque fragments in the anterior chamber during simulating cataract surgery were compared between the 2 illumination types. Sixty patients completed the questionnaire. Scores for strong lights, photophobia, fright, and color perception were significantly higher with microscope illumination than with intracameral illumination (all P microscope illumination (13 [21.7%]). In the rear-view images created in a model eye, only the bright microscope light in the center was seen without any lens image in the microscope illumination. However, in the intracameral illumination, the less bright light from the light pipe in the periphery and the lens fragments were seen more clearly. In a view of the patients' visual experience, oblique intracameral illumination caused less subjective photostress and was preferred over coaxial microscope illumination. Objective findings from the model-eye experiment correlated to the result of visual experience. Copyright © 2018 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In-Situ Visualization Experiments with ParaView Cinema in RAGE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kares, Robert John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-10-15

A previous paper described some numerical experiments performed using the ParaView/Catalyst in-situ visualization infrastructure deployed in the Los Alamos RAGE radiation-hydrodynamics code to produce images from a running large scale 3D ICF simulation. One challenge of the in-situ approach apparent in these experiments was the difficulty of choosing parameters likes isosurface values for the visualizations to be produced from the running simulation without the benefit of prior knowledge of the simulation results and the resultant cost of recomputing in-situ generated images when parameters are chosen suboptimally. A proposed method of addressing this difficulty is to simply render multiple images at runtime with a range of possible parameter values to produce a large database of images and to provide the user with a tool for managing the resulting database of imagery. Recently, ParaView/Catalyst has been extended to include such a capability via the so-called Cinema framework. Here I describe some initial experiments with the first delivery of Cinema and make some recommendations for future extensions of Cinema’s capabilities.

Couple-level Minority Stress: An Examination of Same-sex Couples' Unique Experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, David M; LeBlanc, Allen J; de Vries, Brian; Alston-Stepnitz, Eli; Stephenson, Rob; Woodyatt, Cory

2017-12-01

Social stress resulting from stigma, prejudice, and discrimination-"minority stress"-negatively impacts sexual minority individuals' health and relational well-being. The present study examined how being in a same-sex couple can result in exposure to unique minority stressors not accounted for at the individual level. Relationship timeline interviews were conducted with 120 same-sex couples equally distributed across two study sites (Atlanta and San Francisco), gender (male and female), and relationship duration (at least six months but less than three years, at least three years but less than seven years, and seven or more years). Directed content analyses identified 17 unique couple-level minority stressors experienced within nine distinct social contexts. Analyses also revealed experiences of dyadic minority stress processes (stress discrepancies and stress contagion). These findings can be useful in future efforts to better understand and address the cumulative impact of minority stress on relational well-being and individual health.

Unique Construction and Social Experiences in Residential Remediation Sites - 13423

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Paul; Scarborough, Rebecca [Sevenson Environmental Services, Inc. 2749 Lockport Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14305 (United States)

2013-07-01

Sevenson Environmental Services, Inc., (Sevenson) has performed several radiological remediation projects located in residential urban areas. Over the course of these projects, there has been a wide variety of experiences encountered from construction related issues to unique social situations. Some of the construction related issues included the remediation of interior basements where contaminated material was located under the footers of the structure or was used in the mortar between cinder block or field stone foundations. Other issues included site security, maintaining furnaces or other utilities, underpinning, backfilling and restoration. In addition to the radiological hazards associated with this work there were occupational safety and industrial hygiene issues that had to be addressed to ensure the safety and health of neighboring properties and residents. The unique social situations at these job sites have included arson, theft/stolen property, assault/battery, prostitution, execution of arrest warrants for residents, discovery of drugs and paraphernalia, blood borne pathogens, and unexploded ordnance. Some of these situations have become a sort of comical urban legend throughout the organization. One situation had historical significance, involving the demolition of a house to save a tree older than the Declaration of Independence. All of these projects typically involve the excavation of early 20. century items such as advertisement signs, various old bottles (milk, Listerine, perfume, whisky) and other miscellaneous common trash items. (authors)

Unique Construction and Social Experiences in Residential Remediation Sites - 13423

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Paul; Scarborough, Rebecca

2013-01-01

Sevenson Environmental Services, Inc., (Sevenson) has performed several radiological remediation projects located in residential urban areas. Over the course of these projects, there has been a wide variety of experiences encountered from construction related issues to unique social situations. Some of the construction related issues included the remediation of interior basements where contaminated material was located under the footers of the structure or was used in the mortar between cinder block or field stone foundations. Other issues included site security, maintaining furnaces or other utilities, underpinning, backfilling and restoration. In addition to the radiological hazards associated with this work there were occupational safety and industrial hygiene issues that had to be addressed to ensure the safety and health of neighboring properties and residents. The unique social situations at these job sites have included arson, theft/stolen property, assault/battery, prostitution, execution of arrest warrants for residents, discovery of drugs and paraphernalia, blood borne pathogens, and unexploded ordnance. Some of these situations have become a sort of comical urban legend throughout the organization. One situation had historical significance, involving the demolition of a house to save a tree older than the Declaration of Independence. All of these projects typically involve the excavation of early 20. century items such as advertisement signs, various old bottles (milk, Listerine, perfume, whisky) and other miscellaneous common trash items. (authors)

Conversational Pedagogy: Exploring Interactions between a Teaching Artist and Young Learners during Visual Arts Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Eckhoff, Angela

2013-01-01

In many early childhood classrooms, visual arts experiences occur around a communal arts table. A shared workspace allows for spontaneous conversation and exploration of the art-making process of peers and teachers. In this setting, conversation can play an important role in visual arts experiences as children explore new media, skills, and ideas.…

Segmentation of dance movement: Effects of expertise, visual familiarity, motor experience and music

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bettina E. Bläsing

2015-01-01

Full Text Available According to event segmentation theory, action perception depends on sensory cues and prior knowledge, and the segmentation of observed actions is crucial for understanding and memorizing these actions. While most activities in everyday life are characterized by external goals and interaction with objects or persons, this does not necessarily apply to dance-like actions. We investigated to what extent visual familiarity of the observed movement and accompanying music influence the segmentation of a dance phrase in dancers of different skill level and non-dancers. In Experiment 1, dancers and non-dancers repeatedly watched a video clip showing a dancer performing a choreographed dance phrase and indicated segment boundaries by key press. Dancers generally defined less segment boundaries than non-dancers, specifically in the first trials in which visual familiarity with the phrase was low. Music increased the number of segment boundaries in the non-dancers and decreased it in the dancers. The results suggest that dance expertise reduces the number of perceived segment boundaries in an observed dance phrase, and that the ways visual familiarity and music affect movement segmentation are modulated by dance expertise. In a second experiment, motor experience was added as factor, based on empirical evidence suggesting that action perception is modified by visual and motor expertise in different ways. In Experiment 2, the same task as in Experiment 1 was performed by dance amateurs, and was repeated by the same participants after they had learned to dance the presented dance phrase. Less segment boundaries were defined in the middle trials after participants had learned to dance the phrase, and music reduced the number of segment boundaries before learning. The results suggest that specific motor experience of the observed movement influences its perception and anticipation and makes segmentation broader, but not to the same degree as dance expertise

Tactile Radar: experimenting a computer game with visually disabled.

Science.gov (United States)

Kastrup, Virgínia; Cassinelli, Alvaro; Quérette, Paulo; Bergstrom, Niklas; Sampaio, Eliana

2017-09-18

Visually disabled people increasingly use computers in everyday life, thanks to novel assistive technologies better tailored to their cognitive functioning. Like sighted people, many are interested in computer games - videogames and audio-games. Tactile-games are beginning to emerge. The Tactile Radar is a device through which a visually disabled person is able to detect distal obstacles. In this study, it is connected to a computer running a tactile-game. The game consists in finding and collecting randomly arranged coins in a virtual room. The study was conducted with nine congenital blind people including both sexes, aged 20-64 years old. Complementary methods of first and third person were used: the debriefing interview and the quasi-experimental design. The results indicate that the Tactile Radar is suitable for the creation of computer games specifically tailored for visually disabled people. Furthermore, the device seems capable of eliciting a powerful immersive experience. Methodologically speaking, this research contributes to the consolidation and development of first and third person complementary methods, particularly useful in disabled people research field, including the evaluation by users of the Tactile Radar effectiveness in a virtual reality context. Implications for rehabilitation Despite the growing interest in virtual games for visually disabled people, they still find barriers to access such games. Through the development of assistive technologies such as the Tactile Radar, applied in virtual games, we can create new opportunities for leisure, socialization and education for visually disabled people. The results of our study indicate that the Tactile Radar is adapted to the creation of video games for visually disabled people, providing a playful interaction with the players.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Amalric, Marie; Denghien, Isabelle; Dehaene, Stanislas

2018-04-01

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

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Amalric

2018-04-01

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

Impact of audio-visual storytelling in simulation learning experiences of undergraduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Sandra; Parker, Christina N; Fox, Amanda

2017-09-01

Use of high fidelity simulation has become increasingly popular in nursing education to the extent that it is now an integral component of most nursing programs. Anecdotal evidence suggests that students have difficulty engaging with simulation manikins due to their unrealistic appearance. Introduction of the manikin as a 'real patient' with the use of an audio-visual narrative may engage students in the simulated learning experience and impact on their learning. A paucity of literature currently exists on the use of audio-visual narratives to enhance simulated learning experiences. This study aimed to determine if viewing an audio-visual narrative during a simulation pre-brief altered undergraduate nursing student perceptions of the learning experience. A quasi-experimental post-test design was utilised. A convenience sample of final year baccalaureate nursing students at a large metropolitan university. Participants completed a modified version of the Student Satisfaction with Simulation Experiences survey. This 12-item questionnaire contained questions relating to the ability to transfer skills learned in simulation to the real clinical world, the realism of the simulation and the overall value of the learning experience. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise demographic information. Two tailed, independent group t-tests were used to determine statistical differences within the categories. Findings indicated that students reported high levels of value, realism and transferability in relation to the viewing of an audio-visual narrative. Statistically significant results (t=2.38, psimulation to clinical practice. The subgroups of age and gender although not significant indicated some interesting results. High satisfaction with simulation was indicated by all students in relation to value and realism. There was a significant finding in relation to transferability on knowledge and this is vital to quality educational outcomes. Copyright © 2017. Published by

Intermittently-visual Tracking Experiments Reveal the Roles of Error-correction and Predictive Mechanisms in the Human Visual-motor Control System

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Yoshikatsu; Tamura, Yurie; Sase, Kazuya; Sugawara, Ken; Sawada, Yasuji

Prediction mechanism is necessary for human visual motion to compensate a delay of sensory-motor system. In a previous study, “proactive control” was discussed as one example of predictive function of human beings, in which motion of hands preceded the virtual moving target in visual tracking experiments. To study the roles of the positional-error correction mechanism and the prediction mechanism, we carried out an intermittently-visual tracking experiment where a circular orbit is segmented into the target-visible regions and the target-invisible regions. Main results found in this research were following. A rhythmic component appeared in the tracer velocity when the target velocity was relatively high. The period of the rhythm in the brain obtained from environmental stimuli is shortened more than 10%. The shortening of the period of rhythm in the brain accelerates the hand motion as soon as the visual information is cut-off, and causes the precedence of hand motion to the target motion. Although the precedence of the hand in the blind region is reset by the environmental information when the target enters the visible region, the hand motion precedes the target in average when the predictive mechanism dominates the error-corrective mechanism.

Analysis of experience-regulated transcriptome and imprintome during critical periods of mouse visual system development reveals spatiotemporal dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Chi-Lin; Chou, Chih-Hsuan; Huang, Shih-Chuan; Lin, Chia-Yi; Lin, Meng-Ying; Tung, Chun-Che; Lin, Chun-Yen; Lai, Ivan Pochou; Zou, Yan-Fang; Youngson, Neil A; Lin, Shau-Ping; Yang, Chang-Hao; Chen, Shih-Kuo; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen; Huang, Hsien-Sung

2018-03-15

Visual system development is light-experience dependent, which strongly implicates epigenetic mechanisms in light-regulated maturation. Among many epigenetic processes, genomic imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism through which monoallelic gene expression occurs in a parent-of-origin-specific manner. It is unknown if genomic imprinting contributes to visual system development. We profiled the transcriptome and imprintome during critical periods of mouse visual system development under normal- and dark-rearing conditions using B6/CAST F1 hybrid mice. We identified experience-regulated, isoform-specific and brain-region-specific imprinted genes. We also found imprinted microRNAs were predominantly clustered into the Dlk1-Dio3 imprinted locus with light experience affecting some imprinted miRNA expression. Our findings provide the first comprehensive analysis of light-experience regulation of the transcriptome and imprintome during critical periods of visual system development. Our results may contribute to therapeutic strategies for visual impairments and circadian rhythm disorders resulting from a dysfunctional imprintome.

A Quantitative Analysis of the Work Experiences of Adults with Visual Impairments in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Wolffe, Karen E.; Ajuwon, Paul M.; Kelly, Stacy M.

2013-01-01

Introduction: Worldwide, people with visual impairments often struggle to gain employment. This study attempts to closely evaluate the work experiences of employed individuals with visual impairments living in one of the world's most populous developing nations, Nigeria. Methods: The researchers developed a questionnaire that assessed personal and…

Experiments at Scale with In-Situ Visualization Using ParaView/Catalyst in RAGE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kares, Robert John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2014-10-31

In this paper I describe some numerical experiments performed using the ParaView/Catalyst in-situ visualization infrastructure deployed in the Los Alamos RAGE radiation-hydrodynamics code to produce images from a running large scale 3D ICF simulation on the Cielo supercomputer at Los Alamos. The detailed procedures for the creation of the visualizations using ParaView/Catalyst are discussed and several images sequences from the ICF simulation problem produced with the in-situ method are presented. My impressions and conclusions concerning the use of the in-situ visualization method in RAGE are discussed.

The Role of Visual Working Memory in Attentive Tracking of Unique Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Makovski, Tal; Jiang, Yuhong V.

2009-01-01

When tracking moving objects in space humans usually attend to the objects' spatial locations and update this information over time. To what extent do surface features assist attentive tracking? In this study we asked participants to track identical or uniquely colored objects. Tracking was enhanced when objects were unique in color. The benefit…

Bandpass characteristics of high-frequency sensitivity and visual experience in blindsight

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seifert, Doerthe; Falter, Christine; Strasburger, Hans; Elliott, Mark A.

Patient RP suffers a unilateral right homonymous quadrant anopia but demonstrates better than chance discrimination for Stimuli presented in the blind field at temporal frequencies between 33 and 47 Hz (all significant at p <05, binomial) Examination of her reports of visual experience during

Insensitivity of visual short-term memory to irrelevant visual information.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, Jackie; Kemps, Eva; Werniers, Yves; May, Jon; Szmalec, Arnaud

2002-07-01

Several authors have hypothesized that visuo-spatial working memory is functionally analogous to verbal working memory. Irrelevant background speech impairs verbal short-term memory. We investigated whether irrelevant visual information has an analogous effect on visual short-term memory, using a dynamic visual noise (DVN) technique known to disrupt visual imagery (Quinn & McConnell, 1996b). Experiment I replicated the effect of DVN on pegword imagery. Experiments 2 and 3 showed no effect of DVN on recall of static matrix patterns, despite a significant effect of a concurrent spatial tapping task. Experiment 4 showed no effect of DVN on encoding or maintenance of arrays of matrix patterns, despite testing memory by a recognition procedure to encourage visual rather than spatial processing. Serial position curves showed a one-item recency effect typical of visual short-term memory. Experiment 5 showed no effect of DVN on short-term recognition of Chinese characters, despite effects of visual similarity and a concurrent colour memory task that confirmed visual processing of the characters. We conclude that irrelevant visual noise does not impair visual short-term memory. Visual working memory may not be functionally analogous to verbal working memory, and different cognitive processes may underlie visual short-term memory and visual imagery.

Studi Perancangan Identitas Visual Wilayah Karimunjawa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arif Priyono Susilo Ahmad

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Effective communication is a critical need in our lives. Communication that is not running properly will impede the flow and the system of social activity. Living in a world filled with information needs language as a right marker so that the meaning of a message can be conveyed properly. At such moments, a marker, which also functions as the identity for the people, demands to look unique, creative, communicative, and comprehensible globally, beyond the boundaries of culture and geography. Visual markers of an area are needed so that miscommunication can be reduced. Visual markers were developed in regard to communication strategies within the context of destination branding. Sharp communication strategy would manifest in the form of creative concept, a kind of platform on which to base and the main idea behind the overall design visualization. Manifestation the visual form of logo design, typography, tone color, shapes, graphic elements, mascot, pictograms, wayfinding, posters, merchandise, and so on. The visual identity of the region, in relation to destination branding program, specifically intended for a destination region, will raise the values of locality, the uniqueness, diversity, and distinctiveness of the region. Designing visual identity Karimunjawa region in this case study apply the principles of creativity and uniqueness that is processed into a visual appealing, distinctive, and attractive, yet understated and powerful in raising local elements.   

Neurons Responsive to Global Visual Motion Have Unique Tuning Properties in Hummingbirds.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaede, Andrea H; Goller, Benjamin; Lam, Jessica P M; Wylie, Douglas R; Altshuler, Douglas L

2017-01-23

Neurons in animal visual systems that respond to global optic flow exhibit selectivity for motion direction and/or velocity. The avian lentiformis mesencephali (LM), known in mammals as the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT), is a key nucleus for global motion processing [1-4]. In all animals tested, it has been found that the majority of LM and NOT neurons are tuned to temporo-nasal (back-to-front) motion [4-11]. Moreover, the monocular gain of the optokinetic response is higher in this direction, compared to naso-temporal (front-to-back) motion [12, 13]. Hummingbirds are sensitive to small visual perturbations while hovering, and they drift to compensate for optic flow in all directions [14]. Interestingly, the LM, but not other visual nuclei, is hypertrophied in hummingbirds relative to other birds [15], which suggests enhanced perception of global visual motion. Using extracellular recording techniques, we found that there is a uniform distribution of preferred directions in the LM in Anna's hummingbirds, whereas zebra finch and pigeon LM populations, as in other tetrapods, show a strong bias toward temporo-nasal motion. Furthermore, LM and NOT neurons are generally classified as tuned to "fast" or "slow" motion [10, 16, 17], and we predicted that most neurons would be tuned to slow visual motion as an adaptation for slow hovering. However, we found the opposite result: most hummingbird LM neurons are tuned to fast pattern velocities, compared to zebra finches and pigeons. Collectively, these results suggest a role in rapid responses during hovering, as well as in velocity control and collision avoidance during forward flight of hummingbirds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modernized Approach for Generating Reproducible Heterogeneity Using Transmitted-Light for Flow Visualization Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, A. A.; Holt, R. M.

2017-12-01

Image capturing in flow experiments has been used for fluid mechanics research since the early 1970s. Interactions of fluid flow between the vadose zone and permanent water table are of great interest because this zone is responsible for all recharge waters, pollutant transport and irrigation efficiency for agriculture. Griffith, et al. (2011) developed an approach where constructed reproducible "geologically realistic" sand configurations are deposited in sandfilled experimental chambers for light-transmitted flow visualization experiments. This method creates reproducible, reverse graded, layered (stratified) thin-slab sand chambers for point source experiments visualizing multiphase flow through porous media. Reverse-graded stratification of sand chambers mimic many naturally occurring sedimentary deposits. Sandfilled chambers use light as nonintrusive tools for measuring water saturation in two-dimensions (2-D). Homogeneous and heterogeneous sand configurations can be produced to visualize the complex physics of the unsaturated zone. The experimental procedure developed by Griffith, et al. (2011) was designed using now outdated and obsolete equipment. We have modernized this approach with new Parker Deadel linear actuator and programed projects/code for multiple configurations. We have also updated the Roper CCD software and image processing software with the latest in industry standards. Modernization of transmitted-light source, robotic equipment, redesigned experimental chambers, and newly developed analytical procedures have greatly reduced time and cost per experiment. We have verified the ability of the new equipment to generate reproducible heterogeneous sand-filled chambers and demonstrated the functionality of the new equipment and procedures by reproducing several gravity-driven fingering experiments conducted by Griffith (2008).

The experiences of severely visually impaired students in higher music education

OpenAIRE

Ball, Natalie

2017-01-01

The aim of this research was to investigate the experiences of severely visually impaired students in higher music education. Higher education should be accessible to all and therefore policies must be created and implemented to ensure this. The experiences of students with impairments best show where barriers exist for such students and how they can be removed. This studied is based on the social model of disability and the emancipatory research paradigm which is linked to critical pedagogy....

Braille and Tactile Graphics: Youths with Visual Impairments Share Their Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenblum, L. Penny; Herzberg, Tina S.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Data were collected from youths with visual impairment about their experiences with tactile graphics and braille materials used in mathematics and science classes. Methods: Youths answered questions and explored four tactile graphics made using different production methods. They located specific information on each graphic and shared…

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

NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

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

Augmented Visual Experience of Simulated Solar Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, A. O., IV; Berardino, R. A.; Hahne, D.; Schreurs, B.; Fox, N. J.; Raouafi, N.

2017-12-01

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission will explore the Sun's corona, studying solar wind, flares and coronal mass ejections. The effects of these phenomena can impact the technology that we use in ways that are not readily apparent, including affecting satellite communications and power grids. Determining the structure and dynamics of corona magnetic fields, tracing the flow of energy that heats the corona, and exploring dusty plasma near the Sun to understand its influence on solar wind and energetic particle formation requires a suite of sensors on board the PSP spacecraft that are engineered to observe specific phenomena. Using models of these sensors and simulated observational data, we can visualize what the PSP spacecraft will "see" during its multiple passes around the Sun. Augmented reality (AR) technologies enable convenient user access to massive data sets. We are developing an application that allows users to experience environmental data from the point of view of the PSP spacecraft in AR using the Microsoft HoloLens. Observational data, including imagery, magnetism, temperature, and density are visualized in 4D within the user's immediate environment. Our application provides an educational tool for comprehending the complex relationships of observational data, which aids in our understanding of the Sun.

Playing the electric light orchestra--how electrical stimulation of visual cortex elucidates the neural basis of perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Cicmil, Nela; Krug, Kristine

2015-09-19

Vision research has the potential to reveal fundamental mechanisms underlying sensory experience. Causal experimental approaches, such as electrical microstimulation, provide a unique opportunity to test the direct contributions of visual cortical neurons to perception and behaviour. But in spite of their importance, causal methods constitute a minority of the experiments used to investigate the visual cortex to date. We reconsider the function and organization of visual cortex according to results obtained from stimulation techniques, with a special emphasis on electrical stimulation of small groups of cells in awake subjects who can report their visual experience. We compare findings from humans and monkeys, striate and extrastriate cortex, and superficial versus deep cortical layers, and identify a number of revealing gaps in the 'causal map' of visual cortex. Integrating results from different methods and species, we provide a critical overview of the ways in which causal approaches have been used to further our understanding of circuitry, plasticity and information integration in visual cortex. Electrical stimulation not only elucidates the contributions of different visual areas to perception, but also contributes to our understanding of neuronal mechanisms underlying memory, attention and decision-making.

Playing the electric light orchestra—how electrical stimulation of visual cortex elucidates the neural basis of perception

Science.gov (United States)

Cicmil, Nela; Krug, Kristine

2015-01-01

Vision research has the potential to reveal fundamental mechanisms underlying sensory experience. Causal experimental approaches, such as electrical microstimulation, provide a unique opportunity to test the direct contributions of visual cortical neurons to perception and behaviour. But in spite of their importance, causal methods constitute a minority of the experiments used to investigate the visual cortex to date. We reconsider the function and organization of visual cortex according to results obtained from stimulation techniques, with a special emphasis on electrical stimulation of small groups of cells in awake subjects who can report their visual experience. We compare findings from humans and monkeys, striate and extrastriate cortex, and superficial versus deep cortical layers, and identify a number of revealing gaps in the ‘causal map′ of visual cortex. Integrating results from different methods and species, we provide a critical overview of the ways in which causal approaches have been used to further our understanding of circuitry, plasticity and information integration in visual cortex. Electrical stimulation not only elucidates the contributions of different visual areas to perception, but also contributes to our understanding of neuronal mechanisms underlying memory, attention and decision-making. PMID:26240421

Visual Experience Shapes the Neural Networks Remapping Touch into External Space.

Science.gov (United States)

Crollen, Virginie; Lazzouni, Latifa; Rezk, Mohamed; Bellemare, Antoine; Lepore, Franco; Collignon, Olivier

2017-10-18

Localizing touch relies on the activation of skin-based and externally defined spatial frames of reference. Psychophysical studies have demonstrated that early visual deprivation prevents the automatic remapping of touch into external space. We used fMRI to characterize how visual experience impacts the brain circuits dedicated to the spatial processing of touch. Sighted and congenitally blind humans performed a tactile temporal order judgment (TOJ) task, either with the hands uncrossed or crossed over the body midline. Behavioral data confirmed that crossing the hands has a detrimental effect on TOJ judgments in sighted but not in early blind people. Crucially, the crossed hand posture elicited enhanced activity, when compared with the uncrossed posture, in a frontoparietal network in the sighted group only. Psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed, however, that the congenitally blind showed enhanced functional connectivity between parietal and frontal regions in the crossed versus uncrossed hand postures. Our results demonstrate that visual experience scaffolds the neural implementation of the location of touch in space. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In daily life, we seamlessly localize touch in external space for action planning toward a stimulus making contact with the body. For efficient sensorimotor integration, the brain has therefore to compute the current position of our limbs in the external world. In the present study, we demonstrate that early visual deprivation alters the brain activity in a dorsal parietofrontal network typically supporting touch localization in the sighted. Our results therefore conclusively demonstrate the intrinsic role that developmental vision plays in scaffolding the neural implementation of touch perception. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/3710097-07$15.00/0.

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)

A uniform geometry description for simulation, reconstruction and visualization in the BESIII experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang Yutie [School of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)], E-mail: liangyt@hep.pku.edu.cn; Zhu Bo; You Zhengyun; Liu Kun; Ye Hongxue; Xu Guangming; Wang Siguang [School of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Li Weidong; Liu Huaimin; Mao Zepu [Institute of High Energy Physics, CAS, Beijing 100049 (China); Mao Yajun [School of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2009-05-21

In the BESIII experiment, the simulation, reconstruction and visualization were designed to use the same geometry description in order to ensure the consistency of the geometry for different applications. Geometry Description Markup Language (GDML), an application-independent persistent format for describing the geometries of detectors, was chosen and met our requirement. The detector of BESIII was described with GDML and then used in Geant4-based simulation and ROOT-based reconstruction and visualization.

A uniform geometry description for simulation, reconstruction and visualization in the BESIII experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Yutie; Zhu Bo; You Zhengyun; Liu Kun; Ye Hongxue; Xu Guangming; Wang Siguang; Li Weidong; Liu Huaimin; Mao Zepu; Mao Yajun

2009-01-01

In the BESIII experiment, the simulation, reconstruction and visualization were designed to use the same geometry description in order to ensure the consistency of the geometry for different applications. Geometry Description Markup Language (GDML), an application-independent persistent format for describing the geometries of detectors, was chosen and met our requirement. The detector of BESIII was described with GDML and then used in Geant4-based simulation and ROOT-based reconstruction and visualization.

[Uniqueness seeking behavior as a self-verification: an alternative approach to the study of uniqueness].

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaoka, S

1995-06-01

Uniqueness theory explains that extremely high perceived similarity between self and others evokes negative emotional reactions and causes uniqueness seeking behavior. However, the theory conceptualizes similarity so ambiguously that it appears to suffer from low predictive validity. The purpose of the current article is to propose an alternative explanation of uniqueness seeking behavior. It posits that perceived uniqueness deprivation is a threat to self-concepts, and therefore causes self-verification behavior. Two levels of self verification are conceived: one based on personal categorization and the other on social categorization. The present approach regards uniqueness seeking behavior as the personal-level self verification. To test these propositions, a 2 (very high or moderate similarity information) x 2 (with or without outgroup information) x 2 (high or low need for uniqueness) between-subject factorial-design experiment was conducted with 95 university students. Results supported the self-verification approach, and were discussed in terms of effects of uniqueness deprivation, levels of self-categorization, and individual differences in need for uniqueness.

Overview of long-term field experiments in Germany - metadata visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Muqit Zoarder, Md Abdul; Heinrich, Uwe; Svoboda, Nikolai; Grosse, Meike; Hierold, Wilfried

2017-04-01

BonaRes ("soil as a sustainable resource for the bioeconomy") is conducting to collect data and metadata of agricultural long-term field experiments (LTFE) of Germany. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the umbrella of the National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030. BonaRes consists of ten interdisciplinary research project consortia and the 'BonaRes - Centre for Soil Research'. BonaRes Data Centre is responsible for collecting all LTFE data and regarding metadata into an enterprise database upon higher level of security and visualization of the data and metadata through data portal. In the frame of the BonaRes project, we are compiling an overview of long-term field experiments in Germany that is based on a literature review, the results of the online survey and direct contacts with LTFE operators. Information about research topic, contact person, website, experiment setup and analyzed parameters are collected. Based on the collected LTFE data, an enterprise geodatabase is developed and a GIS-based web-information system about LTFE in Germany is also settled. Various aspects of the LTFE, like experiment type, land-use type, agricultural category and duration of experiment, are presented in thematic maps. This information system is dynamically linked to the database, which means changes in the data directly affect the presentation. An easy data searching option using LTFE name, -location or -operators and the dynamic layer selection ensure a user-friendly web application. Dispersion and visualization of the overlapping LTFE points on the overview map are also challenging and we make it automatized at very zoom level which is also a consistent part of this application. The application provides both, spatial location and meta-information of LTFEs, which is backed-up by an enterprise geodatabase, GIS server for hosting map services and Java script API for web application development.

Visual Memories Bypass Normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloem, Ilona M; Watanabe, Yurika L; Kibbe, Melissa M; Ling, Sam

2018-05-01

How distinct are visual memory representations from visual perception? Although evidence suggests that briefly remembered stimuli are represented within early visual cortices, the degree to which these memory traces resemble true visual representations remains something of a mystery. Here, we tested whether both visual memory and perception succumb to a seemingly ubiquitous neural computation: normalization. Observers were asked to remember the contrast of visual stimuli, which were pitted against each other to promote normalization either in perception or in visual memory. Our results revealed robust normalization between visual representations in perception, yet no signature of normalization occurring between working memory stores-neither between representations in memory nor between memory representations and visual inputs. These results provide unique insight into the nature of visual memory representations, illustrating that visual memory representations follow a different set of computational rules, bypassing normalization, a canonical visual computation.

The contributions of visual and central attention to visual working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Alessandra S; Oberauer, Klaus

2017-10-01

We investigated the role of two kinds of attention-visual and central attention-for the maintenance of visual representations in working memory (WM). In Experiment 1 we directed attention to individual items in WM by presenting cues during the retention interval of a continuous delayed-estimation task, and instructing participants to think of the cued items. Attending to items improved recall commensurate with the frequency with which items were attended (0, 1, or 2 times). Experiments 1 and 3 further tested which kind of attention-visual or central-was involved in WM maintenance. We assessed the dual-task costs of two types of distractor tasks, one tapping sustained visual attention and one tapping central attention. Only the central attention task yielded substantial dual-task costs, implying that central attention substantially contributes to maintenance of visual information in WM. Experiment 2 confirmed that the visual-attention distractor task was demanding enough to disrupt performance in a task relying on visual attention. We combined the visual-attention and the central-attention distractor tasks with a multiple object tracking (MOT) task. Distracting visual attention, but not central attention, impaired MOT performance. Jointly, the three experiments provide a double dissociation between visual and central attention, and between visual WM and visual object tracking: Whereas tracking multiple targets across the visual filed depends on visual attention, visual WM depends mostly on central attention.

Interactive WebGL-based 3D visualizations for EAST experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, J.Y.; Xiao, B.J.; Li, Dan; Wang, K.R.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Developing a user-friendly interface to visualize the EAST experimental data and the device is important to scientists and engineers. • The Web3D visualization system is based on HTML5 and WebGL, which runs without the need for plug-ins or third party components. • The interactive WebGL-based 3D visualization system is a web-portal integrating EAST 3D models, experimental data and plasma videos. • The original CAD model was discretized into different layers with different simplification to enable realistic rendering and improve performance. - Abstract: In recent years EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) experimental data are being shared and analyzed by an increasing number of international collaborators. Developing a user-friendly interface to visualize the data, meta data and the relevant parts of the device is becoming more and more important to aid scientists and engineers. Compared with the previous virtual EAST system based on VRML/Java3D [1] (Li et al., 2014), a new technology is being adopted to create a 3D visualization system based on HTML5 and WebGL, which runs without the need for plug-ins or third party components. The interactive WebGL-based 3D visualization system is a web-portal integrating EAST 3D models, experimental data and plasma videos. It offers a highly interactive interface allowing scientists to roam inside EAST device and view the complex 3-D structure of the machine. It includes technical details of the device and various diagnostic components, and provides visualization of diagnostic metadata with a direct link to each signal name and its stored data. In order for the quick access to the device 3D model, the original CAD model was discretized into different layers with different simplification. It allows users to search for plasma videos in any experiment and analyze the video frame by frame. In this paper, we present the implementation details to enable realistic rendering and improve performance.

Interactive WebGL-based 3D visualizations for EAST experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xia, J.Y., E-mail: jyxia@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China); Xiao, B.J. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China); Li, Dan [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); Wang, K.R. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Developing a user-friendly interface to visualize the EAST experimental data and the device is important to scientists and engineers. • The Web3D visualization system is based on HTML5 and WebGL, which runs without the need for plug-ins or third party components. • The interactive WebGL-based 3D visualization system is a web-portal integrating EAST 3D models, experimental data and plasma videos. • The original CAD model was discretized into different layers with different simplification to enable realistic rendering and improve performance. - Abstract: In recent years EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) experimental data are being shared and analyzed by an increasing number of international collaborators. Developing a user-friendly interface to visualize the data, meta data and the relevant parts of the device is becoming more and more important to aid scientists and engineers. Compared with the previous virtual EAST system based on VRML/Java3D [1] (Li et al., 2014), a new technology is being adopted to create a 3D visualization system based on HTML5 and WebGL, which runs without the need for plug-ins or third party components. The interactive WebGL-based 3D visualization system is a web-portal integrating EAST 3D models, experimental data and plasma videos. It offers a highly interactive interface allowing scientists to roam inside EAST device and view the complex 3-D structure of the machine. It includes technical details of the device and various diagnostic components, and provides visualization of diagnostic metadata with a direct link to each signal name and its stored data. In order for the quick access to the device 3D model, the original CAD model was discretized into different layers with different simplification. It allows users to search for plasma videos in any experiment and analyze the video frame by frame. In this paper, we present the implementation details to enable realistic rendering and improve performance.

Does Differential Visual Exploration Contribute to Visual Memory Impairments in 22Q11.2 Microdeletion Syndrome?

Science.gov (United States)

Bostelmann, M.; Glaser, B.; Zaharia, A.; Eliez, S.; Schneider, M.

2017-01-01

Background: Chromosome 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a genetic syndrome characterised by a unique cognitive profile. Individuals with the syndrome present several non-verbal deficits, including visual memory impairments and atypical exploration of visual information. In this study, we seek to understand how visual attention may…

Recreational Physical Activity Experiences Among Guatemalan Families With Children With Visual Impairments.

Science.gov (United States)

Columna, Luis; Fernández-Vivó, Margarita; Lieberman, Lauren; Arndt, Katrina

2015-08-01

Nationwide research indicates that children with visual impairment have limited participation in recreational and sport activities than their peers. This is due in part to the lack of recreational opportunities and facilities, as well as a lack of awareness by parents of how and where their children can participate. The purpose of the current study was to explore the experiences of Latino families of children with visual impairments living in Guatemala regarding physical recreation. Participants were Latino parents (N = 13) who have children with visual impairments recruited from a sport camp. Qualitative data were gathered through one-on-one interviews that were transcribed and analyzed through a constant comparative analysis. Participating Latino families who resided in Guatemala City participated at least once a month in low budget recreational activities with their children with visual impairments. Activities were mostly done in local surroundings and led mainly by their mother. Benefits identified by the participants related to relaxation, socialization, and sense of independence, with minimal mention of health related benefits. There is a need to disseminate information to the Latino community with children with visual impairments regarding the multiple benefits that arise from being involved in recreational physical activities.

The Spiritual Form of Ancient Art and Culture - Bharatanatyam (Visual Art Depicted Using Unique Techniques on Scratchboard (Fine Art Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arpitha Parthasarathy

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The most ancient form of dance that is prevailing todays is a form of classical Indian dance, Bharatanatyam. In Sanskrit (and Devanagri, bharatanatyam means "Indian dance", is believed to have divine origin and is of the most ancient form of classical dance. Bharatanatyam is a two thousand-year-old dance form, originally practiced in the temples of ancient India. The art today remains purely devotional even today and this performing art is yet to gain awareness and interest in the western world. This dance form has various implications in improving the higher order thinking in children and provides health benefits in adults apart from cultural preservation. The current study uses scratchboard as a medium to display the artistic movements and emotions. Scratchboard, a fine art is one means by which the visual art is expressed in this current study using sharp tools, namely X-acto 11 scalpel and tattoo needles. This unique medium made up of a masonite hardboard coated with soft clay and Indian ink has been used to not only show the details of the ancient dance form and expression but also to comprehend and transcribe both visual art and fine art. It is for the first time that scratchboard medium has been the innovatively used to show various textures of flower, glistening gold jewels, hand woven silk and the divine expression in the same art ‘devotion’. The current study was carried out in-order to perpetuate, conserve and disseminate these classic forms of visual art and fine art.

Migrant readers and wordless books: visual narratives’ inclusive experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giorgia Grilli

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The research here told is the Italian contribution to the international project Visual Journeys: Understanding Immigrant Children’s Response to Visual Images in Picturebooks, Conducted in Scotland, Arizona, Spain and Australia as an Observation of the Response of Migrant ten-eleven years old Readers to the Wordless Book The Arrival by Shaun Tan (2006. Reflections are made about co-construction and negotiation of meaning in a shared reading; wordless book is experienced as occasion of empowerment for those involved, giving value to individual stories and showing a positive outcome in school life, as for self-esteem and reciprocal relationships; it promotes discussion and increases interest in books, it shows an important effect on learning a foreign language and creating a group. The perspective of the whole experience is an interdisciplinary approach. The reading of wordless or silent book can be a true practice of right and belonging to the international community, and therefore a precious means for an education to global citizenship.

Reflective Reconstruction of Visual Products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Otrel-Cass, Kathrin

2017-01-01

objects. The teacher used a range of visual materials including video clips, diagrams, student drawings, and student produced 3D models, each endowed with unique material and visual dimensions. The teacher activated those through talking, writing, drawing and working with artifacts and purposefully...

Visual cortex activity predicts subjective experience after reading books with colored letters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Colizoli, O.; Murre, J.M.J.; Scholte, H.S.; van Es, D.M.; Knapen, T.; Rouw, R.

2016-01-01

One of the most astonishing properties of synesthesia is that the evoked concurrent experiences are perceptual. Is it possible to acquire similar effects after learning cross-modal associations that resemble synesthetic mappings? In this study, we examine whether brain activation in early visual

Experiences of visually impaired students in higher education: Bodily perspectives on inclusive education.

Science.gov (United States)

Lourens, Heidi; Swartz, Leslie

Although previous literature sheds light on the experiences of visually impaired students on tertiary grounds, these studies failed to provide an embodied understanding of their lives. In-depth interviews with 15 visually impaired students at one university demonstrated the ways in which they experienced their disability and the built environment in their bodies. At the same time, lost, fearful, shameful and aching bodies revealed prevailing gaps in provision for disabled students. Through this research it becomes clear how the environment is acutely felt within fleshly worlds, while bodies do not fail to tell of disabling societal structures. Based on the bodily stories, we thus make recommendations to improve the lives of visually impaired students on tertiary campuses.

Unique sudden onsets capture attention even when observers are in feature-search mode.

Science.gov (United States)

Spalek, Thomas M; Yanko, Matthew R; Poiese, Paola; Lagroix, Hayley E P

2012-01-01

Two sources of attentional capture have been proposed: stimulus-driven (exogenous) and goal-oriented (endogenous). A resolution between these modes of capture has not been straightforward. Even such a clearly exogenous event as the sudden onset of a stimulus can be said to capture attention endogenously if observers operate in singleton-detection mode rather than feature-search mode. In four experiments we show that a unique sudden onset captures attention even when observers are in feature-search mode. The displays were rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) streams of differently coloured letters with the target letter defined by a specific colour. Distractors were four #s, one of the target colour, surrounding one of the non-target letters. Capture was substantially reduced when the onset of the distractor array was not unique because it was preceded by other sets of four grey # arrays in the RSVP stream. This provides unambiguous evidence that attention can be captured both exogenously and endogenously within a single task.

Experiment archive, analysis, and visualization at the National Ignition Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutton, Matthew S.; Azevedo, Stephen; Beeler, Richard; Bettenhausen, Rita; Bond, Essex; Casey, Allan; Liebman, Judith; Marsh, Amber; Pannell, Thomas; Warrick, Abbie

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We show the computing architecture to manage scientific data from NIF experiments. ► NIF laser “shots” generate GBs of data for sub-microsec events separated by hours. ► Results are archived, analyzed and displayed with parallel and scalable code. ► Data quality and pedigree, based on calibration of each part, are tracked. ► Web-based visualization tools present data across shots and diagnostics. - Abstract: The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is the world's most energetic laser, providing a scientific research center to study inertial confinement fusion and matter at extreme energy densities and pressures. A target shot involves over 30 specialized diagnostics measuring critical x-ray, optical and nuclear phenomena to quantify ignition results for comparison with computational models. The Shot Analysis and Visualization System (SAVI) acquires and analyzes target diagnostic data for display within a time-budget of 30 min. Laser and target diagnostic data are automatically loaded into the NIF archive database through clustered software data collection agents. The SAVI Analysis Engine distributes signal and image processing tasks to a Linux cluster where computation is performed. Intermediate results are archived at each step of the analysis pipeline. Data is archived with metadata and pedigree. Experiment results are visualized through a web-based user interface in interactive dashboards tailored to single or multiple shot perspectives. The SAVI system integrates open-source software, commercial workflow tools, relational database and messaging technologies into a service-oriented and distributed software architecture that is highly parallel, scalable, and flexible. The architecture and functionality of the SAVI system will be presented along with examples.

Incidental learning of probability information is differentially affected by the type of visual working memory representation.

Science.gov (United States)

van Lamsweerde, Amanda E; Beck, Melissa R

2015-12-01

In this study, we investigated whether the ability to learn probability information is affected by the type of representation held in visual working memory. Across 4 experiments, participants detected changes to displays of coloured shapes. While participants detected changes in 1 dimension (e.g., colour), a feature from a second, nonchanging dimension (e.g., shape) predicted which object was most likely to change. In Experiments 1 and 3, items could be grouped by similarity in the changing dimension across items (e.g., colours and shapes were repeated in the display), while in Experiments 2 and 4 items could not be grouped by similarity (all features were unique). Probability information from the predictive dimension was learned and used to increase performance, but only when all of the features within a display were unique (Experiments 2 and 4). When it was possible to group by feature similarity in the changing dimension (e.g., 2 blue objects appeared within an array), participants were unable to learn probability information and use it to improve performance (Experiments 1 and 3). The results suggest that probability information can be learned in a dimension that is not explicitly task-relevant, but only when the probability information is represented with the changing dimension in visual working memory. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Visual Aversive Learning Compromises Sensory Discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Shalev, Lee; Paz, Rony; Avidan, Galia

2018-03-14

Aversive learning is thought to modulate perceptual thresholds, which can lead to overgeneralization. However, it remains undetermined whether this modulation is domain specific or a general effect. Moreover, despite the unique role of the visual modality in human perception, it is unclear whether this aspect of aversive learning exists in this modality. The current study was designed to examine the effect of visual aversive outcomes on the perception of basic visual and auditory features. We tested the ability of healthy participants, both males and females, to discriminate between neutral stimuli, before and after visual learning. In each experiment, neutral stimuli were associated with aversive images in an experimental group and with neutral images in a control group. Participants demonstrated a deterioration in discrimination (higher discrimination thresholds) only after aversive learning. This deterioration was measured for both auditory (tone frequency) and visual (orientation and contrast) features. The effect was replicated in five different experiments and lasted for at least 24 h. fMRI neural responses and pupil size were also measured during learning. We showed an increase in neural activations in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and amygdala during aversive compared with neutral learning. Interestingly, the early visual cortex showed increased brain activity during aversive compared with neutral context trials, with identical visual information. Our findings imply the existence of a central multimodal mechanism, which modulates early perceptual properties, following exposure to negative situations. Such a mechanism could contribute to abnormal responses that underlie anxiety states, even in new and safe environments. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Using a visual aversive-learning paradigm, we found deteriorated discrimination abilities for visual and auditory stimuli that were associated with visual aversive stimuli. We showed increased neural

Macular pigment and its contribution to visual performance and experience

Science.gov (United States)

Loughman, James; Davison, Peter A.; Nolan, John M.; Akkali, Mukunda C.; Beatty, Stephen

2010-01-01

There is now a consensus, based on histological, biochemical and spectral absorption data, that the yellow colour observed at the macula lutea is a consequence of the selective accumulation of dietary xanthophylls in the central retina of the living eye. Scientific research continues to explore the function(s) of MP in the human retina, with two main hypotheses premised on its putative capacity to (1) protect the retina from (photo)-oxidative damage by means of its optical filtration and/or antioxidant properties, the so-called protective hypothesis and (2) influence the quality of visual performance by means of selective short wavelength light absorption prior to photoreceptor light capture, thereby attenuating the effects of chromatic aberration and light scatter, the so-called acuity and visibility hypotheses. The current epidemic of age-related macular degeneration has directed researchers to investigate the protective hypothesis of MP, while there has been a conspicuous lack of work designed to investigate the role of MP in visual performance. The aim of this review is to present and critically appraise the current literature germane to the contribution of MP, if any, to visual performance and experience.

Macular pigment and its contribution to visual performance and experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Loughman

2010-04-01

Full Text Available There is now a consensus, based on histological, biochemical and spectral absorption data, that the yellow colour observed at the macula lutea is a consequence of the selective accumulation of dietary xanthophylls in the central retina of the living eye. Scientific research continues to explore the function(s of MP in the human retina, with two main hypotheses premised on its putative capacity to (1 protect the retina from (photo-oxidative damage by means of its optical filtration and/or antioxidant properties, the so-called protective hypothesis and (2 influence the quality of visual performance by means of selective short wavelength light absorption prior to photoreceptor light capture, thereby attenuating the effects of chromatic aberration and light scatter, the so-called acuity and visibility hypotheses. The current epidemic of age-related macular degeneration has directed researchers to investigate the protective hypothesis of MP, while there has been a conspicuous lack of work designed to investigate the role of MP in visual performance. The aim of this review is to present and critically appraise the current literature germane to the contribution of MP, if any, to visual performance and experience.

Four-Month-Old Infants' Visual Investigation of Cats and Dogs: Relations with Pet Experience and Attentional Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Kovack-Lesh, Kristine A.; McMurray, Bob; Oakes, Lisa M.

2014-01-01

We assessed the eye-movements of 4-month-old infants (N = 38) as they visually inspected pairs of images of cats or dogs. In general, infants who had previous experience with pets exhibited more sophisticated inspection than did infants without pet experience, both directing more visual attention to the informative head regions of the animals,…

Flow boiling in microgap channels experiment, visualization and analysis

CERN Document Server

Alam, Tamanna; Jin, Li-Wen

2013-01-01

Flow Boiling in Microgap Channels: Experiment, Visualization and Analysis presents an up-to-date summary of the details of the confined to unconfined flow boiling transition criteria, flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics, instability characteristics, two phase flow pattern and flow regime map and the parametric study of microgap dimension. Advantages of flow boiling in microgaps over microchannels are also highlighted. The objective of this Brief is to obtain a better fundamental understanding of the flow boiling processes, compare the performance between microgap and c

Analysis of the Relationship Between Training Experience and Visual Sensory Functions in Athletes from Different Sports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lesiakowski Piotr

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Gaining insight into the mechanisms and scope of possible adaptations of visual functions to the conditions determined by the demands imposed by sports training seems to be very interesting not only from a cognitive point of view, but also with respect to the practical applications of the findings of such investigations in the training process. The aim of the study was to assess the function of early visual processing in athletes representing different sports disciplines with varying training experience. Material and methods. The study involved 95 athletes practising football (n = 24, volleyball (n = 22, boxing (n = 26, and rowing (n = 23. The bioelectric function of the visual pathway was assessed based on recordings of visual evoked potentials (VEPs. The regions which were stimulated were the peripheral and central areas of the retina. During the test, we recorded the amplitude (μV and latency (ms of the P100 component of the VEP waveform for both monocular stimulation (for the dominant and non-dominant eye and binocular stimulation. Results. Lower VEP P100 amplitude values were found for the peripheral and central locations for monocular and binocular viewing in more experienced volleyball players and rowers (p 0.05 in intragroup variability in VEP P100 latency in relation to training experience in any of the sports disciplines examined. Conclusions. Training experience has an influence on the early stage of sensory processing with respect to neural activity. Training experience has been found to differentiate athletes in terms of the temporal parameters of the visual evoked potentials recorded in the current study only to a limited extent.

Auditory-visual aversive stimuli modulate the conscious experience of fear.

Science.gov (United States)

Taffou, Marine; Guerchouche, Rachid; Drettakis, George; Viaud-Delmon, Isabelle

2013-01-01

In a natural environment, affective information is perceived via multiple senses, mostly audition and vision. However, the impact of multisensory information on affect remains relatively undiscovered. In this study, we investigated whether the auditory-visual presentation of aversive stimuli influences the experience of fear. We used the advantages of virtual reality to manipulate multisensory presentation and to display potentially fearful dog stimuli embedded in a natural context. We manipulated the affective reactions evoked by the dog stimuli by recruiting two groups of participants: dog-fearful and non-fearful participants. The sensitivity to dog fear was assessed psychometrically by a questionnaire and also at behavioral and subjective levels using a Behavioral Avoidance Test (BAT). Participants navigated in virtual environments, in which they encountered virtual dog stimuli presented through the auditory channel, the visual channel or both. They were asked to report their fear using Subjective Units of Distress. We compared the fear for unimodal (visual or auditory) and bimodal (auditory-visual) dog stimuli. Dog-fearful participants as well as non-fearful participants reported more fear in response to bimodal audiovisual compared to unimodal presentation of dog stimuli. These results suggest that fear is more intense when the affective information is processed via multiple sensory pathways, which might be due to a cross-modal potentiation. Our findings have implications for the field of virtual reality-based therapy of phobias. Therapies could be refined and improved by implicating and manipulating the multisensory presentation of the feared situations.

Improving the User Experience of Finding and Visualizing Oceanographic Data

Science.gov (United States)

Rauch, S.; Allison, M. D.; Groman, R. C.; Chandler, C. L.; Galvarino, C.; Gegg, S. R.; Kinkade, D.; Shepherd, A.; Wiebe, P. H.; Glover, D. M.

2013-12-01

Searching for and locating data of interest can be a challenge to researchers as increasing volumes of data are made available online through various data centers, repositories, and archives. The Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) is keenly aware of this challenge and, as a result, has implemented features and technologies aimed at improving data discovery and enhancing the user experience. BCO-DMO was created in 2006 to manage and publish data from research projects funded by the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) Biological and Chemical Oceanography Sections and the Division of Polar Programs (PLR) Antarctic Sciences Organisms and Ecosystems Program (ANT) of the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The BCO-DMO text-based and geospatial-based data access systems provide users with tools to search, filter, and visualize data in order to efficiently find data of interest. The geospatial interface, developed using a suite of open-source software (including MapServer [1], OpenLayers [2], ExtJS [3], and MySQL [4]), allows users to search and filter/subset metadata based on program, project, or deployment, or by using a simple word search. The map responds based on user selections, presents options that allow the user to choose specific data parameters (e.g., a species or an individual drifter), and presents further options for visualizing those data on the map or in "quick-view" plots. The data managed and made available by BCO-DMO are very heterogeneous in nature, from in-situ biogeochemical, ecological, and physical data, to controlled laboratory experiments. Due to the heterogeneity of the data types, a 'one size fits all' approach to visualization cannot be applied. Datasets are visualized in a way that will best allow users to assess fitness for purpose. An advanced geospatial interface, which contains a semantically-enabled faceted search [5], is also available. These search facets are highly interactive and responsive, allowing

Exploring the visual hallucinations of migraine aura: the tacit contribution of illustration.

Science.gov (United States)

Schott, G D

2007-06-01

The visual aura of migraine is a subjective phenomenon, and what the migraineur experiences is necessarily inaccessible to others. Fortunately, however, the sufferer can occasionally reveal what is being seen by means of graphic representation, enabling an otherwise closed 'window' to be opened on the transiently dysfunctioning brain. This article explores the unique contribution that illustration has made to understanding mechanisms subserving the visual aura. The most revealing illustrations are those made by the very few scientists who have recorded and analysed the scotomas, and in particular the expanding fortification spectra, experienced during their migraine attacks. It is solely through illustrations such as these that the uniform nature of many of these hallucinations has been demonstrated. As a result, it follows that there is likely to be a similarly uniform repertoire of processes that generate the hallucinations in the occipital cortex. The precise form of the zigzags that comprise the fortification spectrum, their shimmering appearance, and in particular the speed of the peripheral spread, all of which are entirely dependent on graphic display for their elucidation, enable conclusions to be reached about a number of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, including the involvement of spreading cortical depression, that likely occur. Illustration has been pivotal too in revealing uncommon and sometimes curious, if not bizarre, visual hallucinations, the forms of which suggest that extrastriate and temporal lobe involvement contributes to migraine aura in some instances. Illustration can also be valuable in differential diagnosis, depicting other forms of visual hallucination which result from a variety of non-migrainous causes. Illustration, particularly when made during the attack, provides an unusual, little used but powerful tool which uniquely allows the sufferer's subjective visual experiences to inform objective analysis. In turn, this

The role of object categories in hybrid visual and memory search

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Corbin A.; Wolfe, Jeremy M.

2014-01-01

In hybrid search, observers (Os) search for any of several possible targets in a visual display containing distracting items and, perhaps, a target. Wolfe (2012) found that responses times (RT) in such tasks increased linearly with increases in the number of items in the display. However, RT increased linearly with the log of the number of items in the memory set. In earlier work, all items in the memory set were unique instances (e.g. this apple in this pose). Typical real world tasks involve more broadly defined sets of stimuli (e.g. any “apple” or, perhaps, “fruit”). The present experiments show how sets or categories of targets are handled in joint visual and memory search. In Experiment 1, searching for a digit among letters was not like searching for targets from a 10-item memory set, though searching for targets from an N-item memory set of arbitrary alphanumeric characters was like searching for targets from an N-item memory set of arbitrary objects. In Experiment 2, Os searched for any instance of N sets or categories held in memory. This hybrid search was harder than search for specific objects. However, memory search remained logarithmic. Experiment 3 illustrates the interaction of visual guidance and memory search when a subset of visual stimuli are drawn from a target category. Furthermore, we outline a conceptual model, supported by our results, defining the core components that would be necessary to support such categorical hybrid searches. PMID:24661054

The Rhetoric of Multi-Display Learning Spaces: exploratory experiences in visual art disciplines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brett Bligh

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Multi-Display Learning Spaces (MD-LS comprise technologies to allow the viewing of multiple simultaneous visual materials, modes of learning which encourage critical reflection upon these materials, and spatial configurations which afford interaction between learners and the materials in orchestrated ways. In this paper we provide an argument for the benefits of Multi-Display Learning Spaces in supporting complex, disciplinary reasoning within learning, focussing upon our experiences within postgraduate visual arts education. The importance of considering the affordances of the physical environment within education has been acknowledged by the recent attention given to Learning Spaces, yet within visual art disciplines the perception of visual material within a given space has long been seen as a key methodological consideration with implications for the identity of the discipline itself. We analyse the methodological, technological and spatial affordances of MD-LS to support learning, and discuss comparative viewing as a disciplinary method to structure visual analysis within the space which benefits from the simultaneous display of multiple partitions of visual evidence. We offer an analysis of the role of the teacher in authoring and orchestration and conclude by proposing a more general structure for what we term ‘multiple perspective learning’, in which the presentation of multiple pieces of visual evidence creates the conditions for complex argumentation within Higher Education.

The influence of anaesthetists' experience on workload, performance and visual attention during simulated critical incidents.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Christian M; Schneider, Erich; Kohlbecher, Stefan; Hapfelmeier, Alexander; Heuser, Fabian; Wagner, Klaus J; Kochs, Eberhard F; Schneider, Gerhard

2014-10-01

Development of accurate Situation Awareness (SA) depends on experience and may be impaired during excessive workload. In order to gain adequate SA for decision making and performance, anaesthetists need to distribute visual attention effectively. Therefore, we hypothesized that in more experienced anaesthetists performance is better and increase of physiological workload is less during critical incidents. Additionally, we investigated the relation between physiological workload indicators and distribution of visual attention. In fifteen anaesthetists, the increase of pupil size and heart rate was assessed in course of a simulated critical incident. Simulator log files were used for performance assessment. An eye-tracking device (EyeSeeCam) provided data about the anaesthetists' distribution of visual attention. Performance was assessed as time until definitive treatment. T tests and multivariate generalized linear models (MANOVA) were used for retrospective statistical analysis. Mean pupil diameter increase was 8.1% (SD ± 4.3) in the less experienced and 15.8% (±10.4) in the more experienced subjects (p = 0.191). Mean heart rate increase was 10.2% (±6.7) and 10.5% (±8.3, p = 0.956), respectively. Performance did not depend on experience. Pupil diameter and heart rate increases were associated with a shift of visual attention from monitoring towards manual tasks (not significant). For the first time, the following four variables were assessed simultaneously: physiological workload indicators, performance, experience, and distribution of visual attention between "monitoring" and "manual" tasks. However, we were unable to detect significant interactions between these variables. This experimental model could prove valuable in the investigation of gaining and maintaining SA in the operation theatre.

Insensitivity of visual short-term memory to irrelevant visual information

OpenAIRE

Andrade, Jackie; Kemps, Eva; Werniers, Yves; May, Jon; Szmalec, Arnaud

2002-01-01

Several authors have hypothesised that visuo-spatial working memory is functionally analogous to verbal working memory. Irrelevant background speech impairs verbal short-term memory. We investigated whether irrelevant visual information has an analogous effect on visual short-term memory, using a dynamic visual noise (DVN) technique known to disrupt visual imagery (Quinn & McConnell, 1996a). Experiment 1 replicated the effect of DVN on pegword imagery. Experiments 2 and 3 showed no effect of ...

The effects of age and experience on memory for visually presented music.

Science.gov (United States)

Meinz, E J; Salthouse, T A

1998-01-01

Increased age is often associated with lower levels of performance in tests of memory for spatial information. The primary question in the current study was whether this relationship could be moderated as a function of one's relevant experience and/or knowledge. Stimulus materials consisted of short (7-11 note), visually presented musical melodies and structurally equivalent nonmusical stimuli. Participants (N = 128) were recruited from a wide range of age and experience levels. Although there were strong main effects of age and experience on memory for music, there was no evidence that the age-related differences in memory for these stimuli were smaller for individuals with moderate to large amounts of experience with music.

Researching Human Experience: video intervention/prevention assessment (VIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Patashnick

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Human experience is a critical subject for research. By discussing Video Intervention/Prevention Assessment (VIA, a patient-centered health research method where patients teach their clinicians about living with a chronic condition through the creation of visual illness narratives, this paper examines the value of qualitative inquiry and why human experience rarely is investigated directly. An analysis of a sample VIA data is presented to demonstrate how, by utilizing grounded theory and qualitative analysis, one can derive rich and unique information from human experience.

Visualizing Gaia Data with Science Teachers at AMNH

Science.gov (United States)

Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Desir, Deion; Coker, Kristina; Nelson, Olivia; Vasquez, Chelsea; Smithka, Iliya

2018-01-01

The American Museum of Natural History is an accredited graduate school and offers an innovative Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree that leverages its unique scientific resources and long history of leadership in teacher education and professional development. The MAT program consists of 15-months of intensive mentoring, classroom experience, lab work, and professional development with AMNH scientists and educators. It is then followed by a 4 year commitment by all degree awardees to teach at an in needs New York high school. During the second summer of their first 15 months of the program, students are paired with a scientific mentor to obtain an REU like experience in Astronomy, Geology or Paleontology. During the summer of 2017 five teachers worked on incorporating a subset of the Tycho Gaia Astrometric Survey into the Partiview open source software. The result is an interactive experience where we can fly live through all of TGAS and highlight nearby clusters and associations. The tool is (1) a demonstration of the power of Partiview at visualizing a vast dataset such as Gaia, and (2) an extremely powerful instrument for teaching science through visualization.

Efficient visualization of high-throughput targeted proteomics experiments: TAPIR.

Science.gov (United States)

Röst, Hannes L; Rosenberger, George; Aebersold, Ruedi; Malmström, Lars

2015-07-15

Targeted mass spectrometry comprises a set of powerful methods to obtain accurate and consistent protein quantification in complex samples. To fully exploit these techniques, a cross-platform and open-source software stack based on standardized data exchange formats is required. We present TAPIR, a fast and efficient Python visualization software for chromatograms and peaks identified in targeted proteomics experiments. The input formats are open, community-driven standardized data formats (mzML for raw data storage and TraML encoding the hierarchical relationships between transitions, peptides and proteins). TAPIR is scalable to proteome-wide targeted proteomics studies (as enabled by SWATH-MS), allowing researchers to visualize high-throughput datasets. The framework integrates well with existing automated analysis pipelines and can be extended beyond targeted proteomics to other types of analyses. TAPIR is available for all computing platforms under the 3-clause BSD license at https://github.com/msproteomicstools/msproteomicstools. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Words, shape, visual search and visual working memory in 3-year-old children.

Science.gov (United States)

Vales, Catarina; Smith, Linda B

2015-01-01

Do words cue children's visual attention, and if so, what are the relevant mechanisms? Across four experiments, 3-year-old children (N = 163) were tested in visual search tasks in which targets were cued with only a visual preview versus a visual preview and a spoken name. The experiments were designed to determine whether labels facilitated search times and to examine one route through which labels could have their effect: By influencing the visual working memory representation of the target. The targets and distractors were pictures of instances of basic-level known categories and the labels were the common name for the target category. We predicted that the label would enhance the visual working memory representation of the target object, guiding attention to objects that better matched the target representation. Experiments 1 and 2 used conjunctive search tasks, and Experiment 3 varied shape discriminability between targets and distractors. Experiment 4 compared the effects of labels to repeated presentations of the visual target, which should also influence the working memory representation of the target. The overall pattern fits contemporary theories of how the contents of visual working memory interact with visual search and attention, and shows that even in very young children heard words affect the processing of visual information. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Task-related Functional Connectivity Dynamics in a Block-designed Visual Experiment

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Xin eDi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Studying task modulations of brain connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI is critical to understand brain functions that support cognitive and affective processes. Existing methods such as psychophysiological interaction (PPI and dynamic causal modelling (DCM usually implicitly assume that the connectivity patterns are stable over a block-designed task with identical stimuli. However, this assumption lacks empirical verification on high-temporal resolution fMRI data with reliable data-driven analysis methods. The present study performed a detailed examination of dynamic changes of functional connectivity (FC in a simple block-designed visual checkerboard experiment with a sub-second sampling rate (TR = 0.645 s by estimating time-varying correlation coefficient (TVCC between BOLD responses of different brain regions. We observed reliable task-related FC changes (i.e., FCs were transiently decreased after task onset and went back to the baseline afterward among several visual regions of the bilateral middle occipital gyrus (MOG and the bilateral fusiform gyrus (FuG. Importantly, only the FCs between higher visual regions (MOG and lower visual regions (FuG exhibited such dynamic patterns. The results suggested that simply assuming a sustained FC during a task block may be insufficient to capture distinct task-related FC changes. The investigation of FC dynamics in tasks could improve our understanding of condition shifts and the coordination between different activated brain regions.

How do musical tonality and experience affect visual working memory?

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hua; Lu, Jing; Gong, Diankun; Yao, Dezhong

2016-01-20

The influence of music on the human brain has continued to attract increasing attention from neuroscientists and musicologists. Currently, tonal music is widely present in people's daily lives; however, atonal music has gradually become an important part of modern music. In this study, we conducted two experiments: the first one tested for differences in perception of distractibility between tonal music and atonal music. The second experiment tested how tonal music and atonal music affect visual working memory by comparing musicians and nonmusicians who were placed in contexts with background tonal music, atonal music, and silence. They were instructed to complete a delay matching memory task. The results show that musicians and nonmusicians have different evaluations of the distractibility of tonal music and atonal music, possibly indicating that long-term training may lead to a higher auditory perception threshold among musicians. For the working memory task, musicians reacted faster than nonmusicians in all background music cases, and musicians took more time to respond in the tonal background music condition than in the other conditions. Therefore, our results suggest that for a visual memory task, background tonal music may occupy more cognitive resources than atonal music or silence for musicians, leaving few resources left for the memory task. Moreover, the musicians outperformed the nonmusicians because of the higher sensitivity to background music, which also needs a further longitudinal study to be confirmed.

Visual Semiotics & Uncertainty Visualization: An Empirical Study.

Science.gov (United States)

MacEachren, A M; Roth, R E; O'Brien, J; Li, B; Swingley, D; Gahegan, M

2012-12-01

This paper presents two linked empirical studies focused on uncertainty visualization. The experiments are framed from two conceptual perspectives. First, a typology of uncertainty is used to delineate kinds of uncertainty matched with space, time, and attribute components of data. Second, concepts from visual semiotics are applied to characterize the kind of visual signification that is appropriate for representing those different categories of uncertainty. This framework guided the two experiments reported here. The first addresses representation intuitiveness, considering both visual variables and iconicity of representation. The second addresses relative performance of the most intuitive abstract and iconic representations of uncertainty on a map reading task. Combined results suggest initial guidelines for representing uncertainty and discussion focuses on practical applicability of results.

Showing the Unsayable: Participatory Visual Approaches and the Constitution of 'Patient Experience' in Healthcare Quality Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Papoulias, Constantina

2018-06-01

This article considers the strengths and potential contributions of participatory visual methods for healthcare quality improvement research. It argues that such approaches may enable us to expand our understanding of 'patient experience' and of its potential for generating new knowledge for health systems. In particular, they may open up dimensions of people's engagement with services and treatments which exceed both the declarative nature of responses to questionnaires and the narrative sequencing of self reports gathered through qualitative interviewing. I will suggest that working with such methods may necessitate a more reflexive approach to the constitution of evidence in quality improvement work. To this end, the article will first consider the emerging rationale for the use of visual participatory methods in improvement before outlining the implications of two related approaches-photo-elicitation and PhotoVoice-for the constitution of 'experience'. It will then move to a participatory model for healthcare improvement work, Experience Based Co-Design (EBCD). It will argue that EBCD exemplifies both the strengths and the limitations of adequating visual participatory approaches to quality improvement ends. The article will conclude with a critical reflection on a small photographic study, in which the author participated, and which sought to harness service user perspectives for the design of psychiatric facilities, as a way of considering the potential contribution of visual participatory methods for quality improvement.

Experiments on Auditory-Visual Perception of Sentences by Users of Unilateral, Bimodal, and Bilateral Cochlear Implants

Science.gov (United States)

Dorman, Michael F.; Liss, Julie; Wang, Shuai; Berisha, Visar; Ludwig, Cimarron; Natale, Sarah Cook

2016-01-01

Purpose: Five experiments probed auditory-visual (AV) understanding of sentences by users of cochlear implants (CIs). Method: Sentence material was presented in auditory (A), visual (V), and AV test conditions to listeners with normal hearing and CI users. Results: (a) Most CI users report that most of the time, they have access to both A and V…

Currency features for visually impaired people

Science.gov (United States)

Hyland, Sandra L.; Legge, Gordon E.; Shannon, Robert R.; Baer, Norbert S.

1996-03-01

The estimated 3.7 million Americans with low vision experience a uniquely difficult task in identifying the denominations of U.S. banknotes because the notes are remarkably uniform in size, color, and general design. The National Research Council's Committee on Currency Features Usable by the Visually Impaired assessed features that could be used by people who are visually disabled to distinguish currency from other documents and to denominate and authenticate banknotes using available technology. Variation of length and height, introduction of large numerals on a uniform, high-contrast background, use of different colors for each of the six denominations printed, and the introduction of overt denomination codes that could lead to development of effective, low-cost devices for examining banknotes were all deemed features available now. Issues affecting performance, including the science of visual and tactile perception, were addressed for these features, as well as for those features requiring additional research and development. In this group the committee included durable tactile features such as those printed with transparent ink, and the production of currency with holes to indicate denomination. Among long-range approaches considered were the development of technologically advanced devices and smart money.

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.

Contrast and Strength of Visual Memory and Imagery Differentially Affect Visual Perception

OpenAIRE

Saad, Elyana; Silvanto, Juha

2013-01-01

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) and visual imagery have been shown to modulate visual perception. However, how the subjective experience of VSTM/imagery and its contrast modulate this process has not been investigated. We addressed this issue by asking participants to detect brief masked targets while they were engaged either in VSTM or visual imagery. Subjective experience of memory/imagery (strength scale), and the visual contrast of the memory/mental image (contrast scale) were assessed on...

Combining universal beauty and cultural context in a unifying model of visual aesthetic experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Redies, Christoph

2015-01-01

In this work, I propose a model of visual aesthetic experience that combines formalist and contextual aspects of aesthetics. The model distinguishes between two modes of processing. First, perceptual processing is based on the intrinsic form of an artwork, which may or may not be beautiful. If it is beautiful, a beauty-responsive mechanism is activated in the brain. This bottom-up mechanism is universal amongst humans; it is widespread in the visual brain and responsive across visual modalities. Second, cognitive processing is based on contextual information, such as the depicted content, the intentions of the artist or the circumstances of the presentation of the artwork. Cognitive processing is partially top-down and varies between individuals according to their cultural experience. Processing in the two channels is parallel and largely independent. In the general case, an aesthetic experience is induced if processing in both channels is favorable, i.e., if there is resonance in the perceptual processing channel ("aesthetics of perception"), and successful mastering in the cognitive processing channel ("aesthetics of cognition"). I speculate that this combinatorial mechanism has evolved to mediate social bonding between members of a (cultural) group of people. Primary emotions can be elicited via both channels and modulate the degree of the aesthetic experience. Two special cases are discussed. First, in a subset of (post-)modern art, beauty no longer plays a prominent role. Second, in some forms of abstract art, beautiful form can be enjoyed with minimal cognitive processing. The model is applied to examples of Western art. Finally, implications of the model are discussed. In summary, the proposed model resolves the seeming contradiction between formalist perceptual approaches to aesthetic experience, which are based on the intrinsic beauty of artworks, and contextual approaches, which account for highly individual and culturally dependent aspects of aesthetics.

Combining universal beauty and cultural context in a unifying model of visual aesthetic experience

Science.gov (United States)

Redies, Christoph

2015-01-01

In this work, I propose a model of visual aesthetic experience that combines formalist and contextual aspects of aesthetics. The model distinguishes between two modes of processing. First, perceptual processing is based on the intrinsic form of an artwork, which may or may not be beautiful. If it is beautiful, a beauty-responsive mechanism is activated in the brain. This bottom–up mechanism is universal amongst humans; it is widespread in the visual brain and responsive across visual modalities. Second, cognitive processing is based on contextual information, such as the depicted content, the intentions of the artist or the circumstances of the presentation of the artwork. Cognitive processing is partially top–down and varies between individuals according to their cultural experience. Processing in the two channels is parallel and largely independent. In the general case, an aesthetic experience is induced if processing in both channels is favorable, i.e., if there is resonance in the perceptual processing channel (“aesthetics of perception”), and successful mastering in the cognitive processing channel (“aesthetics of cognition”). I speculate that this combinatorial mechanism has evolved to mediate social bonding between members of a (cultural) group of people. Primary emotions can be elicited via both channels and modulate the degree of the aesthetic experience. Two special cases are discussed. First, in a subset of (post-)modern art, beauty no longer plays a prominent role. Second, in some forms of abstract art, beautiful form can be enjoyed with minimal cognitive processing. The model is applied to examples of Western art. Finally, implications of the model are discussed. In summary, the proposed model resolves the seeming contradiction between formalist perceptual approaches to aesthetic experience, which are based on the intrinsic beauty of artworks, and contextual approaches, which account for highly individual and culturally dependent aspects of

Experiences of graduate students: Using Cabri as a visualization tool in math education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Çiğdem Gül

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Through the use of graphic calculators and dynamic software running on computers and mobile devices, students can learn complex algebraic concepts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the experiences of graduate students using Cabri as a visualization tool in math education. The qualitative case study was used in this study. Five students from graduate students studying at the non-thesis math program of a university located in the Blacksea region were the participant of the study. As a dynamic learning tool, Cabri provided participants an environment where participants visually discovered the geometry. It was concluded that dynamic learning tools like Cabri has a huge potential for teaching visually the challenging concepts that students struggle to image. Further research should investigate the potential plans for integrating the use of dynamic learning software into the math curriculum

The role of object categories in hybrid visual and memory search.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Corbin A; Wolfe, Jeremy M

2014-08-01

In hybrid search, observers search for any of several possible targets in a visual display containing distracting items and, perhaps, a target. Wolfe (2012) found that response times (RTs) in such tasks increased linearly with increases in the number of items in the display. However, RT increased linearly with the log of the number of items in the memory set. In earlier work, all items in the memory set were unique instances (e.g., this apple in this pose). Typical real-world tasks involve more broadly defined sets of stimuli (e.g., any "apple" or, perhaps, "fruit"). The present experiments show how sets or categories of targets are handled in joint visual and memory search. In Experiment 1, searching for a digit among letters was not like searching for targets from a 10-item memory set, though searching for targets from an N-item memory set of arbitrary alphanumeric characters was like searching for targets from an N-item memory set of arbitrary objects. In Experiment 2, observers searched for any instance of N sets or categories held in memory. This hybrid search was harder than search for specific objects. However, memory search remained logarithmic. Experiment 3 illustrates the interaction of visual guidance and memory search when a subset of visual stimuli are drawn from a target category. Furthermore, we outline a conceptual model, supported by our results, defining the core components that would be necessary to support such categorical hybrid searches. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Pop-out and pop-in: Visual working memory advantages for unique items.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajsic, Jason; Sun, Sol Z; Huxtable, Lauren; Pratt, Jay; Ferber, Susanne

2016-12-01

Attentional control is thought to play a critical role in determining the amount of information that can be stored and retrieved from visual working memory (VWM). We tested whether and how task-irrelevant feature-based salience, known to affect the control of visual attention, affects VWM performance. Our results show that features of a task-irrelevant color singleton are more likely to be recalled from VWM than non-singleton items and that this increased memorability comes at a cost to the other items in the display. Furthermore, the singleton effect in VWM was negatively correlated with an individual's baseline VWM capacity. Taken together, these results suggest that individual differences in VWM storage capacity may be partially attributable to the ability to ignore differences in task-irrelevant physical salience.

Words, Shape, Visual Search and Visual Working Memory in 3-Year-Old Children

Science.gov (United States)

Vales, Catarina; Smith, Linda B.

2015-01-01

Do words cue children's visual attention, and if so, what are the relevant mechanisms? Across four experiments, 3-year-old children (N = 163) were tested in visual search tasks in which targets were cued with only a visual preview versus a visual preview and a spoken name. The experiments were designed to determine whether labels facilitated…

DORADO/DOLPHIN: A Unique Semi-submersible Autonomous Vehicle for Ocean Field Experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, D.

2016-02-01

The Ocean Science and Technology research group (CERC.OCEAN) at Dalhousie University focuses on new approaches to the design and development of autonomous platforms to study biogeochemical and ecological changes in the world's oceans. Mesoscale "patch" experiments involving tracers are used to test hypotheses (e.g. iron fertilization) and examine near-surface processes and air-sea exchange. Such experiments typically require mapping of rapidly-evolving properties on scales of 10's to 100's of kilometers. These experiments typically employ a research vessel to monitor patch movement and to support process studies: however allocation of expensive vessel time between these uses can be problematic. We present a class of autonomous vehicle with unique potential for mesoscale mapping and experimental science at sea. The Dorado/Dolphin semi-submersibles, manufactured by International Submarine Engineering Ltd., travel just below the sea surface. A surface-piercing, "snorkel" mast allows use of a diesel engine allowing speeds of up to 16 knots and sufficient power for support of complex payloads. A tow-body can profile to 200m. The mast allows air sampling with near-zero atmospheric disturbance as well as remote sensing of the sea surface. The characteristics of this type of vehicle will be compared with those of other available platforms. We will report on our adaptation of the vehicle for measurement of gases and purposeful tracers (e.g. SF5CF3) as well as properties such as T, S, pCO2, O2, fluorescence, etc. and present and solicit ideas for the vehicles' further application/use for ocean science.

Reward associations impact both iconic and visual working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Infanti, Elisa; Hickey, Clayton; Turatto, Massimo

2015-02-01

Reward plays a fundamental role in human behavior. A growing number of studies have shown that stimuli associated with reward become salient and attract attention. The aim of the present study was to extend these results into the investigation of iconic memory and visual working memory. In two experiments we asked participants to perform a visual-search task where different colors of the target stimuli were paired with high or low reward. We then tested whether the pre-established feature-reward association affected performance on a subsequent visual memory task, in which no reward was provided. In this test phase participants viewed arrays of 8 objects, one of which had unique color that could match the color associated with reward during the previous visual-search task. A probe appeared at varying intervals after stimulus offset to identify the to-be-reported item. Our results suggest that reward biases the encoding of visual information such that items characterized by a reward-associated feature interfere with mnemonic representations of other items in the test display. These results extend current knowledge regarding the influence of reward on early cognitive processes, suggesting that feature-reward associations automatically interact with the encoding and storage of visual information, both in iconic memory and visual working memory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Virtual Rock Physics Laboratory Through Visualized and Interactive Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Vanorio, T.; Di Bonito, C.; Clark, A. C.

2014-12-01

As new scientific challenges demand more comprehensive and multidisciplinary investigations, laboratory experiments are not expected to become simpler and/or faster. Experimental investigation is an indispensable element of scientific inquiry and must play a central role in the way current and future generations of scientist make decisions. To turn the complexity of laboratory work (and that of rocks!) into dexterity, engagement, and expanded learning opportunities, we are building an interactive, virtual laboratory reproducing in form and function the Stanford Rock Physics Laboratory, at Stanford University. The objective is to combine lectures on laboratory techniques and an online repository of visualized experiments consisting of interactive, 3-D renderings of equipment used to measure properties central to the study of rock physics (e.g., how to saturate rocks, how to measure porosity, permeability, and elastic wave velocity). We use a game creation system together with 3-D computer graphics, and a narrative voice to guide the user through the different phases of the experimental protocol. The main advantage gained in employing computer graphics over video footage is that students can virtually open the instrument, single out its components, and assemble it. Most importantly, it helps describe the processes occurring within the rock. These latter cannot be tracked while simply recording the physical experiment, but computer animation can efficiently illustrate what happens inside rock samples (e.g., describing acoustic waves, and/or fluid flow through a porous rock under pressure within an opaque core-holder - Figure 1). The repository of visualized experiments will complement lectures on laboratory techniques and constitute an on-line course offered through the EdX platform at Stanford. This will provide a virtual laboratory for anyone, anywhere to facilitate teaching/learning of introductory laboratory classes in Geophysics and expand the number of courses

Institutionalizing New Ideas Through Visualization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Renate; Jancsary, Dennis; Höllerer, Markus A.

How do visualization and visual forms of communication influence the process of transforming a novel idea into established organizational practice? In this paper, we build theory with regard to the role of visuals in manifesting and giving form to an innovative idea as it proceeds through various...... stages of institutionalization. Ideas become institutionalized not merely through widespread diffusion in a cognitive-discursive form but eventually through their translation into concrete activities and transformation into specific patterns of organizational practice. We argue that visualization plays...... a pivotal and unique role in this process. Visualization bridges the ideational with the practical realm by providing representations of ideas, connecting them to existing knowledge, and illustrating the specific actions that instantiate them. Similar to verbal discourse, and often in tandem, visual...

Ivor Horton's beginning visual C++ 2013

CERN Document Server

Horton, Ivor

2014-01-01

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

Incidental biasing of attention from visual long-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Judith E; Turk-Browne, Nicholas B

2016-06-01

Holding recently experienced information in mind can help us achieve our current goals. However, such immediate and direct forms of guidance from working memory are less helpful over extended delays or when other related information in long-term memory is useful for reaching these goals. Here we show that information that was encoded in the past but is no longer present or relevant to the task also guides attention. We examined this by associating multiple unique features with novel shapes in visual long-term memory (VLTM), and subsequently testing how memories for these objects biased the deployment of attention. In Experiment 1, VLTM for associated features guided visual search for the shapes, even when these features had never been task-relevant. In Experiment 2, associated features captured attention when presented in isolation during a secondary task that was completely unrelated to the shapes. These findings suggest that long-term memory enables a durable and automatic type of memory-based attentional control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Entwining Psychology and Visual Arts: A Classroom Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Bahia, Sara; Trindade, Jose Pedro

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to show how activating perception, imagery and creativity facilitate the mastery of specific skills of visual arts education. Specifically, the study aimed at answering two questions: How can teachers enhance visual and creative expression?; and What criteria should be used to evaluate specific learning of visual arts…

Collinearity Impairs Local Element Visual Search

Science.gov (United States)

Jingling, Li; Tseng, Chia-Huei

2013-01-01

In visual searches, stimuli following the law of good continuity attract attention to the global structure and receive attentional priority. Also, targets that have unique features are of high feature contrast and capture attention in visual search. We report on a salient global structure combined with a high orientation contrast to the…

Making Memories: The Development of Long-Term Visual Knowledge in Children with Visual Agnosia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiziana Metitieri

2013-01-01

Full Text Available There are few reports about the effects of perinatal acquired brain lesions on the development of visual perception. These studies demonstrate nonseverely impaired visual-spatial abilities and preserved visual memory. Longitudinal data analyzing the effects of compromised perceptions on long-term visual knowledge in agnosics are limited to lesions having occurred in adulthood. The study of children with focal lesions of the visual pathways provides a unique opportunity to assess the development of visual memory when perceptual input is degraded. We assessed visual recognition and visual memory in three children with lesions to the visual cortex having occurred in early infancy. We then explored the time course of visual memory impairment in two of them at 2 years and 3.7 years from the initial assessment. All children exhibited apperceptive visual agnosia and visual memory impairment. We observed a longitudinal improvement of visual memory modulated by the structural properties of objects. Our findings indicate that processing of degraded perceptions from birth results in impoverished memories. The dynamic interaction between perception and memory during development might modulate the long-term construction of visual representations, resulting in less severe impairment.

Making memories: the development of long-term visual knowledge in children with visual agnosia.

Science.gov (United States)

Metitieri, Tiziana; Barba, Carmen; Pellacani, Simona; Viggiano, Maria Pia; Guerrini, Renzo

2013-01-01

There are few reports about the effects of perinatal acquired brain lesions on the development of visual perception. These studies demonstrate nonseverely impaired visual-spatial abilities and preserved visual memory. Longitudinal data analyzing the effects of compromised perceptions on long-term visual knowledge in agnosics are limited to lesions having occurred in adulthood. The study of children with focal lesions of the visual pathways provides a unique opportunity to assess the development of visual memory when perceptual input is degraded. We assessed visual recognition and visual memory in three children with lesions to the visual cortex having occurred in early infancy. We then explored the time course of visual memory impairment in two of them at 2  years and 3.7  years from the initial assessment. All children exhibited apperceptive visual agnosia and visual memory impairment. We observed a longitudinal improvement of visual memory modulated by the structural properties of objects. Our findings indicate that processing of degraded perceptions from birth results in impoverished memories. The dynamic interaction between perception and memory during development might modulate the long-term construction of visual representations, resulting in less severe impairment.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2015-06-01

visual experience and be retained through life-long experience-dependent plasticity. Furthermore, retinotopic divisions of labour, such as that between the visual cortex regions normally representing the fovea and periphery, also form the basis for topographically-unique plastic changes in the blind. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

The Dynamics of Visual Art Dialogues: Experiences to Be Used in Hospital Settings with Visual Art Enrichment

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Britt-Maj Wikström

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. Given that hospitals have environmental enrichment with paintings and visual art arrangement, it would be meaningful to develop and document how hospital art could be used by health professionals. Methods. The study was undertaken at an art site in Sweden. During 1-hour sessions, participants (=20 get together in an art gallery every second week five times. Results. According to the participants a new value was perceived. From qualitative analyses, three themes appear: raise association, mentally present, and door-opener. In addition 72% of the participants reported makes me happy and gives energy and inspiration, and 52% reported that dialogues increase inspiration, make you involved, and stimulate curiosity. Conclusion. The present study supported the view that visual art dialogue could be used by health care professionals in a structured manner and that meaningful art stimulation, related to a person’s experiences, could be of importance for the patients. Implementing art dialogues in hospital settings could be a fruitful working tool for nurses, a complementary manner of patient communication.

POSSIBILITIES FOR INNOVATIVE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH: INFORMATION VISUALIZATION AND EXPERIMENT IN INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH

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Dejan Ulcej

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In addition to universal social changes, the information revolution also brought a lot of innovation to the workings of intelligence services, which are traditionally the part of the national security system that is conducting data analyses and for which information is the primary product. If in the past the main problem and challenge has been the timely acquisition of data, today most agencies are faced with an entirely different problem - information overload. This problem is being tackled by technical as well as systemic measures that combine various types of intelligence work. However, there are still unanswered questions regarding the applicability of intelligence products for decision makers. Here we have to point out information visualization as the subject of an interdisciplinary scientific research that definitely shows a lot of potential in the context of the defense science as well. This article points out three key requirements that allow the application of information visualization to defense research: (1 the concept of the intelligence cycle can be used as a good basis for the information that is subject to visualization; (2 the quality of decision-making support information depends on proper visualization; (3 the first two requirements offer a stable theoretical and empirical basis for the introduction of innovative scientific methods in the field of defense science, such as experiments.

Layers Of Visual Imagination And Degrees Of Subjectivity In Listening Experiences Exploring Visual Imagination In Acousmatic Composition And Listening

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Stefano Poillucci

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Electroacoustic music especially Acousmatic is often perceived differently between listeners and a wide variety of visual images is evoked. This because of the spectromorphological qualities and the abstract reality in which this kind of music carries the listener into. In everyday life it seems that we have a natural tendency to assess and understand reality around us and to quantise how and if the perceived circumstances could affect our wellbeing. Some studies also affirm that brain and the biological function of the sensory and perceptual processes are commonly identical in each listener. This gives evidence that arises the interest to investigate which variations the subjectivity of visual imagery depends on and if it is possible to unfold it in various layers. This experimental research has taken in consideration questionnaire-based listening tests to gather details from each listening experience and to get a better understanding of the visual imagery evoked by electroacoustic compositions into the listeners mind and its degrees of objectivity and subjectivity. The compositions used in the experiment were both composed by the author with the intention of guiding listeners into their personal perceptual-imaginative journey by delivering encoded perhaps objective sonic cues. This paper is a theoretical inter-disciplinary analysis backed by research on the foundations of senses perception cognition emotions etc. An artistic approach based on scientific evidences led to the theorization of layers of imagination and their bias to produce visual images with a degree of subjectivity that lies into micro aspects of sounds and in the perceptual and innate knowledge of each individual. Glossary The terms listed here have been invented or readapted for the purpose of the study in order to make concepts easier to assimilate and understand. Aural World sonic world with intrinsic features Smalley 1997. The purely auditory realm which an

Cone photoreceptor sensitivities and unique hue chromatic responses: correlation and causation imply the physiological basis of unique hues.

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Pridmore, Ralph W

2013-01-01

This paper relates major functions at the start and end of the color vision process. The process starts with three cone photoreceptors transducing light into electrical responses. Cone sensitivities were once expected to be Red Green Blue color matching functions (to mix colors) but microspectrometry proved otherwise: they instead peak in yellowish, greenish, and blueish hues. These physiological functions are an enigma, unmatched with any set of psychophysical (behavioral) functions. The end-result of the visual process is color sensation, whose essential percepts are unique (or pure) hues red, yellow, green, blue. Unique hues cannot be described by other hues, but can describe all other hues, e.g., that hue is reddish-blue. They are carried by four opponent chromatic response curves but the literature does not specify whether each curve represents a range of hues or only one hue (a unique) over its wavelength range. Here the latter is demonstrated, confirming that opponent chromatic responses define, and may be termed, unique hue chromatic responses. These psychophysical functions also are an enigma, unmatched with any physiological functions or basis. Here both enigmas are solved by demonstrating the three cone sensitivity curves and the three spectral chromatic response curves are almost identical sets (Pearson correlation coefficients r from 0.95-1.0) in peak wavelengths, curve shapes, math functions, and curve crossover wavelengths, though previously unrecognized due to presentation of curves in different formats, e.g., log, linear. (Red chromatic response curve is largely nonspectral and thus derives from two cones.) Close correlation combined with deterministic causation implies cones are the physiological basis of unique hues. This match of three physiological and three psychophysical functions is unique in color vision.

Data mining and visualization techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Pak Chung [Richland, WA; Whitney, Paul [Richland, WA; Thomas, Jim [Richland, WA

2004-03-23

Disclosed are association rule identification and visualization methods, systems, and apparatus. An association rule in data mining is an implication of the form X.fwdarw.Y where X is a set of antecedent items and Y is the consequent item. A unique visualization technique that provides multiple antecedent, consequent, confidence, and support information is disclosed to facilitate better presentation of large quantities of complex association rules.

Conceptual and visual features contribute to visual memory for natural images.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gesche M Huebner

Full Text Available We examined the role of conceptual and visual similarity in a memory task for natural images. The important novelty of our approach was that visual similarity was determined using an algorithm [1] instead of being judged subjectively. This similarity index takes colours and spatial frequencies into account. For each target, four distractors were selected that were (1 conceptually and visually similar, (2 only conceptually similar, (3 only visually similar, or (4 neither conceptually nor visually similar to the target image. Participants viewed 219 images with the instruction to memorize them. Memory for a subset of these images was tested subsequently. In Experiment 1, participants performed a two-alternative forced choice recognition task and in Experiment 2, a yes/no-recognition task. In Experiment 3, testing occurred after a delay of one week. We analyzed the distribution of errors depending on distractor type. Performance was lowest when the distractor image was conceptually and visually similar to the target image, indicating that both factors matter in such a memory task. After delayed testing, these differences disappeared. Overall performance was high, indicating a large-capacity, detailed visual long-term memory.

Visual hallucinatory syndromes and the anatomy of the visual brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Santhouse, A M; Howard, R J; ffytche, D H

2000-10-01

We have set out to identify phenomenological correlates of cerebral functional architecture within Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) hallucinations by looking for associations between specific hallucination categories. Thirty-four CBS patients were examined with a structured interview/questionnaire to establish the presence of 28 different pathological visual experiences. Associations between categories of pathological experience were investigated by an exploratory factor analysis. Twelve of the pathological experiences partitioned into three segregated syndromic clusters. The first cluster consisted of hallucinations of extended landscape scenes and small figures in costumes with hats; the second, hallucinations of grotesque, disembodied and distorted faces with prominent eyes and teeth; and the third, visual perseveration and delayed palinopsia. The three visual psycho-syndromes mirror the segregation of hierarchical visual pathways into streams and suggest a novel theoretical framework for future research into the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric syndromes.

Teach Yourself VISUALLY iPad

CERN Document Server

Watson, Lonzell

2010-01-01

An ideal, visual guide for the image-driven iPad. Whether your interests veer towards movies, games, books, or music—the iPad is the computing device for dazzling graphics, crisp and clear audio, and effortless portability. If ever there existed a device that demanded a reading companion for the visual learner, it's the iPad—and this resource is perfectly suited for the visual audience. Veteran VISUAL author Lonzell Watson walks you through all the features unique to the iPad and shows you how to download books, apps, music, and video content, as well as send photos and e-mails. Plus, you'll d

Integrating Visualization Applications, such as ParaView, into HEP Software Frameworks for In-situ Event Displays

Science.gov (United States)

Lyon, A. L.; Kowalkowski, J. B.; Jones, C. D.

2017-10-01

ParaView is a high performance visualization application not widely used in High Energy Physics (HEP). It is a long standing open source project led by Kitware and involves several Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (DOD) laboratories. Futhermore, it has been adopted by many DOE supercomputing centers and other sites. ParaView is unique in speed and efficiency by using state-of-the-art techniques developed by the academic visualization community that are often not found in applications written by the HEP community. In-situ visualization of events, where event details are visualized during processing/analysis, is a common task for experiment software frameworks. Kitware supplies Catalyst, a library that enables scientific software to serve visualization objects to client ParaView viewers yielding a real-time event display. Connecting ParaView to the Fermilab art framework will be described and the capabilities it brings discussed.

Integrating Visualization Applications, such as ParaView, into HEP Software Frameworks for In-situ Event Displays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyon, A. L. [Fermilab; Kowalkowski, J. B. [Fermilab; Jones, C. D. [Fermilab

2017-11-22

ParaView is a high performance visualization application not widely used in High Energy Physics (HEP). It is a long standing open source project led by Kitware and involves several Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (DOD) laboratories. Futhermore, it has been adopted by many DOE supercomputing centers and other sites. ParaView is unique in speed and efficiency by using state-of-the-art techniques developed by the academic visualization community that are often not found in applications written by the HEP community. In-situ visualization of events, where event details are visualized during processing/analysis, is a common task for experiment software frameworks. Kitware supplies Catalyst, a library that enables scientific software to serve visualization objects to client ParaView viewers yielding a real-time event display. Connecting ParaView to the Fermilab art framework will be described and the capabilities it brings discussed.

A vivência da sexualidade por adolescentes portadoras de deficiência visual La vivencia de la sexualidad por adolescentes portadores de deficiencia visual The experience of sexuality by visually impaired adolescents

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Camilla Pontes Bezerra

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Devido às transformações ocorridas na adolescência, as indefinições que a acompanham, somadas à deficiência visual, justifica-se um estudo sobre a vivência da sexualidade das adolescentes portadoras de deficiência visual inseridas na sociedade e na comunidade escolar. Foram entrevistadas cinco adolescentes em um Centro de Apoio Pedagógico, com questões que buscaram o conhecimento e a compreensão sobre as causa da sua deficiência visual, composição e orientações familiares, experiência afetivo-sexual e o nível de conhecimento acerca de assuntos relacionados à sexualidade, dentre eles métodos contraceptivos e doenças sexualmente transmissíveis. Os resultados mostram que estas adolescentes apresentam as mesmas características de desenvolvimento da sexualidade da sua faixa etária, embora possuam características individuais. Percebeu-se o desconhecimento sobre métodos contraceptivos e doenças sexualmente transmissíveis com informações superficiais. Torna-se imprescindível que o conhecimento se faça de forma acessível para esta população.En razón de las transformaciones sufridas durante la adolescencia, las indefiniciones que a acompañan, sumándose la deficiencia visual, se justifica un estudio sobre la experiencia de la sexualidad de las adolescentes afectadas por deficiencia visual insertas en la sociedad y en la comunidad escolar. Fueron entrevistadas cinco adolescentes en un Centro de Apoyo Pedagógico con preguntas que buscaron el conocimiento y comprensión de la causa de su deficiencia visual, composición y orientaciones familiares, experiencia afectivo-sexual, nivel de conocimientos acerca de asuntos relacionados con la sexualidad, sin excluir métodos anticonceptivos y enfermedades de transmisión sexual. Los resultados muestran que estas adolescentes presentan las mismas características de desarrollo de la sexualidad de su faja etaria, sin embargo poseen características particulares. Se percibió el

J-TEXT WebScope: An efficient data access and visualization system for long pulse fusion experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Wei, E-mail: zhenghaku@gmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering and Technology in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Wan, Kuanhong; Chen, Zhi; Hu, Feiran; Liu, Qiang [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering and Technology in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • No matter how large the data is, the response time is always less than 500 milliseconds. • It is intelligent and just gives you the data you want. • It can be accessed directly over the Internet without installing special client software if you already have a browser. • Adopt scale and segment technology to organize data. • To support a new database for the WebScope is quite easy. • With the configuration stored in user’s profile, you have your own portable WebScope. - Abstract: Fusion research is an international collaboration work. To enable researchers across the world to visualize and analyze the experiment data, a web based data access and visualization tool is quite important [1]. Now, a new WebScope based on RIA (Rich Internet Application) is designed and implemented to meet these requirements. On the browser side, a fluent and intuitive interface is provided for researchers at J-TEXT laboratory and collaborators from all over the world to view experiment data and related metadata. The fusion experiments will feature long pulse and high sampling rate in the future. The data access and visualization system in this work has adopted segment and scale concept. Large data samples are re-sampled in different scales and then split into segments for instant response. It allows users to view extremely large data on the web browser efficiently, without worrying about the limitation on the size of the data. The HTML5 and JavaScript based web front-end can provide intuitive and fluent user experience. On the server side, a RESTful (Representational State Transfer) web API, which is based on ASP.NET MVC (Model View Controller), allows users to access the data and its metadata through HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol). An interface to the database has been designed to decouple the data access and visualization system from the data storage. It can be applied upon any data storage system like MDSplus or JTEXTDB, and this system is very easy to

J-TEXT WebScope: An efficient data access and visualization system for long pulse fusion experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Wei; Wan, Kuanhong; Chen, Zhi; Hu, Feiran; Liu, Qiang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • No matter how large the data is, the response time is always less than 500 milliseconds. • It is intelligent and just gives you the data you want. • It can be accessed directly over the Internet without installing special client software if you already have a browser. • Adopt scale and segment technology to organize data. • To support a new database for the WebScope is quite easy. • With the configuration stored in user’s profile, you have your own portable WebScope. - Abstract: Fusion research is an international collaboration work. To enable researchers across the world to visualize and analyze the experiment data, a web based data access and visualization tool is quite important [1]. Now, a new WebScope based on RIA (Rich Internet Application) is designed and implemented to meet these requirements. On the browser side, a fluent and intuitive interface is provided for researchers at J-TEXT laboratory and collaborators from all over the world to view experiment data and related metadata. The fusion experiments will feature long pulse and high sampling rate in the future. The data access and visualization system in this work has adopted segment and scale concept. Large data samples are re-sampled in different scales and then split into segments for instant response. It allows users to view extremely large data on the web browser efficiently, without worrying about the limitation on the size of the data. The HTML5 and JavaScript based web front-end can provide intuitive and fluent user experience. On the server side, a RESTful (Representational State Transfer) web API, which is based on ASP.NET MVC (Model View Controller), allows users to access the data and its metadata through HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol). An interface to the database has been designed to decouple the data access and visualization system from the data storage. It can be applied upon any data storage system like MDSplus or JTEXTDB, and this system is very easy to

Monitoring Processes in Visual Search Enhanced by Professional Experience: The Case of Orange Quality-Control Workers

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Antonino Visalli

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Visual search tasks have often been used to investigate how cognitive processes change with expertise. Several studies have shown visual experts' advantages in detecting objects related to their expertise. Here, we tried to extend these findings by investigating whether professional search experience could boost top-down monitoring processes involved in visual search, independently of advantages specific to objects of expertise. To this aim, we recruited a group of quality-control workers employed in citrus farms. Given the specific features of this type of job, we expected that the extensive employment of monitoring mechanisms during orange selection could enhance these mechanisms even in search situations in which orange-related expertise is not suitable. To test this hypothesis, we compared performance of our experimental group and of a well-matched control group on a computerized visual search task. In one block the target was an orange (expertise target while in the other block the target was a Smurfette doll (neutral target. The a priori hypothesis was to find an advantage for quality-controllers in those situations in which monitoring was especially involved, that is, when deciding the presence/absence of the target required a more extensive inspection of the search array. Results were consistent with our hypothesis. Quality-controllers were faster in those conditions that extensively required monitoring processes, specifically, the Smurfette-present and both target-absent conditions. No differences emerged in the orange-present condition, which resulted to mainly rely on bottom-up processes. These results suggest that top-down processes in visual search can be enhanced through immersive real-life experience beyond visual expertise advantages.

Monitoring Processes in Visual Search Enhanced by Professional Experience: The Case of Orange Quality-Control Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Visalli, Antonino; Vallesi, Antonino

2018-01-01

Visual search tasks have often been used to investigate how cognitive processes change with expertise. Several studies have shown visual experts' advantages in detecting objects related to their expertise. Here, we tried to extend these findings by investigating whether professional search experience could boost top-down monitoring processes involved in visual search, independently of advantages specific to objects of expertise. To this aim, we recruited a group of quality-control workers employed in citrus farms. Given the specific features of this type of job, we expected that the extensive employment of monitoring mechanisms during orange selection could enhance these mechanisms even in search situations in which orange-related expertise is not suitable. To test this hypothesis, we compared performance of our experimental group and of a well-matched control group on a computerized visual search task. In one block the target was an orange (expertise target) while in the other block the target was a Smurfette doll (neutral target). The a priori hypothesis was to find an advantage for quality-controllers in those situations in which monitoring was especially involved, that is, when deciding the presence/absence of the target required a more extensive inspection of the search array. Results were consistent with our hypothesis. Quality-controllers were faster in those conditions that extensively required monitoring processes, specifically, the Smurfette-present and both target-absent conditions. No differences emerged in the orange-present condition, which resulted to mainly rely on bottom-up processes. These results suggest that top-down processes in visual search can be enhanced through immersive real-life experience beyond visual expertise advantages.

[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.

What can an image tell? Challenges and benefits of using visual art as a research method to voice lived experiences of students and teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Alerby

2013-06-01

Full Text Available As humans, we have the ability to use many forms of “language” to express our self and our experiences, where visual art, an image, is one. Accordingly, experiences can be described in many different ways. In this paper we describe the challenges and benefits of using visual art as a research method to voice lived experiences of students and teachers based on life-world phenomenology. We give three examples of the analysis of visual art works, such as photographs, lino prints, and drawings made by students and teachers, as a way to express their lived experiences of different phenomena. The conclusion is that there are limits with using visual art as the sole source of empirical data. We argue that such data has to be accompanied by oral or written comments to enhance credibility and rigor. A life-world phenomenological analysis of visual art and subsequent comments emphasizes openness and humility to participants’ experiences as well as an all-inclusive understanding of a phenomenon.

Brain responses to repeated visual experience among low and high sensation seekers: role of boredom susceptibility

OpenAIRE

Jiang, Yang; Lianekhammy, Joann; Lawson, Adam; Guo, Chunyan; ynam, Donald; Joseph, Jane E.; Gold, Brian T.; Kelly, Thomas H.

2009-01-01

To better understand individual differences in sensation seeking and its components, including boredom susceptibility and experience seeking, we examined brain responses of high and low sensation seekers during repeated visual experience. Individuals scoring in the top and bottom quartiles from a college-aged population on the Brief Sensation-Seeking Scale (BSSS) participated in an event-related potentials (ERPs) experiment. Line drawings of common objects were randomly intermixed and present...

Unique life sciences research facilities at NASA Ames Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Mulenburg, G. M.; Vasques, M.; Caldwell, W. F.; Tucker, J.

1994-01-01

The Life Science Division at NASA's Ames Research Center has a suite of specialized facilities that enable scientists to study the effects of gravity on living systems. This paper describes some of these facilities and their use in research. Seven centrifuges, each with its own unique abilities, allow testing of a variety of parameters on test subjects ranging from single cells through hardware to humans. The Vestibular Research Facility allows the study of both centrifugation and linear acceleration on animals and humans. The Biocomputation Center uses computers for 3D reconstruction of physiological systems, and interactive research tools for virtual reality modeling. Psycophysiological, cardiovascular, exercise physiology, and biomechanical studies are conducted in the 12 bed Human Research Facility and samples are analyzed in the certified Central Clinical Laboratory and other laboratories at Ames. Human bedrest, water immersion and lower body negative pressure equipment are also available to study physiological changes associated with weightlessness. These and other weightlessness models are used in specialized laboratories for the study of basic physiological mechanisms, metabolism and cell biology. Visual-motor performance, perception, and adaptation are studied using ground-based models as well as short term weightlessness experiments (parabolic flights). The unique combination of Life Science research facilities, laboratories, and equipment at Ames Research Center are described in detail in relation to their research contributions.

Scientific visualization and radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawrance, D.P.; Hoyer, C.E.; Wrestler, F.A.; Kuhn, M.J.; Moore, W.D.; Anderson, D.R.

1989-01-01

Scientific visualization is the visual presentation of numerical data. The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has developed methods for visualizing computerbased simulations of digital imaging data. The applicability of these various tools for unique and potentially medical beneficial display of MR images is investigated. Raw data are obtained from MR images of the brain, neck, spine, and brachial plexus obtained on a 1.5-T imager with multiple pulse sequences. A supercomputer and other mainframe resources run a variety of graphic and imaging programs using this data. An interdisciplinary team of imaging scientists, computer graphic programmers, an physicians works together to achieve useful information

The Role of Long-Term Memory in a Test of Visual Working Memory: Proactive Facilitation but No Proactive Interference

Science.gov (United States)

Oberauer, Klaus; Awh, Edward; Sutterer, David W.

2017-01-01

We report 4 experiments examining whether associations in visual working memory are subject to proactive interference from long-term memory (LTM). Following a long-term learning phase in which participants learned the colors of 120 unique objects, a working memory (WM) test was administered in which participants recalled the precise colors of 3…

Integration in a nuclear physics experiment of a visualization unit managed by a microprocessor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lefebvre, M.

1976-01-01

A microprocessor (Intel 8080) is introduced in the equipment controlling the (e,e'p) experiment that will take place at the linear accelerator operating in the premises of CEA (Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, France). The purpose of the microprocessor is to handle the visualization tasks that are necessary to have a continuous control of the experiment. By doing so more time and more memory will be left for data processing by the calculator unit. In a forward version of the system, the controlling of the level of helium in the target might also be in charge of the microprocessor. This work is divided into 7 main parts: 1) a presentation of the linear accelerator and its experimental facilities, 2) the Intel 8080 micro-processor and its programming, 3) the implementation of the micro-processor in the electronic system, 4) the management of the memory, 5) data acquisition, 6) the keyboard, and 7) the visualization unit [fr

Audio-Visual Speech Recognition Using MPEG-4 Compliant Visual Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petar S. Aleksic

2002-11-01

Full Text Available We describe an audio-visual automatic continuous speech recognition system, which significantly improves speech recognition performance over a wide range of acoustic noise levels, as well as under clean audio conditions. The system utilizes facial animation parameters (FAPs supported by the MPEG-4 standard for the visual representation of speech. We also describe a robust and automatic algorithm we have developed to extract FAPs from visual data, which does not require hand labeling or extensive training procedures. The principal component analysis (PCA was performed on the FAPs in order to decrease the dimensionality of the visual feature vectors, and the derived projection weights were used as visual features in the audio-visual automatic speech recognition (ASR experiments. Both single-stream and multistream hidden Markov models (HMMs were used to model the ASR system, integrate audio and visual information, and perform a relatively large vocabulary (approximately 1000 words speech recognition experiments. The experiments performed use clean audio data and audio data corrupted by stationary white Gaussian noise at various SNRs. The proposed system reduces the word error rate (WER by 20% to 23% relatively to audio-only speech recognition WERs, at various SNRs (0–30 dB with additive white Gaussian noise, and by 19% relatively to audio-only speech recognition WER under clean audio conditions.

Realistic tissue visualization using photoacoustic image

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Seonghee; Managuli, Ravi; Jeon, Seungwan; Kim, Jeesu; Kim, Chulhong

2018-02-01

Visualization methods are very important in biomedical imaging. As a technology that understands life, biomedical imaging has the unique advantage of providing the most intuitive information in the image. This advantage of biomedical imaging can be greatly improved by choosing a special visualization method. This is more complicated in volumetric data. Volume data has the advantage of containing 3D spatial information. Unfortunately, the data itself cannot directly represent the potential value. Because images are always displayed in 2D space, visualization is the key and creates the real value of volume data. However, image processing of 3D data requires complicated algorithms for visualization and high computational burden. Therefore, specialized algorithms and computing optimization are important issues in volume data. Photoacoustic-imaging is a unique imaging modality that can visualize the optical properties of deep tissue. Because the color of the organism is mainly determined by its light absorbing component, photoacoustic data can provide color information of tissue, which is closer to real tissue color. In this research, we developed realistic tissue visualization using acoustic-resolution photoacoustic volume data. To achieve realistic visualization, we designed specialized color transfer function, which depends on the depth of the tissue from the skin. We used direct ray casting method and processed color during computing shader parameter. In the rendering results, we succeeded in obtaining similar texture results from photoacoustic data. The surface reflected rays were visualized in white, and the reflected color from the deep tissue was visualized red like skin tissue. We also implemented the CUDA algorithm in an OpenGL environment for real-time interactive imaging.

The Importance of Visual Experience, Gender, and Emotion in the Assessment of an Assistive Tactile Mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Brayda, Luca; Campus, Claudio; Memeo, Mariacarla; Lucagrossi, Laura

2015-01-01

Tactile maps are efficient tools to improve spatial understanding and mobility skills of visually impaired people. Their limited adaptability can be compensated with haptic devices which display graphical information, but their assessment is frequently limited to performance-based metrics only which can hide potential spatial abilities in O&M protocols. We assess a low-tech tactile mouse able to deliver three-dimensional content considering how performance, mental workload, behavior, and anxiety status vary with task difficulty and gender in congenitally blind, late blind, and sighted subjects. Results show that task difficulty coherently modulates the efficiency and difficulty to build mental maps, regardless of visual experience. Although exhibiting attitudes that were similar and gender-independent, the females had lower performance and higher cognitive load, especially when congenitally blind. All groups showed a significant decrease in anxiety after using the device. Tactile graphics with our device seems therefore to be applicable with different visual experiences, with no negative emotional consequences of mentally demanding spatial tasks. Going beyond performance-based assessment, our methodology can help with better targeting technological solutions in orientation and mobility protocols.

Basic visualization experiments on eutectic reaction of boron carbide and stainless steel under sodium-cooled fast reactor conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamano, Hidemasa; Suzuki, Tohru; Kamiyama, Kenji; Kudo, Isamu

2016-01-01

This paper describes basic visualization experiments on eutectic reaction and relocation of boron carbide (B 4 C) and stainless steel (SS) under a high temperature condition exceeding 1500degC as well as the importance of such behaviors in molten core during a core disruptive accident in a Generation-IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (750 MWe class) designed in Japan. At first, a reactivity history was calculated using an exact perturbation calculation tool taking into account expected behaviors. This calculation indicated the importance of a relocation behavior of the B 4 C-SS eutectic because its behavior has a large uncertainty in the reactivity history. To clarify this behavior, basic experiments were carried out by visualizing the reaction of a B 4 C pellet contacted with molten SS in a high temperature-heating furnace. The experiments have shown the eutectic reaction visualization as well as freezing and relocation of the B 4 C-SS eutectic in upper part of the solidified test piece due to the density separation. (author)

Priming and the guidance by visual and categorical templates in visual search

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Anna eWilschut

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Visual search is thought to be guided by top-down templates that are held in visual working memory. Previous studies have shown that a search-guiding template can be rapidly and strongly implemented from a visual cue, whereas templates are less effective when based on categorical cues. Direct visual priming from cue to target may underlie this difference. In two experiments we first asked observers to remember two possible target colors. A postcue then indicated which of the two would be the relevant color. The task was to locate a briefly presented and masked target of the cued color among irrelevant distractor items. Experiment 1 showed that overall search accuracy improved more rapidly on the basis of a direct visual postcue that carried the target color, compared to a neutral postcue that pointed to the memorized color. However, selectivity towards the target feature, i.e. the extent to which observers searched selectively among items of the cued versus uncued color, was found to be relatively unaffected by the presence of the visual signal. In Experiment 2 we compared search that was based on either visual or categorical information, but now controlled for direct visual priming. This resulted in no differences in overall performance nor selectivity. Altogether the results suggest that perceptual processing of visual search targets is facilitated by priming from visual cues, whereas attentional selectivity is enhanced by a working memory template that can formed from both visual and categorical input. Furthermore, if the priming is controlled for, categorical- and visual-based templates similarly enhance search guidance.

Priming and the guidance by visual and categorical templates in visual search.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilschut, Anna; Theeuwes, Jan; Olivers, Christian N L

2014-01-01

Visual search is thought to be guided by top-down templates that are held in visual working memory. Previous studies have shown that a search-guiding template can be rapidly and strongly implemented from a visual cue, whereas templates are less effective when based on categorical cues. Direct visual priming from cue to target may underlie this difference. In two experiments we first asked observers to remember two possible target colors. A postcue then indicated which of the two would be the relevant color. The task was to locate a briefly presented and masked target of the cued color among irrelevant distractor items. Experiment 1 showed that overall search accuracy improved more rapidly on the basis of a direct visual postcue that carried the target color, compared to a neutral postcue that pointed to the memorized color. However, selectivity toward the target feature, i.e., the extent to which observers searched selectively among items of the cued vs. uncued color, was found to be relatively unaffected by the presence of the visual signal. In Experiment 2 we compared search that was based on either visual or categorical information, but now controlled for direct visual priming. This resulted in no differences in overall performance nor selectivity. Altogether the results suggest that perceptual processing of visual search targets is facilitated by priming from visual cues, whereas attentional selectivity is enhanced by a working memory template that can formed from both visual and categorical input. Furthermore, if the priming is controlled for, categorical- and visual-based templates similarly enhance search guidance.

BACE1 Is Necessary for Experience-Dependent Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity in Visual Cortex

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Emily Petrus

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD is the most common form of age-related dementia, which is thought to result from overproduction and/or reduced clearance of amyloid-beta (Aβ peptides. Studies over the past few decades suggest that Aβ is produced in an activity-dependent manner and has physiological relevance to normal brain functions. Similarly, physiological functions for β- and γ-secretases, the two key enzymes that produce Aβ by sequentially processing the amyloid precursor protein (APP, have been discovered over recent years. In particular, activity-dependent production of Aβ has been suggested to play a role in homeostatic regulation of excitatory synaptic function. There is accumulating evidence that activity-dependent immediate early gene Arc is an activity “sensor,” which acts upstream of Aβ production and triggers AMPA receptor endocytosis to homeostatically downregulate the strength of excitatory synaptic transmission. We previously reported that Arc is critical for sensory experience-dependent homeostatic reduction of excitatory synaptic transmission in the superficial layers of visual cortex. Here we demonstrate that mice lacking the major neuronal β-secretase, BACE1, exhibit a similar phenotype: stronger basal excitatory synaptic transmission and failure to adapt to changes in visual experience. Our results indicate that BACE1 plays an essential role in sensory experience-dependent homeostatic synaptic plasticity in the neocortex.

Cone photoreceptor sensitivities and unique hue chromatic responses: correlation and causation imply the physiological basis of unique hues.

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Ralph W Pridmore

Full Text Available This paper relates major functions at the start and end of the color vision process. The process starts with three cone photoreceptors transducing light into electrical responses. Cone sensitivities were once expected to be Red Green Blue color matching functions (to mix colors but microspectrometry proved otherwise: they instead peak in yellowish, greenish, and blueish hues. These physiological functions are an enigma, unmatched with any set of psychophysical (behavioral functions. The end-result of the visual process is color sensation, whose essential percepts are unique (or pure hues red, yellow, green, blue. Unique hues cannot be described by other hues, but can describe all other hues, e.g., that hue is reddish-blue. They are carried by four opponent chromatic response curves but the literature does not specify whether each curve represents a range of hues or only one hue (a unique over its wavelength range. Here the latter is demonstrated, confirming that opponent chromatic responses define, and may be termed, unique hue chromatic responses. These psychophysical functions also are an enigma, unmatched with any physiological functions or basis. Here both enigmas are solved by demonstrating the three cone sensitivity curves and the three spectral chromatic response curves are almost identical sets (Pearson correlation coefficients r from 0.95-1.0 in peak wavelengths, curve shapes, math functions, and curve crossover wavelengths, though previously unrecognized due to presentation of curves in different formats, e.g., log, linear. (Red chromatic response curve is largely nonspectral and thus derives from two cones. Close correlation combined with deterministic causation implies cones are the physiological basis of unique hues. This match of three physiological and three psychophysical functions is unique in color vision.

Visualization and analysis of atomistic simulation data with OVITO–the Open Visualization Tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stukowski, Alexander

2010-01-01

The Open Visualization Tool (OVITO) is a new 3D visualization software designed for post-processing atomistic data obtained from molecular dynamics or Monte Carlo simulations. Unique analysis, editing and animations functions are integrated into its easy-to-use graphical user interface. The software is written in object-oriented C++, controllable via Python scripts and easily extendable through a plug-in interface. It is distributed as open-source software and can be downloaded from the website http://ovito.sourceforge.net/

Tracking Location and Features of Objects within Visual Working Memory

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Michael Patterson

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Four studies examined how color or shape features can be accessed to retrieve the memory of an object's location. In each trial, 6 colored dots (Experiments 1 and 2 or 6 black shapes (Experiments 3 and 4 were displayed in randomly selected locations for 1.5 s. An auditory cue for either the shape or the color to-be-remembered was presented either simultaneously, immediately, or 2 s later. Non-informative cues appeared in some trials to serve as a control condition. After a 4 s delay, 5/6 objects were re-presented, and participants indicated the location of the missing object either by moving the mouse (Experiments 1 and 3, or by typing coordinates using a grid (Experiments 2 and 4. Compared to the control condition, cues presented simultaneously or immediately after stimuli improved location accuracy in all experiments. However, cues presented after 2 s only improved accuracy in Experiment 1. These results suggest that location information may not be addressable within visual working memory using shape features. In Experiment 1, but not Experiments 2–4, cues significantly improved accuracy when they indicated the missing object could be any of the three identical objects. In Experiments 2–4, location accuracy was highly impaired when the missing object came from a group of identical rather than uniquely identifiable objects. This indicates that when items with similar features are presented, location accuracy may be reduced. In summary, both feature type and response mode can influence the accuracy and accessibility of visual working memory for object location.

The visual arts influence in Nazi Germany

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Bie Yanan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article will discuss the influence of visual art in Nazi Germany from two parts of visual arts, which are political photography and poster propaganda, analyzing the unique social and historical stage of Nazi Germany. And it emphasizes the ideology of the Nazis, which in Nazi Germany inflamed the political sentiment of the masses and took the visual art as their important instrument of political propaganda, while Nazi party used visual art on anti-society and war which is worth warning and criticizing for later generation.

H3 and H4 Lysine Acetylation Correlates with Developmental and Experimentally Induced Adult Experience-Dependent Plasticity in the Mouse Visual Cortex

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Gabriela Vierci

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Histone posttranslational modifications play a fundamental role in orchestrating gene expression. In this work, we analyzed the acetylation of H3 and H4 histones (AcH3-AcH4 and its modulation by visual experience in the mouse visual cortex (VC during normal development and in two experimental conditions that restore juvenile-like plasticity levels in adults (fluoxetine treatment and enriched environment. We found that AcH3-AcH4 declines with age and is upregulated by treatments restoring plasticity in the adult. We also found that visual experience modulates AcH3-AcH4 in young and adult plasticity-restored mice but not in untreated ones. Finally, we showed that the transporter vGAT is downregulated in adult plasticity-restored models. In summary, we identified a dynamic regulation of AcH3-AcH4, which is associated with high plasticity levels and enhanced by visual experience. These data, along with recent ones, indicate H3-H4 acetylation as a central hub in the control of experience-dependent plasticity in the VC.

Go Home, Med Student: Comics as Visual Media for Students' Traumatic Medical Education Experiences.

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Monk, Jeffrey

2018-02-01

A comic created by a medical student allows the reader to share the student's own unique perception of the medical education experience. Through the process of comic creation, medical students have opportunities to gain insight into how their relationships with patients and supervising physicians have shaped the physician they will become. The comic itself can be a safe space for expression and provides an opportunity for students and educators to share experiences. © 2018 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Perceptions Concerning Visual Culture Dialogues of Visual Art Pre-Service Teachers

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Mamur, Nuray

2012-01-01

The visual art which is commented by the visual art teachers to help processing of the visual culture is important. In this study it is tried to describe the effect of visual culture based on the usual aesthetic experiences to be included in the learning process art education. The action research design, which is a qualitative study, is conducted…

Feature-based memory-driven attentional capture: Visual working memory content affects visual attention.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olivers, C.N.L.; Meijer, F.; Theeuwes, J.

2006-01-01

In 7 experiments, the authors explored whether visual attention (the ability to select relevant visual information) and visual working memory (the ability to retain relevant visual information) share the same content representations. The presence of singleton distractors interfered more strongly

Feature-Based Memory-Driven Attentional Capture: Visual Working Memory Content Affects Visual Attention

Science.gov (United States)

Olivers, Christian N. L.; Meijer, Frank; Theeuwes, Jan

2006-01-01

In 7 experiments, the authors explored whether visual attention (the ability to select relevant visual information) and visual working memory (the ability to retain relevant visual information) share the same content representations. The presence of singleton distractors interfered more strongly with a visual search task when it was accompanied by…

Contrast and strength of visual memory and imagery differentially affect visual perception.

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Saad, Elyana; Silvanto, Juha

2013-01-01

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) and visual imagery have been shown to modulate visual perception. However, how the subjective experience of VSTM/imagery and its contrast modulate this process has not been investigated. We addressed this issue by asking participants to detect brief masked targets while they were engaged either in VSTM or visual imagery. Subjective experience of memory/imagery (strength scale), and the visual contrast of the memory/mental image (contrast scale) were assessed on a trial-by-trial basis. For both VSTM and imagery, contrast of the memory/mental image was positively associated with reporting target presence. Consequently, at the sensory level, both VSTM and imagery facilitated visual perception. However, subjective strength of VSTM was positively associated with visual detection whereas the opposite pattern was found for imagery. Thus the relationship between subjective strength of memory/imagery and visual detection are qualitatively different for VSTM and visual imagery, although their impact at the sensory level appears similar. Our results furthermore demonstrate that imagery and VSTM are partly dissociable processes.

Contrast and strength of visual memory and imagery differentially affect visual perception.

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Elyana Saad

Full Text Available Visual short-term memory (VSTM and visual imagery have been shown to modulate visual perception. However, how the subjective experience of VSTM/imagery and its contrast modulate this process has not been investigated. We addressed this issue by asking participants to detect brief masked targets while they were engaged either in VSTM or visual imagery. Subjective experience of memory/imagery (strength scale, and the visual contrast of the memory/mental image (contrast scale were assessed on a trial-by-trial basis. For both VSTM and imagery, contrast of the memory/mental image was positively associated with reporting target presence. Consequently, at the sensory level, both VSTM and imagery facilitated visual perception. However, subjective strength of VSTM was positively associated with visual detection whereas the opposite pattern was found for imagery. Thus the relationship between subjective strength of memory/imagery and visual detection are qualitatively different for VSTM and visual imagery, although their impact at the sensory level appears similar. Our results furthermore demonstrate that imagery and VSTM are partly dissociable processes.

Sensory experience ratings (SERs) for 1,659 French words: Relationships with other psycholinguistic variables and visual word recognition.

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Bonin, Patrick; Méot, Alain; Ferrand, Ludovic; Bugaïska, Aurélia

2015-09-01

We collected sensory experience ratings (SERs) for 1,659 French words in adults. Sensory experience for words is a recently introduced variable that corresponds to the degree to which words elicit sensory and perceptual experiences (Juhasz & Yap Behavior Research Methods, 45, 160-168, 2013; Juhasz, Yap, Dicke, Taylor, & Gullick Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64, 1683-1691, 2011). The relationships of the sensory experience norms with other psycholinguistic variables (e.g., imageability and age of acquisition) were analyzed. We also investigated the degree to which SER predicted performance in visual word recognition tasks (lexical decision, word naming, and progressive demasking). The analyses indicated that SER reliably predicted response times in lexical decision, but not in word naming or progressive demasking. The findings are discussed in relation to the status of SER, the role of semantic code activation in visual word recognition, and the embodied view of cognition.

A Decade of Life Sciences Experiment Unique Equipment Development for Spacelab and Space Station, 1990-1999

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Savage, Paul D.; Connolly, J. P.; Navarro, B. J.

1999-01-01

Ames Research Center's Life Sciences Division has developed and flown an extensive array of spaceflight experiment unique equipment (EUE) during the last decade of the twentieth century. Over this ten year span, the EUE developed at ARC supported a vital gravitational biology flight research program executed on several different platforms, including the Space Shuttle, Spacelab, and Space Station Mir. This paper highlights some of the key EUE elements developed at ARC and flown during the period 1990-1999. Resulting lessons learned will be presented that can be applied to the development of similar equipment for the International Space Station.

Stroke survivors' views and experiences on impact of visual impairment.

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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.

Consciousness: a unique way of processing information.

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Marchetti, Giorgio

2018-02-08

In this article, I argue that consciousness is a unique way of processing information, in that: it produces information, rather than purely transmitting it; the information it produces is meaningful for us; the meaning it has is always individuated. This uniqueness allows us to process information on the basis of our personal needs and ever-changing interactions with the environment, and consequently to act autonomously. Three main basic cognitive processes contribute to realize this unique way of information processing: the self, attention and working memory. The self, which is primarily expressed via the central and peripheral nervous systems, maps our body, the environment, and our relations with the environment. It is the primary means by which the complexity inherent to our composite structure is reduced into the "single voice" of a unique individual. It provides a reference system that (albeit evolving) is sufficiently stable to define the variations that will be used as the raw material for the construction of conscious information. Attention allows for the selection of those variations in the state of the self that are most relevant in the given situation. Attention originates and is deployed from a single locus inside our body, which represents the center of the self, around which all our conscious experiences are organized. Whatever is focused by attention appears in our consciousness as possessing a spatial quality defined by this center and the direction toward which attention is focused. In addition, attention determines two other features of conscious experience: periodicity and phenomenal quality. Self and attention are necessary but not sufficient for conscious information to be produced. Complex forms of conscious experiences, such as the various modes of givenness of conscious experience and the stream of consciousness, need a working memory mechanism to assemble the basic pieces of information selected by attention.

Visual memory and visual perception: when memory improves visual search.

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Riou, Benoit; Lesourd, Mathieu; Brunel, Lionel; Versace, Rémy

2011-08-01

This study examined the relationship between memory and perception in order to identify the influence of a memory dimension in perceptual processing. Our aim was to determine whether the variation of typical size between items (i.e., the size in real life) affects visual search. In two experiments, the congruency between typical size difference and perceptual size difference was manipulated in a visual search task. We observed that congruency between the typical and perceptual size differences decreased reaction times in the visual search (Exp. 1), and noncongruency between these two differences increased reaction times in the visual search (Exp. 2). We argue that these results highlight that memory and perception share some resources and reveal the intervention of typical size difference on the computation of the perceptual size difference.

Altered visual information processing systems in bipolar disorder: evidence from visual MMN and P3

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Toshihiko eMaekawa

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: Mismatch negativity (MMN and P3 are unique ERP components that provide objective indices of human cognitive functions such as short-term memory and prediction. Bipolar disorder (BD is an endogenous psychiatric disorder characterized by extreme shifts in mood, energy, and ability to function socially. BD patients usually show cognitive dysfunction, and the goal of this study was to access their altered visual information processing via visual MMN (vMMN and P3 using windmill pattern stimuli.Methods: Twenty patients with BD and 20 healthy controls matched for age, gender, and handedness participated in this study. Subjects were seated in front of a monitor and listened to a story via earphones. Two types of windmill patterns (standard and deviant and white circle (target stimuli were randomly presented on the monitor. All stimuli were presented in random order at 200-ms durations with an 800-ms inter-stimulus interval. Stimuli were presented at 80% (standard, 10% (deviant, and 10% (target probabilities. The participants were instructed to attend to the story and press a button as soon as possible when the target stimuli were presented. Event-related potentials were recorded throughout the experiment using 128-channel EEG equipment. vMMN was obtained by subtracting standard from deviant stimuli responses, and P3 was evoked from the target stimulus.Results: Mean reaction times for target stimuli in the BD group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Additionally, mean vMMN-amplitudes and peak P3-amplitudes were significantly lower in the BD group than in controls.Conclusions: Abnormal vMMN and P3 in patients indicate a deficit of visual information processing in bipolar disorder, which is consistent with their increased reaction time to visual target stimuli.Significance: Both bottom-up and top-down visual information processing are likely altered in BD.

3D Visual Data Mining: goals and experiences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøhlen, Michael Hanspeter; Bukauskas, Linas; Eriksen, Poul Svante

2003-01-01

, statistical analyses, perceptual and cognitive psychology, and scientific visualization. At the conceptual level we offer perceptual and cognitive insights to guide the information visualization process. We then choose cluster surfaces to exemplify the data mining process, to discuss the tasks involved...

The identification and modeling of visual cue usage in manual control task experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Sweet, Barbara Townsend

Many fields of endeavor require humans to conduct manual control tasks while viewing a perspective scene. Manual control refers to tasks in which continuous, or nearly continuous, control adjustments are required. Examples include flying an aircraft, driving a car, and riding a bicycle. Perspective scenes can arise through natural viewing of the world, simulation of a scene (as in flight simulators), or through imaging devices (such as the cameras on an unmanned aerospace vehicle). Designers frequently have some degree of control over the content and characteristics of a perspective scene; airport designers can choose runway markings, vehicle designers can influence the size and shape of windows, as well as the location of the pilot, and simulator database designers can choose scene complexity and content. Little theoretical framework exists to help designers determine the answers to questions related to perspective scene content. An empirical approach is most commonly used to determine optimum perspective scene configurations. The goal of the research effort described in this dissertation has been to provide a tool for modeling the characteristics of human operators conducting manual control tasks with perspective-scene viewing. This is done for the purpose of providing an algorithmic, as opposed to empirical, method for analyzing the effects of changing perspective scene content for closed-loop manual control tasks. The dissertation contains the development of a model of manual control using a perspective scene, called the Visual Cue Control (VCC) Model. Two forms of model were developed: one model presumed that the operator obtained both position and velocity information from one visual cue, and the other model presumed that the operator used one visual cue for position, and another for velocity. The models were compared and validated in two experiments. The results show that the two-cue VCC model accurately characterizes the output of the human operator with a

Recalling visual serial order for verbal sequences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Logie, R.H.; Saito, S.; Morita, A.; Varma, S.; Norris, D.

2016-01-01

We report three experiments in which participants performed written serial recall of visually presented verbal sequences with items varying in visual similarity. In Experiments 1 and 2 native speakers of Japanese recalled visually presented Japanese Kanji characters. In Experiment 3, native speakers

You Don't See What I See: Individual Differences in the Perception of Meaning from Visual Stimuli.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timea R Partos

Full Text Available Everyone has their own unique version of the visual world and there has been growing interest in understanding the way that personality shapes one's perception. Here, we investigated meaningful visual experiences in relation to the personality dimension of schizotypy. In a novel approach to this issue, a non-clinical sample of subjects (total n = 197 were presented with calibrated images of scenes, cartoons and faces of varying visibility embedded in noise; the spatial properties of the images were constructed to mimic the natural statistics of the environment. In two experiments, subjects were required to indicate what they saw in a large number of unique images, both with and without actual meaningful structure. The first experiment employed an open-ended response paradigm and used a variety of different images in noise; the second experiment only presented a series of faces embedded in noise, and required a forced-choice response from the subjects. The results in all conditions indicated that a high positive schizotypy score was associated with an increased tendency to perceive complex meaning in images comprised purely of random visual noise. Individuals high in positive schizotypy seemed to be employing a looser criterion (response bias to determine what constituted a 'meaningful' image, while also being significantly less sensitive at the task than those low in positive schizotypy. Our results suggest that differences in perceptual performance for individuals high in positive schizotypy are not related to increased suggestibility or susceptibility to instruction, as had previously been suggested. Instead, the observed reductions in sensitivity along with increased response bias toward seeing something that is not there, indirectly implicated subtle neurophysiological differences associated with the personality dimension of schizotypy, that are theoretically pertinent to the continuum of schizophrenia and hallucination-proneness.

Visual computing scientific visualization and imaging systems

CERN Document Server

2014-01-01

This volume aims to stimulate discussions on research involving the use of data and digital images as an understanding approach for analysis and visualization of phenomena and experiments. The emphasis is put not only on graphically representing data as a way of increasing its visual analysis, but also on the imaging systems which contribute greatly to the comprehension of real cases. Scientific Visualization and Imaging Systems encompass multidisciplinary areas, with applications in many knowledge fields such as Engineering, Medicine, Material Science, Physics, Geology, Geographic Information Systems, among others. This book is a selection of 13 revised and extended research papers presented in the International Conference on Advanced Computational Engineering and Experimenting -ACE-X conferences 2010 (Paris), 2011 (Algarve), 2012 (Istanbul) and 2013 (Madrid). The examples were particularly chosen from materials research, medical applications, general concepts applied in simulations and image analysis and ot...

Engineering visualization utilizing advanced animation

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Transcultural healthcare immersion: a unique interprofessional experience poised to influence collaborative practice in cultural settings.

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Morton, Jennifer

2012-01-01

This paper describes a model for interprofessional and transcultural learning established by the author and supported by the University of New England and Ghana Health Mission, Inc. The model for interprofessional immersion in cultural settings represents a guiding framework predicated on a conceptual "brick and mortar" process for building cultural proficiency among individuals and within teams. It encompasses social, clinical and behavioral components (brick) and personal desire, cultural humility and values (mortar). The ``bounty'' aspect of the model is achieved by way of successful student learning outcomes, positive interprofessional and community-based collaborations, and finally, and to be measured over time, favorable patient and population (programmatic) outcomes. In partnership with the Ghana Health Mission, Inc and local community health workers, students and faculty from a range of health professions took part in a cultural-clinical experience known as Transcultural Immersion in Healthcare. The goal of the experience was to advance cultural proficiency and knowledge through intensive cultural immersion. An urban setting in Ghana, located in West Africa served as the setting for this unique experience. The transcultural immersion in healthcare experience achieved its ``bounty'' as seen in the enhanced cultural proficiency of students and faculty, seamless interprofessional communication and collaboration, and provision of primary care and related services to patients and the Ghanaian community. Future research is in development to test the Model for Interprofessional Immersion in Cultural Settings (MIICS) in a variety of other settings and with a cross section of health disciplines.

Independent sources of anisotropy in visual orientation representation: a visual and a cognitive oblique effect.

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Balikou, Panagiota; Gourtzelidis, Pavlos; Mantas, Asimakis; Moutoussis, Konstantinos; Evdokimidis, Ioannis; Smyrnis, Nikolaos

2015-11-01

The representation of visual orientation is more accurate for cardinal orientations compared to oblique, and this anisotropy has been hypothesized to reflect a low-level visual process (visual, "class 1" oblique effect). The reproduction of directional and orientation information also leads to a mean error away from cardinal orientations or directions. This anisotropy has been hypothesized to reflect a high-level cognitive process of space categorization (cognitive, "class 2," oblique effect). This space categorization process would be more prominent when the visual representation of orientation degrades such as in the case of working memory with increasing cognitive load, leading to increasing magnitude of the "class 2" oblique effect, while the "class 1" oblique effect would remain unchanged. Two experiments were performed in which an array of orientation stimuli (1-4 items) was presented and then subjects had to realign a probe stimulus within the previously presented array. In the first experiment, the delay between stimulus presentation and probe varied, while in the second experiment, the stimulus presentation time varied. The variable error was larger for oblique compared to cardinal orientations in both experiments reproducing the visual "class 1" oblique effect. The mean error also reproduced the tendency away from cardinal and toward the oblique orientations in both experiments (cognitive "class 2" oblique effect). The accuracy or the reproduced orientation degraded (increasing variable error) and the cognitive "class 2" oblique effect increased with increasing memory load (number of items) in both experiments and presentation time in the second experiment. In contrast, the visual "class 1" oblique effect was not significantly modulated by any one of these experimental factors. These results confirmed the theoretical predictions for the two anisotropies in visual orientation reproduction and provided support for models proposing the categorization of

Visual cognition influences early vision: the role of visual short-term memory in amodal completion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyunkyu; Vecera, Shaun P

2005-10-01

A partly occluded visual object is perceptually filled in behind the occluding surface, a process known as amodal completion or visual interpolation. Previous research focused on the image-based properties that lead to amodal completion. In the present experiments, we examined the role of a higher-level visual process-visual short-term memory (VSTM)-in amodal completion. We measured the degree of amodal completion by asking participants to perform an object-based attention task on occluded objects while maintaining either zero or four items in visual working memory. When no items were stored in VSTM, participants completed the occluded objects; when four items were stored in VSTM, amodal completion was halted (Experiment 1). These results were not caused by the influence of VSTM on object-based attention per se (Experiment 2) or by the specific location of to-be-remembered items (Experiment 3). Items held in VSTM interfere with amodal completion, which suggests that amodal completion may not be an informationally encapsulated process, but rather can be affected by high-level visual processes.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-10-01

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

Aesthetic Perception of Visual Textures: A Holistic Exploration using Texture Analysis, Psychological Experiment and Perception Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianli eLiu

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Modeling human aesthetic perception of visual textures is important and valuable in numerous industrial domains, such as product design, architectural design and decoration. Based on results from a semantic differential rating experiment, we modeled the relationship between low-level basic texture features and aesthetic properties involved in human aesthetic texture perception. First, we compute basic texture features from textural images using four classical methods. These features are neutral, objective and independent of the socio-cultural context of the visual textures. Then, we conduct a semantic differential rating experiment to collect from evaluators their aesthetic perceptions of selected textural stimuli. In semantic differential rating experiment, eights pairs of aesthetic properties are chosen, which are strongly related to the socio-cultural context of the selected textures and to human emotions. They are easily understood and connected to everyday life. We propose a hierarchical feed-forward layer model of aesthetic texture perception and assign 8 pairs of aesthetic properties to different layers. Finally, we describe the generation of multiple linear and nonlinear regression models for aesthetic prediction by taking dimensionality-reduced texture features and aesthetic properties of visual textures as dependent and independent variables, respectively. Our experimental results indicate that the relationships between each layer and its neighbors in the hierarchical feed-forward layer model of aesthetic texture perception can be fitted well by linear functions, and the models thus generated can successfully bridge the gap between computational texture features and aesthetic texture properties.

Experiences in using DISCUS for visualizing human communication

Science.gov (United States)

Groehn, Matti; Nieminen, Marko; Haho, Paeivi; Smeds, Riitta

2000-02-01

In this paper, we present further improvement to the DISCUS software that can be used to record and analyze the flow and constants of business process simulation session discussion. The tool was initially introduced in 'visual data exploration and analysis IV' conference. The initial features of the tool enabled the visualization of discussion flow in business process simulation sessions and the creation of SOM analyses. The improvements of the tool consists of additional visualization possibilities that enable quick on-line analyses and improved graphical statistics. We have also created the very first interface to audio data and implemented two ways to visualize it. We also outline additional possibilities to use the tool in other application areas: these include usability testing and the possibility to use the tool for capturing design rationale in a product development process. The data gathered with DISCUS may be used in other applications, and further work may be done with data ming techniques.

Photographic Memory: The Effects of Volitional Photo Taking on Memory for Visual and Auditory Aspects of an Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Barasch, Alixandra; Diehl, Kristin; Silverman, Jackie; Zauberman, Gal

2017-08-01

How does volitional photo taking affect unaided memory for visual and auditory aspects of experiences? Across one field and three lab studies, we found that, even without revisiting any photos, participants who could freely take photographs during an experience recognized more of what they saw and less of what they heard, compared with those who could not take any photographs. Further, merely taking mental photos had similar effects on memory. These results provide support for the idea that photo taking induces a shift in attention toward visual aspects and away from auditory aspects of an experience. Additional findings were in line with this mechanism: Participants with a camera had better recognition of aspects of the scene that they photographed than of aspects they did not photograph. Furthermore, participants who used a camera during their experience recognized even nonphotographed aspects better than participants without a camera did. Meta-analyses including all reported studies support these findings.

Distraction by deviance: comparing the effects of auditory and visual deviant stimuli on auditory and visual target processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Leiva, Alicia; Parmentier, Fabrice B R; Andrés, Pilar

2015-01-01

We report the results of oddball experiments in which an irrelevant stimulus (standard, deviant) was presented before a target stimulus and the modality of these stimuli was manipulated orthogonally (visual/auditory). Experiment 1 showed that auditory deviants yielded distraction irrespective of the target's modality while visual deviants did not impact on performance. When participants were forced to attend the distractors in order to detect a rare target ("target-distractor"), auditory deviants yielded distraction irrespective of the target's modality and visual deviants yielded a small distraction effect when targets were auditory (Experiments 2 & 3). Visual deviants only produced distraction for visual targets when deviant stimuli were not visually distinct from the other distractors (Experiment 4). Our results indicate that while auditory deviants yield distraction irrespective of the targets' modality, visual deviants only do so when attended and under selective conditions, at least when irrelevant and target stimuli are temporally and perceptually decoupled.

Guidelines for Teaching Non-Verbal Communications Through Visual Media

Science.gov (United States)

Kundu, Mahima Ranjan

1976-01-01

There is a natural unique relationship between non-verbal communication and visual media such as television and film. Visual media will have to be used extensively--almost exclusively--in teaching non-verbal communications, as well as other methods requiring special teaching skills. (Author/ER)

Classification of the visual landscape for transmission planning

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis Miller; Nargis Jetha; Rod MacDonald

1979-01-01

The Visual Landscape Type Classification method of the Route and Site Selection Division, Ontario Hydro, defines and delineates the landscape into discrete visual units using parametric and judgmental data. This qualitative and quantitative information is documented in a prescribed format to give each of the approximately 1100 Landscape Types a unique description....

Do gender differences in audio-visual benefit and visual influence in audio-visual speech perception emerge with age?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magnus eAlm

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Gender and age have been found to affect adults’ audio-visual (AV speech perception. However, research on adult aging focuses on adults over 60 years, who have an increasing likelihood for cognitive and sensory decline, which may confound positive effects of age-related AV-experience and its interaction with gender. Observed age and gender differences in AV speech perception may also depend on measurement sensitivity and AV task difficulty. Consequently both AV benefit and visual influence were used to measure visual contribution for gender-balanced groups of young (20-30 years and middle-aged adults (50-60 years with task difficulty varied using AV syllables from different talkers in alternative auditory backgrounds. Females had better speech-reading performance than males. Whereas no gender differences in AV benefit or visual influence were observed for young adults, visually influenced responses were significantly greater for middle-aged females than middle-aged males. That speech-reading performance did not influence AV benefit may be explained by visual speech extraction and AV integration constituting independent abilities. Contrastingly, the gender difference in visually influenced responses in middle adulthood may reflect an experience-related shift in females’ general AV perceptual strategy. Although young females’ speech-reading proficiency may not readily contribute to greater visual influence, between young and middle-adulthood recurrent confirmation of the contribution of visual cues induced by speech-reading proficiency may gradually shift females AV perceptual strategy towards more visually dominated responses.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gavin R. Jenkins

2015-07-01

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

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2015-07-23

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

The case of the missing visual details: Occlusion and long-term visual memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Carrick C; Burkle, Kyle A

2017-10-01

To investigate the critical information in long-term visual memory representations of objects, we used occlusion to emphasize 1 type of information or another. By occluding 1 solid side of the object (e.g., top 50%) or by occluding 50% of the object with stripes (like a picket fence), we emphasized visible information about the object, processing the visible details in the former and the object's overall form in the latter. On a token discrimination test, surprisingly, memory for solid or stripe occluded objects at either encoding (Experiment 1) or test (Experiment 2) was the same. In contrast, when occluded objects matched at encoding and test (Experiment 3) or when the occlusion shifted, revealing the entire object piecemeal (Experiment 4), memory was better for solid compared with stripe occluded objects, indicating that objects are represented differently in long-term visual memory. Critically, we also found that when the task emphasized remembering exactly what was shown, memory performance in the more detailed solid occlusion condition exceeded that in the stripe condition (Experiment 5). However, when the task emphasized the whole object form, memory was better in the stripe condition (Experiment 6) than in the solid condition. We argue that long-term visual memory can represent objects flexibly, and task demands can interact with visual information, allowing the viewer to cope with changing real-world visual environments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Visual feature extraction and establishment of visual tags in the intelligent visual internet of things

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yiqun; Wang, Zhihui

2015-12-01

The Internet of things (IOT) is a kind of intelligent networks which can be used to locate, track, identify and supervise people and objects. One of important core technologies of intelligent visual internet of things ( IVIOT) is the intelligent visual tag system. In this paper, a research is done into visual feature extraction and establishment of visual tags of the human face based on ORL face database. Firstly, we use the principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm for face feature extraction, then adopt the support vector machine (SVM) for classifying and face recognition, finally establish a visual tag for face which is already classified. We conducted a experiment focused on a group of people face images, the result show that the proposed algorithm have good performance, and can show the visual tag of objects conveniently.

How visual working memory contents influence priming of visual attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlisle, Nancy B; Kristjánsson, Árni

2017-04-12

Recent evidence shows that when the contents of visual working memory overlap with targets and distractors in a pop-out search task, intertrial priming is inhibited (Kristjánsson, Sævarsson & Driver, Psychon Bull Rev 20(3):514-521, 2013, Experiment 2, Psychonomic Bulletin and Review). This may reflect an interesting interaction between implicit short-term memory-thought to underlie intertrial priming-and explicit visual working memory. Evidence from a non-pop-out search task suggests that it may specifically be holding distractors in visual working memory that disrupts intertrial priming (Cunningham & Egeth, Psychol Sci 27(4):476-485, 2016, Experiment 2, Psychological Science). We examined whether the inhibition of priming depends on whether feature values in visual working memory overlap with targets or distractors in the pop-out search, and we found that the inhibition of priming resulted from holding distractors in visual working memory. These results are consistent with separate mechanisms of target and distractor effects in intertrial priming, and support the notion that the impact of implicit short-term memory and explicit visual working memory can interact when each provides conflicting attentional signals.

The Art in Visualizing Natural Landscapes from Space

Science.gov (United States)

Webley, P. W.; Shipman, J. S.; Adams, T.

2017-12-01

Satellite remote sensing data can capture the changing Earth at cm resolution, across hundreds of spectral channels, and multiple times per hour. There is an art in combining these datasets together to fully capture the beauty of our planet. The resulting artistic piece can be further transformed by building in an accompanying musical score, allowing for a deeper emotional connection with the public. We make use of visible, near, middle and long wave infrared and radar data as well as different remote sensing techniques to uniquely capture our changing landscape in the spaceborne data. We will generate visually compelling imagery and videos that represent hazardous events from dust storms to landslides and from volcanic eruptions to forest fires. We will demonstrate how specific features of the Earth's landscape can be emphasized through the use of different datasets and color combinations and how, by adding a musical score, we can directly connect with the viewer and heighten their experience. We will also discuss our process to integrate the different aspects of our project together and how it could be developed to capture the beauty of other planets across the solar system using spaceborne imagery and data. Bringing together experts in art installations, composing musical scores, and remote sensing image visualization can lead to new and exciting artistic representations of geoscience data. The resulting product demonstrates there is an art to visualizing remote sensing data to capture the beauty of our planet and that incorporating a musical score can take us all to new places and emotions to enhance our experience.

Changes in unique hues induced by chromatic surrounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Klauke, Susanne; Wachtler, Thomas

2016-03-01

A chromatic surround can have a strong influence on the perceived hue of a stimulus. We investigated whether chromatic induction has similar effects on the perception of colors that appear pure and unmixed (unique red, green, blue, and yellow) as on other colors. Subjects performed unique hue settings of stimuli in isoluminant surrounds of different chromaticities. Compared with the settings in a neutral gray surround, unique hue settings altered systematically with chromatic surrounds. The amount of induced hue shift depended on the difference between stimulus and surround hues, and was similar for unique hue settings as for settings of nonunique hues. Intraindividual variability in unique hue settings was roughly twice as high as for settings obtained in asymmetric matching experiments, which may reflect the presence of a reference stimulus in the matching task. Variabilities were also larger with chromatic surrounds than with neutral gray surrounds, for both unique hue settings and matching of nonunique hues. The results suggest that the neural representations underlying unique hue percepts are influenced by the same neural processing mechanisms as the percepts of other colors.

Automatic User Interface Generation for Visualizing Big Geoscience Data

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, H.; Wu, J.; Zhou, Y.; Tang, Z.; Kuo, K. S.

2016-12-01

Along with advanced computing and observation technologies, geoscience and its related fields have been generating a large amount of data at an unprecedented growth rate. Visualization becomes an increasingly attractive and feasible means for researchers to effectively and efficiently access and explore data to gain new understandings and discoveries. However, visualization has been challenging due to a lack of effective data models and visual representations to tackle the heterogeneity of geoscience data. We propose a new geoscience data visualization framework by leveraging the interface automata theory to automatically generate user interface (UI). Our study has the following three main contributions. First, geoscience data has its unique hierarchy data structure and complex formats, and therefore it is relatively easy for users to get lost or confused during their exploration of the data. By applying interface automata model to the UI design, users can be clearly guided to find the exact visualization and analysis that they want. In addition, from a development perspective, interface automaton is also easier to understand than conditional statements, which can simplify the development process. Second, it is common that geoscience data has discontinuity in its hierarchy structure. The application of interface automata can prevent users from suffering automation surprises, and enhance user experience. Third, for supporting a variety of different data visualization and analysis, our design with interface automata could also make applications become extendable in that a new visualization function or a new data group could be easily added to an existing application, which reduces the overhead of maintenance significantly. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework using real-world applications.

Visual pigments of the box jellyfish species Chiropsella bronzie

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O*Connor, Megan; Garm, Anders Lydik; Marshall, Justin

2010-01-01

Box jellyfish (Cubomedusae) possess a unique visual system comprising 24 eyes of four morphological types. Moreover, box jellyfish display several visually guided behaviours, including obstacle avoidance and light-shaft attractance. It is largely unknown what kind of visual information box...... results strongly indicate that only one type of visual pigment is present in the upper and lower lens eyes with a peak absorbance of approximately 510 nm. Additionally, the visual pigment appears to undergo bleaching, similar to that of vertebrate visual pigments....

Selective transfer of visual working memory training on Chinese character learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Opitz, Bertram; Schneiders, Julia A; Krick, Christoph M; Mecklinger, Axel

2014-01-01

Previous research has shown a systematic relationship between phonological working memory capacity and second language proficiency for alphabetic languages. However, little is known about the impact of working memory processes on second language learning in a non-alphabetic language such as Mandarin Chinese. Due to the greater complexity of the Chinese writing system we expect that visual working memory rather than phonological working memory exerts a unique influence on learning Chinese characters. This issue was explored in the present experiment by comparing visual working memory training with an active (auditory working memory training) control condition and a passive, no training control condition. Training induced modulations in language-related brain networks were additionally examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging in a pretest-training-posttest design. As revealed by pre- to posttest comparisons and analyses of individual differences in working memory training gains, visual working memory training led to positive transfer effects on visual Chinese vocabulary learning compared to both control conditions. In addition, we found sustained activation after visual working memory training in the (predominantly visual) left infero-temporal cortex that was associated with behavioral transfer. In the control conditions, activation either increased (active control condition) or decreased (passive control condition) without reliable behavioral transfer effects. This suggests that visual working memory training leads to more efficient processing and more refined responses in brain regions involved in visual processing. Furthermore, visual working memory training boosted additional activation in the precuneus, presumably reflecting mental image generation of the learned characters. We, therefore, suggest that the conjoint activity of the mid-fusiform gyrus and the precuneus after visual working memory training reflects an interaction of working memory and

Visual strategies underpinning the development of visual-motor expertise when hitting a ball

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sarpeshkar, Vishnu; Abernethy, B.; Mann, D.L.

2017-01-01

It is well known that skilled batters in fast-ball sports do not align their gaze with the ball throughout ball-flight, but instead adopt a unique sequence of eye and head movements that contribute toward their skill. However, much of what we know about visual-motor behavior in hitting is based on

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…

Visualizing water

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-12-01

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

Visual agnosia and focal brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinaud, O

Visual agnosia encompasses all disorders of visual recognition within a selective visual modality not due to an impairment of elementary visual processing or other cognitive deficit. Based on a sequential dichotomy between the perceptual and memory systems, two different categories of visual object agnosia are usually considered: 'apperceptive agnosia' and 'associative agnosia'. Impaired visual recognition within a single category of stimuli is also reported in: (i) visual object agnosia of the ventral pathway, such as prosopagnosia (for faces), pure alexia (for words), or topographagnosia (for landmarks); (ii) visual spatial agnosia of the dorsal pathway, such as cerebral akinetopsia (for movement), or orientation agnosia (for the placement of objects in space). Focal brain injuries provide a unique opportunity to better understand regional brain function, particularly with the use of effective statistical approaches such as voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM). The aim of the present work was twofold: (i) to review the various agnosia categories according to the traditional visual dual-pathway model; and (ii) to better assess the anatomical network underlying visual recognition through lesion-mapping studies correlating neuroanatomical and clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Multisensory training can promote or impede visual perceptual learning of speech stimuli: visual-tactile vs. visual-auditory training.

Science.gov (United States)

Eberhardt, Silvio P; Auer, Edward T; Bernstein, Lynne E

2014-01-01

In a series of studies we have been investigating how multisensory training affects unisensory perceptual learning with speech stimuli. Previously, we reported that audiovisual (AV) training with speech stimuli can promote auditory-only (AO) perceptual learning in normal-hearing adults but can impede learning in congenitally deaf adults with late-acquired cochlear implants. Here, impeder and promoter effects were sought in normal-hearing adults who participated in lipreading training. In Experiment 1, visual-only (VO) training on paired associations between CVCVC nonsense word videos and nonsense pictures demonstrated that VO words could be learned to a high level of accuracy even by poor lipreaders. In Experiment 2, visual-auditory (VA) training in the same paradigm but with the addition of synchronous vocoded acoustic speech impeded VO learning of the stimuli in the paired-associates paradigm. In Experiment 3, the vocoded AO stimuli were shown to be less informative than the VO speech. Experiment 4 combined vibrotactile speech stimuli with the visual stimuli during training. Vibrotactile stimuli were shown to promote visual perceptual learning. In Experiment 5, no-training controls were used to show that training with visual speech carried over to consonant identification of untrained CVCVC stimuli but not to lipreading words in sentences. Across this and previous studies, multisensory training effects depended on the functional relationship between pathways engaged during training. Two principles are proposed to account for stimulus effects: (1) Stimuli presented to the trainee's primary perceptual pathway will impede learning by a lower-rank pathway. (2) Stimuli presented to the trainee's lower rank perceptual pathway will promote learning by a higher-rank pathway. The mechanisms supporting these principles are discussed in light of multisensory reverse hierarchy theory (RHT).

Integrative and distinctive coding of visual and conceptual object features in the ventral visual stream.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Chris B; Douglas, Danielle; Newsome, Rachel N; Man, Louisa Ly; Barense, Morgan D

2018-02-02

A significant body of research in cognitive neuroscience is aimed at understanding how object concepts are represented in the human brain. However, it remains unknown whether and where the visual and abstract conceptual features that define an object concept are integrated. We addressed this issue by comparing the neural pattern similarities among object-evoked fMRI responses with behavior-based models that independently captured the visual and conceptual similarities among these stimuli. Our results revealed evidence for distinctive coding of visual features in lateral occipital cortex, and conceptual features in the temporal pole and parahippocampal cortex. By contrast, we found evidence for integrative coding of visual and conceptual object features in perirhinal cortex. The neuroanatomical specificity of this effect was highlighted by results from a searchlight analysis. Taken together, our findings suggest that perirhinal cortex uniquely supports the representation of fully specified object concepts through the integration of their visual and conceptual features. © 2018, Martin et al.

Integrative and distinctive coding of visual and conceptual object features in the ventral visual stream

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas, Danielle; Newsome, Rachel N; Man, Louisa LY

2018-01-01

A significant body of research in cognitive neuroscience is aimed at understanding how object concepts are represented in the human brain. However, it remains unknown whether and where the visual and abstract conceptual features that define an object concept are integrated. We addressed this issue by comparing the neural pattern similarities among object-evoked fMRI responses with behavior-based models that independently captured the visual and conceptual similarities among these stimuli. Our results revealed evidence for distinctive coding of visual features in lateral occipital cortex, and conceptual features in the temporal pole and parahippocampal cortex. By contrast, we found evidence for integrative coding of visual and conceptual object features in perirhinal cortex. The neuroanatomical specificity of this effect was highlighted by results from a searchlight analysis. Taken together, our findings suggest that perirhinal cortex uniquely supports the representation of fully specified object concepts through the integration of their visual and conceptual features. PMID:29393853

Touching words is not enough: how visual experience influences haptic-auditory associations in the "Bouba-Kiki" effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Fryer, Louise; Freeman, Jonathan; Pring, Linda

2014-08-01

Since Köhler's experiments in the 1920s, researchers have demonstrated a correspondence between words and shapes. Dubbed the "Bouba-Kiki" effect, these auditory-visual associations extend across cultures and are thought to be universal. More recently the effect has been shown in other modalities including taste, suggesting the effect is independent of vision. The study presented here tested the "Bouba-Kiki" effect in the auditory-haptic modalities, using 2D cut-outs and 3D models based on Köhler's original drawings. Presented with shapes they could feel but not see, sighted participants showed a robust "Bouba-Kiki" effect. However, in a sample of people with a range of visual impairments, from congenital total blindness to partial sight, the effect was significantly less pronounced. The findings suggest that, in the absence of a direct visual stimulus, visual imagery plays a role in crossmodal integration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Visual Storytelling

OpenAIRE

Ting-Hao; Huang; Ferraro, Francis; Mostafazadeh, Nasrin; Misra, Ishan; Agrawal, Aishwarya; Devlin, Jacob; Girshick, Ross; He, Xiaodong; Kohli, Pushmeet; Batra, Dhruv; Zitnick, C. Lawrence; Parikh, Devi; Vanderwende, Lucy; Galley, Michel

2016-01-01

We introduce the first dataset for sequential vision-to-language, and explore how this data may be used for the task of visual storytelling. The first release of this dataset, SIND v.1, includes 81,743 unique photos in 20,211 sequences, aligned to both descriptive (caption) and story language. We establish several strong baselines for the storytelling task, and motivate an automatic metric to benchmark progress. Modelling concrete description as well as figurative and social language, as prov...

Flow visualization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weinstein, L.M.

1991-01-01

Flow visualization techniques are reviewed, with particular attention given to those applicable to liquid helium flows. Three techniques capable of obtaining qualitative and quantitative measurements of complex 3D flow fields are discussed including focusing schlieren, particle image volocimetry, and holocinematography (HCV). It is concluded that the HCV appears to be uniquely capable of obtaining full time-varying, 3D velocity field data, but is limited to the low speeds typical of liquid helium facilities. 8 refs

Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairment: An Action Research Project

Science.gov (United States)

Argyropoulos, Vassilios; Thymakis, Paraskevas

2014-01-01

Children with visual and motor disabilities constitute a distinct group with a unique set of educational needs. Such children are often grouped with the broader population of children with multiple disabilities and visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) (Erin, 2000; McLinden, 1997). The chief characteristic of…

VISUAL3D - An EIT network on visualization of geomodels

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Tobias

2017-04-01

When it comes to interpretation of data and understanding of deep geological structures and bodies at different scales then modelling tools and modelling experience is vital for deep exploration. Geomodelling provides a platform for integration of different types of data, including new kinds of information (e.g., new improved measuring methods). EIT Raw Materials, initiated by the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) and funded by the European Commission, is the largest and strongest consortium in the raw materials sector worldwide. The VISUAL3D network of infrastructure is an initiative by EIT Raw Materials and aims at bringing together partners with 3D-4D-visualisation infrastructure and 3D-4D-modelling experience. The recently formed network collaboration interlinks hardware, software and expert knowledge in modelling visualization and output. A special focus will be the linking of research, education and industry and integrating multi-disciplinary data and to visualize the data in three and four dimensions. By aiding network collaborations we aim at improving the combination of geomodels with differing file formats and data characteristics. This will create an increased competency in modelling visualization and the ability to interchange and communicate models more easily. By combining knowledge and experience in geomodelling with expertise in Virtual Reality visualization partners of EIT Raw Materials but also external parties will have the possibility to visualize, analyze and validate their geomodels in immersive VR-environments. The current network combines partners from universities, research institutes, geological surveys and industry with a strong background in geological 3D-modelling and 3D visualization and comprises: Luleå University of Technology, Geological Survey of Finland, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, TUBA Freiberg, Uppsala University, Geological Survey of France, RWTH Aachen, DMT, KGHM Cuprum, Boliden, Montan

Monocular Visual Deprivation Suppresses Excitability in Adult Human Visual Cortex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lou, Astrid Rosenstand; Madsen, Kristoffer Hougaard; Paulson, Olaf Bjarne

2011-01-01

The adult visual cortex maintains a substantial potential for plasticity in response to a change in visual input. For instance, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies have shown that binocular deprivation (BD) increases the cortical excitability for inducing phosphenes with TMS. Here, we...... of visual deprivation has a substantial impact on experience-dependent plasticity of the human visual cortex.......The adult visual cortex maintains a substantial potential for plasticity in response to a change in visual input. For instance, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies have shown that binocular deprivation (BD) increases the cortical excitability for inducing phosphenes with TMS. Here, we...... employed TMS to trace plastic changes in adult visual cortex before, during, and after 48 h of monocular deprivation (MD) of the right dominant eye. In healthy adult volunteers, MD-induced changes in visual cortex excitability were probed with paired-pulse TMS applied to the left and right occipital cortex...

The Inter-Disciplinary Impact of Computerized Application of Spatial Visualization on Motor and Concentration Skills

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Esther Zaretsky

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The present inter-disciplinary research is aimed at investigating the impact of computerized application of spatial visualization on motor and concentration skills. An experiment composed of experimental and control groups for checking the central hypothesis among subjects of the same age group was carried out by physical education MA students. Virtual simulations offer MA students and teachers the unique opportunity to observe and manipulate normally inaccessible objects, variables and processes in real time. The research design focused on a qualitative research comparing the pupils' percents of success in spatial visualization and motor skills between pre- and post- training. The findings showed that just as the students realized the experimental group pupils' achievements, the computer's inter-disciplinary impact on motor performance and concentration skills became clear to the MA students. The virtual computerized training based on spatial visualization mostly contributed to the inter-disciplinary research, physical education and communication. All the findings lead to the conclusion that computerized application of spatial visualization seem to mediate between virtual reality and developing motor skills in real time involving penalty kick, basketball, jumping, etc.

Visualization at supercomputing centers: the tale of little big iron and the three skinny guys.

Science.gov (United States)

Bethel, E W; van Rosendale, J; Southard, D; Gaither, K; Childs, H; Brugger, E; Ahern, S

2011-01-01

Supercomputing centers are unique resources that aim to enable scientific knowledge discovery by employing large computational resources-the "Big Iron." Design, acquisition, installation, and management of the Big Iron are carefully planned and monitored. Because these Big Iron systems produce a tsunami of data, it's natural to colocate the visualization and analysis infrastructure. This infrastructure consists of hardware (Little Iron) and staff (Skinny Guys). Our collective experience suggests that design, acquisition, installation, and management of the Little Iron and Skinny Guys doesn't receive the same level of treatment as that of the Big Iron. This article explores the following questions about the Little Iron: How should we size the Little Iron to adequately support visualization and analysis of data coming off the Big Iron? What sort of capabilities must it have? Related questions concern the size of visualization support staff: How big should a visualization program be-that is, how many Skinny Guys should it have? What should the staff do? How much of the visualization should be provided as a support service, and how much should applications scientists be expected to do on their own?

Flexible and efficient genome tiling design with penalized uniqueness score

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Du Yang

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As a powerful tool in whole genome analysis, tiling array has been widely used in the answering of many genomic questions. Now it could also serve as a capture device for the library preparation in the popular high throughput sequencing experiments. Thus, a flexible and efficient tiling array design approach is still needed and could assist in various types and scales of transcriptomic experiment. Results In this paper, we address issues and challenges in designing probes suitable for tiling array applications and targeted sequencing. In particular, we define the penalized uniqueness score, which serves as a controlling criterion to eliminate potential cross-hybridization, and a flexible tiling array design pipeline. Unlike BLAST or simple suffix array based methods, computing and using our uniqueness measurement can be more efficient for large scale design and require less memory. The parameters provided could assist in various types of genomic tiling task. In addition, using both commercial array data and experiment data we show, unlike previously claimed, that palindromic sequence exhibiting relatively lower uniqueness. Conclusions Our proposed penalized uniqueness score could serve as a better indicator for cross hybridization with higher sensitivity and specificity, giving more control of expected array quality. The flexible tiling design algorithm incorporating the penalized uniqueness score was shown to give higher coverage and resolution. The package to calculate the penalized uniqueness score and the described probe selection algorithm are implemented as a Perl program, which is freely available at http://www1.fbn-dummerstorf.de/en/forschung/fbs/fb3/paper/2012-yang-1/OTAD.v1.1.tar.gz.

Frames of References – Art Museums as Unique Visual Media

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Aneta Hristova

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The age old activity of collecting arts is not intrinsically dependent on the art museum as separate architectural type. How was the art museum as an independent structure conceptualized and why? What was the idea behind that concept? Was it created as a medium consciously and what kind of messages was it supposed to deliver? What kind of unique “textual” overlaps the various disciplines of archaeology, art history, politics, literature, science and architecture created in order to produce what we today recognize as art museum space? This study focuses on the crucial historical moments of the late 17th century when such questions were posed for the first time within the classical discourse of the French architectural theory which followed the consolidation of French absolutism and the foundation of the Royal academies of arts and sciences, until the mid 19th century when the answers to those questions were finally exemplified in built architecture. The study gives a comprehensive overview of the cultural context art museums as public institutions emerged from and became new spatial models for collective cultivation.

Constructing visual representations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huron, Samuel; Jansen, Yvonne; Carpendale, Sheelagh

2014-01-01

tangible building blocks. We learned that all participants, most of whom had little experience in visualization authoring, were readily able to create and talk about their own visualizations. Based on our observations, we discuss participants’ actions during the development of their visual representations......The accessibility of infovis authoring tools to a wide audience has been identified as a major research challenge. A key task in the authoring process is the development of visual mappings. While the infovis community has long been deeply interested in finding effective visual mappings......, comparatively little attention has been placed on how people construct visual mappings. In this paper, we present the results of a study designed to shed light on how people transform data into visual representations. We asked people to create, update and explain their own information visualizations using only...

Visual Research Methods: A Novel Approach To Understanding The Experiences of Compulsive Hoarders: A Preliminary Study

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Satwant Singh

2012-04-01

Conclusion: The study concluded that the experience of hoarding is both psychologically and physically distressing with numerous impacts upon everyday living and relationships. The study also concluded that visual research methods may be particularly helpful when generating qualitative evidence within this specialist field. [JCBPR 2012; 1(1.000: 36-42

GABAA agonist reduces visual awareness : a masking-EEG experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Loon, Anouk M; Scholte, H Steven; van Gaal, Simon; van der Hoort, Björn J J; Lamme, Victor A F

Consciousness can be manipulated in many ways. Here, we seek to understand whether two such ways, visual masking and pharmacological intervention, share a common pathway in manipulating visual consciousness. We recorded EEG from human participants who performed a backward-masking task in which they

Visual capture of action, experience of ownership, and the illusion of self-touch: a new rubber hand paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Aimola Davies, Anne M; White, Rebekah C; Thew, Graham; Aimola, Natalie M V; Davies, Martin

2010-01-01

A new rubber hand paradigm evokes an illusion with three conceptually distinct components: (i) the participant experiences her/his hidden right hand as administering touch at the location of the examiner's viewed administering hand (visual capture of action); (ii) the participant experiences the examiner's administering hand as being the participant's own hand (experience of ownership); and (iii) the participant experiences her/his two hands as being in contact, as if she/he were touching her/his own hand (illusion of self-touch). The presence of these illusory experiences was confirmed by questionnaire responses and proprioceptive drift data.

Visual Recognition Memory across Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Emily J. H.; Pascalis, Olivier; Eacott, Madeline J.; Herbert, Jane S.

2011-01-01

In two experiments, we investigated the development of representational flexibility in visual recognition memory during infancy using the Visual Paired Comparison (VPC) task. In Experiment 1, 6- and 9-month-old infants exhibited recognition when familiarization and test occurred in the same room, but showed no evidence of recognition when…

Plutonium uniqueness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silver, G.L.

1984-01-01

A standard is suggested against which the putative uniqueness of plutonium may be tested. It is common folklore that plutonium is unique among the chemical elements because its four common oxidation states can coexist in the same solution. Whether this putative uniqueness appears only during transit to equilibrium, or only at equilibrium, or all of the time, is not generally made clear. But while the folklore may contain some truth, it cannot be put to test until some measure of 'uniqueness' is agreed upon so that quantitative comparisons are possible. One way of measuring uniqueness is as the magnitude of the product of the mole fractions of the element at equilibrium. A 'coexistence index' is defined and discussed. (author)

Cortical networks involved in visual awareness independent of visual attention

OpenAIRE

Webb, Taylor W.; Igelström, Kajsa M.; Schurger, Aaron; Graziano, Michael S. A.

2016-01-01

Do specific areas of the brain participate in subjective visual experience? We measured brain activity in humans using fMRI. Participants were aware of a visual stimulus in one condition and unaware of it in another condition. The two conditions were balanced for their effect on visual attention. Specific brain areas were more active in the aware than in the unaware condition, suggesting they were involved in subjective awareness independent of attention. The largest cluster of activity was f...

Visual and Haptic Mental Rotation

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Satoshi Shioiri

2011-10-01

Full Text Available It is well known that visual information can be retained in several types of memory systems. Haptic information can also be retained in a memory because we can repeat a hand movement. There may be a common memory system for vision and action. On the one hand, it may be convenient to have a common system for acting with visual information. On the other hand, different modalities may have their own memory and use retained information without transforming specific to the modality. We compared memory properties of visual and haptic information. There is a phenomenon known as mental rotation, which is possibly unique to visual representation. The mental rotation is a phenomenon where reaction time increases with the angle of visual target (eg,, a letter to identify. The phenomenon is explained by the difference in time to rotate the representation of the target in the visual sytem. In this study, we compared the effect of stimulus angle on visual and haptic shape identification (two-line shapes were used. We found that a typical effect of mental rotation for the visual stimulus. However, no such effect was found for the haptic stimulus. This difference cannot be explained by the modality differences in response because similar difference was found even when haptical response was used for visual representation and visual response was used for haptic representation. These results indicate that there are independent systems for visual and haptic representations.

Object representations in visual memory: evidence from visual illusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Shalom, Asaf; Ganel, Tzvi

2012-07-26

Human visual memory is considered to contain different levels of object representations. Representations in visual working memory (VWM) are thought to contain relatively elaborated information about object structure. Conversely, representations in iconic memory are thought to be more perceptual in nature. In four experiments, we tested the effects of two different categories of visual illusions on representations in VWM and in iconic memory. Unlike VWM that was affected by both types of illusions, iconic memory was immune to the effects of within-object contextual illusions and was affected only by illusions driven by between-objects contextual properties. These results show that iconic and visual working memory contain dissociable representations of object shape. These findings suggest that the global properties of the visual scene are processed prior to the processing of specific elements.

Peripheral visual response time and visual display layout

Science.gov (United States)

Haines, R. F.

1974-01-01

Experiments were performed on a group of 42 subjects in a study of their peripheral visual response time to visual signals under positive acceleration, during prolonged bedrest, at passive 70 deg headup body lift, under exposures to high air temperatures and high luminance levels, and under normal stress-free laboratory conditions. Diagrams are plotted for mean response times to white, red, yellow, green, and blue stimuli under different conditions.

Visual cryptography for image processing and security theory, methods, and applications

CERN Document Server

Liu, Feng

2014-01-01

This unique book describes the fundamental concepts, theories and practice of visual cryptography. The design, construction, analysis, and application of visual cryptography schemes (VCSs) are discussed in detail. Original, cutting-edge research is presented on probabilistic, size invariant, threshold, concolorous, and cheating immune VCS. Features: provides a thorough introduction to the field; examines various common problems in visual cryptography, including the alignment, flipping, cheating, distortion, and thin line problems; reviews a range of VCSs, including XOR-based visual cryptograph

Application Of Empirical Phase Diagrams For Multidimensional Data Visualization Of High Throughput Microbatch Crystallization Experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Klijn, Marieke E; Hubbuch, Jürgen

2018-04-27

Protein phase diagrams are a tool to investigate cause and consequence of solution conditions on protein phase behavior. The effects are scored according to aggregation morphologies such as crystals or amorphous precipitates. Solution conditions affect morphological features, such as crystal size, as well as kinetic features, such as crystal growth time. Common used data visualization techniques include individual line graphs or symbols-based phase diagrams. These techniques have limitations in terms of handling large datasets, comprehensiveness or completeness. To eliminate these limitations, morphological and kinetic features obtained from crystallization images generated with high throughput microbatch experiments have been visualized with radar charts in combination with the empirical phase diagram (EPD) method. Morphological features (crystal size, shape, and number, as well as precipitate size) and kinetic features (crystal and precipitate onset and growth time) are extracted for 768 solutions with varying chicken egg white lysozyme concentration, salt type, ionic strength and pH. Image-based aggregation morphology and kinetic features were compiled into a single and easily interpretable figure, thereby showing that the EPD method can support high throughput crystallization experiments in its data amount as well as its data complexity. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Postdictive modulation of visual orientation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawabe, Takahiro

2012-01-01

The present study investigated how visual orientation is modulated by subsequent orientation inputs. Observers were presented a near-vertical Gabor patch as a target, followed by a left- or right-tilted second Gabor patch as a distracter in the spatial vicinity of the target. The task of the observers was to judge whether the target was right- or left-tilted (Experiment 1) or whether the target was vertical or not (Supplementary experiment). The judgment was biased toward the orientation of the distracter (the postdictive modulation of visual orientation). The judgment bias peaked when the target and distracter were temporally separated by 100 ms, indicating a specific temporal mechanism for this phenomenon. However, when the visibility of the distracter was reduced via backward masking, the judgment bias disappeared. On the other hand, the low-visibility distracter could still cause a simultaneous orientation contrast, indicating that the distracter orientation is still processed in the visual system (Experiment 2). Our results suggest that the postdictive modulation of visual orientation stems from spatiotemporal integration of visual orientation on the basis of a slow feature matching process.

Creativity, visualization abilities, and visual cognitive style.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozhevnikov, Maria; Kozhevnikov, Michael; Yu, Chen Jiao; Blazhenkova, Olesya

2013-06-01

Despite the recent evidence for a multi-component nature of both visual imagery and creativity, there have been no systematic studies on how the different dimensions of creativity and imagery might interrelate. The main goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between different dimensions of creativity (artistic and scientific) and dimensions of visualization abilities and styles (object and spatial). In addition, we compared the contributions of object and spatial visualization abilities versus corresponding styles to scientific and artistic dimensions of creativity. Twenty-four undergraduate students (12 females) were recruited for the first study, and 75 additional participants (36 females) were recruited for an additional experiment. Participants were administered a number of object and spatial visualization abilities and style assessments as well as a number of artistic and scientific creativity tests. The results show that object visualization relates to artistic creativity and spatial visualization relates to scientific creativity, while both are distinct from verbal creativity. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that style predicts corresponding dimension of creativity even after removing shared variance between style and visualization ability. The results suggest that styles might be a more ecologically valid construct in predicting real-life creative behaviour, such as performance in different professional domains. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

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.

Karakter Visual dan Gaya Ilustrasi Naskah Lama di Jawa Periode 1800-1920

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Nuning Yanti Damayanti

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The tradition of illustrated writing and drawing was found in the old manuscripts of Indonesia. Some parts of those old manuscripts show unique illustrations depicting local identity of Nusantara. It is thought that the manuscript reflects societal culture of thinking as well as aesthetic achievement of visual art. The illustrations of those old Javanese manuscripts were well documented and represented in various visual styles, drawing methods, themes, and visualized objects; even though their visual concepts practically resembles to each other.  The presented paper discusses the visual character and styles of illustrations found in the old manuscripts of Java within the year of 1800-1920. The illustration in those old Javanese manuscripts shows continuous correlation to the visual style of the past era and the present. Thus, it emboldens the characteristics of Indonesian visual states. It reflects structured illustration and visual style as well as expressive symbols of the Javanese society. Illustration of the old Javanese manuscript in the year 1800-1920 showed some changes and uniqueness in its visuals, comprising interaction between animism in the Pre-Hinduism era, cultural paradigm of Hinduism-Budhism, Islamic beliefs, and Colonialism. Having observed the visual illustration in the old Javanese manuscripts, it can be deduced that their styles are characterized as decorative, naturalistic, realistic, simple, and deformed.

The effects of action video game experience on the time course of inhibition of return and the efficiency of visual search.

Science.gov (United States)

Castel, Alan D; Pratt, Jay; Drummond, Emily

2005-06-01

The ability to efficiently search the visual environment is a critical function of the visual system, and recent research has shown that experience playing action video games can influence visual selective attention. The present research examined the similarities and differences between video game players (VGPs) and non-video game players (NVGPs) in terms of the ability to inhibit attention from returning to previously attended locations, and the efficiency of visual search in easy and more demanding search environments. Both groups were equally good at inhibiting the return of attention to previously cued locations, although VGPs displayed overall faster reaction times to detect targets. VGPs also showed overall faster response time for easy and difficult visual search tasks compared to NVGPs, largely attributed to faster stimulus-response mapping. The findings suggest that relative to NVGPs, VGPs rely on similar types of visual processing strategies but possess faster stimulus-response mappings in visual attention tasks.

A Unique Role of Endogenous Visual-Spatial Attention in Rapid Processing of Multiple Targets

Science.gov (United States)

Guzman-Martinez, Emmanuel; Grabowecky, Marcia; Palafox, German; Suzuki, Satoru

2011-01-01

Visual spatial attention can be exogenously captured by a salient stimulus or can be endogenously allocated by voluntary effort. Whether these two attention modes serve distinctive functions is debated, but for processing of single targets the literature suggests superiority of exogenous attention (it is faster acting and serves more functions).…

Auditory motion capturing ambiguous visual motion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arjen eAlink

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, it is demonstrated that moving sounds have an effect on the direction in which one sees visual stimuli move. During the main experiment sounds were presented consecutively at four speaker locations inducing left- or rightwards auditory apparent motion. On the path of auditory apparent motion, visual apparent motion stimuli were presented with a high degree of directional ambiguity. The main outcome of this experiment is that our participants perceived visual apparent motion stimuli that were ambiguous (equally likely to be perceived as moving left- or rightwards more often as moving in the same direction than in the opposite direction of auditory apparent motion. During the control experiment we replicated this finding and found no effect of sound motion direction on eye movements. This indicates that auditory motion can capture our visual motion percept when visual motion direction is insufficiently determinate without affecting eye movements.

Optimization of Visual Information Presentation for Visual Prosthesis

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Fei Guo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Visual prosthesis applying electrical stimulation to restore visual function for the blind has promising prospects. However, due to the low resolution, limited visual field, and the low dynamic range of the visual perception, huge loss of information occurred when presenting daily scenes. The ability of object recognition in real-life scenarios is severely restricted for prosthetic users. To overcome the limitations, optimizing the visual information in the simulated prosthetic vision has been the focus of research. This paper proposes two image processing strategies based on a salient object detection technique. The two processing strategies enable the prosthetic implants to focus on the object of interest and suppress the background clutter. Psychophysical experiments show that techniques such as foreground zooming with background clutter removal and foreground edge detection with background reduction have positive impacts on the task of object recognition in simulated prosthetic vision. By using edge detection and zooming technique, the two processing strategies significantly improve the recognition accuracy of objects. We can conclude that the visual prosthesis using our proposed strategy can assist the blind to improve their ability to recognize objects. The results will provide effective solutions for the further development of visual prosthesis.

Optimization of Visual Information Presentation for Visual Prosthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yong

2018-01-01

Visual prosthesis applying electrical stimulation to restore visual function for the blind has promising prospects. However, due to the low resolution, limited visual field, and the low dynamic range of the visual perception, huge loss of information occurred when presenting daily scenes. The ability of object recognition in real-life scenarios is severely restricted for prosthetic users. To overcome the limitations, optimizing the visual information in the simulated prosthetic vision has been the focus of research. This paper proposes two image processing strategies based on a salient object detection technique. The two processing strategies enable the prosthetic implants to focus on the object of interest and suppress the background clutter. Psychophysical experiments show that techniques such as foreground zooming with background clutter removal and foreground edge detection with background reduction have positive impacts on the task of object recognition in simulated prosthetic vision. By using edge detection and zooming technique, the two processing strategies significantly improve the recognition accuracy of objects. We can conclude that the visual prosthesis using our proposed strategy can assist the blind to improve their ability to recognize objects. The results will provide effective solutions for the further development of visual prosthesis. PMID:29731769

Visual search of Mooney faces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Emeline Goold

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Faces spontaneously capture attention. However, which special attributes of a face underlie this effect are unclear. To address this question, we investigate how gist information, specific visual properties and differing amounts of experience with faces affect the time required to detect a face. Three visual search experiments were conducted investigating the rapidness of human observers to detect Mooney face images. Mooney images are two-toned, ambiguous images. They were used in order to have stimuli that maintain gist information but limit low-level image properties. Results from the experiments show: 1 although upright Mooney faces were searched inefficiently, they were detected more rapidly than inverted Mooney face targets, demonstrating the important role of gist information in guiding attention towards a face. 2 Several specific Mooney face identities were searched efficiently while others were not, suggesting the involvement of specific visual properties in face detection. 3 By providing participants with unambiguous gray-scale versions of the Mooney face targets prior to the visual search task, the targets were detected significantly more efficiently, suggesting that prior experience with Mooney faces improves the ability to extract gist information for rapid face detection. However, a week of training with Mooney face categorization did not lead to even more efficient visual search of Mooney face targets. In summary, these results reveal that specific local image properties cannot account for how faces capture attention. On the other hand, gist information alone cannot account for how faces capture attention either. Prior experience facilitates the effect of gist on visual search of faces, making faces a special object category for guiding attention.

Dendritic development of Drosophila high order visual system neurons is independent of sensory experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reuter John E

2003-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The complex and characteristic structures of dendrites are a crucial part of the neuronal architecture that underlies brain function, and as such, their development has been a focal point of recent research. It is generally believed that dendritic development is controlled by a combination of endogenous genetic mechanisms and activity-dependent mechanisms. Therefore, it is of interest to test the relative contributions of these two types of mechanisms towards the construction of specific dendritic trees. In this study, we make use of the highly complex Vertical System (VS of motion sensing neurons in the lobula plate of the Drosophila visual system to gauge the importance of visual input and synaptic activity to dendritic development. Results We find that the dendrites of VS1 neurons are unchanged in dark-reared flies as compared to control flies raised on a 12 hour light, 12 hour dark cycle. The dendrites of these flies show no differences from control in dendrite complexity, spine number, spine density, or axon complexity. Flies with genetically ablated eyes show a slight but significant reduction in the complexity and overall length of VS1 dendrites, although this effect may be due to a reduction in the overall size of the dendritic field in these flies. Conclusions Overall, our results indicate no role for visual experience in the development of VS dendrites, while spontaneous activity from photoreceptors may play at most a subtle role in the formation of fully complex dendrites in these high-order visual processing neurons.

The Role of Visual Communication in the Process of Institutionalization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyer, Renate; Jancsary, Dennis; Boxenbaum, Eva

How does visual communication contribute to the emergence and consolidation of new institutions? Previous research on institutionalization has primarily focused on verbal text and neglected its interaction with visual forms of communication. We propose that a more thorough and systematic engagement...... of unique affordances (i.e., particular opportunities for meaning construction) of visual communication. First, we argue that the visual mode has certain ‘constitutive features’ that enable affordances different from those of verbal text. Second, we systematically discuss a set of affordances of visual...... communication and how it may extend, speed up, or strengthen the effect of verbal communication. Essentially, we argue that visual communication plays a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of institutionalization....

HNCA-TOCSY-CANH experiments with alternate 13C-12C labeling: a set of 3D experiment with unique supra-sequential information for mainchain resonance assignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeuchi, Koh; Gal, Maayan; Takahashi, Hideo; Shimada, Ichio; Wagner, Gerhard

2011-01-01

Described here is a set of three-dimensional (3D) NMR experiments that rely on CACA-TOCSY magnetization transfer via the weak 3 J(C α C α ) coupling. These pulse sequences, which resemble recently described 13 C detected CACA-TOCSY (Takeuchi et al. 2010) experiments, are recorded in 1 H 2 O, and use 1 H excitation and detection. These experiments require alternate 13 C- 12 C labeling together with perdeuteration, which allows utilizing the small 3 J(C α C α ) scalar coupling that is otherwise masked by the stronger 1 J CC couplings in uniformly 13 C labeled samples. These new experiments provide a unique assignment ladder-mark that yields bidirectional supra-sequential information and can readily straddle proline residues. Unlike the conventional HNCA experiment, which contains only sequential information to the 13 (C α ) of the preceding residue, the 3D hnCA-TOCSY-caNH experiment can yield sequential correlations to alpha carbons in positions i−1, i + 1 and i−2. Furthermore, the 3D hNca-TOCSY-caNH and Hnca-TOCSY-caNH experiments, which share the same magnetization pathway but use a different chemical shift encoding, directly couple the 15 N- 1 H spin pair of residue i to adjacent amide protons and nitrogens at positions i−2, i−1, i + 1 and i + 2, respectively. These new experimental features make protein backbone assignments more robust by reducing the degeneracy problem associated with the conventional 3D NMR experiments.

Visualization in modern cartography

CERN Document Server

MacEachren, AM

1994-01-01

Visualization in Modern Cartography explores links between the centuries-old discipline of cartography and today's revolutionary developments in scientific visualization. The book has three main goals: (1) to pass on design and symbolization expertise to the scientific visualization community - information that comes from centuries of pre-computer visualization by cartographers, and their more recent experiences with computerizing the discipline; (2) to help cartographers cope with the dramatic shift from print cartography to a dynamic virtual cartography for which their role is changing from

The predictive mind and the experience of visual art work.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesner, Ladislav

2014-01-01

Among the main challenges of the predictive brain/mind concept is how to link prediction at the neural level to prediction at the cognitive-psychological level and finding conceptually robust and empirically verifiable ways to harness this theoretical framework toward explaining higher-order mental and cognitive phenomena, including the subjective experience of aesthetic and symbolic forms. Building on the tentative prediction error account of visual art, this article extends the application of the predictive coding framework to the visual arts. It does so by linking this theoretical discussion to a subjective, phenomenological account of how a work of art is experienced. In order to engage more deeply with a work of art, viewers must be able to tune or adapt their prediction mechanism to recognize art as a specific class of objects whose ontological nature defies predictability, and they must be able to sustain a productive flow of predictions from low-level sensory, recognitional to abstract semantic, conceptual, and affective inferences. The affective component of the process of predictive error optimization that occurs when a viewer enters into dialog with a painting is constituted both by activating the affective affordances within the image and by the affective consequences of prediction error minimization itself. The predictive coding framework also has implications for the problem of the culturality of vision. A person's mindset, which determines what top-down expectations and predictions are generated, is co-constituted by culture-relative skills and knowledge, which form hyperpriors that operate in the perception of art.

The predictive mind and the experience of visual art work

Science.gov (United States)

Kesner, Ladislav

2014-01-01

Among the main challenges of the predictive brain/mind concept is how to link prediction at the neural level to prediction at the cognitive-psychological level and finding conceptually robust and empirically verifiable ways to harness this theoretical framework toward explaining higher-order mental and cognitive phenomena, including the subjective experience of aesthetic and symbolic forms. Building on the tentative prediction error account of visual art, this article extends the application of the predictive coding framework to the visual arts. It does so by linking this theoretical discussion to a subjective, phenomenological account of how a work of art is experienced. In order to engage more deeply with a work of art, viewers must be able to tune or adapt their prediction mechanism to recognize art as a specific class of objects whose ontological nature defies predictability, and they must be able to sustain a productive flow of predictions from low-level sensory, recognitional to abstract semantic, conceptual, and affective inferences. The affective component of the process of predictive error optimization that occurs when a viewer enters into dialog with a painting is constituted both by activating the affective affordances within the image and by the affective consequences of prediction error minimization itself. The predictive coding framework also has implications for the problem of the culturality of vision. A person’s mindset, which determines what top–down expectations and predictions are generated, is co-constituted by culture-relative skills and knowledge, which form hyperpriors that operate in the perception of art. PMID:25566111

Do Visual Aids Really Matter?

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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.

Hyper-arousal decreases human visual thresholds.

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Adam J Woods

Full Text Available Arousal has long been known to influence behavior and serves as an underlying component of cognition and consciousness. However, the consequences of hyper-arousal for visual perception remain unclear. The present study evaluates the impact of hyper-arousal on two aspects of visual sensitivity: visual stereoacuity and contrast thresholds. Sixty-eight participants participated in two experiments. Thirty-four participants were randomly divided into two groups in each experiment: Arousal Stimulation or Sham Control. The Arousal Stimulation group underwent a 50-second cold pressor stimulation (immersing the foot in 0-2° C water, a technique known to increase arousal. In contrast, the Sham Control group immersed their foot in room temperature water. Stereoacuity thresholds (Experiment 1 and contrast thresholds (Experiment 2 were measured before and after stimulation. The Arousal Stimulation groups demonstrated significantly lower stereoacuity and contrast thresholds following cold pressor stimulation, whereas the Sham Control groups showed no difference in thresholds. These results provide the first evidence that hyper-arousal from sensory stimulation can lower visual thresholds. Hyper-arousal's ability to decrease visual thresholds has important implications for survival, sports, and everyday life.

Python data visualization cookbook

CERN Document Server

Milovanovic, Igor

2013-01-01

This book is written in a Cookbook style targeted towards an advanced audience. It covers the advanced topics of data visualization in Python.Python Data Visualization Cookbook is for developers that already know about Python programming in general. If you have heard about data visualization but you don't know where to start, then this book will guide you from the start and help you understand data, data formats, data visualization, and how to use Python to visualize data.You will need to know some general programming concepts, and any kind of programming experience will be helpful, but the co

Appraisals of Salient Visual Elements in Web Page Design

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Johanna M. Silvennoinen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Visual elements in user interfaces elicit emotions in users and are, therefore, essential to users interacting with different software. Although there is research on the relationship between emotional experience and visual user interface design, the focus has been on the overall visual impression and not on visual elements. Additionally, often in a software development process, programming and general usability guidelines are considered as the most important parts of the process. Therefore, knowledge of programmers’ appraisals of visual elements can be utilized to understand the web page designs we interact with. In this study, appraisal theory of emotion is utilized to elaborate the relationship of emotional experience and visual elements from programmers’ perspective. Participants (N=50 used 3E-templates to express their visual and emotional experiences of web page designs. Content analysis of textual data illustrates how emotional experiences are elicited by salient visual elements. Eight hierarchical visual element categories were found and connected to various emotions, such as frustration, boredom, and calmness, via relational emotion themes. The emotional emphasis was on centered, symmetrical, and balanced composition, which was experienced as pleasant and calming. The results benefit user-centered visual interface design and researchers of visual aesthetics in human-computer interaction.

Postdictive modulation of visual orientation.

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Takahiro Kawabe

Full Text Available The present study investigated how visual orientation is modulated by subsequent orientation inputs. Observers were presented a near-vertical Gabor patch as a target, followed by a left- or right-tilted second Gabor patch as a distracter in the spatial vicinity of the target. The task of the observers was to judge whether the target was right- or left-tilted (Experiment 1 or whether the target was vertical or not (Supplementary experiment. The judgment was biased toward the orientation of the distracter (the postdictive modulation of visual orientation. The judgment bias peaked when the target and distracter were temporally separated by 100 ms, indicating a specific temporal mechanism for this phenomenon. However, when the visibility of the distracter was reduced via backward masking, the judgment bias disappeared. On the other hand, the low-visibility distracter could still cause a simultaneous orientation contrast, indicating that the distracter orientation is still processed in the visual system (Experiment 2. Our results suggest that the postdictive modulation of visual orientation stems from spatiotemporal integration of visual orientation on the basis of a slow feature matching process.

Interactive client side data visualization with d3.js

Science.gov (United States)

Rodzianko, A.; Versteeg, R.; Johnson, D. V.; Soltanian, M. R.; Versteeg, O. J.; Girouard, M.

2015-12-01

Geoscience data associated with near surface research and operational sites is increasingly voluminous and heterogeneous (both in terms of providers and data types - e.g. geochemical, hydrological, geophysical, modeling data, of varying spatiotemporal characteristics). Such data allows scientists to investigate fundamental hydrological and geochemical processes relevant to agriculture, water resources and climate change. For scientists to easily share, model and interpret such data requires novel tools with capabilities for interactive data visualization. Under sponsorship of the US Department of Energy, Subsurface Insights is developing the Predictive Assimilative Framework (PAF): a cloud based subsurface monitoring platform which can manage, process and visualize large heterogeneous datasets. Over the last year we transitioned our visualization method from a server side approach (in which images and animations were generated using Jfreechart and Visit) to a client side one that utilizes the D3 Javascript library. Datasets are retrieved using web service calls to the server, returned as JSON objects and visualized within the browser. Users can interactively explore primary and secondary datasets from various field locations. Our current capabilities include interactive data contouring and heterogeneous time series data visualization. While this approach is very powerful and not necessarily unique, special attention needs to be paid to latency and responsiveness issues as well as to issues as cross browser code compatibility so that users have an identical, fluid and frustration-free experience across different computational platforms. We gratefully acknowledge support from the US Department of Energy under SBIR Award DOE DE-SC0009732, the use of data from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Sustainable Systems SFA Rifle field site and collaboration with LBNL SFA scientists.

The mere exposure effect for visual image.

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Kazuya; Yagi, Yoshihiko; Sato, Nobuya

2018-02-01

Mere exposure effect refers to a phenomenon in which repeated stimuli are evaluated more positively than novel stimuli. We investigated whether this effect occurs for internally generated visual representations (i.e., visual images). In an exposure phase, a 5 × 5 dot array was presented, and a pair of dots corresponding to the neighboring vertices of an invisible polygon was sequentially flashed (in red), creating an invisible polygon. In Experiments 1, 2, and 4, participants visualized and memorized the shapes of invisible polygons based on different sequences of flashed dots, whereas in Experiment 3, participants only memorized positions of these dots. In a subsequent rating phase, participants visualized the shape of the invisible polygon from allocations of numerical characters on its vertices, and then rated their preference for invisible polygons (Experiments 1, 2, and 3). In contrast, in Experiment 4, participants rated the preference for visible polygons. Results showed that the mere exposure effect appeared only when participants visualized the shape of invisible polygons in both the exposure and rating phases (Experiments 1 and 2), suggesting that the mere exposure effect occurred for internalized visual images. This implies that the sensory inputs from repeated stimuli play a minor role in the mere exposure effect. Absence of the mere exposure effect in Experiment 4 suggests that the consistency of processing between exposure and rating phases plays an important role in the mere exposure effect.

P1-7: Modern Display Technology in Vision Science: Assessment of OLED and LCD Monitors for Visual Experiments

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Tobias Elze

2012-10-01

Full Text Available For many decades, cathode ray tube (CRT monitors have been the dominant display technology in vision science. However, in recent years, most manufacturers stopped their CRT production lines, which enforces the application of alternative display technology in the field of vision science. Here, we analyze liquid crystal displays (LCDs and organic light-emitting diode (OLED monitors for their applicability in vision science experiments. Based on extensive measurements of their photometric output, we compare these technologies and contrast them with classical CRT monitors. Vision scientists aim to accurately present both static and dynamic stimuli on their display devices. As for the presentation of static stimuli, we demonstrate an increased accuracy for LCD and OLED devices compared to CRT monitors, because the former exhibit a higher degree of independence of neighboring pixels. As for dynamic presentations, both CRTs and OLEDs outperform LCD devices in terms of accuracy, because dynamic presentations on LCDs require a reorientation of the liquid crystal molecules, so that successive frames in time depend on each other. Together with widely unknown and uncontrolled technical artifacts, these properties of LCDs may impair visual experiments that require high temporal precision. Therefore, OLED monitors are more suitable for vision science experiments with respect to both their static and their temporal characteristics. However, for certain applications in visual neuroscience, the low duty cycle of some OLED devices may introduce frequencies to the photometric output which fall within the window of visibility of neurons in the visual cortex and therefore interfere with single unit recordings.

Visual perception and medical imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaffe, C.C.

1985-01-01

Medical imaging represents a particularly distinct discipline for image processing since it uniquely depends on the ''expert observer'' and yet models of the human visual system are totally inadequate at the complex level to allow satisfactory prediction of observer response to a given image modification. An illustration of the difficulties in assessing observer performance is shown by a series of optical illustrations which demonstrate that net cognitive behavior is not readily predictable. Although many of these phenomena are often considered as exceptional visual events, the setting of complex images makes it difficult to entirely exclude at least partial operation of these impairments during performance of the diagnostic medical imaging task

Early visual experience and the recognition of basic facial expressions: involvement of the middle temporal and inferior frontal gyri during haptic identification by the early blind.

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Kitada, Ryo; Okamoto, Yuko; Sasaki, Akihiro T; Kochiyama, Takanori; Miyahara, Motohide; Lederman, Susan J; Sadato, Norihiro

2013-01-01

Face perception is critical for social communication. Given its fundamental importance in the course of evolution, the innate neural mechanisms can anticipate the computations necessary for representing faces. However, the effect of visual deprivation on the formation of neural mechanisms that underlie face perception is largely unknown. We previously showed that sighted individuals can recognize basic facial expressions by haptics surprisingly well. Moreover, the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) in the sighted subjects are involved in haptic and visual recognition of facial expressions. Here, we conducted both psychophysical and functional magnetic-resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments to determine the nature of the neural representation that subserves the recognition of basic facial expressions in early blind individuals. In a psychophysical experiment, both early blind and sighted subjects haptically identified basic facial expressions at levels well above chance. In the subsequent fMRI experiment, both groups haptically identified facial expressions and shoe types (control). The sighted subjects then completed the same task visually. Within brain regions activated by the visual and haptic identification of facial expressions (relative to that of shoes) in the sighted group, corresponding haptic identification in the early blind activated regions in the inferior frontal and middle temporal gyri. These results suggest that the neural system that underlies the recognition of basic facial expressions develops supramodally even in the absence of early visual experience.

Effects of Fluoxetine and Visual Experience on Glutamatergic and GABAergic Synaptic Proteins in Adult Rat Visual Cortex123

Science.gov (United States)

Beshara, Simon; Beston, Brett R.; Pinto, Joshua G. A.

2015-01-01

Abstract Fluoxetine has emerged as a novel treatment for persistent amblyopia because in adult animals it reinstates critical period-like ocular dominance plasticity and promotes recovery of visual acuity. Translation of these results from animal models to the clinic, however, has been challenging because of the lack of understanding of how this selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor affects glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic mechanisms that are essential for experience-dependent plasticity. An appealing hypothesis is that fluoxetine recreates a critical period (CP)-like state by shifting synaptic mechanisms to be more juvenile. To test this we studied the effect of fluoxetine treatment in adult rats, alone or in combination with visual deprivation [monocular deprivation (MD)], on a set of highly conserved presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins (synapsin, synaptophysin, VGLUT1, VGAT, PSD-95, gephyrin, GluN1, GluA2, GluN2B, GluN2A, GABAAα1, GABAAα3). We did not find evidence that fluoxetine shifted the protein amounts or balances to a CP-like state. Instead, it drove the balances in favor of the more mature subunits (GluN2A, GABAAα1). In addition, when fluoxetine was paired with MD it created a neuroprotective-like environment by normalizing the glutamatergic gain found in adult MDs. Together, our results suggest that fluoxetine treatment creates a novel synaptic environment dominated by GluN2A- and GABAAα1-dependent plasticity. PMID:26730408

Active Drumming Experience Increases Infants' Sensitivity to Audiovisual Synchrony during Observed Drumming Actions.

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Gerson, Sarah A; Schiavio, Andrea; Timmers, Renee; Hunnius, Sabine

2015-01-01

In the current study, we examined the role of active experience on sensitivity to multisensory synchrony in six-month-old infants in a musical context. In the first of two experiments, we trained infants to produce a novel multimodal effect (i.e., a drum beat) and assessed the effects of this training, relative to no training, on their later perception of the synchrony between audio and visual presentation of the drumming action. In a second experiment, we then contrasted this active experience with the observation of drumming in order to test whether observation of the audiovisual effect was as effective for sensitivity to multimodal synchrony as active experience. Our results indicated that active experience provided a unique benefit above and beyond observational experience, providing insights on the embodied roots of (early) music perception and cognition.

Meeting the Needs of Students with Coexisting Visual Impairments and Learning Disabilities

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Jones, Beth A.; Hensley-Maloney, Lauren

2015-01-01

The coexistence of visual impairments and learning disabilities presents unique challenges. It is imperative that teachers be apprised of the characteristics of this population as well as instructional strategies targeted at meeting their unique needs. The authors highlight typical patterns of performance and provide suggestions for effective…

Post-explant visualization of thrombi in outflow grafts and their junction to a continuous-flow total artificial heart using a high-definition miniaturized camera.

Science.gov (United States)

Karimov, Jamshid H; Horvath, David; Sunagawa, Gengo; Byram, Nicole; Moazami, Nader; Golding, Leonard A R; Fukamachi, Kiyotaka

2015-12-01

Post-explant evaluation of the continuous-flow total artificial heart in preclinical studies can be extremely challenging because of the device's unique architecture. Determining the exact location of tissue regeneration, neointima formation, and thrombus is particularly important. In this report, we describe our first successful experience with visualizing the Cleveland Clinic continuous-flow total artificial heart using a custom-made high-definition miniature camera.

Comparative visual ecophysiology of mid-Atlantic temperate reef fishes

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Andrij Z. Horodysky

2013-11-01

The absolute light sensitivities, temporal properties, and spectral sensitivities of the visual systems of three mid-Atlantic temperate reef fishes (Atlantic spadefish [Ephippidae: Chaetodipterus faber], tautog [Labridae: Tautoga onitis], and black sea bass [Serranidae: Centropristis striata] were studied via electroretinography (ERG. Pelagic Atlantic spadefish exhibited higher temporal resolution but a narrower dynamic range than the two more demersal foragers. The higher luminous sensitivities of tautog and black sea bass were similar to other benthic and demersal coastal mid-Atlantic fishes. Flicker fusion frequency experiments revealed significant interspecific differences at maximum intensities that correlated with lifestyle and habitat. Spectral responses of the three species spanned 400–610 nm, with high likelihood of cone dichromacy providing the basis for color and contrast discrimination. Significant day-night differences in spectral responses were evident in spadefish and black sea bass but not tautog, a labrid with characteristic structure-associated nocturnal torpor. Atlantic spadefish responded to a wider range of wavelengths than did deeper-dwelling tautog or black sea bass. Collectively, these results suggest that temperate reef-associated fishes are well-adapted to their gradient of brighter to dimmer photoclimates, representative of their unique ecologies and life histories. Continuing anthropogenic degradation of water quality in coastal environments, at a pace faster than the evolution of visual systems, may however impede visual foraging and reproductive signaling in temperate reef fishes.

Development of a vocabulary of object shapes in a child with a very-early-acquired visual agnosia: a unique case.

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Funnell, Elaine; Wilding, John

2011-02-01

We report a longitudinal study of an exceptional child (S.R.) whose early-acquired visual agnosia, following encephalitis at 8 weeks of age, did not prevent her from learning to construct an increasing vocabulary of visual object forms (drawn from different categories), albeit slowly. S.R. had problems perceiving subtle differences in shape; she was unable to segment local letters within global displays; and she would bring complex scenes close to her eyes: a symptom suggestive of an attempt to reduce visual crowding. Investigations revealed a robust ability to use the gestalt grouping factors of proximity and collinearity to detect fragmented forms in noisy backgrounds, compared with a very weak ability to segment fragmented forms on the basis of contrasts of shape. When contrasts in spatial grouping and shape were pitted against each other, shape made little contribution, consistent with problems in perceiving complex scenes, but when shape contrast was varied, and spatial grouping was held constant, S.R. showed the same hierarchy of difficulty as the controls, although her responses were slowed. This is the first report of a child's visual-perceptual development following very early neurological impairments to the visual cortex. Her ability to learn to perceive visual shape following damage at a rudimentary stage of perceptual development contrasts starkly with the loss of such ability in childhood cases of acquired visual agnosia that follow damage to the established perceptual system. Clearly, there is a critical period during which neurological damage to the highly active, early developing visual-perceptual system does not prevent but only impairs further learning.

Illustrative uncertainty visualization of DTI fiber pathways

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brecheisen, R.; Platel, B.; Haar Romeny, B.M. Ter; Vilanova, A.

2013-01-01

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and fiber tracking provide unique insight into the 3D structure of fibrous tissues in the brain. However, the output of fiber tracking contains a significant amount of uncertainty accumulated in the various steps of the processing pipeline. Existing DTI visualization

Food shopping, sensory determinants of food choice and meal preparation by visually impaired people. Obstacles and expectations in daily food experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Kostyra, Eliza; Żakowska-Biemans, Sylwia; Śniegocka, Katarzyna; Piotrowska, Anna

2017-06-01

The number of visually impaired and blind people is rising worldwide due to ageing of the global population, but research regarding the impact of visual impairment on the ability of a person to choose food and to prepare meals is scarce. The aim of this study was threefold: to investigate factors determining the choices of food products in people with various levels of impaired vision; to identify obstacles they face while purchasing food, preparing meals and eating out; and to determine what would help them in the areas of food shopping and meal preparation. The data was collected from 250 blind and visually impaired subjects, recruited with the support of the National Association of the Blind. The study revealed that majority of the visually impaired make food purchases at a supermarket or local grocery and they tend to favour shopping for food via the Internet. Direct sale channels like farmers markets were rarely used by the visually impaired. The most frequently mentioned factors that facilitated their food shopping decisions were the assistance of salespersons, product labelling in Braille, scanners that enable the reading of labels and a permanent place for products on the shop shelves. Meal preparation, particularly peeling, slicing and frying, posed many challenges to the visually impaired. More than half of the respondents ate meals outside the home, mainly with family or friends. The helpfulness of the staff and a menu in Braille were crucial for them to have a positive dining out experience. The results of the study provide valuable insights into the food choices and eating experiences of visually impaired people, and also suggest some practical implications to improve their independence and quality of life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tornado Warning Perception and Response: Integrating the Roles of Visual Design, Demographics, and Hazard Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumann, Ronald L; Ash, Kevin D; Bowser, Gregg C

2018-02-01

Recent advancements in severe weather detection and warning dissemination technologies have reduced, but not eliminated, large-casualty tornado hazards in the United States. Research on warning cognition and behavioral response by the public has the potential to further reduce tornado-related deaths and injuries; however, less research has been conducted in this area compared to tornado research in the physical sciences. Extant research in this vein tends to bifurcate. One branch of studies derives from classic risk perception, which investigates cognitive, affective, and sociocultural factors in relation to concern and preparation for uncertain risks. Another branch focuses on psychological, social, and cultural factors implicated in warning response for rapid onset hazards, with attention paid to previous experience and message design. Few studies link risk perceptions with cognition and response as elicited by specific examples of warnings. The present study unites risk perception, cognition, and response approaches by testing the contributions of hypothesized warning response drivers in one set of path models. Warning response is approximated by perceived fear and intended protective action as reported by survey respondents when exposed to hypothetical tornado warning scenarios. This study considers the roles of hazard knowledge acquisition, information-seeking behaviors, previous experience, and sociodemographic factors while controlling for the effects of the visual warning graphic. Findings from the study indicate the primacy of a user's visual interpretation of a warning graphic in shaping tornado warning response. Results also suggest that information-seeking habits, previous tornado experience, and local disaster culture play strong influencing roles in warning response. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

VISUALIZATION SKILLS FOR THE NEW ARCHITECTURAL FORMS

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Khaled Nassar

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The practice of architecture is continuously changing, mirroring the paradigm shifts in the world it builds for. With increasing use of digital technology, we need to ensure that learning and teaching do not shift from the fundamental skill set required of an architect. Architectural problems are unique in their nature, requiring volumetric visualization and problem solving skills, and although many of these skills can be replicated using digital technology, can digital technology replace the cognitive development, which occurs through manual problem solving? Over the last three decades we have seen the almost ubiquitous use of computers in the design practice and professional studios with increasingly more complex forms being thought of and turned into buildings. This development obviously raises challenging questions of architectural theory and perplexing issues for those concerned with the future of architectural education and its effect on the design process. But how can this effect be analyzed subjectively remains an open question. Recent research efforts have shown that perception and visualization abilities reflect the quality of a design outcome. Very limited research however exists which attempts to understand or document the spatial analysis and visualization abilities of new generations of architects. This paper reports on a novel scalable test that could be used to investigate the processing and synthesis of visual information related to the new kinds of free form encountered in today’s architecture. Unlike traditional missing views and orthographic projection problems, proposed test can be used to accurate assess freeform visualization. A number of 2-mainfold very high genus surfaces were selected. Physical models of these surfaces are manufactured from a durable thermoplastic material by Fused Deposition Modeling rapid prototyping machines. Students are then asked to position a digital model of the surface to match that of the

ALPHA visual data collection. STX005-025: melt drop steam explosion experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriyama, Kiyofumi; Yamano, Norihiro; Maruyama, Yu; Kudo, Tamotsu; Sugimoto, Jun

1999-03-01

Steam explosion is a phenomenon in which a high temperature liquid gives its internal energy to a low temperature volatile liquid extremely quickly causing rapid evaporation and shock wave generation. In the field of nuclear reactor safety research regarding severe accidents in LWRs, steam explosions involving molten fuel and coolant has been recognized as a potential threat to the integrity of the reactor containment vessel. In the ALPHA (Assessment of Loads and Performance of Containment in Hypothetical Accident) program, experiments were performed to investigate the phenomenology of vapor explosions using iron-alumina thermite melt as a simulant of molten core. This report collects the experimental results especially emphasizing the visual observations by high speed photography. (author)

A survey on the knowledge and attitudes of anaesthesia providers in the United States of America, United Kingdom and Singapore on visual experiences during cataract surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, C S H; Kumar, C M; Fanning, G L; Lai, Y C; Au Eong, K G

2006-04-01

To assess the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of anaesthesia providers on the patients' possible intraoperative visual experiences during cataract surgery under local anaesthesia. Anaesthesia providers from the Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Society (USA); British Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Society (UK); Alexandra Hospital, National University Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore General Hospital and Changi General Hospital (Singapore) were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. A total of 146 anaesthesiologists (81.6%), 10 ophthalmologists (5.6%) and 23 nurse anaesthetists (12.8%) responded to the survey. Most respondents believed that patients would experience light perception and many also felt that patients might encounter other visual sensations such as movements, flashes, colours, surgical instruments, hands/fingers and the surgeon during the surgery. A significantly higher proportion of anaesthesia providers with previous experience of monitoring patients under topical anaesthesia believed that patients might experience the various visual sensations compared to those who have not previously monitored. For both topical and regional anaesthesia, anaesthesia providers who routinely counsel their patients are (1) more likely to believe that preoperative counselling helps or (2) were previously told by patients that they could see intraoperatively and/or that they were frightened by their visual sensations. These findings were statistically significant. The majority of anaesthesia providers in the USA, UK and Singapore are aware that patients may experience a variety of visual sensations during cataract surgery under regional or topical anaesthesia. Those who have previously managed patients undergoing cataract surgery under topical anaesthesia are more likely to believe this compared to those who have not.

Understanding Visual Novel As Artwork of Visual Communication Design

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Dendi Pratama

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Visual Novel is a kind of audiovisual game that offers visual strength through the narrative and visual characters. The developer community of Visual Novel (VN Project Indonesia indicated a limited local game developer that produces Visual Novel of Indonesia. In addition, Indonesian Visual Novel production was also more influenced by the style of anime or manga from Japan. Actually, Visual Novel is part of the potential of  creative industries products. The study is to formulate the problem, how to understand Visual Novel as artwork of visual communication design, especially among students? This research is a case study conducted on visual communication design student at the University Indraprasta PGRI Jakarta. The results showed low levels of knowledge, understanding, and experience of  the Visual Novel game, which is below 50%. Qualitative and quantitative methods combined with structural semiotic approach is used to describe the elements of the design and the signs structure at the Visual Novel. This research can be a scientific reference for further introduce and encourage an understanding of Visual Novel as artwork of Visual Communication Design. In addition, the results may add to the knowledge of  society, and encourage the development of Visual Novel artwork that  reflect the culture of Indonesia. Visual Novel adalah sejenis permainan audiovisual yang menawarkan kekuatan visual melalui narasi dan karakter visual. Data dari komunitas pengembang Visual Novel (VN Project Indonesia menunjukkan masih terbatasnya pengembang game lokal yang memproduksi Visual Novel Indonesia. Selain itu, produksi Visual Novel Indonesia juga lebih banyak dipengaruhi oleh gaya anime dan manga dari Jepang. Padahal Visual Novel adalah bagian dari produk industri kreatif yang potensial. Studi ini merumuskan masalah, bagaimana memahami Visual Novel sebagai karya seni desain komunikasi visual, khususnya di kalangan mahasiswa? Penelitian ini merupakan studi kasus

Visual Field Asymmetry in Attentional Capture

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Feng; Abrams, Richard A.

2010-01-01

The present study examined the spatial distribution of involuntary attentional capture over the two visual hemi-fields. A new experiment, and an analysis of three previous experiments showed that distractors in the left visual field that matched a sought-for target in color produced a much larger capture effect than identical distractors in the…

Visual perception and appraisal of persons with impairments: a randomised controlled field experiment using photo elicitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhardt, Jan Dietrich; Ballert, Carolina Saskia; Fellinghauer, Bernd; Lötscher, Alexander; Gradinger, Felix; Hilfiker, Roger; Graf, Sibylle; Stucki, Gerold

2011-01-01

Visual cues from persons with impairments may trigger stereotypical generalisations that lead to prejudice and discrimination. The main objective of this pilot study is to examine whether visual stimuli of impairment activate latent prejudice against disability and whether this connection can be counteracted with priming strategies. In a field experiment, participants were asked to rate photographs showing models with mental impairments, wheelchair users with paraplegia, and persons without any visible impairment. Participants should appraise the models with regard to several features (e.g. communicativeness, intelligence). One hundred participants rated 12 photo models yielding a total of 1183 observations. One group of participants was primed with a cover story introducing visual perception of impairment as the study's gist, while controls received neutral information. Photo models with mental impairments were rated lowest and models without visible impairment highest. In participants who did not have prior contacts with persons with impairments, priming led to a levelling of scores of models with and without impairment. Prior contacts with persons with impairments created similar effects as the priming. Unexpectedly, a pattern of converse double discrimination to the disadvantage of men with mental impairments was revealed. Signs of stereotypical processing of visual cues of impairment have been found in participants of the Swiss general population. Personal contact with persons with impairments as well as priming participants seems to reduce stereotyping.

The gaming of concussions: a unique intervention in postconcussion syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, James M; Anderson, Megan; Benton, Brooke; Green, Sue Stanley

2015-03-01

To present the case of 2 adolescent high school student-athletes who developed postconcussion syndrome with protracted and limiting visual complaints that markedly affected academic, social, and athletic activity for a year after the onset of symptoms. Both had significant improvement soon after a unique intervention was administered. A 14-year-old female soccer and softball player sustained 2 concussions in the same week. She had persistent symptoms for a year that affected her grades and precluded athletic participation. A 15-year-old male football player sustained a concussion during an altercation with 2 other male adolescents. He continued to have symptoms 1 year later, with a marked decrease in academic performance and restriction from athletics. Both adolescents reported blurry vision, photophobia, and associated headache as significant components of the postconcussion syndrome. Concussion, postconcussion syndrome, skull fracture, subdural hematoma, epidural hematoma, second-impact syndrome, and visually sensitive migraine. Both patients were advised to obtain computer gaming glasses to use throughout the day. The female patient was diligent in her use of the glasses, with marked lessening of symptoms. The male patient was less accepting of the glasses but did report lessening of symptoms when using the glasses. We hypothesized that postconcussion syndrome with marked visual complaints would respond to and improve with decreased stimulation of the visual system. This was attempted with the addition of computer gaming glasses. Both adolescent athletes responded well to the filtering of visual stimuli by off-the-shelf computer gaming glasses. Postconcussion syndrome is a persistent condition with a myriad of symptoms. Two young athletes developed postconcussion syndrome with prominent visual symptoms that lasted a year. The addition of computer gaming glasses markedly lessened symptoms in both patients.

Sound-contingent visual motion aftereffect

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Kobayashi Maori

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background After a prolonged exposure to a paired presentation of different types of signals (e.g., color and motion, one of the signals (color becomes a driver for the other signal (motion. This phenomenon, which is known as contingent motion aftereffect, indicates that the brain can establish new neural representations even in the adult's brain. However, contingent motion aftereffect has been reported only in visual or auditory domain. Here, we demonstrate that a visual motion aftereffect can be contingent on a specific sound. Results Dynamic random dots moving in an alternating right or left direction were presented to the participants. Each direction of motion was accompanied by an auditory tone of a unique and specific frequency. After a 3-minutes exposure, the tones began to exert marked influence on the visual motion perception, and the percentage of dots required to trigger motion perception systematically changed depending on the tones. Furthermore, this effect lasted for at least 2 days. Conclusions These results indicate that a new neural representation can be rapidly established between auditory and visual modalities.

Gestalt isomorphism and the primacy of subjective conscious experience: a Gestalt Bubble model.

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Lehar, Steven

2003-08-01

A serious crisis is identified in theories of neurocomputation, marked by a persistent disparity between the phenomenological or experiential account of visual perception and the neurophysiological level of description of the visual system. In particular, conventional concepts of neural processing offer no explanation for the holistic global aspects of perception identified by Gestalt theory. The problem is paradigmatic and can be traced to contemporary concepts of the functional role of the neural cell, known as the Neuron Doctrine. In the absence of an alternative neurophysiologically plausible model, I propose a perceptual modeling approach, to model the percept as experienced subjectively, rather than modeling the objective neurophysiological state of the visual system that supposedly subserves that experience. A Gestalt Bubble model is presented to demonstrate how the elusive Gestalt principles of emergence, reification, and invariance can be expressed in a quantitative model of the subjective experience of visual consciousness. That model in turn reveals a unique computational strategy underlying visual processing, which is unlike any algorithm devised by man, and certainly unlike the atomistic feed-forward model of neurocomputation offered by the Neuron Doctrine paradigm. The perceptual modeling approach reveals the primary function of perception as that of generating a fully spatial virtual-reality replica of the external world in an internal representation. The common objections to this "picture-in-the-head" concept of perceptual representation are shown to be ill founded.

Teen camp: a unique approach to recruit future nurses.

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Redding, Donna A; Riech, Sandy; Prater, Marsha A

2004-01-01

A collaborative and unique approach to interest high school students in nursing. To inform educators and nursing departments about an innovative approach to recruit future nurses. Professional literature and authors' experience. All students related positive experiences. The initial camp evaluation produced innovative input from the students, and each camp met its goal of creating career interest in the nursing profession.

Visual cognition

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Cavanagh, Patrick

2011-01-01

Visual cognition, high-level vision, mid-level vision and top-down processing all refer to decision-based scene analyses that combine prior knowledge with retinal input to generate representations. The label “visual cognition” is little used at present, but research and experiments on mid- and high-level, inference-based vision have flourished, becoming in the 21st century a significant, if often understated part, of current vision research. How does visual cognition work? What are its moving parts? This paper reviews the origins and architecture of visual cognition and briefly describes some work in the areas of routines, attention, surfaces, objects, and events (motion, causality, and agency). Most vision scientists avoid being too explicit when presenting concepts about visual cognition, having learned that explicit models invite easy criticism. What we see in the literature is ample evidence for visual cognition, but few or only cautious attempts to detail how it might work. This is the great unfinished business of vision research: at some point we will be done with characterizing how the visual system measures the world and we will have to return to the question of how vision constructs models of objects, surfaces, scenes, and events. PMID:21329719

Visual cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanagh, Patrick

2011-07-01

Visual cognition, high-level vision, mid-level vision and top-down processing all refer to decision-based scene analyses that combine prior knowledge with retinal input to generate representations. The label "visual cognition" is little used at present, but research and experiments on mid- and high-level, inference-based vision have flourished, becoming in the 21st century a significant, if often understated part, of current vision research. How does visual cognition work? What are its moving parts? This paper reviews the origins and architecture of visual cognition and briefly describes some work in the areas of routines, attention, surfaces, objects, and events (motion, causality, and agency). Most vision scientists avoid being too explicit when presenting concepts about visual cognition, having learned that explicit models invite easy criticism. What we see in the literature is ample evidence for visual cognition, but few or only cautious attempts to detail how it might work. This is the great unfinished business of vision research: at some point we will be done with characterizing how the visual system measures the world and we will have to return to the question of how vision constructs models of objects, surfaces, scenes, and events. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lifespan changes in attention revisited: Everyday visual search.

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Brennan, Allison A; Bruderer, Alison J; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa; Handy, Todd C; Enns, James T

2017-06-01

This study compared visual search under everyday conditions among participants across the life span (healthy participants in 4 groups, with average age of 6 years, 8 years, 22 years, and 75 years, and 1 group averaging 73 years with a history of falling). The task involved opening a door and stepping into a room find 1 of 4 everyday objects (apple, golf ball, coffee can, toy penguin) visible on shelves. The background for this study included 2 well-cited laboratory studies that pointed to different cognitive mechanisms underlying each end of the U-shaped pattern of visual search over the life span (Hommel et al., 2004; Trick & Enns, 1998). The results recapitulated some of the main findings of the laboratory study (e.g., a U-shaped function, dissociable factors for maturation and aging), but there were several unique findings. These included large differences in the baseline salience of common objects at different ages, visual eccentricity effects that were unique to aging, and visual field effects that interacted strongly with age. These findings highlight the importance of studying cognitive processes in more natural settings, where factors such as personal relevance, life history, and bodily contributions to cognition (e.g., limb, head, and body movements) are more readily revealed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Relating Standardized Visual Perception Measures to Simulator Visual System Performance

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Kaiser, Mary K.; Sweet, Barbara T.

2013-01-01

Human vision is quantified through the use of standardized clinical vision measurements. These measurements typically include visual acuity (near and far), contrast sensitivity, color vision, stereopsis (a.k.a. stereo acuity), and visual field periphery. Simulator visual system performance is specified in terms such as brightness, contrast, color depth, color gamut, gamma, resolution, and field-of-view. How do these simulator performance characteristics relate to the perceptual experience of the pilot in the simulator? In this paper, visual acuity and contrast sensitivity will be related to simulator visual system resolution, contrast, and dynamic range; similarly, color vision will be related to color depth/color gamut. Finally, we will consider how some characteristics of human vision not typically included in current clinical assessments could be used to better inform simulator requirements (e.g., relating dynamic characteristics of human vision to update rate and other temporal display characteristics).

EXPERIENCE, BODY AND MEMORY IN SCHOOL – REFLECTIONS ON THE TEACHING OF VISUAL ARTS FOR CHILDREN

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Maristani Polidori Zamperetti

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The separation of body and spirit, body and mind experienced by western culture perpetuates denial of embodiment and expression, following and promoting the separation and estrangement between the observed and observer, between Man and Nature. The body, which has been forgotten by the adults at school, is the object of knowledge and learning for children. Contrary to conventional educational forms, the body needs to take and hold other school spaces, increasing the materialization of our desires and possibilities of becoming the world. Trying to understand the issues of embodiment and the Arts at school realized experiences of teaching with research (2007-2009, with students of elementary school of Pelotas, Brazil, in the discipline of Visual Arts. I looked through the artistic process of drawing with chalk on the floor, enabling experiences of being in space and not being in it, as proposed by Merleau-Ponty (1989. In the artistic productions that have made the body and the manner of acting and body movement in the schoolyard, children have reaffirmed the proposition's author. Children are formed in the psychic space of their culture, in touch with people and with pedagogical proposals circulating in the school environment. Thus, there is the experience, students become belonging to a particular culture produced at the time actually experienced it, according to the relationships established among themselves, peers and teacher. Supporting me in Brandão (2008, Josso (2004 and Maturana (2004 long to reflect on the questions of experience and memory, issues considered relevant to the question of teacher education and teaching practices in visual arts.

SeeDB: Efficient Data-Driven Visualization Recommendations to Support Visual Analytics.

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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.

Early visual experience and the recognition of basic facial expressions: involvement of the middle temporal and inferior frontal gyri during haptic identification by the early blind

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Kitada, Ryo; Okamoto, Yuko; Sasaki, Akihiro T.; Kochiyama, Takanori; Miyahara, Motohide; Lederman, Susan J.; Sadato, Norihiro

2012-01-01

Face perception is critical for social communication. Given its fundamental importance in the course of evolution, the innate neural mechanisms can anticipate the computations necessary for representing faces. However, the effect of visual deprivation on the formation of neural mechanisms that underlie face perception is largely unknown. We previously showed that sighted individuals can recognize basic facial expressions by haptics surprisingly well. Moreover, the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) in the sighted subjects are involved in haptic and visual recognition of facial expressions. Here, we conducted both psychophysical and functional magnetic-resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments to determine the nature of the neural representation that subserves the recognition of basic facial expressions in early blind individuals. In a psychophysical experiment, both early blind and sighted subjects haptically identified basic facial expressions at levels well above chance. In the subsequent fMRI experiment, both groups haptically identified facial expressions and shoe types (control). The sighted subjects then completed the same task visually. Within brain regions activated by the visual and haptic identification of facial expressions (relative to that of shoes) in the sighted group, corresponding haptic identification in the early blind activated regions in the inferior frontal and middle temporal gyri. These results suggest that the neural system that underlies the recognition of basic facial expressions develops supramodally even in the absence of early visual experience. PMID:23372547

Visual short-term memory guides infants' visual attention.

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Mitsven, Samantha G; Cantrell, Lisa M; Luck, Steven J; Oakes, Lisa M

2018-08-01

Adults' visual attention is guided by the contents of visual short-term memory (VSTM). Here we asked whether 10-month-old infants' (N = 41) visual attention is also guided by the information stored in VSTM. In two experiments, we modified the one-shot change detection task (Oakes, Baumgartner, Barrett, Messenger, & Luck, 2013) to create a simplified cued visual search task to ask how information stored in VSTM influences where infants look. A single sample item (e.g., a colored circle) was presented at fixation for 500 ms, followed by a brief (300 ms) retention interval and then a test array consisting of two items, one on each side of fixation. One item in the test array matched the sample stimulus and the other did not. Infants were more likely to look at the non-matching item than at the matching item, demonstrating that the information stored rapidly in VSTM guided subsequent looking behavior. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gene Expression Patterns Underlying the Reinstatement of Plasticity in the Adult Visual System

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Ettore Tiraboschi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The nervous system is highly sensitive to experience during early postnatal life, but this phase of heightened plasticity decreases with age. Recent studies have demonstrated that developmental-like plasticity can be reactivated in the visual cortex of adult animals through environmental or pharmacological manipulations. These findings provide a unique opportunity to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of adult plasticity. Here we used the monocular deprivation paradigm to investigate large-scale gene expression patterns underlying the reinstatement of plasticity produced by fluoxetine in the adult rat visual cortex. We found changes, confirmed with RT-PCRs, in gene expression in different biological themes, such as chromatin structure remodelling, transcription factors, molecules involved in synaptic plasticity, extracellular matrix, and excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Our findings reveal a key role for several molecules such as the metalloproteases Mmp2 and Mmp9 or the glycoprotein Reelin and open up new insights into the mechanisms underlying the reopening of the critical periods in the adult brain.

Centrifuge in space fluid flow visualization experiment

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Arnold, William A.; Wilcox, William R.; Regel, Liya L.; Dunbar, Bonnie J.

1993-01-01

A prototype flow visualization system is constructed to examine buoyancy driven flows during centrifugation in space. An axial density gradient is formed by imposing a thermal gradient between the two ends of the test cell. Numerical computations for this geometry showed that the Prandtl number plays a limited part in determining the flow.

Fusing Visual and Behavioral Cues for Modeling User Experience in Games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaker, Noor; Asteriadis, Stylianos; Yannakakis, Georgios N.

2013-01-01

Estimating affective and cognitive states in condi- tions of rich human-computer interaction, such as in games, is a field of growing academic and commercial interest. Entertain- ment and serious games can benefit from recent advances in the field as, having access to predictors of the current...... state of the player (or learner) can provide useful information for feeding adaptation mechanisms that aim to maximize engagement or learning effects. In this paper, we introduce a large data corpus derived from 58 participants that play the popular Super Mario Bros platform game and attempt to create...... accurate models of player experience for this game genre. Within the view of the current research, features extracted both from player gameplay behavior and game levels, and player visual characteristics have been utilized as potential indicators of reported affect expressed as pairwise preferences between...

The Puzzle of Visual Development: Behavior and Neural Limits.

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Kiorpes, Lynne

2016-11-09

The development of visual function takes place over many months or years in primate infants. Visual sensitivity is very poor near birth and improves over different times courses for different visual functions. The neural mechanisms that underlie these processes are not well understood despite many decades of research. The puzzle arises because research into the factors that limit visual function in infants has found surprisingly mature neural organization and adult-like receptive field properties in very young infants. The high degree of visual plasticity that has been documented during the sensitive period in young children and animals leaves the brain vulnerable to abnormal visual experience. Abnormal visual experience during the sensitive period can lead to amblyopia, a developmental disorder of vision affecting ∼3% of children. This review provides a historical perspective on research into visual development and the disorder amblyopia. The mismatch between the status of the primary visual cortex and visual behavior, both during visual development and in amblyopia, is discussed, and several potential resolutions are considered. It seems likely that extrastriate visual areas further along the visual pathways may set important limits on visual function and show greater vulnerability to abnormal visual experience. Analyses based on multiunit, population activity may provide useful representations of the information being fed forward from primary visual cortex to extrastriate processing areas and to the motor output. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/3611384-10$15.00/0.

Multivariate nonparametric regression and visualization with R and applications to finance

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Klemelä, Jussi

2014-01-01

A modern approach to statistical learning and its applications through visualization methods With a unique and innovative presentation, Multivariate Nonparametric Regression and Visualization provides readers with the core statistical concepts to obtain complete and accurate predictions when given a set of data. Focusing on nonparametric methods to adapt to the multiple types of data generatingmechanisms, the book begins with an overview of classification and regression. The book then introduces and examines various tested and proven visualization techniques for learning samples and functio

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)

Design for Visual Arts.

Science.gov (United States)

Skeries, Larry

Experiences suggested within this visual arts packet provide high school students with awareness of visual expression in graphic design, product design, architecture, and crafts. The unit may be used in whole or in part and includes information about art careers and art-related jobs found in major occupational fields. Specific lesson topics…

Photo-Elicitation and Visual Semiotics: A Unique Methodology for Studying Inclusion for Children with Disabilities

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Stockall, Nancy

2013-01-01

The methodology in this paper discusses the use of photographs as an elicitation strategy that can reveal the thinking processes of participants in a qualitatively rich manner. Photo-elicitation techniques combined with a Piercian semiotic perspective offer a unique method for creating a frame of action for later participant analysis. Illustrative…

Active Drumming Experience Increases Infants' Sensitivity to Audiovisual Synchrony during Observed Drumming Actions.

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Sarah A Gerson

Full Text Available In the current study, we examined the role of active experience on sensitivity to multisensory synchrony in six-month-old infants in a musical context. In the first of two experiments, we trained infants to produce a novel multimodal effect (i.e., a drum beat and assessed the effects of this training, relative to no training, on their later perception of the synchrony between audio and visual presentation of the drumming action. In a second experiment, we then contrasted this active experience with the observation of drumming in order to test whether observation of the audiovisual effect was as effective for sensitivity to multimodal synchrony as active experience. Our results indicated that active experience provided a unique benefit above and beyond observational experience, providing insights on the embodied roots of (early music perception and cognition.

Active Drumming Experience Increases Infants’ Sensitivity to Audiovisual Synchrony during Observed Drumming Actions

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Timmers, Renee; Hunnius, Sabine

2015-01-01

In the current study, we examined the role of active experience on sensitivity to multisensory synchrony in six-month-old infants in a musical context. In the first of two experiments, we trained infants to produce a novel multimodal effect (i.e., a drum beat) and assessed the effects of this training, relative to no training, on their later perception of the synchrony between audio and visual presentation of the drumming action. In a second experiment, we then contrasted this active experience with the observation of drumming in order to test whether observation of the audiovisual effect was as effective for sensitivity to multimodal synchrony as active experience. Our results indicated that active experience provided a unique benefit above and beyond observational experience, providing insights on the embodied roots of (early) music perception and cognition. PMID:26111226

Experiments with general purpose visualization software on a unix workstation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adam, G.

1995-10-01

A study was performed on the opportunity of buying, for the ICTP use, one of the following visualization systems: Advanced Visualization Systems (AVS) - release 5.02 IRIS Explorer - release 2.2 from NAG IBM Data Explorer (DX) - release 2.1.5 Khoros - Developer's Release 2.0+p2. Criteria for an optimal choice were defined and it was concluded that none of these visualization systems would be a good today compromise. Conservative consideration of the market opportunities shows that substantially improved releases of these systems are expected to be operational within at most an year. For short term period, the ratio benefit to burden still makes public domain low-end graphics attractive. (author)

Experiments with general purpose visualization software on a unix workstation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adam, G

1995-10-01

A study was performed on the opportunity of buying, for the ICTP use, one of the following visualization systems: Advanced Visualization Systems (AVS) - release 5.02 IRIS Explorer - release 2.2 from NAG IBM Data Explorer (DX) - release 2.1.5 Khoros - Developer`s Release 2.0+p2. Criteria for an optimal choice were defined and it was concluded that none of these visualization systems would be a good today compromise. Conservative consideration of the market opportunities shows that substantially improved releases of these systems are expected to be operational within at most an year. For short term period, the ratio benefit to burden still makes public domain low-end graphics attractive. (author).

Visual Iconic Patterns of Instant Messaging: Steps Towards Understanding Visual Conversations

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Bays, Hillary

An Instant Messaging (IM) conversation is a dynamic communication register made up of text, images, animation and sound played out on a screen with potentially several parallel conversations and activities all within a physical environment. This article first examines how best to capture this unique gestalt using in situ recording techniques (video, screen capture, XML logs) which highlight the micro-phenomenal level of the exchange and the macro-social level of the interaction. Of particular interest are smileys first as cultural artifacts in CMC in general then as linguistic markers. A brief taxonomy of these markers is proposed in an attempt to clarify their frequency and patterns of their use. Then, focus is placed on their importance as perceptual cues which facilitate communication, while also serving as emotive and emphatic functional markers. We try to demonstrate that the use of smileys and animation is not arbitrary but an organized interactional and structured practice. Finally, we discuss how the study of visual markers in IM could inform the study of other visual conversation codes, such as sign languages, which also have co-produced, physical behavior, suggesting the possibility of a visual phonology.

HEP visualization and video technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebrun, P.; Swoboda, D.

1994-01-01

The use of scientific visualization for HEP analysis is briefly reviewed. The applications are highly interactive and very dynamical in nature. At Fermilab, E687, in collaboration with Visual Media Services, has produced a 1/2 hour video tape demonstrating the capability of SGI-EXPLORER applied to a Dalitz Analysis of Charm decay. This short contribution describes the authors experience with visualization and video technologies

Visual Representation Determines Search Difficulty: Explaining Visual Search Asymmetries

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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.

Hierarchical acquisition of visual specificity in spatial contextual cueing.

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Lie, Kin-Pou

2015-01-01

Spatial contextual cueing refers to visual search performance's being improved when invariant associations between target locations and distractor spatial configurations are learned incidentally. Using the instance theory of automatization and the reverse hierarchy theory of visual perceptual learning, this study explores the acquisition of visual specificity in spatial contextual cueing. Two experiments in which detailed visual features were irrelevant for distinguishing between spatial contexts found that spatial contextual cueing was visually generic in difficult trials when the trials were not preceded by easy trials (Experiment 1) but that spatial contextual cueing progressed to visual specificity when difficult trials were preceded by easy trials (Experiment 2). These findings support reverse hierarchy theory, which predicts that even when detailed visual features are irrelevant for distinguishing between spatial contexts, spatial contextual cueing can progress to visual specificity if the stimuli remain constant, the task is difficult, and difficult trials are preceded by easy trials. However, these findings are inconsistent with instance theory, which predicts that when detailed visual features are irrelevant for distinguishing between spatial contexts, spatial contextual cueing will not progress to visual specificity. This study concludes that the acquisition of visual specificity in spatial contextual cueing is more plausibly hierarchical, rather than instance-based.

The role of visual experience in the production of emotional facial expressions by blind people: a review.

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Valente, Dannyelle; Theurel, Anne; Gentaz, Edouard

2018-04-01

Facial expressions of emotion are nonverbal behaviors that allow us to interact efficiently in social life and respond to events affecting our welfare. This article reviews 21 studies, published between 1932 and 2015, examining the production of facial expressions of emotion by blind people. It particularly discusses the impact of visual experience on the development of this behavior from birth to adulthood. After a discussion of three methodological considerations, the review of studies reveals that blind subjects demonstrate differing capacities for producing spontaneous expressions and voluntarily posed expressions. Seventeen studies provided evidence that blind and sighted spontaneously produce the same pattern of facial expressions, even if some variations can be found, reflecting facial and body movements specific to blindness or differences in intensity and control of emotions in some specific contexts. This suggests that lack of visual experience seems to not have a major impact when this behavior is generated spontaneously in real emotional contexts. In contrast, eight studies examining voluntary expressions indicate that blind individuals have difficulty posing emotional expressions. The opportunity for prior visual observation seems to affect performance in this case. Finally, we discuss three new directions for research to provide additional and strong evidence for the debate regarding the innate or the culture-constant learning character of the production of emotional facial expressions by blind individuals: the link between perception and production of facial expressions, the impact of display rules in the absence of vision, and the role of other channels in expression of emotions in the context of blindness.

Differences in characteristics of raters who use the visual estimation method in hospitals based on their training experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawasaki, Yui; Tamaura, Yuki; Akamatsu, Rie; Sakai, Masashi; Fujiwara, Keiko

2018-02-07

Despite a clinical need, only a few studies have provided information concerning visual estimation training for raters to improve the validity of their evaluations. This study aims to describe the differences in the characteristics of raters who evaluated patients' dietary intake in hospitals using the visual estimation method based on their training experiences. We collected data from three hospitals in Tokyo from August to September 2016. The participants were 199 nursing staff members, and they completed a self-administered questionnaire on demographic data; working career; training in the visual estimation method; knowledge, attitude, and practice associated with nutritional care; and self-evaluation of method validity of and skills of visual estimation. We classified participants into two groups, experienced and inexperienced, based on whether they had received training. Square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to describe the differences between these two groups in terms of their characteristics; knowledge, attitude, and practice associated with nutritional care; and self-evaluation of method validity and tips used in the visual estimation method. Of the 158 staff members (79.4%) (118 nurses and 40 nursing assistants) who agreed to participate in the analysis, thirty-three participants (20.9%) were trained in the visual estimation method. Participants who had received training had better knowledge (2.70 ± 0.81, score range was 1-5) than those who had not received any training (2.34 ± 0.74, p = 0.03). Score of self-evaluation of method validity of the visual estimation method was higher in the experienced group (3.78 ± 0.61, score range was 1-5) than the inexperienced group (3.40 ± 0.66, p trained had adequate knowledge (OR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.05-7.35) and frequently used tips in visual estimation (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.26-2.73). Trained participants had more required knowledge and

MRI: unique costing and pricing issues.

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Schwartz, H W; Jarl, D F

1985-01-01

Acquisition of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) involves a plethora of costs not traditionally encountered in radiology procedure cost accounting models. Experiences with MRI gained at the University of Minnesota Hospitals and Clinics during 1984 uncovered a wide variety of unique costing issues which were eventually identified at the time when the MRI hospital charge was being established. Our experience at UMHC can provide those radiology departments now acquiring MRI with an earlier awareness of these special costing issues, hopefully resulting in better and more timely data collection. Current reimbursement and pricing issues are also having a dramatic impact on MRI costs at each institution and must be assessed in terms of third-party payor intentions.

Experience-driven formation of parts-based representations in a model of layered visual memory

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Jenia Jitsev

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Growing neuropsychological and neurophysiological evidence suggests that the visual cortex uses parts-based representations to encode, store and retrieve relevant objects. In such a scheme, objects are represented as a set of spatially distributed local features, or parts, arranged in stereotypical fashion. To encode the local appearance and to represent the relations between the constituent parts, there has to be an appropriate memory structure formed by previous experience with visual objects. Here, we propose a model how a hierarchical memory structure supporting efficient storage and rapid recall of parts-based representations can be established by an experience-driven process of self-organization. The process is based on the collaboration of slow bidirectional synaptic plasticity and homeostatic unit activity regulation, both running at the top of fast activity dynamics with winner-take-all character modulated by an oscillatory rhythm. These neural mechanisms lay down the basis for cooperation and competition between the distributed units and their synaptic connections. Choosing human face recognition as a test task, we show that, under the condition of open-ended, unsupervised incremental learning, the system is able to form memory traces for individual faces in a parts-based fashion. On a lower memory layer the synaptic structure is developed to represent local facial features and their interrelations, while the identities of different persons are captured explicitly on a higher layer. An additional property of the resulting representations is the sparseness of both the activity during the recall and the synaptic patterns comprising the memory traces.

Auditory capture of visual motion: effects on perception and discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

McCourt, Mark E; Leone, Lynnette M

2016-09-28

We asked whether the perceived direction of visual motion and contrast thresholds for motion discrimination are influenced by the concurrent motion of an auditory sound source. Visual motion stimuli were counterphasing Gabor patches, whose net motion energy was manipulated by adjusting the contrast of the leftward-moving and rightward-moving components. The presentation of these visual stimuli was paired with the simultaneous presentation of auditory stimuli, whose apparent motion in 3D auditory space (rightward, leftward, static, no sound) was manipulated using interaural time and intensity differences, and Doppler cues. In experiment 1, observers judged whether the Gabor visual stimulus appeared to move rightward or leftward. In experiment 2, contrast discrimination thresholds for detecting the interval containing unequal (rightward or leftward) visual motion energy were obtained under the same auditory conditions. Experiment 1 showed that the perceived direction of ambiguous visual motion is powerfully influenced by concurrent auditory motion, such that auditory motion 'captured' ambiguous visual motion. Experiment 2 showed that this interaction occurs at a sensory stage of processing as visual contrast discrimination thresholds (a criterion-free measure of sensitivity) were significantly elevated when paired with congruent auditory motion. These results suggest that auditory and visual motion signals are integrated and combined into a supramodal (audiovisual) representation of motion.

No counterpart of visual perceptual echoes in the auditory system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barkın İlhan

Full Text Available It has been previously demonstrated by our group that a visual stimulus made of dynamically changing luminance evokes an echo or reverberation at ~10 Hz, lasting up to a second. In this study we aimed to reveal whether similar echoes also exist in the auditory modality. A dynamically changing auditory stimulus equivalent to the visual stimulus was designed and employed in two separate series of experiments, and the presence of reverberations was analyzed based on reverse correlations between stimulus sequences and EEG epochs. The first experiment directly compared visual and auditory stimuli: while previous findings of ~10 Hz visual echoes were verified, no similar echo was found in the auditory modality regardless of frequency. In the second experiment, we tested if auditory sequences would influence the visual echoes when they were congruent or incongruent with the visual sequences. However, the results in that case similarly did not reveal any auditory echoes, nor any change in the characteristics of visual echoes as a function of audio-visual congruence. The negative findings from these experiments suggest that brain oscillations do not equivalently affect early sensory processes in the visual and auditory modalities, and that alpha (8-13 Hz oscillations play a special role in vision.

Developmental and visual input-dependent regulation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in the mouse visual cortex.

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Taisuke Yoneda

Full Text Available The mammalian visual system exhibits significant experience-induced plasticity in the early postnatal period. While physiological studies have revealed the contribution of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1 to developmental plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1, it remains unknown whether the expression and localization of CB1 is regulated during development or by visual experience. To explore a possible role of the endocannabinoid system in visual cortical plasticity, we examined the expression of CB1 in the visual cortex of mice. We found intense CB1 immunoreactivity in layers II/III and VI. CB1 mainly localized at vesicular GABA transporter-positive inhibitory nerve terminals. The amount of CB1 protein increased throughout development, and the specific laminar pattern of CB1 appeared at P20 and remained until adulthood. Dark rearing from birth to P30 decreased the amount of CB1 protein in V1 and altered the synaptic localization of CB1 in the deep layer. Dark rearing until P50, however, did not influence the expression of CB1. Brief monocular deprivation for 2 days upregulated the localization of CB1 at inhibitory nerve terminals in the deep layer. Taken together, the expression and the localization of CB1 are developmentally regulated, and both parameters are influenced by visual experience.

The unique experience of adults with multimorbidity: a qualitative study

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Cynthia Duguay

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Findings from several countries indicate that the prevalence of multimorbidity is very high among clients of primary healthcare. A deeper understanding of patients’ experiences from their own perspective can greatly enrich any intervention to help them live as well as possible with multimorbidity. Objective: To describe the fundamental structure of adults’ experience with multimorbidity. Design: A phenomenological study was undertaken to describe the experiences of 11 adults with multimorbidity. These adults participated in two semi-structured interviews, the content of which was rigorously analyzed. Results: At the core of the study participants’ multimorbidity experience are the impression of aging prematurely, difficulties with self-care management, and issues with access to the healthcare system, which contribute to the problem’s complexity. Despite these issues, participants with multimorbidity report attempting to take control of their situation and adjusting to daily living. Conclusions: The description of this experience, through the systemic vision of participants, provides a better understanding of the realities experienced by people with multimorbidity.

Toward autonomous rotorcraft flight in degraded visual environments: experiments and lessons learned

Science.gov (United States)

Stambler, Adam; Spiker, Spencer; Bergerman, Marcel; Singh, Sanjiv

2016-05-01

Unmanned cargo delivery to combat outposts will inevitably involve operations in degraded visual environments (DVE). When DVE occurs, the aircraft autonomy system needs to be able to function regardless of the obscurant level. In 2014, Near Earth Autonomy established a baseline perception system for autonomous rotorcraft operating in clear air conditions, when its m3 sensor suite and perception software enabled autonomous, no-hover landings onto unprepared sites populated with obstacles. The m3's long-range lidar scanned the helicopter's path and the perception software detected obstacles and found safe locations for the helicopter to land. This paper presents the results of initial tests with the Near Earth perception system in a variety of DVE conditions and analyzes them from the perspective of mission performance and risk. Tests were conducted with the m3's lidar and a lightweight synthetic aperture radar in rain, smoke, snow, and controlled brownout experiments. These experiments showed the capability to penetrate through mild DVE but the perceptual capabilities became degraded with the densest brownouts. The results highlight the need for not only improved ability to see through DVE, but also for improved algorithms to monitor and report DVE conditions.

eXframe: reusable framework for storage, analysis and visualization of genomics experiments

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Sinha Amit U

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genome-wide experiments are routinely conducted to measure gene expression, DNA-protein interactions and epigenetic status. Structured metadata for these experiments is imperative for a complete understanding of experimental conditions, to enable consistent data processing and to allow retrieval, comparison, and integration of experimental results. Even though several repositories have been developed for genomics data, only a few provide annotation of samples and assays using controlled vocabularies. Moreover, many of them are tailored for a single type of technology or measurement and do not support the integration of multiple data types. Results We have developed eXframe - a reusable web-based framework for genomics experiments that provides 1 the ability to publish structured data compliant with accepted standards 2 support for multiple data types including microarrays and next generation sequencing 3 query, analysis and visualization integration tools (enabled by consistent processing of the raw data and annotation of samples and is available as open-source software. We present two case studies where this software is currently being used to build repositories of genomics experiments - one contains data from hematopoietic stem cells and another from Parkinson's disease patients. Conclusion The web-based framework eXframe offers structured annotation of experiments as well as uniform processing and storage of molecular data from microarray and next generation sequencing platforms. The framework allows users to query and integrate information across species, technologies, measurement types and experimental conditions. Our framework is reusable and freely modifiable - other groups or institutions can deploy their own custom web-based repositories based on this software. It is interoperable with the most important data formats in this domain. We hope that other groups will not only use eXframe, but also contribute their own

How important is lateral masking in visual search?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wertheim, AH; Hooge, ITC; Krikke, K; Johnson, A

Five experiments are presented, providing empirical support of the hypothesis that the sensory phenomenon of lateral masking may explain many well-known visual search phenomena that are commonly assumed to be governed by cognitive attentional mechanisms. Experiment I showed that when the same visual

Children's Negotiations of Visualization Skills during a Design-Based Learning Experience Using Nondigital and Digital Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Shaunna

2018-01-01

In the context of a 10-day summer camp makerspace experience that employed design-based learning (DBL) strategies, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to better understand the ways in which children use visualization skills to negotiate design as they move back and forth between the world of nondigital design techniques (i.e., drawing,…

The Impact of Visual-Spatial Attention on Reading and Spelling in Chinese Children

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Duo; Chen, Xi; Wang, Ying

2016-01-01

The present study investigated the associations of visual-spatial attention with word reading fluency and spelling in 92 third grade Hong Kong Chinese children. Word reading fluency was measured with a timed reading task whereas spelling was measured with a dictation task. Results showed that visual-spatial attention was a unique predictor of…

Opposite brain laterality in analogous auditory and visual tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Oltedal, Leif; Hugdahl, Kenneth

2017-11-01

Laterality for language processing can be assessed by auditory and visual tasks. Typically, a right ear/right visual half-field (VHF) advantage is observed, reflecting left-hemispheric lateralization for language. Historically, auditory tasks have shown more consistent and reliable results when compared to VHF tasks. While few studies have compared analogous tasks applied to both sensory modalities for the same participants, one such study by Voyer and Boudreau [(2003). Cross-modal correlation of auditory and visual language laterality tasks: a serendipitous finding. Brain Cogn, 53(2), 393-397] found opposite laterality for visual and auditory language tasks. We adapted an experimental paradigm based on a dichotic listening and VHF approach, and applied the combined language paradigm in two separate experiments, including fMRI in the second experiment to measure brain activation in addition to behavioural data. The first experiment showed a right-ear advantage for the auditory task, but a left half-field advantage for the visual task. The second experiment, confirmed the findings, with opposite laterality effects for the visual and auditory tasks. In conclusion, we replicate the finding by Voyer and Boudreau (2003) and support their interpretation that these visual and auditory language tasks measure different cognitive processes.

Regional cluster policy between best practices and cultural uniqueness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hospers, Gerrit J.; Beugelsdijk, S.; Boneschansker, E.; van Dijk, J.; Jansma, L.G.J.; Verhaar, K.H.A.

2004-01-01

This chapter deals with an intriguing paradox in current regional economic policy: whereas unique local factors are increasingly seen as the determinants of regional economic success, more and more governments simultaneously try to copy policy experiences that have proved successful in a particular

Conceptual Content and Unattended Visual Features

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Francisco Pereira

2009-08-01

Full Text Available McDowell (1994 proposed a philosophical theory about perceptual content −call it “conceptualism”− that states that in every case the content of a visual experience necessarily involves concepts that fully specify every single feature consciously and simultaneously available during the experience. In this paper I will question conceptualism, arguing that some visual experiences carry information about so many objects, properties and relations at the same time that it is unlikely for subjects to possess and implement concepts for every feature represented simultaneously by the experience at that time. If this is the case, then McDowell’s conceptualism is insufficiently grounded.

Dynamic visual noise affects visual short-term memory for surface color, but not spatial location.

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Dent, Kevin

2010-01-01

In two experiments participants retained a single color or a set of four spatial locations in memory. During a 5 s retention interval participants viewed either flickering dynamic visual noise or a static matrix pattern. In Experiment 1 memory was assessed using a recognition procedure, in which participants indicated if a particular test stimulus matched the memorized stimulus or not. In Experiment 2 participants attempted to either reproduce the locations or they picked the color from a whole range of possibilities. Both experiments revealed effects of dynamic visual noise (DVN) on memory for colors but not for locations. The implications of the results for theories of working memory and the methodological prospects for DVN as an experimental tool are discussed.

Perceptual organization and visual attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimchi, Ruth

2009-01-01

Perceptual organization--the processes structuring visual information into coherent units--and visual attention--the processes by which some visual information in a scene is selected--are crucial for the perception of our visual environment and to visuomotor behavior. Recent research points to important relations between attentional and organizational processes. Several studies demonstrated that perceptual organization constrains attentional selectivity, and other studies suggest that attention can also constrain perceptual organization. In this chapter I focus on two aspects of the relationship between perceptual organization and attention. The first addresses the question of whether or not perceptual organization can take place without attention. I present findings demonstrating that some forms of grouping and figure-ground segmentation can occur without attention, whereas others require controlled attentional processing, depending on the processes involved and the conditions prevailing for each process. These findings challenge the traditional view, which assumes that perceptual organization is a unitary entity that operates preattentively. The second issue addresses the question of whether perceptual organization can affect the automatic deployment of attention. I present findings showing that the mere organization of some elements in the visual field by Gestalt factors into a coherent perceptual unit (an "object"), with no abrupt onset or any other unique transient, can capture attention automatically in a stimulus-driven manner. Taken together, the findings discussed in this chapter demonstrate the multifaceted, interactive relations between perceptual organization and visual attention.

BRANDING AND IDENTITY BUILDING FOR A SMALL COMPANY : Focused on Visual Identity

OpenAIRE

Näveri, Mattea

2015-01-01

The topic of this thesis is branding and identity of a small business, with a focus on visual identity. The major part of this thesis focuses on the research done on visual identity and the basic ideation of branding. The other half specifically focuses on the visual identity, the creation of a logo for the company, defining typography and colour and ephemera, and particularly, the company’s business card. The main goal was to execute a unique, individualized branding, which showcases...

Armstrong Laboratory Space Visual Function Tester Program

Science.gov (United States)

Oneal, Melvin R.; Task, H. Lee; Gleason, Gerald A.

1992-01-01

Viewgraphs on space visual function tester program are presented. Many astronauts and cosmonauts have commented on apparent changes in their vision while on-orbit. Comments have included descriptions of earth features and objects that would suggest enhanced distance visual acuity. In contrast, some cosmonaut observations suggest a slight loss in their object discrimination during initial space flight. Astronauts have also mentioned a decreased near vision capability that did not recover to normal until return to earth. Duntley space vision experiment, USSR space vision experiments, and visual function testers are described.

HNCA-TOCSY-CANH experiments with alternate {sup 13}C-{sup 12}C labeling: a set of 3D experiment with unique supra-sequential information for mainchain resonance assignment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeuchi, Koh; Gal, Maayan [Harvard Medical School, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (United States); Takahashi, Hideo; Shimada, Ichio [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Biomedicinal Information Research Center (Japan); Wagner, Gerhard, E-mail: gerhard_wagner@hms.harvard.edu [Harvard Medical School, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (United States)

2011-01-15

Described here is a set of three-dimensional (3D) NMR experiments that rely on CACA-TOCSY magnetization transfer via the weak {sup 3}J(C{sub {alpha}}C{sub {alpha}}) coupling. These pulse sequences, which resemble recently described {sup 13}C detected CACA-TOCSY (Takeuchi et al. 2010) experiments, are recorded in {sup 1}H{sub 2}O, and use {sup 1}H excitation and detection. These experiments require alternate {sup 13}C-{sup 12}C labeling together with perdeuteration, which allows utilizing the small {sup 3}J(C{sub {alpha}}C{sub {alpha}}) scalar coupling that is otherwise masked by the stronger {sup 1}J{sub CC} couplings in uniformly {sup 13}C labeled samples. These new experiments provide a unique assignment ladder-mark that yields bidirectional supra-sequential information and can readily straddle proline residues. Unlike the conventional HNCA experiment, which contains only sequential information to the {sup 13}(C{sub {alpha}}) of the preceding residue, the 3D hnCA-TOCSY-caNH experiment can yield sequential correlations to alpha carbons in positions i-1, i + 1 and i-2. Furthermore, the 3D hNca-TOCSY-caNH and Hnca-TOCSY-caNH experiments, which share the same magnetization pathway but use a different chemical shift encoding, directly couple the {sup 15}N-{sup 1}H spin pair of residue i to adjacent amide protons and nitrogens at positions i-2, i-1, i + 1 and i + 2, respectively. These new experimental features make protein backbone assignments more robust by reducing the degeneracy problem associated with the conventional 3D NMR experiments.

Temporal integration windows for naturalistic visual sequences.

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Scott L Fairhall

Full Text Available There is increasing evidence that the brain possesses mechanisms to integrate incoming sensory information as it unfolds over time-periods of 2-3 seconds. The ubiquity of this mechanism across modalities, tasks, perception and production has led to the proposal that it may underlie our experience of the subjective present. A critical test of this claim is that this phenomenon should be apparent in naturalistic visual experiences. We tested this using movie-clips as a surrogate for our day-to-day experience, temporally scrambling them to require (re- integration within and beyond the hypothesized 2-3 second interval. Two independent experiments demonstrate a step-wise increase in the difficulty to follow stimuli at the hypothesized 2-3 second scrambling condition. Moreover, only this difference could not be accounted for by low-level visual properties. This provides the first evidence that this 2-3 second integration window extends to complex, naturalistic visual sequences more consistent with our experience of the subjective present.

Stigma: a Unique Source of Distress for Family Members of Individuals with Mental Illness.

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Muralidharan, Anjana; Lucksted, Alicia; Medoff, Deborah; Fang, Li Juan; Dixon, Lisa

2016-07-01

To distinguish the impact of mental illness stigma from that of other negative caregiving experiences, this study examined the unique relationships between stigma and caregiver/family functioning. Adult relatives (n = 437) of individuals with mental illness completed questionnaires regarding caregiving experiences, distress, empowerment, and family functioning, as part of a larger study. Regression analyses examined the relationship between stigma and caregiver/family variables, while controlling for other negative caregiving experiences. Stigma was uniquely associated with caregiver distress, empowerment, and family functioning. Mental illness stigma is a potent source of distress for families and an important target of family services.

The role of visual representation in physics learning: dynamic versus static visualization

Science.gov (United States)

Suyatna, Agus; Anggraini, Dian; Agustina, Dina; Widyastuti, Dini

2017-11-01

This study aims to examine the role of visual representation in physics learning and to compare the learning outcomes of using dynamic and static visualization media. The study was conducted using quasi-experiment with Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design. The samples of this research are students of six classes at State Senior High School in Lampung Province. The experimental class received a learning using dynamic visualization and control class using static visualization media. Both classes are given pre-test and post-test with the same instruments. Data were tested with N-gain analysis, normality test, homogeneity test and mean difference test. The results showed that there was a significant increase of mean (N-Gain) learning outcomes (p physical phenomena and requires long-term observation.

THE ROLE OF VISUAL GRAMMAR AND PLAYER PERCEPTION IN AN ONLINE GAME

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nobaew, Banphot

principles and rules of a visual game landscape (the game territory and environment) for composing the forms of visual elements and structuring the meaning of perceptual experience. It creates the system of visual communication in a particular context’. This study employs two approaches which combine...... of visual grammar consists of the initial units named visual elements which are regulated by the visual operators under the visual syntactic rules; the player experience is count as part of these rules....

'We've fallen into the cracks': Aboriginal women's experiences with breast cancer through photovoice.

Science.gov (United States)

Poudrier, Jennifer; Mac-Lean, Roanne Thomas

2009-12-01

Despite some recognition that Aboriginal women who have experienced breast cancer may have unique health needs, little research has documented the experiences of Aboriginal women from their perspective. Our main objective was to explore and to begin to make visible Aboriginal women's experiences with breast cancer using the qualitative research technique, photovoice. The research was based in Saskatchewan, Canada and participants were Aboriginal women who had completed breast cancer treatment. Although Aboriginal women cannot be viewed as a homogeneous group, participants indicated two areas of priority for health-care: (i) Aboriginal identity and traditional beliefs, although expressed in diverse ways, are an important dimension of breast cancer experiences and have relevance for health-care; and (ii) there is a need for multidimensional support which addresses larger issues of racism, power and socioeconomic inequality. We draw upon a critical and feminist conception of visuality to interrogate and disrupt the dominant visual terrain (both real and metaphorical) where Aboriginal women are either invisible or visible in disempowering ways. Aboriginal women who have experienced breast cancer must be made visible within health-care in a way that recognizes their experiences situated within the structural context of marginalization through colonial oppression.

Uniqueness of KMS states for continuous fermion systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaekel, C.D.

1993-01-01

In 1989 Prof H. Narnhofer and Prof. W. Thirring established a (nonlocal) model of fermions with pair interactions. The existence of equilibrium states and the appearance of mixing properties was proofed. If this model reflects the basic facts of nature, one has to expect and to require that at high temperatures there is a unique equilibrium state and at low temperatures there are many different equilibrium states. Uniqueness of the equilibrium state at high temperatures is the topic of this dissertation. One may be astonished, that the proof of the uniqueness requires such a huge machinery, while the existence of KMS-states followes from fairly general conditions. Two states differ, if they can be distinguished by experiment. If one considers now that we have to show that two KMS-states at high temperatures result into the same value in all experiments one can think of, one might get an idea how unhandy this problem is. Even a conscious numeration of all experiments was a problem. Surprisingly only a few principal ideas of the treatment of spin-models survive. The temperature is the leading parameter and therefore it is a good idea to make a high temperature perturbation expansion for the KMS-condition, which fixes an equilibrium state in mathematical terms. But when we choose a generating vector for the perturbation expansion the similarities end. We better use physical considerations: at high temperatures we expect that chemical bounds will be broken up and the interacting equilibrium state will differ only slightly from the equilibrium state for the free time evolution. Roughly spoken, one can expect that high-energetic particles neglect interactions and fly in a straight line. In chapter 2.4 the whole machinery is presented in an easy-to-survey manner on a simple interaction. But in the case of pair interactions every particle interacts with each other and so the author was not able to find an easily accessible form of the developed method for this case

FE02 and visual observation for a CTBT OSI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuang, F.

2004-01-01

FE02 field experiment conducted in Kazakhstan provided useful experience according to different OSI procedures. The effectiveness of conducting a visual observation during an OSI affects the accomplishment of the inspection mandate directly and substantially. The paper gives description of basic functions, stages and visual observation peculiarities at OSI pseudo-real and real scenario. An essential question on basic requirements to visual inspectors was also reviewed. (author)

Spatial limits on the nonvisual self-touch illusion and the visual rubber hand illusion: subjective experience of the illusion and proprioceptive drift.

Science.gov (United States)

Aimola Davies, Anne M; White, Rebekah C; Davies, Martin

2013-06-01

The nonvisual self-touch rubber hand paradigm elicits the compelling illusion that one is touching one's own hand even though the two hands are not in contact. In four experiments, we investigated spatial limits of distance (15 cm, 30 cm, 45 cm, 60 cm) and alignment (0°, 90° anti-clockwise) on the nonvisual self-touch illusion and the well-known visual rubber hand illusion. Common procedures (synchronous and asynchronous stimulation administered for 60s with the prosthetic hand at body midline) and common assessment methods were used. Subjective experience of the illusion was assessed by agreement ratings for statements on a questionnaire and time of illusion onset. The nonvisual self-touch illusion was diminished though never abolished by distance and alignment manipulations, whereas the visual rubber hand illusion was more robust against these manipulations. We assessed proprioceptive drift, and implications of a double dissociation between subjective experience of the illusion and proprioceptive drift are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Working together: Using a unique approach to evaluate an interactive and clinic-based longitudinal interprofessional education experience with 13 professions.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Britta M; Bratzler, Dale W; Fisher, Mark J; Torres, Amie; Faculty, Epic; Sparks, Rhonda A

2016-11-01

Interprofessional education (IPE) involving an interactive and longitudinal clinic experience at an inner-city charitable clinic from September to May 2013/2014 was evaluated. Pre-, mid-, and post-intervention data were collected from students in 13 different professions including medicine (medical and physician assistant), dentistry (dental and dental hygiene), nursing (undergraduate and clinical nurse specialist), public health, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutritional sciences, speech and language pathology, and social work. To evaluate their interprofessional attitudes, students completed the TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire (T-TAQ) and Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). They also completed a unique measure, healthcare professionals circles diagrams (HPCDs), that indicated student conceptualisation of a healthcare team caring for a complex patient, along with perception of their team's progress towards meeting patient goals. Results from the T-TAQ and RIPLS scores indicated small but significant increases from pre- to post-intervention (p = 0.005 and 0.012, respectively). Analysis of the HPCDs revealed significant increases in students' perceptions of the types of interprofessional team members, relationships, and communication between professions to provide medical care to patients (p < 0.01). Most HPCDs included pharmacists, nurses, and physicians as part of the care team at all time points. Students significantly increased their inclusion of dentistry, public health, social work, and physician assistants as members of the healthcare team from pre- to post-intervention. Implications of our data indicated the importance of IPE interventions that include not only classroom-based sessions, but actual patient care experiences within interprofessional teams. It also reinforced the importance of new and unique methods to assess IPE.

A comparison between patients with epiphora and cataract of the activity limitations they experience in daily life due to their visual disability.

Science.gov (United States)

Bohman, Elin; Wyon, Maria; Lundström, Mats; Dafgård Kopp, Eva

2018-02-01

The objective of this study was to compare patients with epiphora and cataract in terms of the activity limitations they experience in daily life due to their visual disability and to validate the use of the Catquest-9SF questionnaire for epiphora patients. Seventy-two consecutively encountered adult patients with confirmed lacrimal obstruction and listed for dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) or lacrimal intubation at the St. Erik Eye Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, completed the Catquest-9SF questionnaire, which measures activity limitations in daily life due to visual disability. The psychometric qualities of the Catquest-9SF results obtained from this group of patients were evaluated by Rasch analysis. Rasch analysis was further employed to convert the ordinal raw data to a Rasch score for comparison with the preoperative scores of patients registered in the Swedish National Cataract Register (NCR) during March 2013. The Catquest-9SF exhibited good psychometric qualities when investigating epiphora patients, with the exception of a misfit for Item 4, the item regarding facial recognition. On the Rasch scale (-5.43 = no activity limitations to +5.01 = severe activity limitations), the mean score for epiphora patients was -0.82 while for patients listed for 1st eye and 2nd eye cataract surgery it was -0.17 and -0.76, respectively. An equivalence test confirmed that the reported visual disability of epiphora patients was not significantly different from visual disability reported by patients waiting for 2nd eye cataract surgery. The Catquest-9SF is a valid measure of visual disability in patients with epiphora. Epiphora patients experience visual disability to the same degree as patients awaiting 2nd eye cataract surgery. © 2017 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Visual Arts and Academic Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Marcia A.; Larson, Meredith A.

2007-01-01

The focus on academic performance testing in elementary schools has caused a decrease in student experience in the arts. Visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage) have been minimized in elementary schools. Without exposure to the special avenues of cognitive development and personal expression nurtured by visual arts, students are…

Familiarity Enhances Visual Working Memory for Faces

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Margaret C.; Raymond, Jane E.

2008-01-01

Although it is intuitive that familiarity with complex visual objects should aid their preservation in visual working memory (WM), empirical evidence for this is lacking. This study used a conventional change-detection procedure to assess visual WM for unfamiliar and famous faces in healthy adults. Across experiments, faces were upright or…

Experience of three-dimensional vision in the era of digital interaction new devices : opportunity and challenges for applied mathematics and visual design

CERN Document Server

Brunetti, Federico Alberto

2014-01-01

It will be soon presented to the public a new version of stereoscopic viewers designed for observing files and video projected images through a system of transparent optical prisms which allow the simultaneous perception of the surrounding environment. The real challenge for applied mathematics and visual design will be to prefigure how to use them and their applications, since these new devices can actually enable a deeper visual experience. A specific case study concerns the visualizations of the collisions at the LHC at CERN, selected to verify the traces of the boson theorized by Francois Englert and Peter Higgs, with Robert Brout, who recently (2013) received the Nobel Prize for their research.

Unique Temporal Expression of Triplicated Long-Wavelength Opsins in Developing Butterfly Eyes

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Kentaro Arikawa

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Following gene duplication events, the expression patterns of the resulting gene copies can often diverge both spatially and temporally. Here we report on gene duplicates that are expressed in distinct but overlapping patterns, and which exhibit temporally divergent expression. Butterflies have sophisticated color vision and spectrally complex eyes, typically with three types of heterogeneous ommatidia. The eyes of the butterfly Papilio xuthus express two green- and one red-absorbing visual pigment, which came about via gene duplication events, in addition to one ultraviolet (UV- and one blue-absorbing visual pigment. We localized mRNAs encoding opsins of these visual pigments in developing eye disks throughout the pupal stage. The mRNAs of the UV and blue opsin are expressed early in pupal development (pd, specifying the type of the ommatidium in which they appear. Red sensitive photoreceptors first express a green opsin mRNA, which is replaced later by the red opsin mRNA. Broadband photoreceptors (that coexpress the green and red opsins first express the green opsin mRNA, later change to red opsin mRNA and finally re-express the green opsin mRNA in addition to the red mRNA. Such a unique temporal and spatial expression pattern of opsin mRNAs may reflect the evolution of visual pigments and provide clues toward understanding how the spectrally complex eyes of butterflies evolved.

Event visualization in ATLAS

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00211497; The ATLAS collaboration; Boudreau, Joseph; Konstantinidis, Nikolaos; Martyniuk, Alex; Moyse, Edward; Thomas, Juergen; Waugh, Ben; Yallup, David

2017-01-01

At the beginning, HEP experiments made use of photographical images both to record and store experimental data and to illustrate their findings. Then the experiments evolved and needed to find ways to visualize their data. With the availability of computer graphics, software packages to display event data and the detector geometry started to be developed. Here, an overview of the usage of event display tools in HEP is presented. Then the case of the ATLAS experiment is considered in more detail and two widely used event display packages are presented, Atlantis and VP1, focusing on the software technologies they employ, as well as their strengths, differences and their usage in the experiment: from physics analysis to detector development, and from online monitoring to outreach and communication. Towards the end, the other ATLAS visualization tools will be briefly presented as well. Future development plans and improvements in the ATLAS event display packages will also be discussed.

Visual Equivalence and Amodal Completion in Cuttlefish.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, I-Rong; Chiao, Chuan-Chin

2017-01-01

Modern cephalopods are notably the most intelligent invertebrates and this is accompanied by keen vision. Despite extensive studies investigating the visual systems of cephalopods, little is known about their visual perception and object recognition. In the present study, we investigated the visual processing of the cuttlefish Sepia pharaonis , including visual equivalence and amodal completion. Cuttlefish were trained to discriminate images of shrimp and fish using the operant conditioning paradigm. After cuttlefish reached the learning criteria, a series of discrimination tasks were conducted. In the visual equivalence experiment, several transformed versions of the training images, such as images reduced in size, images reduced in contrast, sketches of the images, the contours of the images, and silhouettes of the images, were used. In the amodal completion experiment, partially occluded views of the original images were used. The results showed that cuttlefish were able to treat the training images of reduced size and sketches as the visual equivalence. Cuttlefish were also capable of recognizing partially occluded versions of the training image. Furthermore, individual differences in performance suggest that some cuttlefish may be able to recognize objects when visual information was partly removed. These findings support the hypothesis that the visual perception of cuttlefish involves both visual equivalence and amodal completion. The results from this research also provide insights into the visual processing mechanisms used by cephalopods.

Quantized Visual Awareness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W Alexander Escobar

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The proposed model holds that, at its most fundamental level, visual awareness is quantized. That is to say that visual awareness arises as individual bits of awareness through the action of neural circuits with hundreds to thousands of neurons in at least the human striate cortex. Circuits with specific topologies will reproducibly result in visual awareness that correspond to basic aspects of vision like color, motion and depth. These quanta of awareness (qualia are produced by the feedforward sweep that occurs through the geniculocortical pathway but are not integrated into a conscious experience until recurrent processing from centers like V4 or V5 select the appropriate qualia being produced in V1 to create a percept. The model proposed here has the potential to shift the focus of the search for visual awareness to the level of microcircuits and these likely exist across the kingdom Animalia. Thus establishing qualia as the fundamental nature of visual awareness will not only provide a deeper understanding of awareness, but also allow for a more quantitative understanding of the evolution of visual awareness throughout the animal kingdom.

Effects of visual attention on chromatic and achromatic detection sensitivities.

Science.gov (United States)

Uchikawa, Keiji; Sato, Masayuki; Kuwamura, Keiko

2014-05-01

Visual attention has a significant effect on various visual functions, such as response time, detection and discrimination sensitivity, and color appearance. It has been suggested that visual attention may affect visual functions in the early visual pathways. In this study we examined selective effects of visual attention on sensitivities of the chromatic and achromatic pathways to clarify whether visual attention modifies responses in the early visual system. We used a dual task paradigm in which the observer detected a peripheral test stimulus presented at 4 deg eccentricities while the observer concurrently carried out an attention task in the central visual field. In experiment 1, it was confirmed that peripheral spectral sensitivities were reduced more for short and long wavelengths than for middle wavelengths with the central attention task so that the spectral sensitivity function changed its shape by visual attention. This indicated that visual attention affected the chromatic response more strongly than the achromatic response. In experiment 2 it was obtained that the detection thresholds increased in greater degrees in the red-green and yellow-blue chromatic directions than in the white-black achromatic direction in the dual task condition. In experiment 3 we showed that the peripheral threshold elevations depended on the combination of color-directions of the central and peripheral stimuli. Since the chromatic and achromatic responses were separately processed in the early visual pathways, the present results provided additional evidence that visual attention affects responses in the early visual pathways.

Dissociating Visual Form from Lexical Frequency Using Japanese

Science.gov (United States)

Twomey, Tae; Duncan, Keith J. Kawabata; Hogan, John S.; Morita, Kenji; Umeda, Kazumasa; Sakai, Katsuyuki; Devlin, Joseph T.

2013-01-01

In Japanese, the same word can be written in either morphographic Kanji or syllabographic Hiragana and this provides a unique opportunity to disentangle a word's lexical frequency from the frequency of its visual form--an important distinction for understanding the neural information processing in regions engaged by reading. Behaviorally,…

Auditory and visual spatial impression: Recent studies of three auditoria

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Nguyen, Andy; Cabrera, Densil

2004-10-01

Auditory spatial impression is widely studied for its contribution to auditorium acoustical quality. By contrast, visual spatial impression in auditoria has received relatively little attention in formal studies. This paper reports results from a series of experiments investigating the auditory and visual spatial impression of concert auditoria. For auditory stimuli, a fragment of an anechoic recording of orchestral music was convolved with calibrated binaural impulse responses, which had been made with the dummy head microphone at a wide range of positions in three auditoria and the sound source on the stage. For visual stimuli, greyscale photographs were used, taken at the same positions in the three auditoria, with a visual target on the stage. Subjective experiments were conducted with auditory stimuli alone, visual stimuli alone, and visual and auditory stimuli combined. In these experiments, subjects rated apparent source width, listener envelopment, intimacy and source distance (auditory stimuli), and spaciousness, envelopment, stage dominance, intimacy and target distance (visual stimuli). Results show target distance to be of primary importance in auditory and visual spatial impression-thereby providing a basis for covariance between some attributes of auditory and visual spatial impression. Nevertheless, some attributes of spatial impression diverge between the senses.

Performance improvements from imagery:evidence that internal visual imagery is superior to external visual imagery for slalom performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nichola eCallow

2013-10-01

Full Text Available We report three experiments investigating the hypothesis that use of internal visual imagery (IVI would be superior to external visual imagery (EVI for the performance of different slalom-based motor tasks. In Experiment 1, three groups of participants (IVI, EVI, and a control group performed a driving-simulation slalom task. The IVI group achieved significantly quicker lap times than EVI and the control group. In Experiment 2, participants performed a downhill running slalom task under both IVI and EVI conditions. Performance was again quickest in the IVI compared to EVI condition, with no differences in accuracy. Experiment 3 used the same group design as Experiment 1, but with participants performing a downhill ski-slalom task. Results revealed the IVI group to be significantly more accurate than the control group, with no significant differences in time taken to complete the task. These results support the beneficial effects of IVI for slalom-based tasks, and significantly advances our knowledge related to the differential effects of visual imagery perspectives on motor performance.

The Nature of Experience Determines Object Representations in the Visual System

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Wong, Yetta K.; Folstein, Jonathan R.; Gauthier, Isabel

2012-01-01

Visual perceptual learning (PL) and perceptual expertise (PE) traditionally lead to different training effects and recruit different brain areas, but reasons for these differences are largely unknown. Here, we tested how the learning history influences visual object representations. Two groups were trained with tasks typically used in PL or PE…

Visual Analytics and Storytelling through Video

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, Pak C.; Perrine, Kenneth A.; Mackey, Patrick S.; Foote, Harlan P.; Thomas, Jim

2005-10-31

This paper supplements a video clip submitted to the Video Track of IEEE Symposium on Information Visualization 2005. The original video submission applies a two-way storytelling approach to demonstrate the visual analytics capabilities of a new visualization technique. The paper presents our video production philosophy, describes the plot of the video, explains the rationale behind the plot, and finally, shares our production experiences with our readers.

Seeing the sound after visual loss: functional MRI in acquired auditory-visual synesthesia.

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Yong, Zixin; Hsieh, Po-Jang; Milea, Dan

2017-02-01

Acquired auditory-visual synesthesia (AVS) is a rare neurological sign, in which specific auditory stimulation triggers visual experience. In this study, we used event-related fMRI to explore the brain regions correlated with acquired monocular sound-induced phosphenes, which occurred 2 months after unilateral visual loss due to an ischemic optic neuropathy. During the fMRI session, 1-s pure tones at various pitches were presented to the patient, who was asked to report occurrence of sound-induced phosphenes by pressing one of the two buttons (yes/no). The brain activation during phosphene-experienced trials was contrasted with non-phosphene trials and compared to results obtained in one healthy control subject who underwent the same fMRI protocol. Our results suggest, for the first time, that acquired AVS occurring after visual impairment is associated with bilateral activation of primary and secondary visual cortex, possibly due to cross-wiring between auditory and visual sensory modalities.

MONGKIE: an integrated tool for network analysis and visualization for multi-omics data.

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Jang, Yeongjun; Yu, Namhee; Seo, Jihae; Kim, Sun; Lee, Sanghyuk

2016-03-18

Network-based integrative analysis is a powerful technique for extracting biological insights from multilayered omics data such as somatic mutations, copy number variations, and gene expression data. However, integrated analysis of multi-omics data is quite complicated and can hardly be done in an automated way. Thus, a powerful interactive visual mining tool supporting diverse analysis algorithms for identification of driver genes and regulatory modules is much needed. Here, we present a software platform that integrates network visualization with omics data analysis tools seamlessly. The visualization unit supports various options for displaying multi-omics data as well as unique network models for describing sophisticated biological networks such as complex biomolecular reactions. In addition, we implemented diverse in-house algorithms for network analysis including network clustering and over-representation analysis. Novel functions include facile definition and optimized visualization of subgroups, comparison of a series of data sets in an identical network by data-to-visual mapping and subsequent overlaying function, and management of custom interaction networks. Utility of MONGKIE for network-based visual data mining of multi-omics data was demonstrated by analysis of the TCGA glioblastoma data. MONGKIE was developed in Java based on the NetBeans plugin architecture, thus being OS-independent with intrinsic support of module extension by third-party developers. We believe that MONGKIE would be a valuable addition to network analysis software by supporting many unique features and visualization options, especially for analysing multi-omics data sets in cancer and other diseases. .

Generating descriptive visual words and visual phrases for large-scale image applications.

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Zhang, Shiliang; Tian, Qi; Hua, Gang; Huang, Qingming; Gao, Wen

2011-09-01

Bag-of-visual Words (BoWs) representation has been applied for various problems in the fields of multimedia and computer vision. The basic idea is to represent images as visual documents composed of repeatable and distinctive visual elements, which are comparable to the text words. Notwithstanding its great success and wide adoption, visual vocabulary created from single-image local descriptors is often shown to be not as effective as desired. In this paper, descriptive visual words (DVWs) and descriptive visual phrases (DVPs) are proposed as the visual correspondences to text words and phrases, where visual phrases refer to the frequently co-occurring visual word pairs. Since images are the carriers of visual objects and scenes, a descriptive visual element set can be composed by the visual words and their combinations which are effective in representing certain visual objects or scenes. Based on this idea, a general framework is proposed for generating DVWs and DVPs for image applications. In a large-scale image database containing 1506 object and scene categories, the visual words and visual word pairs descriptive to certain objects or scenes are identified and collected as the DVWs and DVPs. Experiments show that the DVWs and DVPs are informative and descriptive and, thus, are more comparable with the text words than the classic visual words. We apply the identified DVWs and DVPs in several applications including large-scale near-duplicated image retrieval, image search re-ranking, and object recognition. The combination of DVW and DVP performs better than the state of the art in large-scale near-duplicated image retrieval in terms of accuracy, efficiency and memory consumption. The proposed image search re-ranking algorithm: DWPRank outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithm by 12.4% in mean average precision and about 11 times faster in efficiency.

Investigating “Othering” in Visual Arts Spaces of Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monique Biscombe

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In the political, social, cultural and economic context of South Africa, higher education spaces provide fertile ground for social research. This case study explored “othered” identities in the Department of Visual Arts of Stellenbosch University. Interviews with students and lecturers revealed interesting and controversial aspects in terms of their experiences in the Department of Visual Arts. Theoretical perspectives such as “othering”, symbolic racism, the racialised body and visual art theory were used to interpret these experiences. It was found that “othering” because of indirect racism and language or economic circumstances affects students’ creative expression. Causes of “othering” experiences should be investigated in order to promote necessary transformation within the visual arts and within higher education institutions. 

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.

Comparisons of memory for nonverbal auditory and visual sequential stimuli.

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McFarland, D J; Cacace, A T

1995-01-01

Properties of auditory and visual sensory memory were compared by examining subjects' recognition performance of randomly generated binary auditory sequential frequency patterns and binary visual sequential color patterns within a forced-choice paradigm. Experiment 1 demonstrated serial-position effects in auditory and visual modalities consisting of both primacy and recency effects. Experiment 2 found that retention of auditory and visual information was remarkably similar when assessed across a 10s interval. Experiments 3 and 4, taken together, showed that the recency effect in sensory memory is affected more by the type of response required (recognition vs. reproduction) than by the sensory modality employed. These studies suggest that auditory and visual sensory memory stores for nonverbal stimuli share similar properties with respect to serial-position effects and persistence over time.

Using ICT at an Open Distance Learning (ODL) Institution in South Africa: The Learning Experiences of Students with Visual Impairments

Science.gov (United States)

Mokiwa, S. A.; Phasha, T. N.

2012-01-01

For students with visual impairments, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an important means through which they can learn and access learning materials at various levels of education. However, their learning experiences in using such form of technologies have been rarely documented, thus suggests society's lack of…

The unique field experiments on the assessment of accident consequences at industrial enterprises of gas-chemical complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belov, N.S.; Trebin, I.S.; Sorokovikova, O.

1998-01-01

Sour natural gas fields are the unique raw material base for setting up such large enterprises as gas chemical complexes. The presence of high toxic H 2 S in natural gas results in widening a range of dangerous and harmful factors for biosphere. Emission of such gases into atmosphere during accidents at gas wells and gas pipelines is of especial danger for environment and first of all for people. Development of mathematical forecast models for assessment of accidents progression and consequences is one of the main elements of works on safety analysis and risk assessment. The critical step in development of such models is their validation using the experimental material. Full-scale experiments have been conducted by the All-Union Scientific-Research institute of Natural Gases and Gas Technology (VNIIGAZ) for grounding of sizes of hazard zones in case of the severe accidents with the gas pipelines. The source of emergency gas release was the working gas pipelines with 100 mm dia. And 110 km length. This pipeline was used for transportation of natural gas with significant amount of hydrogen sulphide. During these experiments significant quantities of the gas including H 2 S were released into the atmosphere and then concentrations of gas and H 2 S were measured in the accident region. The results of these experiments are used for validation of atmospheric dispersion models including the new Lagrangian trace stochastic model that takes into account a wide range of meteorological factors. This model was developed as a part of computer system for decision-making support in case of accident release of toxic gases into atmosphere at the enterprises of Russian gas industry. (authors)

Cognitive load effects on early visual perceptual processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ping; Forte, Jason; Sewell, David; Carter, Olivia

2018-05-01

Contrast-based early visual processing has largely been considered to involve autonomous processes that do not need the support of cognitive resources. However, as spatial attention is known to modulate early visual perceptual processing, we explored whether cognitive load could similarly impact contrast-based perception. We used a dual-task paradigm to assess the impact of a concurrent working memory task on the performance of three different early visual tasks. The results from Experiment 1 suggest that cognitive load can modulate early visual processing. No effects of cognitive load were seen in Experiments 2 or 3. Together, the findings provide evidence that under some circumstances cognitive load effects can penetrate the early stages of visual processing and that higher cognitive function and early perceptual processing may not be as independent as was once thought.

Patient DF's visual brain in action: Visual feedforward control in visual form agnosia.

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Whitwell, Robert L; Milner, A David; Cavina-Pratesi, Cristiana; Barat, Masihullah; Goodale, Melvyn A

2015-05-01

Patient DF, who developed visual form agnosia following ventral-stream damage, is unable to discriminate the width of objects, performing at chance, for example, when asked to open her thumb and forefinger a matching amount. Remarkably, however, DF adjusts her hand aperture to accommodate the width of objects when reaching out to pick them up (grip scaling). While this spared ability to grasp objects is presumed to be mediated by visuomotor modules in her relatively intact dorsal stream, it is possible that it may rely abnormally on online visual or haptic feedback. We report here that DF's grip scaling remained intact when her vision was completely suppressed during grasp movements, and it still dissociated sharply from her poor perceptual estimates of target size. We then tested whether providing trial-by-trial haptic feedback after making such perceptual estimates might improve DF's performance, but found that they remained significantly impaired. In a final experiment, we re-examined whether DF's grip scaling depends on receiving veridical haptic feedback during grasping. In one condition, the haptic feedback was identical to the visual targets. In a second condition, the haptic feedback was of a constant intermediate width while the visual target varied trial by trial. Despite this incongruent feedback, DF still scaled her grip aperture to the visual widths of the target blocks, showing only normal adaptation to the false haptically-experienced width. Taken together, these results strengthen the view that DF's spared grasping relies on a normal mode of dorsal-stream functioning, based chiefly on visual feedforward processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Explanatory and illustrative visualization of special and general relativity.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiskopf, Daniel; Borchers, Marc; Ertl, Thomas; Falk, Martin; Fechtig, Oliver; Frank, Regine; Grave, Frank; King, Andreas; Kraus, Ute; Müller, Thomas; Nollert, Hans-Peter; Rica Mendez, Isabel; Ruder, Hanns; Schafhitzel, Tobias; Schär, Sonja; Zahn, Corvin; Zatloukal, Michael

2006-01-01

This paper describes methods for explanatory and illustrative visualizations used to communicate aspects of Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, their geometric structure, and of the related fields of cosmology and astrophysics. Our illustrations target a general audience of laypersons interested in relativity. We discuss visualization strategies, motivated by physics education and the didactics of mathematics, and describe what kind of visualization methods have proven to be useful for different types of media, such as still images in popular science magazines, film contributions to TV shows, oral presentations, or interactive museum installations. Our primary approach is to adopt an egocentric point of view: The recipients of a visualization participate in a visually enriched thought experiment that allows them to experience or explore a relativistic scenario. In addition, we often combine egocentric visualizations with more abstract illustrations based on an outside view in order to provide several presentations of the same phenomenon. Although our visualization tools often build upon existing methods and implementations, the underlying techniques have been improved by several novel technical contributions like image-based special relativistic rendering on GPUs, special relativistic 4D ray tracing for accelerating scene objects, an extension of general relativistic ray tracing to manifolds described by multiple charts, GPU-based interactive visualization of gravitational light deflection, as well as planetary terrain rendering. The usefulness and effectiveness of our visualizations are demonstrated by reporting on experiences with, and feedback from, recipients of visualizations and collaborators.

Visual strategies underpinning the development of visual-motor expertise when hitting a ball.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarpeshkar, Vishnu; Abernethy, Bruce; Mann, David L

2017-10-01

It is well known that skilled batters in fast-ball sports do not align their gaze with the ball throughout ball-flight, but instead adopt a unique sequence of eye and head movements that contribute toward their skill. However, much of what we know about visual-motor behavior in hitting is based on studies that have employed case study designs, and/or used simplified tasks that fall short of replicating the spatiotemporal demands experienced in the natural environment. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive examination of the eye and head movement strategies that underpin the development of visual-motor expertise when intercepting a fast-moving target. Eye and head movements were examined in situ for 4 groups of cricket batters, who were crossed for playing level (elite or club) and age (U19 or adult), when hitting balls that followed either straight or curving ('swinging') trajectories. The results provide support for some widely cited markers of expertise in batting, while questioning the legitimacy of others. Swinging trajectories alter the visual-motor behavior of all batters, though in large part because of the uncertainty generated by the possibility of a variation in trajectory rather than any actual change in trajectory per se. Moreover, curving trajectories influence visual-motor behavior in a nonlinear fashion, with targets that curve away from the observer influencing behavior more than those that curve inward. The findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the development of visual-motor expertise in interception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Disruption of visual feature binding in working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueno, Taiji; Allen, Richard J; Baddeley, Alan D; Hitch, Graham J; Saito, Satoru

2011-01-01

In a series of five experiments, we studied the effect of a visual suffix on the retention in short-term visual memory of both individual visual features and objects involving the binding of two features. Experiments 1A, 1B, and 2 involved suffixes consisting of features external to the to-be-remembered set and revealed a modest but equivalent disruption on individual and bound feature conditions. Experiments 3A and 3B involved suffixes comprising features that could potentially have formed part of the to-be-remembered set (but did not on that trial). Both experiments showed greater disruption of retention for objects comprising bound features than for their individual features. The results are interpreted as differentiating two components of suffix interference, one affecting memory for features and bindings equally, the other affecting memory for bindings. The general component is tentatively identified with the attentional cost of operating a filter to prevent the suffix from entering visual working memory, whereas the specific component is attributed to the particular fragility of bound representations when the filter fails.

Verbal overshadowing of visual memories: some things are better left unsaid.

Science.gov (United States)

Schooler, J W; Engstler-Schooler, T Y

1990-01-01

It is widely believed that verbal processing generally improves memory performance. However, in a series of six experiments, verbalizing the appearance of previously seen visual stimuli impaired subsequent recognition performance. In Experiment 1, subjects viewed a videotape including a salient individual. Later, some subjects described the individual's face. Subjects who verbalized the face performed less well on a subsequent recognition test than control subjects who did not engage in memory verbalization. The results of Experiment 2 replicated those of Experiment 1 and further clarified the effect of memory verbalization by demonstrating that visualization does not impair face recognition. In Experiments 3 and 4 we explored the hypothesis that memory verbalization impairs memory for stimuli that are difficult to put into words. In Experiment 3 memory impairment followed the verbalization of a different visual stimulus: color. In Experiment 4 marginal memory improvement followed the verbalization of a verbal stimulus: a brief spoken statement. In Experiments 5 and 6 the source of verbally induced memory impairment was explored. The results of Experiment 5 suggested that the impairment does not reflect a temporary verbal set, but rather indicates relatively long-lasting memory interference. Finally, Experiment 6 demonstrated that limiting subjects' time to make recognition decisions alleviates the impairment, suggesting that memory verbalization overshadows but does not eradicate the original visual memory. This collection of results is consistent with a recording interference hypothesis: verbalizing a visual memory may produce a verbally biased memory representation that can interfere with the application of the original visual memory.

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...

Escher: A Web Application for Building, Sharing, and Embedding Data-Rich Visualizations of Biological Pathways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

King, Zachary A.; Draeger, Andreas; Ebrahim, Ali

2015-01-01

Escher is a web application for visualizing data on biological pathways. Three key features make Escher a uniquely effective tool for pathway visualization. First, users can rapidly design new pathway maps. Escher provides pathway suggestions based on user data and genome-scale models, so users c...... of these features and explains how the development approach used for Escher can be used to guide the development of future visualization tools....

Exploring the patient perspective of fatigue in adults with visual impairment: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schakel, Wouter; Bode, Christina; van der Aa, Hilde P A; Hulshof, Carel T J; Bosmans, Judith E; van Rens, Gerardus H M B; van Nispen, Ruth M A

2017-08-03

Fatigue is an often mentioned symptom by patients with irreversible visual impairment. This study explored the patient perspective of fatigue in visually impaired adults with a focus on symptoms of fatigue, causes, consequences and coping strategies. Two large Dutch low vision multidisciplinary rehabilitation organisations. 16 visually impaired adults with severe symptoms of fatigue selected by purposive sampling. A qualitative study involving semistructured interviews. A total of four first-level codes were top-down predetermined in correspondence with the topics of the research question. Verbatim transcribed interviews were analysed with a combination of a deductive and inductive approach using open and axial coding. Participants often described the symptoms of fatigue as a mental, daily and physical experience. The most often mentioned causes of fatigue were a high cognitive load, the intensity and amount of activities, the high effort necessary to establish visual perception, difficulty with light intensity and negative cognitions. Fatigue had the greatest impact on the ability to carry out social roles and participation, emotional functioning and cognitive functioning. The most common coping strategies were relaxation, external support, socialising and physical exercise and the acceptance of fatigue. Our results indicate that low vision-related fatigue is mainly caused by population specific determinants that seem different from the fatigue experience described in studies with other patient populations. Fatigue may be central to the way patients react, adapt and compensate to the consequences of vision loss. These findings indicate a need for future research aimed at interventions specifically tailored to the unique aspects of fatigue related to vision loss. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Visualization of Flow Field: Application of PLIF Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Bo Peng

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to apply planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF technology to flow field visualization. This experiment was carried out in a one-meter wind tunnel to study the wake flow field around a circular cylinder. This experiment studied the method of injecting tracer into the flow field; the frequency of the vortex in the wake field and the vortex speed are quantitatively analyzed. This paper gives the correspondence between the speed of the flow field and the frequency of the laser, which could be used as a rough reference standard for future wind tunnel visualization experiments. The result shows that PLIF diagnostic technology has great potential in visualization of flow field.

The Spatial Musical Association of Response Codes does not depend on a normal visual experience: A study with early blind individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Cattaneo, Zaira; Lega, Carlotta; Rinaldi, Luca; Fantino, Micaela; Ferrari, Chiara; Merabet, Lotfi B; Vecchi, Tomaso

2018-02-26

Converging evidence suggests that the perception of auditory pitch exhibits a characteristic spatial organization. This pitch-space association can be demonstrated experimentally by the Spatial Musical Association of Response Codes (SMARC) effect. This is characterized by faster response times when a low-positioned key is pressed in response to a low-pitched tone, and a high-positioned key is pressed in response to a high-pitched tone. To investigate whether the development of this pitch-space association is mediated by normal visual experience, we tested a group of early blind individuals on a task that required them to discriminate the timbre of different instrument sounds with varying pitch. Results revealed a comparable pattern in the SMARC effect in both blind participants and sighted controls, suggesting that the lack of prior visual experience does not prevent the development of an association between pitch height and vertical space.

Visual search elicits the electrophysiological marker of visual working memory.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen M Emrich

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Although limited in capacity, visual working memory (VWM plays an important role in many aspects of visually-guided behavior. Recent experiments have demonstrated an electrophysiological marker of VWM encoding and maintenance, the contralateral delay activity (CDA, which has been shown in multiple tasks that have both explicit and implicit memory demands. Here, we investigate whether the CDA is evident during visual search, a thoroughly-researched task that is a hallmark of visual attention but has no explicit memory requirements. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The results demonstrate that the CDA is present during a lateralized search task, and that it is similar in amplitude to the CDA observed in a change-detection task, but peaks slightly later. The changes in CDA amplitude during search were strongly correlated with VWM capacity, as well as with search efficiency. These results were paralleled by behavioral findings showing a strong correlation between VWM capacity and search efficiency. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that the activity observed during visual search was generated by the same neural resources that subserve VWM, and that this activity reflects the maintenance of previously searched distractors.

Learning QlikView data visualization

CERN Document Server

Pover, Karl

2013-01-01

A practical and fast-paced guide that gives you all the information you need to start developing charts from your data.Learning QlikView Data Visualization is for anybody interested in performing powerful data analysis and crafting insightful data visualization, independent of any previous knowledge of QlikView. Experience with spreadsheet software will help you understand QlikView functions.

Enhancing learning and comprehension through strengthening visual literacy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Le Roux, Cheryl

2009-12-01

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

HMMEditor: a visual editing tool for profile hidden Markov model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng Jianlin

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Profile Hidden Markov Model (HMM is a powerful statistical model to represent a family of DNA, RNA, and protein sequences. Profile HMM has been widely used in bioinformatics research such as sequence alignment, gene structure prediction, motif identification, protein structure prediction, and biological database search. However, few comprehensive, visual editing tools for profile HMM are publicly available. Results We develop a visual editor for profile Hidden Markov Models (HMMEditor. HMMEditor can visualize the profile HMM architecture, transition probabilities, and emission probabilities. Moreover, it provides functions to edit and save HMM and parameters. Furthermore, HMMEditor allows users to align a sequence against the profile HMM and to visualize the corresponding Viterbi path. Conclusion HMMEditor provides a set of unique functions to visualize and edit a profile HMM. It is a useful tool for biological sequence analysis and modeling. Both HMMEditor software and web service are freely available.

A Measure of Psychological Realism on a Visual Simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Everett; Petitt, John

1977-01-01

A FUNDAMENTAL question of simulation technology is how to determine if an aircraft simulation is creating the proper psychological space necessary to assess manned-system performance. The standard approach to this problem for visual simulators is to measure how well pilots can make approaches and landings on the simulator. Experiments of this type generally show that simulator performance is worse than actual landing performance and that there is an excessive amount of training required to reach acceptable performance. Unfortunately, in these experiments it is difficult to sort out the inadequacies of the visual subsystem from possible inadequacies in other simulator subsystems, such as the motion subsystem. This synoptic presents the results from one of a series of five experiments which attempted to provide direct measures of the psychological realism on a computer graphics night visual flight attachment. These experiments used experimental procedures and methodologies that psychologists have developed in their attempts to determine how people perceived visual space in the real world.

Accumulation and Decay of Visual Capture and the Ventriloquism Aftereffect Caused by Brief Audio-Visual Disparities

Science.gov (United States)

Bosen, Adam K.; Fleming, Justin T.; Allen, Paul D.; O’Neill, William E.; Paige, Gary D.

2016-01-01

Visual capture and the ventriloquism aftereffect resolve spatial disparities of incongruent auditory-visual (AV) objects by shifting auditory spatial perception to align with vision. Here, we demonstrated the distinct temporal characteristics of visual capture and the ventriloquism aftereffect in response to brief AV disparities. In a set of experiments, subjects localized either the auditory component of AV targets (A within AV) or a second sound presented at varying delays (1-20s) after AV exposure (A2 after AV). AV targets were trains of brief presentations (1 or 20), covering a ±30° azimuthal range, and with ±8° (R or L) disparity. We found that the magnitude of visual capture generally reached its peak within a single AV pair and did not dissipate with time, while the ventriloquism aftereffect accumulated with repetitions of AV pairs and dissipated with time. Additionally, the magnitude of the auditory shift induced by each phenomenon was uncorrelated across listeners and visual capture was unaffected by subsequent auditory targets, indicating that visual capture and the ventriloquism aftereffect are separate mechanisms with distinct effects on auditory spatial perception. Our results indicate that visual capture is a ‘sample-and-hold’ process that binds related objects and stores the combined percept in memory, whereas the ventriloquism aftereffect is a ‘leaky integrator’ process that accumulates with experience and decays with time to compensate for cross-modal disparities. PMID:27837258

Visual Showcase: An Illustrative Data Graphic in an 18th-19th Century Style

OpenAIRE

Dragicevic, Pierre; Bach, Benjamin; Dufournaud, Nicole; Huron, Samuel; Isenberg, Petra; Jansen, Yvonne; Perin, Charles; Spritzer, André; Vuillemot, Romain; Willett, Wesley; Isenberg, Tobias

2013-01-01

Extended abstract and exhibition piece; International audience; We exhibit an data graphic poster that emulates the style of historic hand-made visualizations of the 18th -19th century. Our visualization uses real data and employs style elements such as an emulation of ink lines, hatching and cross-hatching, appropriate typesetting, and unique style of computer-assisted facial drawings.

Unique Path Partitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bessenrodt, Christine; Olsson, Jørn Børling; Sellers, James A.

2013-01-01

We give a complete classification of the unique path partitions and study congruence properties of the function which enumerates such partitions.......We give a complete classification of the unique path partitions and study congruence properties of the function which enumerates such partitions....

A unique experiment. Measurement of radiation doses at Vinca

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1960-07-15

For the first time in the history of the peaceful applications of atomic energy, an experiment was conducted to determine the exact levels of radiation exposure resulting from a reactor incident. The experiment was made at Vinca, Yugoslavia, wherein October 1958 six persons had been subjected to high doses of neutron and gamma radiation during a brief uncontrolled run of a zero-power reactor. One of them died but the other five were successfully treated at the Curie Hospital in Paris. In the case of four of them, the treatment involved the grafting of healthy bone marrow to counteract the effects of radiation on blood-forming tissues. It was recognized that if the effects produced on the irradiated persons could be related to the exact doses of radiation they had received, it would be possible to gain immensely valuable knowledge about the biological consequences of acute and high level radiation exposure on a quantitative basis. It was suggested to the Yugoslav authorities that a dosimetry experiment be conducted at Vinca. The most accurate modern techniques of dosimetry developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory were employed during the experiment. Simultaneous measurements of the neutron and gamma doses were made at points where the people had been located. At these points the effects of the radiation on the salt solution in the phantoms were studied. In particular, the energy distribution of the radiation was investigated.It was the ratio between the various components of the radiation that was of special interest in these measurements because this ratio itself would help in determining the exact doses. The dose of one of the components, viz. slow neutrons, had already been determined during the treatment of the patients. If the ratio of the components could be ascertained, the doses of the fast neutrons and gamma rays could also be established because the ratio would not be affected by the power level at which the reactor was operated

Incremental Visualizer for Visible Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bukauskas, Linas; Bøhlen, Michael Hanspeter

This paper discusses the integration of database back-end and visualizer front-end into a one tightly coupled system. The main aim which we achieve is to reduce the data pipeline from database to visualization by using incremental data extraction of visible objects in a fly-through scenarios. We...... also argue that passing only relevant data from the database will substantially reduce the overall load of the visualization system. We propose the system Incremental Visualizer for Visible Objects (IVVO) which considers visible objects and enables incremental visualization along the observer movement...... path. IVVO is the novel solution which allows data to be visualized and loaded on the fly from the database and which regards visibilities of objects. We run a set of experiments to convince that IVVO is feasible in terms of I/O operations and CPU load. We consider the example of data which uses...

Longterm visual associations affect attentional guidance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olivers, C.N.L.

2011-01-01

When observers perform a visual search task, they are assumed to adopt an attentional set for what they are looking for. The present experiment investigates the influence of long-term visual memory associations on this attentional set. On each trial, observers were asked to search a display for a

Effects of lighting and task parameters on visual acuity and performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halonen, L.

1993-12-31

Lighting and task parameters and their effects on visual acuity and visual performance are dealt with. The parameters studied are target contrast, target size and subject`s age; and also adaptation luminance, luminance ratio between task and its surrounding and temporal change in luminances are studied. Experiments were carried out to examine the effects of luminance and light spectrum on visual acuity. Young normally sighted, older and low vision people participated in the measurements. In the young and older subject groups the visual acuity remained unchanged at contrasts 0.93 and 0.63 at the luminance range of 15-630 cd/m{sub 2}. The results show that at contrasts 0.03-0.93 young and older subjects` visual acuity remained unchanged in the luminance range of 105-630 cd/m{sub 2}. In the low vision group, the changes in luminances between 25-860 cd/m{sub 2} did not have significant effects on visual acuity measured at high contrast 0.93, at low contrast, slight individual changes were found. The colour temperature of the light sources was altered between 2900-9500 K in the experiment. In the groups of the older, young and low vision subjects the light spectrum did not have significant effects on visual acuity, except for two retinitis pigmentosa subjects. On the basis of the visual acuity experiments, a three dimensional visual acuity model (VA-HUT) has been developed. The model predicts visual acuity as a function of luminance, target contrast and observer age. On the basis of visual acuity experiments visual acuity reserve values have been calculated for different text sizes

Visual working memory is more tolerant than visual long-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Schurgin, Mark W; Flombaum, Jonathan I

2018-05-07

Human visual memory is tolerant, meaning that it supports object recognition despite variability across encounters at the image level. Tolerant object recognition remains one capacity in which artificial intelligence trails humans. Typically, tolerance is described as a property of human visual long-term memory (VLTM). In contrast, visual working memory (VWM) is not usually ascribed a role in tolerant recognition, with tests of that system usually demanding discriminatory power-identifying changes, not sameness. There are good reasons to expect that VLTM is more tolerant; functionally, recognition over the long-term must accommodate the fact that objects will not be viewed under identical conditions; and practically, the passive and massive nature of VLTM may impose relatively permissive criteria for thinking that two inputs are the same. But empirically, tolerance has never been compared across working and long-term visual memory. We therefore developed a novel paradigm for equating encoding and test across different memory types. In each experiment trial, participants saw two objects, memory for one tested immediately (VWM) and later for the other (VLTM). VWM performance was better than VLTM and remained robust despite the introduction of image and object variability. In contrast, VLTM performance suffered linearly as more variability was introduced into test stimuli. Additional experiments excluded interference effects as causes for the observed differences. These results suggest the possibility of a previously unidentified role for VWM in the acquisition of tolerant representations for object recognition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

A sensorimotor account of vision and visual consciousness.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Regan, J K; Noë, A

2001-10-01

Many current neurophysiological, psychophysical, and psychological approaches to vision rest on the idea that when we see, the brain produces an internal representation of the world. The activation of this internal representation is assumed to give rise to the experience of seeing. The problem with this kind of approach is that it leaves unexplained how the existence of such a detailed internal representation might produce visual consciousness. An alternative proposal is made here. We propose that seeing is a way of acting. It is a particular way of exploring the environment. Activity in internal representations does not generate the experience of seeing. The outside world serves as its own, external, representation. The experience of seeing occurs when the organism masters what we call the governing laws of sensorimotor contingency. The advantage of this approach is that it provides a natural and principled way of accounting for visual consciousness, and for the differences in the perceived quality of sensory experience in the different sensory modalities. Several lines of empirical evidence are brought forward in support of the theory, in particular: evidence from experiments in sensorimotor adaptation, visual "filling in," visual stability despite eye movements, change blindness, sensory substitution, and color perception.

Word from the CSO - CERN’s unique scientific breadth

CERN Multimedia

2008-01-01

Whilst we are all clearly focused on completion of the LHC and the detectors around it and look forward to a successful start of operations later this year, we should not forget that CERN has yet more to offer in addition to this highest priority programme ‘at the energy frontier’. Indeed, CERN also attracts a large scientific community seizing the opportunities offered by its other facilities. Sometimes I wonder whether we are not too modest and should not emphasize more CERN’s unique scientific breadth. ISOLDE, at the PS Booster, relies on innovative techniques to produce results at the forefront of nuclear physics very cost-effectively. nTOF has provided unique measurements of interest to nuclear technology, nuclear astrophysics and basic nuclear physics, and still has an ambitious programme ahead of it after refurbishment of the target. Another unique facility is the Antiproton Decelerator, at which the study of antimatter is being pursued with ingenious experiment...

Implied motion language can influence visual spatial memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinson, David W; Engelen, Jan; Zwaan, Rolf A; Matlock, Teenie; Dale, Rick

2017-07-01

How do language and vision interact? Specifically, what impact can language have on visual processing, especially related to spatial memory? What are typically considered errors in visual processing, such as remembering the location of an object to be farther along its motion trajectory than it actually is, can be explained as perceptual achievements that are driven by our ability to anticipate future events. In two experiments, we tested whether the prior presentation of motion language influences visual spatial memory in ways that afford greater perceptual prediction. Experiment 1 showed that motion language influenced judgments for the spatial memory of an object beyond the known effects of implied motion present in the image itself. Experiment 2 replicated this finding. Our findings support a theory of perception as prediction.

Qualitative systematic review: the unique experiences of the nurse-family member when a loved one is admitted with a critical illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Giles, Tracey M; Hall, Karen L

2014-07-01

To interpret and synthesize nurse-family member experiences when a critically ill loved one is admitted to hospital. Having a family member hospitalized in a critical condition is an important stressor. When the family member is also a nurse, the provision of care is more complex, yet little research exists on this issue. Systematic review using Thomas and Harden's approach to thematic synthesis of qualitative research. Primary studies were located by searching CINAHL, Proquest, Journals@Ovid, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. No date restrictions were applied due to a lack of relevant literature. All studies that met inclusion criteria were retrieved (n = 1717) and seven met the review aim. Following critical appraisal, seven studies from 1999-2011 describing the nurse-family member's experience were reviewed and synthesized. Six characteristics of the nurse-family member experience were identified: specialized knowledge; dual-role conflicts; competing expectations; building relationships; being 'let in'; and healthcare setting. Nurse-family members experience important stressors that can negatively affect their psychological health and experience as a healthcare consumer. Nurse-family members want a different type of care than other healthcare consumers. Acknowledging nurse-family members' specialized knowledge and dual role, keeping them fully informed and allowing them to be with the patient and feel in control can reduce their fear and anxiety. Further research is needed to develop a deeper understanding of the unique experiences, challenges and needs of nurse-family members to provide them with an enhanced level of care. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Unique computer system for safeguards use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuckertz, T.H.; Pratt, J.C.

1981-01-01

Microprocessors have been used to implement specialized scientific data processing systems since 1976. One such system, the LeCroy 3500, is presently being used by the Detection and Verification Group of the Energy Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory for a large variety of tasks involving measurement of various nuclear parameters associated with radioactive materials. The system is unique because it can do not only sophisticated pulse height and multi-scale analyses but also other analyses that are limited only by the availability fo CAMAC modules that would acquire data from exotic experiments. The system is also field portable which extends the range of experiments that it can control. Four applications of this system are described in this paper: (1) plutonium storage vault monitoring, (2) coded aperture image reconstruction, (3) spatial distribution of gamma radiation, and (4) nuclear waste management. 7 figures

Capturing lived experiences in movement educational contexts through videographic participation and visual narratives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendler Nielsen, Charlotte; Degerbøl, Stine Mikés

visualizing and communicating the meaning-making of the participants and emphasizes the role of the researcher’s embodied involvement when ‘looking for lived experiences’. The paper exemplifies the use of videographic participation and presents (audio)visual narratives from two educational contexts: children...... of how meaning-making of the participants can be captured and disseminated through (audio)visual narratives....

Evidence for Two Attentional Components in Visual Working Memory

Science.gov (United States)

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

2014-01-01

How does executive attentional control contribute to memory for sequences of visual objects, and what does this reveal about storage and processing in working memory? Three experiments examined the impact of a concurrent executive load (backward counting) on memory for sequences of individually presented visual objects. Experiments 1 and 2 found…

Plastic-casting intrinsic-surface unique identifier (tag)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palm, R.G.; De Volpi, A.

1995-04-01

This report describes the development of an authenticated intrinsic-surf ace tagging method for unique- identification of controlled items. Although developed for control of items limited by an arms control treaty, this method has other potential applications to keep track of critical or high-value items. Each tag (unique-identifier) consists of the intrinsic, microscopic surface topography of a small designated area on a controlled item. It is implemented by making a baseline plastic casting of the designated tag area and usually placing a cover (for example, a bar-code label) over this area to protect the surface from environmental alteration. The plastic casting is returned to a laboratory and prepared for high-resolution scanning electron microscope imaging. Several images are digitized and stored for use as a standard for authentication of castings taken during future inspections. Authentication is determined by numerically comparing digital images. Commercially available hardware and software are used for this tag. Tag parameters are optimized, so unique casting images are obtained from original surfaces, and images obtained from attempted duplicate surfaces are detected. This optimization uses the modulation transfer function, a first principle of image analysis, to determine the parameters. Surface duplication experiments confirmed the optimization

Eksplorasi Visual Diri dalam Desain Karakter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devi Kurniawati Homan

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In a visual communication, the main thing is a communication which can solve the existing problems, not just as something beautiful to look at and considered. The most important part in designing visual communication when the communication is correct, attractive and persuasive. Semiotic understanding becomes important to study in the early stages of designing a visual communication that is intended to improve the effectiveness of communication. Semiotic itself is the study of the meaning of a sign in a particular context. To more easily understand the meaning of the sign, then the practice of visual meaning in the form of character design is made. This study was conducted to make students understanding of the meaning of a sign in a particular context through self-exploration. With the relation between the object being studied by each individual then a design experience will arise. This experience will create a more meaningful and in-depth exploration to students in the understanding of their studies about the meaning of a sign in a particular context. This study is used the method of visual exploration strategy that is commonly used by designers to convey the idea. 

The Poetics of Visual Cubism: Guillaume Apollinaire on Pablo Picasso

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pamela A. Genova

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Guillaume Apollinaire, one of the most original poets of the early twentieth-century French avant garde , played a crucial role in the enunciation of modernist aesthetics. Through innovative poetic forms, Apollinaire set forth a new aesthetics which underscored the inherent ambiguity of an increasingly turbulent modern context. Apollinaire's interest in the pure dynamism of the contemporary material landscape, and his attraction to the image that explodes with immediate presence, also led him to a natural curiosity in the visual arts. Identifying with the Cubist mosaic style of inclusion, the juxtaposition of reality and imagination, and the simultaneity of spatial and temporal movement, Apollinaire saw modern artists as "singers of a constantly new truth," inventors of a uniquely authentic modern experience. Apollinaire composed verse to honor his favorite painters, but he also wrote critical studies on the visual arts, and he declares that it is in Cubist art that we can discover a truly successful endeavor to come to terms with the upheavals of modernity. In several texts Apollinaire devotes specifically to Picasso, he argues that his canvases contain the most essential aspects of modern art: a new interpretation of light, a genuine understanding of the elusive notion of the "fourth dimension," and an incarnation of the most modern of principles, surprise. Apollinaire's texts on Picasso, examples of his poésie critique , do not remain simply words printed on a page, but are transformed into an extension of the painting he wishes to convey, experimental and unpredictable in discursive tone and poetic style. Through these texts, Apollinaire moves beyond the parameters of a journalistic style of criticism, as his pieces on Picasso take on a chameleon-like power of movement, engendering unique forms of an avant-garde improvisation, the painting of prose poetry.

Promoting Visualization Skills through Deconstruction Using Physical Models and a Visualization Activity Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Schiltz, Holly Kristine

' modeled visualization artifacts had on students. No patterns emerged from the passive observation of visualization artifacts in lecture or recitation, but the need to elicit visual information from students was made clear. Deconstruction proved to be a valuable method for instruction and assessment of visual information. Three strategies for using deconstruction in teaching were distilled from the lessons and observations of the student focus groups: begin with observations of what is given in an image and what it's composed of, identify the relationships between components to find additional operations in different environments about the molecule, and deconstructing steps of challenging questions can reveal mistakes. An intervention was developed to teach students to use deconstruction and verbalization to analyze complex visualization tasks and employ the principles of the theoretical framework. The activities were scaffolded to introduce increasingly challenging concepts to students, but also support them as they learned visually demanding chemistry concepts. Several themes were observed in the analysis of the visualization activities. Students used deconstruction by documenting which parts of the images were useful for interpretation of the visual. Students identified valid patterns and rules within the images, which signified understanding of arrangement of information presented in the representation. Successful strategy communication was identified when students documented personal strategies that allowed them to complete the activity tasks. Finally, students demonstrated the ability to extend symmetry skills to advanced applications they had not previously seen. This work shows how the use of deconstruction and verbalization may have a great impact on how students master difficult topics and combined, they offer students a powerful strategy to approach visually demanding chemistry problems and to the instructor a unique insight to mentally constructed strategies.

The effect of an olfactory and visual cue on realism and engagement in a health care simulation experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Nanji, Karen C; Baca, Kirsten; Raemer, Daniel B

2013-06-01

Fidelity has been identified as an important element in a subject's perception of realism and engagement in learning during a simulation experience. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an isolated visual and olfactory sensory change to the simulation environment affects the subjects' perceptions of realism during simulation cases. Using an electrosurgical unit applied to bovine muscle tissue, we created a model to simulate the characteristic operating room smoke and burning odor that occur during many procedures. Anesthesiologist subjects were randomly assigned to an intervention group that participated in a simulation involving the characteristic smoke and odor or a control group whose simulation involved no smoke or odor. Subjects completed a 7-question survey on the fidelity of the simulation, their perception of realism, and their learning engagement. We enrolled 103 subjects over 22 simulation courses in our study (intervention, n = 52; control, n = 51). The subjects' reactions to the physical (P = 0.73), conceptual (P = 0.34), and emotional (P = 0.12) fidelity and their perception of realism (P = 0.71) did not differ between the intervention and control groups. In a high-fidelity simulation environment, a visual and olfactory increment to physical fidelity did not affect subjects' overall ratings of fidelity, perceptions of realism, and engagement in the learning experience.

Effects of Multimodal Presentation and Stimulus Familiarity on Auditory and Visual Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Christopher W.; Sloutsky, Vladimir M.

2010-01-01

Two experiments examined the effects of multimodal presentation and stimulus familiarity on auditory and visual processing. In Experiment 1, 10-month-olds were habituated to either an auditory stimulus, a visual stimulus, or an auditory-visual multimodal stimulus. Processing time was assessed during the habituation phase, and discrimination of…

Children’s Negotiations of Visualization Skills During a Design-Based Learning Experience Using Nondigital and Digital Techniques

OpenAIRE

Smith, Shaunna

2018-01-01

In the context of a 10-day summer camp makerspace experience that employed design-based learning (DBL) strategies, the purpose of this descriptive case study was to better understand the ways in which children use visualization skills to negotiate design as they move back and forth between the world of nondigital design techniques (i.e., drawing, 3-D drawing with hot glue, sculpture, discussion, writing) and digital technologies (i.e., 3-D scanning, 3-D modeling, 3-D printing). Participants i...

Uniqueness and non-uniqueness of semigroups generated by singular diffusion operators

CERN Document Server

Eberle, Andreas

1999-01-01

This book addresses both probabilists working on diffusion processes and analysts interested in linear parabolic partial differential equations with singular coefficients. The central question discussed is whether a given diffusion operator, i.e., a second order linear differential operator without zeroth order term, which is a priori defined on test functions over some (finite or infinite dimensional) state space only, uniquely determines a strongly continuous semigroup on a corresponding weighted Lp space. Particular emphasis is placed on phenomena causing non-uniqueness, as well as on the relation between different notions of uniqueness appearing in analytic and probabilistic contexts.

Treatment decision for occipital arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) to achieve hemorrhagic control while maximizing visual preservation: Our experience and review of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Wuyang; Porras, Jose L; Philadelphia, Eunice; Law, Jody; Garzon-Muvdi, Tomas; Caplan, Justin M; Colby, Geoffrey P; Coon, Alexander L; Tamargo, Rafael J; Huang, Judy

2018-02-01

Despite concern of hemorrhagic risk, patients with occipital AVMs are at significant risk for visual disturbances after treatment. We aim to characterize the hemorrhage risk and visual disturbance in occipital AVMs patients from our experience and literature review. We performed retrospective review of occipital AVM patients seen at our institution from 1990 to 2015. Patient characteristics were compared using multivariable logistic regression with follow-up visual disturbance as the outcome. We also systematically reviewed the PubMed database for English literature describing occipital AVMs (with exclusion of case reports). Ninety-seven patients satisfied inclusion criteria for our study. Mean age was 34.9 ± 16.4 years, with 50.5% male. Thirty-one (32.0%) presented with hemorrhage, and 32 (33.0%) presented with visual disturbance. Average AVM size was 4.0 ± 2.5 cm. Twenty-five (25.8%) were conservatively managed, 13 (13.4%) underwent surgery, and the rest were managed by radiosurgery (52.6%) or embolization (8.2%), with an obliteration rate of 38.9% in treated patients. During average follow-up of 5.4 years, 6 patients (6.7%) hemorrhaged yielding an annual hemorrhage rate of 1.2% for all patients, and 0.0% for surgically-treated patients. Thirty-seven (38.3%) patients experienced visual disturbance in some capacity, nineteen (21.1%) had de novo visual disturbance, fourteen of which were surgically treated patients (19.4%). Multivariable analysis reveals visual disturbance at presentation (p = .012) and microsurgery (p = .047) are significantly predictors of follow-up visual disturbance. While hemorrhage control remains the primary goal of AVM treatment, visual preservation in occipital AVMs is also a major concern. Recommending patients for microsurgery should be weighed carefully and individualized as it bears the highest risk of visual field disturbance despite most optimal hemorrhage control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Visual Grouping in Accordance With Utterance Planning Facilitates Speech Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liming Zhao

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Research on language production has focused on the process of utterance planning and involved studying the synchronization between visual gaze and the production of sentences that refer to objects in the immediate visual environment. However, it remains unclear how the visual grouping of these objects might influence this process. To shed light on this issue, the present research examined the effects of the visual grouping of objects in a visual display on utterance planning in two experiments. Participants produced utterances of the form “The snail and the necklace are above/below/on the left/right side of the toothbrush” for objects containing these referents (e.g., a snail, a necklace and a toothbrush. These objects were grouped using classic Gestalt principles of color similarity (Experiment 1 and common region (Experiment 2 so that the induced perceptual grouping was congruent or incongruent with the required phrasal organization. The results showed that speech onset latencies were shorter in congruent than incongruent conditions. The findings therefore reveal that the congruency between the visual grouping of referents and the required phrasal organization can influence speech production. Such findings suggest that, when language is produced in a visual context, speakers make use of both visual and linguistic cues to plan utterances.

Visual Grouping in Accordance With Utterance Planning Facilitates Speech Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Liming; Paterson, Kevin B; Bai, Xuejun

2018-01-01

Research on language production has focused on the process of utterance planning and involved studying the synchronization between visual gaze and the production of sentences that refer to objects in the immediate visual environment. However, it remains unclear how the visual grouping of these objects might influence this process. To shed light on this issue, the present research examined the effects of the visual grouping of objects in a visual display on utterance planning in two experiments. Participants produced utterances of the form "The snail and the necklace are above/below/on the left/right side of the toothbrush" for objects containing these referents (e.g., a snail, a necklace and a toothbrush). These objects were grouped using classic Gestalt principles of color similarity (Experiment 1) and common region (Experiment 2) so that the induced perceptual grouping was congruent or incongruent with the required phrasal organization. The results showed that speech onset latencies were shorter in congruent than incongruent conditions. The findings therefore reveal that the congruency between the visual grouping of referents and the required phrasal organization can influence speech production. Such findings suggest that, when language is produced in a visual context, speakers make use of both visual and linguistic cues to plan utterances.

Eye Movements Reveal How Task Difficulty Moulds Visual Search

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Angela H.; Hulleman, Johan

2013-01-01

In two experiments we investigated the relationship between eye movements and performance in visual search tasks of varying difficulty. Experiment 1 provided evidence that a single process is used for search among static and moving items. Moreover, we estimated the functional visual field (FVF) from the gaze coordinates and found that its size…

Creating visual explanations improves learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Bobek, Eliza; Tversky, Barbara

2016-01-01

Many topics in science are notoriously difficult for students to learn. Mechanisms and processes outside student experience present particular challenges. While instruction typically involves visualizations, students usually explain in words. Because visual explanations can show parts and processes of complex systems directly, creating them should have benefits beyond creating verbal explanations. We compared learning from creating visual or verbal explanations for two STEM domains, a mechanical system (bicycle pump) and a chemical system (bonding). Both kinds of explanations were analyzed for content and learning assess by a post-test. For the mechanical system, creating a visual explanation increased understanding particularly for participants of low spatial ability. For the chemical system, creating both visual and verbal explanations improved learning without new teaching. Creating a visual explanation was superior and benefitted participants of both high and low spatial ability. Visual explanations often included crucial yet invisible features. The greater effectiveness of visual explanations appears attributable to the checks they provide for completeness and coherence as well as to their roles as platforms for inference. The benefits should generalize to other domains like the social sciences, history, and archeology where important information can be visualized. Together, the findings provide support for the use of learner-generated visual explanations as a powerful learning tool.

Change blindness and visual memory: visual representations get rich and act poor.

Science.gov (United States)

Varakin, D Alexander; Levin, Daniel T

2006-02-01

Change blindness is often taken as evidence that visual representations are impoverished, while successful recognition of specific objects is taken as evidence that they are richly detailed. In the current experiments, participants performed cover tasks that required each object in a display to be attended. Change detection trials were unexpectedly introduced and surprise recognition tests were given for nonchanging displays. For both change detection and recognition, participants had to distinguish objects from the same basic-level category, making it likely that specific visual information had to be used for successful performance. Although recognition was above chance, incidental change detection usually remained at floor. These results help reconcile demonstrations of poor change detection with demonstrations of good memory because they suggest that the capability to store visual information in memory is not reflected by the visual system's tendency to utilize these representations for purposes of detecting unexpected changes.

The Impact of Early Visual Deprivation on Spatial Hearing: A Comparison between Totally and Partially Visually Deprived Children

Science.gov (United States)

Cappagli, Giulia; Finocchietti, Sara; Cocchi, Elena; Gori, Monica

2017-01-01

The specific role of early visual deprivation on spatial hearing is still unclear, mainly due to the difficulty of comparing similar spatial skills at different ages and to the difficulty in recruiting young blind children from birth. In this study, the effects of early visual deprivation on the development of auditory spatial localization have been assessed in a group of seven 3–5 years old children with congenital blindness (n = 2; light perception or no perception of light) or low vision (n = 5; visual acuity range 1.1–1.7 LogMAR), with the main aim to understand if visual experience is fundamental to the development of specific spatial skills. Our study led to three main findings: firstly, totally blind children performed overall more poorly compared sighted and low vision children in all the spatial tasks performed; secondly, low vision children performed equally or better than sighted children in the same auditory spatial tasks; thirdly, higher residual levels of visual acuity are positively correlated with better spatial performance in the dynamic condition of the auditory localization task indicating that the more residual vision the better spatial performance. These results suggest that early visual experience has an important role in the development of spatial cognition, even when the visual input during the critical period of visual calibration is partially degraded like in the case of low vision children. Overall these results shed light on the importance of early assessment of spatial impairments in visually impaired children and early intervention to prevent the risk of isolation and social exclusion. PMID:28443040

Visualization of thermal management system in space using neutron radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakazawa, Takeshi

1995-01-01

The visualizing technique by neutron radiography is effective for visualizing liquid in metals, and the applications in wide fields have been reported. In this paper, as one of the examples of applying the visualizing technique by neutron radiography, the experiment of visualizing the two-phase fluid loop heat removal system for the purpose of using in spatial environment was carried out, and its results are reported. For future large scale space ships and space stations, the heat removal system with two-phase fluid loop which utilizes the phase transformation of heat transport media is regarded as promising. By this system, good heat transfer performance is obtained, transported heat quantity per unit mass of media increases, and pumping power and the weight of the total system are reduced. Temperature can be controlled by system pressure. The two-phase fluid loop for the visualization experiment and the experimental results are reported. By the experiment using the real time NRG system at the JRR-3M, the boiling and evaporation phenomena in the capillary heat transfer tubes were able to be visualized. (K.I.)

Simulation of visual search in the natural 2-D situation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blanka Borin

2004-08-01

Full Text Available The goal of this research was to imitate the process of visual search in a natural two-dimensional situation and also to investigate the influence of variable features on the speed of the visual search. The experiment was designed upon one of the most influential theories in the research field of the visual search phenomenon – The Feature Integration Theory (Treisman, 1982. Although the FIT theory claims, that in case of a larger number of synchronous targets the mechanism of attention serially directs the mental processing from one target towards another, the results of our experiment has shown the possibility of not just serial but also parallel visual search. The results of the experiment have also shown that the similarity between features of the target and its surroundings takes effect on the speed of the target recognition. If the features are very similar or if there is no difference between the target and its surroundings, the visual search for the target is longer in comparison to the visual search for the target, which features don't resemble the target's surroundings.

People-oriented Information Visualization Design

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhiyong; Zhang, Bolun

2018-04-01

In the 21st century with rapid development, in the wake of the continuous progress of science and technology, human society enters the information era and the era of big data, and the lifestyle and aesthetic system also change accordingly, so the emerging field of information visualization is increasingly popular. Information visualization design is the process of visualizing all kinds of tedious information data, so as to quickly accept information and save time-cost. Along with the development of the process of information visualization, information design, also becomes hotter and hotter, and emotional design, people-oriented design is an indispensable part of in the design of information. This paper probes information visualization design through emotional analysis of information design based on the social context of people-oriented experience from the perspective of art design. Based on the three levels of emotional information design: instinct level, behavior level and reflective level research, to explore and discuss information visualization design.

Dopamine receptor D4 internalization requires a beta-arrestin and a visual arrestin.

Science.gov (United States)

Deming, Janise D; Shin, Jung-A; Lim, Kayleen; Lee, Eun-Jin; Van Craenenbroeck, Kathleen; Craft, Cheryl Mae

2015-10-01

The G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) Dopamine Receptor D4 (DRD4) plays an essential role in cAMP regulation and gap junctional coupling in the photoreceptors, where DRD4 expression is under circadian control. Previous in vitro transfection studies of human DRD4 desensitization have reported that DRD4 is not internalized upon dopamine stimulation when beta-arrestin is co-transfected with DRD4. We hypothesized that the visual arrestins, ARR1 and ARR4, play a modulatory role in DRD4 desensitization in the photoreceptors. To test this hypothesis, immunohistochemistry analysis of mouse retinas was used to determine the cellular localization of beta-arrestins and DRD4 in photoreceptors. In vitro studies were performed in HEK293T cells transiently transfected with human DRD4 and arrestins. First, co-immunoprecipitation experiments were executed to test protein-protein interactions and to investigate the effect of dopamine stimulation. Second, immunohistochemistry analysis was implemented to study DRD4 internalization and translocation of ARR4. Immunohistochemistry studies of mouse retinas confirmed the expression of beta-arrestin 2, ARR1 and ARR4, as well as DRD4 in mouse cone photoreceptor inner segments. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed a dopamine-dependent protein-protein interaction between human DRD4 and ARR4. In vitro internalization experiments showed that no detectable internalization of DRD4 was observed with any single arrestin co-transfected. However, a dopamine-dependent internalization of DRD4 was observed with three out of six sets of two arrestins co-transfected with DRD4. Each of these pairs of arrestins contained one visual arrestin and one beta-arrestin, and no internalization was observed with either two visual arrestins or two beta-arrestins. Additional time-course experiments revealed that in vitro, ARR4 translocates to co-localize with DRD4 at the plasma membrane in response to 30min of dopamine stimulation. The results have functional

Customizable scientific web-portal for DIII-D nuclear fusion experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abla, G; Kim, E N; Schissel, D P, E-mail: abla@fusion.gat.co [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States)

2010-04-01

Increasing utilization of the Internet and convenient web technologies has made the web-portal a major application interface for remote participation and control of scientific instruments. While web-portals have provided a centralized gateway for multiple computational services, the amount of visual output often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments. Since each scientist may have different priorities and areas of interest in the experiment, filtering and organizing information based on the individual user's need can increase the usability and efficiency of a web-portal. DIII-D is the largest magnetic nuclear fusion device in the US. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Each individual user can create a unique working environment to fit his own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data analysis and visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, and online instant announcement services. The DIII-D web-portal development utilizes multi-tier software architecture, and Web 2.0 technologies and tools, such as AJAX and Django, to develop a highly-interactive and customizable user interface.

Customizable scientific web-portal for DIII-D nuclear fusion experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abla, G; Kim, E N; Schissel, D P

2010-01-01

Increasing utilization of the Internet and convenient web technologies has made the web-portal a major application interface for remote participation and control of scientific instruments. While web-portals have provided a centralized gateway for multiple computational services, the amount of visual output often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments. Since each scientist may have different priorities and areas of interest in the experiment, filtering and organizing information based on the individual user's need can increase the usability and efficiency of a web-portal. DIII-D is the largest magnetic nuclear fusion device in the US. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Each individual user can create a unique working environment to fit his own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data analysis and visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, and online instant announcement services. The DIII-D web-portal development utilizes multi-tier software architecture, and Web 2.0 technologies and tools, such as AJAX and Django, to develop a highly-interactive and customizable user interface.

Customizable scientific web-portal for DIII-D nuclear fusion experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Abla, G.; Kim, E. N.; Schissel, D. P.

2010-04-01

Increasing utilization of the Internet and convenient web technologies has made the web-portal a major application interface for remote participation and control of scientific instruments. While web-portals have provided a centralized gateway for multiple computational services, the amount of visual output often is overwhelming due to the high volume of data generated by complex scientific instruments and experiments. Since each scientist may have different priorities and areas of interest in the experiment, filtering and organizing information based on the individual user's need can increase the usability and efficiency of a web-portal. DIII-D is the largest magnetic nuclear fusion device in the US. A web-portal has been designed to support the experimental activities of DIII-D researchers worldwide. It offers a customizable interface with personalized page layouts and list of services for users to select. Each individual user can create a unique working environment to fit his own needs and interests. Customizable services are: real-time experiment status monitoring, diagnostic data access, interactive data analysis and visualization. The web-portal also supports interactive collaborations by providing collaborative logbook, and online instant announcement services. The DIII-D web-portal development utilizes multi-tier software architecture, and Web 2.0 technologies and tools, such as AJAX and Django, to develop a highly-interactive and customizable user interface.

Auditory and visual sustained attention in Down syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Faught, Gayle G; Conners, Frances A; Himmelberger, Zachary M

2016-01-01

Sustained attention (SA) is important to task performance and development of higher functions. It emerges as a separable component of attention during preschool and shows incremental improvements during this stage of development. The current study investigated if auditory and visual SA match developmental level or are particular challenges for youth with DS. Further, we sought to determine if there were modality effects in SA that could predict those seen in short-term memory (STM). We compared youth with DS to typically developing youth matched for nonverbal mental age and receptive vocabulary. Groups completed auditory and visual sustained attention to response tests (SARTs) and STM tasks. Results indicated groups performed similarly on both SARTs, even over varying cognitive ability. Further, within groups participants performed similarly on auditory and visual SARTs, thus SA could not predict modality effects in STM. However, SA did generally predict a significant portion of unique variance in groups' STM. Ultimately, results suggested both auditory and visual SA match developmental level in DS. Further, SA generally predicts STM, though SA does not necessarily predict the pattern of poor auditory relative to visual STM characteristic of DS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data-Driven Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities for Interactive Visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Gotz, David; Borland, David

2016-01-01

The healthcare industry's widespread digitization efforts are reshaping one of the largest sectors of the world's economy. This transformation is enabling systems that promise to use ever-improving data-driven evidence to help doctors make more precise diagnoses, institutions identify at risk patients for intervention, clinicians develop more personalized treatment plans, and researchers better understand medical outcomes within complex patient populations. Given the scale and complexity of the data required to achieve these goals, advanced data visualization tools have the potential to play a critical role. This article reviews a number of visualization challenges unique to the healthcare discipline.

Software for Graph Analysis and Visualization