Identification d'indicateurs de risque des populations victimes de conflits par imagerie satellitaire. Etude de cas: Le nord de l'Irak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mubareka, Sarah Betoul

Remote sensing and security, terms which are not usually associated, have found a common platform this decade with the conjuring of the GMOSS network (Global Monitoring for Security and Stability), whose mandate is to discover new applications for satellite-derived imagery to security issues. This study focuses on human security, concentrating on the characterisation of vulnerable areas to conflict. A time-series of satellite imagery taken from Landsat sensors from 1987 to 2001 and the SRTM mission imagery are used for this purpose over a site in northern Iraq. Human security issues include the exposure to any type of hazard. The region of study is first characterised in order to understand which hazards are and were present in the past for the region of study. The principal hazard for the region of study is armed conflict and the relative field data was analysed to determine the links between geographical indicators and vulnerable areas. This is done through historical research and the study of open-sourced information about disease outbreaks; the movements of refugees and the internally displaced; and humanitarian aid and security issues. These open sources offer information which are not always consistent, objective, or normalized and are therefore difficult to quantify. A method for the rapid mapping and graphing and subsequent analysis of the situation in a region where limited information is available is developed. This information is coupled with population numbers to create a "risk map": A disaggregated matrix of areas most at risk during conflict situations. The results show that describing the risk factor for a population to the hazard conflict depends on three complex indicators: Population density, remoteness and economic diversity. Each of these complex indicators is then derived from Landsat and SRTM imagery and a satellite-driven model is formulated. This model based on satellite imagery is applied to the study site for a temporal study. The output

Phosphorylation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ParB Participates in Regulating the ParABS Chromosome Segregation System

PubMed Central

Baronian, Grégory; Ginda, Katarzyna; Berry, Laurence; Cohen-Gonsaud, Martin; Zakrzewska-Czerwińska, Jolanta; Jakimowicz, Dagmara; Molle, Virginie

2015-01-01

Here, we present for the first time that Mycobacterium tuberculosis ParB is phosphorylated by several mycobacterial Ser/Thr protein kinases in vitro. ParB and ParA are the key components of bacterial chromosome segregation apparatus. ParB is a cytosolic conserved protein that binds specifically to centromere-like DNA parS sequences and interacts with ParA, a weak ATPase required for its proper localization. Mass spectrometry identified the presence of ten phosphate groups, thus indicating that ParB is phosphorylated on eight threonines, Thr32, Thr41, Thr53, Thr110, Thr195, and Thr254, Thr300, Thr303 as well as on two serines, Ser5 and Ser239. The phosphorylation sites were further substituted either by alanine to prevent phosphorylation or aspartate to mimic constitutive phosphorylation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed a drastic inhibition of DNA-binding by ParB phosphomimetic mutant compared to wild type. In addition, bacterial two-hybrid experiments showed a loss of ParA-ParB interaction with the phosphomimetic mutant, indicating that phosphorylation is regulating the recruitment of the partitioning complex. Moreover, fluorescence microscopy experiments performed in the surrogate Mycobacterium smegmatis ΔparB strain revealed that in contrast to wild type Mtb ParB, which formed subpolar foci similar to M. smegmatis ParB, phoshomimetic Mtb ParB was delocalized. Thus, our findings highlight a novel regulatory role of the different isoforms of ParB representing a molecular switch in localization and functioning of partitioning protein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. PMID:25807382

Phosphorylation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ParB participates in regulating the ParABS chromosome segregation system.

PubMed

Baronian, Grégory; Ginda, Katarzyna; Berry, Laurence; Cohen-Gonsaud, Martin; Zakrzewska-Czerwińska, Jolanta; Jakimowicz, Dagmara; Molle, Virginie

2015-01-01

Here, we present for the first time that Mycobacterium tuberculosis ParB is phosphorylated by several mycobacterial Ser/Thr protein kinases in vitro. ParB and ParA are the key components of bacterial chromosome segregation apparatus. ParB is a cytosolic conserved protein that binds specifically to centromere-like DNA parS sequences and interacts with ParA, a weak ATPase required for its proper localization. Mass spectrometry identified the presence of ten phosphate groups, thus indicating that ParB is phosphorylated on eight threonines, Thr32, Thr41, Thr53, Thr110, Thr195, and Thr254, Thr300, Thr303 as well as on two serines, Ser5 and Ser239. The phosphorylation sites were further substituted either by alanine to prevent phosphorylation or aspartate to mimic constitutive phosphorylation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed a drastic inhibition of DNA-binding by ParB phosphomimetic mutant compared to wild type. In addition, bacterial two-hybrid experiments showed a loss of ParA-ParB interaction with the phosphomimetic mutant, indicating that phosphorylation is regulating the recruitment of the partitioning complex. Moreover, fluorescence microscopy experiments performed in the surrogate Mycobacterium smegmatis ΔparB strain revealed that in contrast to wild type Mtb ParB, which formed subpolar foci similar to M. smegmatis ParB, phoshomimetic Mtb ParB was delocalized. Thus, our findings highlight a novel regulatory role of the different isoforms of ParB representing a molecular switch in localization and functioning of partitioning protein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Satellite imagery and discourses of transparency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Chad Vincent

In the last decade there has been a dramatic increase in satellite imagery available in the commercial marketplace and to the public in general. Satellite imagery systems and imagery archives, a knowledge domain formally monopolized by nation states, have become available to the public, both from declassified intelligence data and from fully integrated commercial vendors who create and market imagery data. Some of these firms have recently launched their own satellite imagery systems and created rather large imagery "architectures" that threaten to rival military reconnaissance systems. The increasing resolution of the imagery and the growing expertise of software and imagery interpretation developers has engendered a public discourse about the potentials for increased transparency in national and global affairs. However, transparency is an attribute of satellite remote sensing and imagery production that is taken for granted in the debate surrounding the growing public availability of high-resolution satellite imagery. This paper examines remote sensing and military photo reconnaissance imagery technology and the production of satellite imagery in the interests of contemplating the complex connections between imagery satellites, historically situated discourses about democratic and global transparency, and the formation and maintenance of nation state systems. Broader historical connections will also be explored between satellite imagery and the history of the use of cartographic and geospatial technologies in the formation and administrative control of nation states and in the discursive formulation of national identity. Attention will be on the technology itself as a powerful social actor through its connection to both national sovereignty and transcendent notions of scientific objectivity. The issues of the paper will be explored through a close look at aerial photography and satellite imagery both as communicative tools of power and as culturally relevant

The Intersection of Imagery Ability, Imagery Use, and Learning Style: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolles, Gina; Chatfield, Steven J.

2009-01-01

This study explores the intersection of the individual's imagery ability, imagery use in dance training and performance, and learning style. Thirty-four intermediate-level ballet and modern dance students at the University of Oregon completed the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised (MIQ-R) and Kolb's Learning Style Inventory-3 (LSI-3). The four…

Kinesthetic imagery of musical performance

PubMed Central

Lotze, Martin

2013-01-01

Musicians use different kinds of imagery. This review focuses on kinesthetic imagery, which has been shown to be an effective complement to actively playing an instrument. However, experience in actual movement performance seems to be a requirement for a recruitment of those brain areas representing movement ideation during imagery. An internal model of movement performance might be more differentiated when training has been more intense or simply performed more often. Therefore, with respect to kinesthetic imagery, these strategies are predominantly found in professional musicians. There are a few possible reasons as to why kinesthetic imagery is used in addition to active training; one example is the need for mental rehearsal of the technically most difficult passages. Another reason for mental practice is that mental rehearsal of the piece helps to improve performance if the instrument is not available for actual training as is the case for professional musicians when they are traveling to various appearances. Overall, mental imagery in musicians is not necessarily specific to motor, somatosensory, auditory, or visual aspects of imagery, but integrates them all. In particular, the audiomotor loop is highly important, since auditory aspects are crucial for guiding motor performance. All these aspects result in a distinctive representation map for the mental imagery of musical performance. This review summarizes behavioral data, and findings from functional brain imaging studies of mental imagery of musical performance. PMID:23781196

Kinesthetic imagery of musical performance.

PubMed

Lotze, Martin

2013-01-01

Musicians use different kinds of imagery. This review focuses on kinesthetic imagery, which has been shown to be an effective complement to actively playing an instrument. However, experience in actual movement performance seems to be a requirement for a recruitment of those brain areas representing movement ideation during imagery. An internal model of movement performance might be more differentiated when training has been more intense or simply performed more often. Therefore, with respect to kinesthetic imagery, these strategies are predominantly found in professional musicians. There are a few possible reasons as to why kinesthetic imagery is used in addition to active training; one example is the need for mental rehearsal of the technically most difficult passages. Another reason for mental practice is that mental rehearsal of the piece helps to improve performance if the instrument is not available for actual training as is the case for professional musicians when they are traveling to various appearances. Overall, mental imagery in musicians is not necessarily specific to motor, somatosensory, auditory, or visual aspects of imagery, but integrates them all. In particular, the audiomotor loop is highly important, since auditory aspects are crucial for guiding motor performance. All these aspects result in a distinctive representation map for the mental imagery of musical performance. This review summarizes behavioral data, and findings from functional brain imaging studies of mental imagery of musical performance.

Architecture of the ParF*ParG protein complex involved in prokaryotic DNA segregation.

PubMed

Barillà, Daniela; Hayes, Finbarr

2003-07-01

The mechanism by which low copy number plasmids are segregated at cell division involves the concerted action of two plasmid-encoded proteins that assemble on a centromere-like site. This study explores the topology of the DNA segregation machinery specified by the parFG locus of TP228, a partition system which is phylogenetically distinct from more well-characterized archetypes. A variety of genetic, biochemical and biophysical strategies revealed that the ParG protein is dimeric. ParF, which is more closely related to the cell division regulator MinD than to the prototypical ParA partition protein of plasmid P1, is instead multimeric and its polymeric state appears to be modulated by ATP which correlates with the proposed ATP-binding activity of ParF. ParG interacts in a sequence-specific manner with the DNA region upstream of the parFG locus and this binding is modulated by ParF. Intriguingly, the ParF and ParG proteins form at least two types of discrete complex in the absence of this region suggesting that the assembly dynamics of these proteins onto DNA is intricate.

ParA and ParB coordinate chromosome segregation with cell elongation and division during Streptomyces sporulation

PubMed Central

Donczew, Magdalena; Mackiewicz, Paweł; Wróbel, Agnieszka; Flärdh, Klas; Zakrzewska-Czerwińska, Jolanta

2016-01-01

In unicellular bacteria, the ParA and ParB proteins segregate chromosomes and coordinate this process with cell division and chromosome replication. During sporulation of mycelial Streptomyces, ParA and ParB uniformly distribute multiple chromosomes along the filamentous sporogenic hyphal compartment, which then differentiates into a chain of unigenomic spores. However, chromosome segregation must be coordinated with cell elongation and multiple divisions. Here, we addressed the question of whether ParA and ParB are involved in the synchronization of cell-cycle processes during sporulation in Streptomyces. To answer this question, we used time-lapse microscopy, which allows the monitoring of growth and division of single sporogenic hyphae. We showed that sporogenic hyphae stop extending at the time of ParA accumulation and Z-ring formation. We demonstrated that both ParA and ParB affect the rate of hyphal extension. Additionally, we showed that ParA promotes the formation of massive nucleoprotein complexes by ParB. We also showed that FtsZ ring assembly is affected by the ParB protein and/or unsegregated DNA. Our results indicate the existence of a checkpoint between the extension and septation of sporogenic hyphae that involves the ParA and ParB proteins. PMID:27248800

Perceptual evaluation of color transformed multispectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toet, Alexander; de Jong, Michael J.; Hogervorst, Maarten A.; Hooge, Ignace T. C.

2014-04-01

Color remapping can give multispectral imagery a realistic appearance. We assessed the practical value of this technique in two observer experiments using monochrome intensified (II) and long-wave infrared (IR) imagery, and color daylight (REF) and fused multispectral (CF) imagery. First, we investigated the amount of detail observers perceive in a short timespan. REF and CF imagery yielded the highest precision and recall measures, while II and IR imagery yielded significantly lower values. This suggests that observers have more difficulty in extracting information from monochrome than from color imagery. Next, we measured eye fixations during free image exploration. Although the overall fixation behavior was similar across image modalities, the order in which certain details were fixated varied. Persons and vehicles were typically fixated first in REF, CF, and IR imagery, while they were fixated later in II imagery. In some cases, color remapping II imagery and fusion with IR imagery restored the fixation order of these image details. We conclude that color remapping can yield enhanced scene perception compared to conventional monochrome nighttime imagery, and may be deployed to tune multispectral image representations such that the resulting fixation behavior resembles the fixation behavior corresponding to daylight color imagery.

Pornographic imagery and prevalence of paraphilia.

PubMed

Dietz, P E; Evans, B

1982-11-01

The authors classified 1,760 heterosexual pornographic magazines according to the imagery of the cover photographs. Covers depicting only a woman posed alone predominated in 1970 but constituted only 10.7% of the covers in 1981. Bondage and domination imagery was the most prevalent nonormative imagery and was featured in 17.2% of the magazines. Smaller proportions of material were devoted to group sexual activity (9.8%), tranvestism and transsexualism (4.4%), and other nonnormative imagery. The authors suggest that pornographic imagery is an unobtrusive measure of the relative prevalence of those paraphilias associated with preferences for specific types of visual imagery and for which better data are lacking.

Imagery Induction in the Pre-Imagery Child. Technical Report No. 282.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, Joel R.; And Others

This study extends some recently acquired knowledge about the development of visual imagery as an associative-learning strategy. Incorporating the present findings into the data already gathered, it appears that as a facilitator, sentence production precedes imagery generation since preoperational children benefit from instructions to engage in…

Ikonos Imagery Product Nonuniformity Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Robert; Zanoni, Vicki; Pagnutti, Mary; Holekamp, Kara; Smith, Charles

2002-01-01

During the early stages of the NASA Scientific Data Purchase (SDP) program, three approximately equal vertical stripes were observable in the IKONOS imagery of highly spatially uniform sites. Although these effects appeared to be less than a few percent of the mean signal, several investigators requested new imagery. Over time, Space Imaging updated its processing to minimize these artifacts. This however, produced differences in Space Imaging products derived from archive imagery processed at different times. Imagery processed before 2/22/01 is processed with one set of coefficients, while imagery processed after that date requires another set. Space Imaging produces its products from raw imagery, so changes in the ground processing over time can change the delivered digital number (DN) values, even for identical orders of a previously acquired scene. NASA Stennis initiated studies to investigate the magnitude and changes in these artifacts over the lifetime of the system and before and after processing updates.

Digital Imagery Compression Best Practices Guide - A Motion Imagery Standards Profile (MISP) Compliant Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

MISP) COMPLIANT ARCHITECTURE WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE REAGAN TEST SITE YUMA PROVING GROUND DUGWAY PROVING GROUND ABERDEEN TEST CENTER...DIGITAL MOTION IMAGERY COMPRESSION BEST PRACTICES GUIDE – A MOTION IMAGERY STANDARDS PROFILE (MISP) COMPLIANT ARCHITECTURE ...delivery, and archival purposes. These practices are based on a Motion Imagery Standards Profile (MISP) compliant architecture , which has been defined

Mental Imagery and Visual Working Memory

PubMed Central

Keogh, Rebecca; Pearson, Joel

2011-01-01

Visual working memory provides an essential link between past and future events. Despite recent efforts, capacity limits, their genesis and the underlying neural structures of visual working memory remain unclear. Here we show that performance in visual working memory - but not iconic visual memory - can be predicted by the strength of mental imagery as assessed with binocular rivalry in a given individual. In addition, for individuals with strong imagery, modulating the background luminance diminished performance on visual working memory and imagery tasks, but not working memory for number strings. This suggests that luminance signals were disrupting sensory-based imagery mechanisms and not a general working memory system. Individuals with poor imagery still performed above chance in the visual working memory task, but their performance was not affected by the background luminance, suggesting a dichotomy in strategies for visual working memory: individuals with strong mental imagery rely on sensory-based imagery to support mnemonic performance, while those with poor imagery rely on different strategies. These findings could help reconcile current controversy regarding the mechanism and location of visual mnemonic storage. PMID:22195024

Mental imagery and visual working memory.

PubMed

Keogh, Rebecca; Pearson, Joel

2011-01-01

Visual working memory provides an essential link between past and future events. Despite recent efforts, capacity limits, their genesis and the underlying neural structures of visual working memory remain unclear. Here we show that performance in visual working memory--but not iconic visual memory--can be predicted by the strength of mental imagery as assessed with binocular rivalry in a given individual. In addition, for individuals with strong imagery, modulating the background luminance diminished performance on visual working memory and imagery tasks, but not working memory for number strings. This suggests that luminance signals were disrupting sensory-based imagery mechanisms and not a general working memory system. Individuals with poor imagery still performed above chance in the visual working memory task, but their performance was not affected by the background luminance, suggesting a dichotomy in strategies for visual working memory: individuals with strong mental imagery rely on sensory-based imagery to support mnemonic performance, while those with poor imagery rely on different strategies. These findings could help reconcile current controversy regarding the mechanism and location of visual mnemonic storage.

The functional alterations associated with motor imagery training: a comparison between motor execution and motor imagery of sequential finger tapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hang; Yao, Li; Long, Zhiying

2011-03-01

Motor imagery training, as an effective strategy, has been more and more applied to mental disorders rehabilitation and motor skill learning. Studies on the neural mechanism underlying motor imagery have suggested that such effectiveness may be related to the functional congruence between motor execution and motor imagery. However, as compared to the studies on motor imagery, the studies on motor imagery training are much fewer. The functional alterations associated with motor imagery training and the effectiveness of motor imagery training on motor performance improvement still needs further investigation. Using fMRI, we employed a sequential finger tapping paradigm to explore the functional alterations associated with motor imagery training in both motor execution and motor imagery task. We hypothesized through 14 consecutive days motor imagery training, the motor performance could be improved and the functional congruence between motor execution and motor imagery would be sustained form pre-training phase to post-training phase. Our results confirmed the effectiveness of motor imagery training in improving motor performance and demonstrated in both pre and post-training phases, motor imagery and motor execution consistently sustained the congruence in functional neuroanatomy, including SMA (supplementary motor cortex), PMA (premotor area); M1( primary motor cortex) and cerebellum. Moreover, for both execution and imagery tasks, a similar functional alteration was observed in fusiform through motor imagery training. These findings provided an insight into the effectiveness of motor imagery training and suggested its potential therapeutic value in motor rehabilitation.

Hypnagogic imagery and EEG activity.

PubMed

Hayashi, M; Katoh, K; Hori, T

1999-04-01

The relationships between hypnagogic imagery and EEG activity were studied. 7 subjects (4 women and 3 men) reported the content of hypnagogic imagery every minute and the hypnagogic EEGs were classified into 5 stages according to Hori's modified criteria. The content of the hypnagogic imagery changed as a function of the hypnagogic EEG stages.

Alcohol imagery on New Zealand television

PubMed Central

McGee, Rob; Ketchel, Juanita; Reeder, Anthony I

2007-01-01

Background To examine the extent and nature of alcohol imagery on New Zealand (NZ) television, a content analysis of 98 hours of prime-time television programs and advertising was carried out over 7 consecutive days' viewing in June/July 2004. The main outcome measures were number of scenes in programs, trailers and advertisements depicting alcohol imagery; the extent of critical versus neutral and promotional imagery; and the mean number of scenes with alcohol per hour, and characteristics of scenes in which alcohol featured. Results There were 648 separate depictions of alcohol imagery across the week, with an average of one scene every nine minutes. Scenes depicting uncritical imagery outnumbered scenes showing possible adverse health consequences of drinking by 12 to 1. Conclusion The evidence points to a large amount of alcohol imagery incidental to storylines in programming on NZ television. Alcohol is also used in many advertisements to market non-alcohol goods and services. More attention needs to be paid to the extent of alcohol imagery on television from the industry, the government and public health practitioners. Health education with young people could raise critical awareness of the way alcohol imagery is presented on television. PMID:17270053

Motor imagery training: Kinesthetic imagery strategy and inferior parietal fMRI activation.

PubMed

Lebon, Florent; Horn, Ulrike; Domin, Martin; Lotze, Martin

2018-04-01

Motor imagery (MI) is the mental simulation of action frequently used by professionals in different fields. However, with respect to performance, well-controlled functional imaging studies on MI training are sparse. We investigated changes in fMRI representation going along with performance changes of a finger sequence (error and velocity) after MI training in 48 healthy young volunteers. Before training, we tested the vividness of kinesthetic and visual imagery. During tests, participants were instructed to move or to imagine moving the fingers of the right hand in a specific order. During MI training, participants repeatedly imagined the sequence for 15 min. Imaging analysis was performed using a full-factorial design to assess brain changes due to imagery training. We also used regression analyses to identify those who profited from training (performance outcome and gain) with initial imagery scores (vividness) and fMRI activation magnitude during MI at pre-test (MI pre ). After training, error rate decreased and velocity increased. We combined both parameters into a common performance index. FMRI activation in the left inferior parietal lobe (IPL) was associated with MI and increased over time. In addition, fMRI activation in the right IPL during MI pre was associated with high initial kinesthetic vividness. High kinesthetic imagery vividness predicted a high performance after training. In contrast, occipital activation, associated with visual imagery strategies, showed a negative predictive value for performance. Our data echo the importance of high kinesthetic vividness for MI training outcome and consider IPL as a key area during MI and through MI training. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Measuring creative imagery abilities

PubMed Central

Jankowska, Dorota M.; Karwowski, Maciej

2015-01-01

Over the decades, creativity and imagination research developed in parallel, but they surprisingly rarely intersected. This paper introduces a new theoretical model of creative visual imagination, which bridges creativity and imagination research, as well as presents a new psychometric instrument, called the Test of Creative Imagery Abilities (TCIA), developed to measure creative imagery abilities understood in accordance with this model. Creative imagination is understood as constituted by three interrelated components: vividness (the ability to create images characterized by a high level of complexity and detail), originality (the ability to produce unique imagery), and transformativeness (the ability to control imagery). TCIA enables valid and reliable measurement of these three groups of abilities, yielding the general score of imagery abilities and at the same time making profile analysis possible. We present the results of nine studies on a total sample of more than 1700 participants, showing the factor structure of TCIA using confirmatory factor analysis, as well as provide data confirming this instrument's validity and reliability. The availability of TCIA for interested researchers may result in new insights and possibilities of integrating the fields of creativity and imagination science. PMID:26539140

Differential temporal dynamics during visual imagery and perception.

PubMed

Dijkstra, Nadine; Mostert, Pim; Lange, Floris P de; Bosch, Sander; van Gerven, Marcel Aj

2018-05-29

Visual perception and imagery rely on similar representations in the visual cortex. During perception, visual activity is characterized by distinct processing stages, but the temporal dynamics underlying imagery remain unclear. Here, we investigated the dynamics of visual imagery in human participants using magnetoencephalography. Firstly, we show that, compared to perception, imagery decoding becomes significant later and representations at the start of imagery already overlap with later time points. This suggests that during imagery, the entire visual representation is activated at once or that there are large differences in the timing of imagery between trials. Secondly, we found consistent overlap between imagery and perceptual processing around 160 ms and from 300 ms after stimulus onset. This indicates that the N170 gets reactivated during imagery and that imagery does not rely on early perceptual representations. Together, these results provide important insights for our understanding of the neural mechanisms of visual imagery. © 2018, Dijkstra et al.

Expression of protease-activated receptor (PAR)-2, but not other PARs, is regulated by inflammatory cytokines in rat astrocytes.

PubMed

Sokolova, Elena; Aleshin, Stepan; Reiser, Georg

2012-02-01

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are widely expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and are believed to play an important role in normal brain functioning as well as in development of various inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. Pathological conditions cause altered expression of PARs in brain cells and therefore altered responsiveness to PAR activation. The exact mechanisms of regulation of PAR expression are not well studied. Here, we evaluated in rat astrocytes the influence of LPS, pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-1β and continuous PAR activation by PAR agonists on the expression levels of PARs. These stimuli are important in inflammatory and neurological disorders, where their levels are increased. We report that LPS as well as cytokines TNFα and IL-1β affected only the PAR-2 level, but their effects were opposite. LPS and TNFα increased the functional expression of PAR-2, whereas IL-1β down-regulated the functional response of PAR-2. Agonists of PAR-1 specifically increased mRNA level of PAR-2, but not protein level. Transcript levels of other PARs were not changed after PAR-1 activation. Stimulation of the cells with PAR-2 or PAR-4 agonists did not alter PAR levels. We found that up-regulation of PAR-2 is dependent on PKC activity, mostly via its Ca²⁺-sensitive isoforms. Two transcription factors, NFκB and AP-1, are involved in up-regulation of PAR-2. These findings provide new information about the regulation of expression of PAR subtypes in brain cells. This is of importance for targeting PARs, especially PAR-2, for the treatment of CNS disorders. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mental imagery during daily life: Psychometric evaluation of the Spontaneous Use of Imagery Scale (SUIS)

PubMed Central

Nelis, Sabine; Holmes, Emily A.; Griffith, James W.; Raes, Filip

2015-01-01

The Spontaneous Use of Imagery Scale (SUIS) is used to measure the tendency to use visual mental imagery in daily life. Its psychometric properties were evaluated in three independent samples (total N = 1297). We evaluated the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the questionnaire. We also examined the structure of the items using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Moreover, correlations with other imagery questionnaires provided evidence about convergent validity. The SUIS had acceptable reliability and convergent validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a unidimensional structure fit the data, suggesting that the SUIS indeed measures a general use of mental imagery in daily life. Future research can further investigate and improve the psychometric properties of the SUIS. Moreover, the SUIS could be useful to determine how imagery relates to e.g. psychopathology. PMID:26290615

Kinesthetic motor imagery modulates body sway.

PubMed

Rodrigues, E C; Lemos, T; Gouvea, B; Volchan, E; Imbiriba, L A; Vargas, C D

2010-08-25

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of imagining an action implicating the body axis in the kinesthetic and visual motor imagery modalities upon the balance control system. Body sway analysis (measurement of center of pressure, CoP) together with electromyography (EMG) recording and verbal evaluation of imagery abilities were obtained from subjects during four tasks, performed in the upright position: to execute bilateral plantar flexions; to imagine themselves executing bilateral plantar flexions (kinesthetic modality); to imagine someone else executing the same movement (visual modality), and to imagine themselves singing a song (as a control imagery task). Body sway analysis revealed that kinesthetic imagery leads to a general increase in CoP oscillation, as reflected by an enhanced area of displacement. This effect was also verified for the CoP standard deviation in the medial-lateral direction. An increase in the trembling displacement (equivalent to center of pressure minus center of gravity) restricted to the anterior-posterior direction was also observed to occur during kinesthetic imagery. The visual imagery task did not differ from the control (sing) task for any of the analyzed parameters. No difference in the subjects' ability to perform the imagery tasks was found. No modulation of EMG data were observed across imagery tasks, indicating that there was no actual execution during motor imagination. These results suggest that motor imagery performed in the kinesthetic modality evokes motor representations involved in balance control. Copyright (c)10 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel role for proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) in membrane trafficking of proteinase-activated receptor 4 (PAR4).

PubMed

Cunningham, Margaret R; McIntosh, Kathryn A; Pediani, John D; Robben, Joris; Cooke, Alexandra E; Nilsson, Mary; Gould, Gwyn W; Mundell, Stuart; Milligan, Graeme; Plevin, Robin

2012-05-11

Proteinase-activated receptors 4 (PAR(4)) is a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) recognized through the ability of serine proteases such as thrombin and trypsin to mediate receptor activation. Due to the irreversible nature of activation, a fresh supply of receptor is required to be mobilized to the cell surface for responsiveness to agonist to be sustained. Unlike other PAR subtypes, the mechanisms regulating receptor trafficking of PAR(4) remain unknown. Here, we report novel features of the intracellular trafficking of PAR(4) to the plasma membrane. PAR(4) was poorly expressed at the plasma membrane and largely retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in a complex with the COPI protein subunit β-COP1. Analysis of the PAR(4) protein sequence identified an arginine-based (RXR) ER retention sequence located within intracellular loop-2 (R(183)AR → A(183)AA), mutation of which allowed efficient membrane delivery of PAR(4). Interestingly, co-expression with PAR(2) facilitated plasma membrane delivery of PAR(4), an effect produced through disruption of β-COP1 binding and facilitation of interaction with the chaperone protein 14-3-3ζ. Intermolecular FRET studies confirmed heterodimerization between PAR(2) and PAR(4). PAR(2) also enhanced glycosylation of PAR(4) and activation of PAR(4) signaling. Our results identify a novel regulatory role for PAR(2) in the anterograde traffic of PAR(4). PAR(2) was shown to both facilitate and abrogate protein interactions with PAR(4), impacting upon receptor localization and cell signal transduction. This work is likely to impact markedly upon the understanding of the receptor pharmacology of PAR(4) in normal physiology and disease.

Characterizing tropical forests with multispectral imagery

Treesearch

Eileen Helmer; Nicholas R. Goodwin; Valery Gond; Carlos M. Souza, Jr.; Gregory P. Asner

2015-01-01

Multispectral satellite imagery, that is, remotely sensed imagery with discrete bands ranging from visible to shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths, is the timeliest and most accessible remotely sensed data for monitoring tropical forests. Given this relevance, we summarize here how multispectral imagery can help characterize tropical forest attributes of widespread...

Kinesthetic Imagery Provides Additive Benefits to Internal Visual Imagery on Slalom Task Performance.

PubMed

Callow, Nichola; Jiang, Dan; Roberts, Ross; Edwards, Martin G

2017-02-01

Recent brain imaging research demonstrates that the use of internal visual imagery (IVI) or kinesthetic imagery (KIN) activates common and distinct brain areas. In this paper, we argue that combining the imagery modalities (IVI and KIN) will lead to a greater cognitive representation (with more brain areas activated), and this will cause a greater slalom-based motor performance compared with using IVI alone. To examine this assertion, we randomly allocated 56 participants to one of the three groups: IVI, IVI and KIN, or a math control group. Participants performed a slalom-based driving task in a driving simulator, with average lap time used as a measure of performance. Results revealed that the IVI and KIN group achieved significantly quicker lap times than the IVI and the control groups. The discussion includes a theoretical advancement on why the combination of imagery modalities might facilitate performance, with links made to the cognitive neuroscience literature and applied practice.

A Conserved Mode of Protein Recognition and Binding in a ParD−ParE Toxin−Antitoxin Complex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dalton, Kevin M.; Crosson, Sean

2010-05-06

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems form a ubiquitous class of prokaryotic proteins with functional roles in plasmid inheritance, environmental stress response, and cell development. ParDE family TA systems are broadly conserved on plasmids and bacterial chromosomes and have been well characterized as genetic elements that promote stable plasmid inheritance. We present a crystal structure of a chromosomally encoded ParD-ParE complex from Caulobacter crescentus at 2.6 {angstrom} resolution. This TA system forms an {alpha}{sub 2}{beta}{sub 2} heterotetramer in the crystal and in solution. The toxin-antitoxin binding interface reveals extensive polar and hydrophobic contacts of ParD antitoxin helices with a conserved recognition and bindingmore » groove on the ParE toxin. A cross-species comparison of this complex structure with related toxin structures identified an antitoxin recognition and binding subdomain that is conserved between distantly related members of the RelE/ParE toxin superfamily despite a low level of overall primary sequence identity. We further demonstrate that ParD antitoxin is dimeric, stably folded, and largely helical when not bound to ParE toxin. Thus, the paradigmatic model in which antitoxin undergoes a disorder-to-order transition upon toxin binding does not apply to this chromosomal ParD-ParE TA system.« less

Advanced Image Processing of Aerial Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodell, Glenn; Jobson, Daniel J.; Rahman, Zia-ur; Hines, Glenn

2006-01-01

Aerial imagery of the Earth is an invaluable tool for the assessment of ground features, especially during times of disaster. Researchers at the NASA Langley Research Center have developed techniques which have proven to be useful for such imagery. Aerial imagery from various sources, including Langley's Boeing 757 Aries aircraft, has been studied extensively. This paper discusses these studies and demonstrates that better-than-observer imagery can be obtained even when visibility is severely compromised. A real-time, multi-spectral experimental system will be described and numerous examples will be shown.

Effet de la composition des materiaux composites sur la caracterisation et detection par ondes de Lamb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostiguy, Pierre-Claude

Les matériaux composites sont de plus en plus utilisés en aéronautique. Leurs excellentes propriétés mécaniques et leur faible poids leur procurent un avantage certain par rapport aux matériaux métalliques. Ceux-ci étant soumis à diverses conditions de chargement et environnementales, ils sont suceptibles de subir plusieurs types d'endommagements, compromettant leur intégrité. Des méthodes fiables d'inspection sont donc nécessaires pour évaluer leur intégrité. Néanmoins, peu d'approches non destructives, embarquées et efficaces sont présentement utilisées. Ce travail de recherche se penche sur l'étude de l'effet de la composition des matériaux composites sur la détection et la caractérisation par ondes guidées. L'objectif du projet est de développer une approche de caractérisation mécanique embarquée permettant d'améliorer la performance d'une approche d'imagerie par antenne piézoélectriques sur des structures composite et métalliques. La contribution de ce projet est de proposer une approche embarquée de caractérisation mécanique par ultrasons qui ne requiert pas une mesure sur une multitude d'échantillons et qui est non destructive. Ce mémoire par articles est divisé en quatre parties, dont les parties deux A quatre présentant les articles publiés et soumis. La première partie présente l'état des connaissances dans la matière nécessaires à l'acomplissement de ce projet de maîtrise. Les principaux sujets traités portent sur les matériaux composites, propagation d'ondes, la modélisation des ondes guidées, la caractérisation par ondes guidées et la surveillance embarquée des structures. La deuxième partie présente une étude de l'effet des propriétés mécaniques sur la performance de l'algorithme d'imagerie Excitelet. L'étude est faite sur une structure isotrope. Les résultats ont démontré que l'algorithme est sensible à l'exactitude des propriétés mécaniques utilisées dans le modèle. Cette

Unconscious Imagination and the Mental Imagery Debate

PubMed Central

Brogaard, Berit; Gatzia, Dimitria Electra

2017-01-01

Traditionally, philosophers have appealed to the phenomenological similarity between visual experience and visual imagery to support the hypothesis that there is significant overlap between the perceptual and imaginative domains. The current evidence, however, is inconclusive: while evidence from transcranial brain stimulation seems to support this conclusion, neurophysiological evidence from brain lesion studies (e.g., from patients with brain lesions resulting in a loss of mental imagery but not a corresponding loss of perception and vice versa) indicates that there are functional and anatomical dissociations between mental imagery and perception. Assuming that the mental imagery and perception do not overlap, at least, to the extent traditionally assumed, then the question arises as to what exactly mental imagery is and whether it parallels perception by proceeding via several functionally distinct mechanisms. In this review, we argue that even though there may not be a shared mechanism underlying vision for perception and conscious imagery, there is an overlap between the mechanisms underlying vision for action and unconscious visual imagery. On the basis of these findings, we propose a modification of Kosslyn’s model of imagery that accommodates unconscious imagination and explore possible explanations of the quasi-pictorial phenomenology of conscious visual imagery in light of the fact that its underlying neural substrates and mechanisms typically are distinct from those of visual experience. PMID:28588527

ERTS imagery for ground-water investigations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Gerald K.; Deutsch, Morris

1975-01-01

ERTS imagery offers the first opportunity to apply moderately high-resolution satellite data to the nationwide study of water resources. This imagery is both a tool and a form of basic data. Like other tools and basic data, it should be considered for use in ground-water investigations. The main advantage of its use will be to reduce the need for field work. In addition, however, broad regional features may be seen easily on ERTS imagery, whereas they would be difficult or impossible to see on the ground or on low-altitude aerial photographs. Some present and potential uses of ERTS imagery are to locate new aquifers, to study aquifer recharge and discharge, to estimate ground-water pumpage for irrigation, to predict the location and type of aquifer management problems, and to locate and monitor strip mines which commonly are sources for acid mine drainage. In many cases, boundaries which are gradational on the ground appear to be sharp on ERTS imagery. Initial results indicate that the accuracy of maps produced from ERTS imagery is completely adequate for some purposes.

Brain Activation in Primary Motor and Somatosensory Cortices during Motor Imagery Correlates with Motor Imagery Ability in Stroke Patients

PubMed Central

Confalonieri, Linda; Pagnoni, Giuseppe; Barsalou, Lawrence W.; Rajendra, Justin; Eickhoff, Simon B.; Butler, Andrew J.

2012-01-01

Aims. While studies on healthy subjects have shown a partial overlap between the motor execution and motor imagery neural circuits, few have investigated brain activity during motor imagery in stroke patients with hemiparesis. This work is aimed at examining similarities between motor imagery and execution in a group of stroke patients. Materials and Methods. Eleven patients were asked to perform a visuomotor tracking task by either physically or mentally tracking a sine wave force target using their thumb and index finger during fMRI scanning. MIQ-RS questionnaire has been administered. Results and Conclusion. Whole-brain analyses confirmed shared neural substrates between motor imagery and motor execution in bilateral premotor cortex, SMA, and in the contralesional inferior parietal lobule. Additional region of interest-based analyses revealed a negative correlation between kinaesthetic imagery ability and percentage BOLD change in areas 4p and 3a; higher imagery ability was associated with negative and lower percentage BOLD change in primary sensorimotor areas during motor imagery. PMID:23378930

Simulation of parafoil reconnaissance imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kogler, Kent J.; Sutkus, Linas; Troast, Douglas; Kisatsky, Paul; Charles, Alain M.

1995-08-01

Reconnaissance from unmanned platforms is currently of interest to DoD and civil sectors concerned with drug trafficking and illegal immigration. Platforms employed vary from motorized aircraft to tethered balloons. One appraoch currently under evaluation deploys a TV camera suspended from a parafoil delivered to the area of interest by a cannon launched projectile. Imagery is then transmitted to a remote monitor for processing and interpretation. This paper presents results of imagery obtained from simulated parafoil flights in which software techniques were developed to process-in image degradation caused by atmospheric obscurants and perturbations in the normal parafoil flight trajectory induced by wind gusts. The approach to capturing continuous motion imagery from captive flight test recordings, the introduction of simulated effects, and the transfer of the processed imagery back to video tape is described.

Imagery encoding and false recognition errors: Examining the role of imagery process and imagery content on source misattributions.

PubMed

Foley, Mary Ann; Foy, Jeffrey; Schlemmer, Emily; Belser-Ehrlich, Janna

2010-11-01

Imagery encoding effects on source-monitoring errors were explored using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm in two experiments. While viewing thematically related lists embedded in mixed picture/word presentations, participants were asked to generate images of objects or words (Experiment 1) or to simply name the items (Experiment 2). An encoding task intended to induce spontaneous images served as a control for the explicit imagery instruction conditions (Experiment 1). On the picture/word source-monitoring tests, participants were much more likely to report "seeing" a picture of an item presented as a word than the converse particularly when images were induced spontaneously. However, this picture misattribution error was reversed after generating images of words (Experiment 1) and was eliminated after simply labelling the items (Experiment 2). Thus source misattributions were sensitive to the processes giving rise to imagery experiences (spontaneous vs deliberate), the kinds of images generated (object vs word images), and the ways in which materials were presented (as pictures vs words).

Mental Imagery in Depression: Phenomenology, Potential Mechanisms, and Treatment Implications.

PubMed

Holmes, Emily A; Blackwell, Simon E; Burnett Heyes, Stephanie; Renner, Fritz; Raes, Filip

2016-01-01

Mental imagery is an experience like perception in the absence of a percept. It is a ubiquitous feature of human cognition, yet it has been relatively neglected in the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of depression. Imagery abnormalities in depression include an excess of intrusive negative mental imagery; impoverished positive imagery; bias for observer perspective imagery; and overgeneral memory, in which specific imagery is lacking. We consider the contribution of imagery dysfunctions to depressive psychopathology and implications for cognitive behavioral interventions. Treatment advances capitalizing on the representational format of imagery (as opposed to its content) are reviewed, including imagery rescripting, positive imagery generation, and memory specificity training. Consideration of mental imagery can contribute to clinical assessment and imagery-focused psychological therapeutic techniques and promote investigation of underlying mechanisms for treatment innovation. Research into mental imagery in depression is at an early stage. Work that bridges clinical psychology and neuroscience in the investigation of imagery-related mechanisms is recommended.

Agency Video, Audio and Imagery Library

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grubbs, Rodney

2015-01-01

The purpose of this presentation was to inform the ISS International Partners of the new NASA Agency Video, Audio and Imagery Library (AVAIL) website. AVAIL is a new resource for the public to search for and download NASA-related imagery, and is not intended to replace the current process by which the International Partners receive their Space Station imagery products.

Motion/imagery secure cloud enterprise architecture analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLay, John L.

2012-06-01

Cloud computing with storage virtualization and new service-oriented architectures brings a new perspective to the aspect of a distributed motion imagery and persistent surveillance enterprise. Our existing research is focused mainly on content management, distributed analytics, WAN distributed cloud networking performance issues of cloud based technologies. The potential of leveraging cloud based technologies for hosting motion imagery, imagery and analytics workflows for DOD and security applications is relatively unexplored. This paper will examine technologies for managing, storing, processing and disseminating motion imagery and imagery within a distributed network environment. Finally, we propose areas for future research in the area of distributed cloud content management enterprises.

Spatial forms and mental imagery.

PubMed

Price, Mark C

2009-01-01

Four studies investigated how general mental imagery might be involved in mediating the phenomenon of 'synaesthetic' spatial forms - i.e., the experience that sequences such as months or numbers have spatial locations. In Study 1, people with spatial forms scored higher than controls on visual imagery self-report scales. This is consistent with the suggestion that strong general imagery is at least a necessary condition to experience spatial forms. However self-reported spatial imagery did not differ between groups, suggesting either that the spatial nature of forms is mediated by special synaesthetic mechanisms, or that forms are depictive visual images rather than explicit spatial models. A methodological implication of Study 1 was that a general tendency for people with spatial forms to use imagery strategies might account for some of their previously-reported behavioural differences with control groups. This concern was supported by Studies 2-4. Normal participants were encouraged to visually image the months in various spatial layouts, and spatial associations for months were tested using left/right key presses to classify month names as belonging to the first or second half of the year (Studies 2-3) or as odd/even (Study 4). Reaction times showed month-SNARC (Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes) effects of similar magnitude to previously-reported data from spatial form participants (Price and Mentzoni, 2008). Additionally, reversing the spatial associations within instructed images was sufficient to reverse the direction of observed month-SNARC effects (i.e., positive vs negative slope), just as different spatial forms were previously shown to modulate the direction of effects (ibid.). Results challenge whether previously observed behavioural differences between spatial form and control groups need to be explained in terms of special synaesthetic mechanisms rather than intentional imagery strategies. It is argued that usually strong general

Sensory Substitution and Multimodal Mental Imagery.

PubMed

Nanay, Bence

2017-09-01

Many philosophers use findings about sensory substitution devices in the grand debate about how we should individuate the senses. The big question is this: Is "vision" assisted by (tactile) sensory substitution really vision? Or is it tactile perception? Or some sui generis novel form of perception? My claim is that sensory substitution assisted "vision" is neither vision nor tactile perception, because it is not perception at all. It is mental imagery: visual mental imagery triggered by tactile sensory stimulation. But it is a special form of mental imagery that is triggered by corresponding sensory stimulation in a different sense modality, which I call "multimodal mental imagery."

A question of intention in motor imagery.

PubMed

Gabbard, Carl; Cordova, Alberto; Lee, Sunghan

2009-03-01

We examined the question-is the intention of completing a simulated motor action the same as the intention used in processing overt actions? Participants used motor imagery to estimate distance reachability in two conditions: Imagery-Only (IO) and Imagery-Execution (IE). With IO (red target) only a verbal estimate using imagery was given. With IE (green target) participants knew that they would actually reach after giving a verbal estimate and be judged on accuracy. After measuring actual maximum reach, used for the comparison, imagery targets were randomly presented across peripersonal- (within reach) and extrapersonal (beyond reach) space. Results indicated no difference in overall accuracy by condition, however, there was a significant distinction by space; participants were more accurate in peripersonal space. Although more research is needed, these findings support an increasing body of evidence suggesting that the neurocognitive processes (in this case, intention) driving motor imagery and overt actions are similar.

The Sport Imagery Questionnaire for Children (SIQ-C)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, C. R.; Munroe-Chandler, K. J.; Fishburne, G. J.; Hall, N. D.

2009-01-01

Athletes of all ages report using imagery extensively to enhance their sport performance. The Sport Imagery Questionnaire (Hall, Mack, Paivio, & Hausenblas, 1998) was developed to assess cognitive and motivational imagery used by adult athletes. No such instrument currently exists to measure the use of imagery by young athletes. The aim of the…

Par Pond vegetation status 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackey, H.E. Jr.; Riley, R.S.

1996-12-01

The water level of Par Pond was lowered approximately 20 feet in mid-1991 in order to protect downstream residents from possible dam failure suggested by subsidence on the downstream slope of the dam and to repair the dam. This lowering exposed both emergent and nonemergent macrophyte beds to drying conditions resulting in extensive losses. A survey of the newly emergent, shoreline aquatic plant communities of Par Pond began in June 1995, three months after the refilling of Par Pond to approximately 200 feet above mean sea level. These surveys continued in July, September, and late October, 1995, and into themore » early spring and late summer of 1996. Communities similar to the pre-drawdown, Par Pond aquatic plant communities continue to become re-established. Emergent beds of maidencane, lotus, waterlily, watershield, and Pontederia are extensive and well developed. Measures of percent cover, width of beds, and estimates of area of coverage with satellite data indicate regrowth within two years of from 40 to 60% of levels prior to the draw down. Cattail occurrence continued to increase during the summer of 1996, especially in the former warm arm of Par Pond, but large beds common to Par Pond prior to the draw down still have not formed. Lotus has invaded and occupies many of the areas formerly dominated by cattail beds. To track the continued development of macrophytes in Par Pond, future surveys through the summer and early fall of 1997, along with the evaluation of satellite data to map the extent of the macrophyte beds of Par Pond, are planned.« less

BOREAS Level-2 NS001 TMS Imagery: Reflectance and Temperature in BSQ Format

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lobitz, Brad; Spanner, Michael; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Newcomer, Jeffrey A. (Editor); Strub, Richard

2000-01-01

For BOREAS, the NS001 TMS images, along with the other remotely sensed data, were collected to provide spatially extensive information over the primary study areas. This information includes detailed land cover and biophysical parameter maps such as fPAR and LAI. Collection of the NS001 images occurred over the study areas during the 1994 field campaigns. The level-2 NS001 data are atmospherically corrected versions of some of the best original NS001 imagery and cover the dates of 19-Apr-1994, 07-Jun-1994, 21-Jul-1994, 08-Aug-1994, and 16-Sep-1994. The data are not geographically/geometrically corrected; however, files of relative X and Y coordinates for each image pixel were derived by using the C130 INS data in an NS001 scan model. The data are provided in binary image format files.

Matrix metalloproteases and PAR1 activation

PubMed Central

Austin, Karyn M.; Covic, Lidija

2013-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases, including atherothrombosis, are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, Europe, and the developed world. Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) have recently emerged as important mediators of platelet and endothelial function, and atherothrombotic disease. Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) is a G protein-coupled receptor that is classically activated through cleavage of the N-terminal exodomain by the serine protease thrombin. Most recently, 2 MMPs have been discovered to have agonist activity for PAR1. Unexpectedly, MMP-1 and MMP-13 cleave the N-terminal exodomain of PAR1 at noncanonical sites, which result in distinct tethered ligands that activate G-protein signaling pathways. PAR1 exhibits metalloprotease-specific signaling patterns, known as biased agonism, that produce distinct functional outputs by the cell. Here we contrast the mechanisms of canonical (thrombin) and noncanonical (MMP) PAR1 activation, the contribution of MMP-PAR1 signaling to diseases of the vasculature, and the therapeutic potential of inhibiting MMP-PAR1 signaling with MMP inhibitors, including atherothrombotic disease, in-stent restenosis, heart failure, and sepsis. PMID:23086754

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

PubMed Central

Callow, Nichola; Roberts, Ross; Hardy, Lew; Jiang, Dan; Edwards, Martin Gareth

2013-01-01

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. PMID:24155710

Mental Imagery: Functional Mechanisms and Clinical Applications

PubMed Central

Pearson, Joel; Naselaris, Thomas; Holmes, Emily A.; Kosslyn, Stephen M.

2015-01-01

Mental imagery research has weathered both disbelief of the phenomenon and inherent methodological limitations. Here we review recent behavioral, brain imaging, and clinical research that has reshaped our understanding of mental imagery. Research supports the claim that visual mental imagery is a depictive internal representation that functions like a weak form of perception. Brain imaging work has demonstrated that neural representations of mental and perceptual images resemble one another as early as the primary visual cortex (V1). Activity patterns in V1 encode mental images and perceptual images via a common set of low-level depictive visual features. Recent translational and clinical research reveals the pivotal role that imagery plays in many mental disorders and suggests how clinicians can utilize imagery in treatment. PMID:26412097

Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) - Rapidly Serving NASA Imagery for Applications and Science Users

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmaltz, J. E.; Ilavajhala, S.; Plesea, L.; Hall, J. R.; Boller, R. A.; Chang, G.; Sadaqathullah, S.; Kim, R.; Murphy, K. J.; Thompson, C. K.

2012-12-01

Expedited processing of imagery from NASA satellites for near-real time use by non-science applications users has a long history, especially since the beginning of the Terra and Aqua missions. Several years ago, the Land Atmosphere Near-real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) was created to greatly expand the range of near-real time data products from a variety of Earth Observing System (EOS) instruments. NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) began exploring methods to distribute these data as imagery in an intuitive, geo-referenced format, which would be available within three hours of acquisition. Toward this end, EOSDIS has developed the Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS, http://earthdata.nasa.gov/gibs) to provide highly responsive, scalable, and expandable imagery services. The baseline technology chosen for GIBS was a Tiled Web Mapping Service (TWMS) developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Using this, global images and mosaics are divided into tiles with fixed bounding boxes for a pyramid of fixed resolutions. Initially, the satellite imagery is created at the existing data systems for each sensor, ensuring the oversight of those most knowledgeable about the science. There, the satellite data is geolocated and converted to an image format such as JPEG, TIFF, or PNG. The GIBS ingest server retrieves imagery from the various data systems and converts them into image tiles, which are stored in a highly-optimized raster format named Meta Raster Format (MRF). The image tiles are then served to users via HTTP by means of an Apache module. Services are available for the entire globe (lat-long projection) and for both polar regions (polar stereographic projection). Requests to the services can be made with the non-standard, but widely known, TWMS format or via the well-known OGC Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) standard format. Standard OGC Web Map Service (WMS) access to the GIBS server is also available. In addition, users may request a

Use of ERTS-1 imagery in forest inventory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rennie, J. C.; Birth, E. E.

1974-01-01

The utility of ERTS-1 imagery when combined with field observations and with aircraft imagery and field observations is evaluated. Satellite imagery consisted of 9-1/2 inch black and white negatives of four multispectral scanner bands taken over Polk County, Tennessee. Aircraft imagery was obtained by a C-130 flying at 23,000 ft over the same area and provided the basis for locating ground plots for field observations. Correspondence between aircraft and satellite imagery was somewhat inaccurate due to seasonal differences in observations and lack of good photogrammetry with the data processing system used. Better correspondence was found between satellite imagery and ground observations. Ways to obtain more accurate data are discussed, and comparisons between aircraft and satellite observations are tabulated.

Selective effect of physical fatigue on motor imagery accuracy.

PubMed

Di Rienzo, Franck; Collet, Christian; Hoyek, Nady; Guillot, Aymeric

2012-01-01

While the use of motor imagery (the mental representation of an action without overt execution) during actual training sessions is usually recommended, experimental studies examining the effect of physical fatigue on subsequent motor imagery performance are sparse and yielded divergent findings. Here, we investigated whether physical fatigue occurring during an intense sport training session affected motor imagery ability. Twelve swimmers (nine males, mean age 15.5 years) conducted a 45 min physically-fatiguing protocol where they swam from 70% to 100% of their maximal aerobic speed. We tested motor imagery ability immediately before and after fatigue state. Participants randomly imagined performing a swim turn using internal and external visual imagery. Self-reports ratings, imagery times and electrodermal responses, an index of alertness from the autonomic nervous system, were the dependent variables. Self-reports ratings indicated that participants did not encounter difficulty when performing motor imagery after fatigue. However, motor imagery times were significantly shortened during posttest compared to both pretest and actual turn times, thus indicating reduced timing accuracy. Looking at the selective effect of physical fatigue on external visual imagery did not reveal any difference before and after fatigue, whereas significantly shorter imagined times and electrodermal responses (respectively 15% and 48% decrease, p<0.001) were observed during the posttest for internal visual imagery. A significant correlation (r=0.64; p<0.05) was observed between motor imagery vividness (estimated through imagery questionnaire) and autonomic responses during motor imagery after fatigue. These data support that unlike local muscle fatigue, physical fatigue occurring during intense sport training sessions is likely to affect motor imagery accuracy. These results might be explained by the updating of the internal representation of the motor sequence, due to temporary

Selective Effect of Physical Fatigue on Motor Imagery Accuracy

PubMed Central

Di Rienzo, Franck; Collet, Christian; Hoyek, Nady; Guillot, Aymeric

2012-01-01

While the use of motor imagery (the mental representation of an action without overt execution) during actual training sessions is usually recommended, experimental studies examining the effect of physical fatigue on subsequent motor imagery performance are sparse and yielded divergent findings. Here, we investigated whether physical fatigue occurring during an intense sport training session affected motor imagery ability. Twelve swimmers (nine males, mean age 15.5 years) conducted a 45 min physically-fatiguing protocol where they swam from 70% to 100% of their maximal aerobic speed. We tested motor imagery ability immediately before and after fatigue state. Participants randomly imagined performing a swim turn using internal and external visual imagery. Self-reports ratings, imagery times and electrodermal responses, an index of alertness from the autonomic nervous system, were the dependent variables. Self-reports ratings indicated that participants did not encounter difficulty when performing motor imagery after fatigue. However, motor imagery times were significantly shortened during posttest compared to both pretest and actual turn times, thus indicating reduced timing accuracy. Looking at the selective effect of physical fatigue on external visual imagery did not reveal any difference before and after fatigue, whereas significantly shorter imagined times and electrodermal responses (respectively 15% and 48% decrease, p<0.001) were observed during the posttest for internal visual imagery. A significant correlation (r = 0.64; p<0.05) was observed between motor imagery vividness (estimated through imagery questionnaire) and autonomic responses during motor imagery after fatigue. These data support that unlike local muscle fatigue, physical fatigue occurring during intense sport training sessions is likely to affect motor imagery accuracy. These results might be explained by the updating of the internal representation of the motor sequence, due to temporary

Assessing mental imagery in clinical psychology: A review of imagery measures and a guiding framework

PubMed Central

Pearson, David G.; Deeprose, Catherine; Wallace-Hadrill, Sophie M.A.; Heyes, Stephanie Burnett; Holmes, Emily A.

2013-01-01

Mental imagery is an under-explored field in clinical psychology research but presents a topic of potential interest and relevance across many clinical disorders, including social phobia, schizophrenia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is currently a lack of a guiding framework from which clinicians may select the domains or associated measures most likely to be of appropriate use in mental imagery research. We adopt an interdisciplinary approach and present a review of studies across experimental psychology and clinical psychology in order to highlight the key domains and measures most likely to be of relevance. This includes a consideration of methods for experimentally assessing the generation, maintenance, inspection and transformation of mental images; as well as subjective measures of characteristics such as image vividness and clarity. We present a guiding framework in which we propose that cognitive, subjective and clinical aspects of imagery should be explored in future research. The guiding framework aims to assist researchers in the selection of measures for assessing those aspects of mental imagery that are of most relevance to clinical psychology. We propose that a greater understanding of the role of mental imagery in clinical disorders will help drive forward advances in both theory and treatment. PMID:23123567

Imagery Rescripting for Personality Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arntz, Arnoud

2011-01-01

Imagery rescripting is a powerful technique that can be successfully applied in the treatment of personality disorders. For personality disorders, imagery rescripting is not used to address intrusive images but to change the implicational meaning of schemas and childhood experiences that underlie the patient's problems. Various mechanisms that may…

Large-scale feature searches of collections of medical imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedgcock, Marcus W.; Karshat, Walter B.; Levitt, Tod S.; Vosky, D. N.

1993-09-01

Large scale feature searches of accumulated collections of medical imagery are required for multiple purposes, including clinical studies, administrative planning, epidemiology, teaching, quality improvement, and research. To perform a feature search of large collections of medical imagery, one can either search text descriptors of the imagery in the collection (usually the interpretation), or (if the imagery is in digital format) the imagery itself. At our institution, text interpretations of medical imagery are all available in our VA Hospital Information System. These are downloaded daily into an off-line computer. The text descriptors of most medical imagery are usually formatted as free text, and so require a user friendly database search tool to make searches quick and easy for any user to design and execute. We are tailoring such a database search tool (Liveview), developed by one of the authors (Karshat). To further facilitate search construction, we are constructing (from our accumulated interpretation data) a dictionary of medical and radiological terms and synonyms. If the imagery database is digital, the imagery which the search discovers is easily retrieved from the computer archive. We describe our database search user interface, with examples, and compare the efficacy of computer assisted imagery searches from a clinical text database with manual searches. Our initial work on direct feature searches of digital medical imagery is outlined.

Tobacco imagery on New Zealand television 2002-2004.

PubMed

McGee, Rob; Ketchel, Juanita

2006-10-01

Considerable emphasis has been placed on the importance of tobacco imagery in the movies as one of the "drivers" of smoking among young people. Findings are presented from a content analysis of 98 hours of prime-time programming on New Zealand television 2004, identifying 152 scenes with tobacco imagery, and selected characteristics of those scenes. About one in four programmes contained tobacco imagery, most of which might be regarded as "neutral or positive". This amounted to about two scenes containing such imagery for every hour of programming. A comparison with our earlier content analysis of programming in 2002 indicated little change in the level of tobacco imagery. The effect of this imagery in contributing to young viewers taking up smoking, and sustaining the addiction among those already smoking, deserves more research attention.

Using Panchromatic Imagery in Place of Multispectral Imagery for Kelp Detection in Water

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ( NDVI ). In broadband panchromatic imagery, the kelp appears brighter than the water because of the strong...response of vegetation in the NIR, and can be reliably detected by means of a simple threshold; overall brightness is generally proportional to the NDVI ...Index ( NDVI ). In broadband panchromatic imagery, the kelp appears brighter than the water because of the strong response of vegetation in the NIR, and

Suicidal Imagery in a Previously Depressed Community Sample

PubMed Central

Crane, Catherine; Shah, Dhruvi; Barnhofer, Thorsten; Holmes, Emily A.

2015-01-01

This study sought to replicate previous findings of vivid suicide-related imagery in previously suicidal patients in a community sample of adults with a history of depression. Twenty-seven participants were interviewed regarding suicidal imagery. Seventeen participants reported prior suicidal ideation or behaviour in the clinical assessment, and the vast majority of these also reported experiencing suicide-related imagery when at their most depressed and despairing, in many cases in the form of flash-forwards to imagined future suicidal acts. Interestingly, five of the 10 participants who did not report suicidal ideation or behaviour in the clinical interview also described prominent imagery related to themes of death and suicide, but in several cases, these images were associated with meanings that seemed to act to reduce the likelihood of subsequent suicidal acts. Severity of prior suicidality was associated with lower levels of imagery-related distress and higher levels of imagery-related comfort. These findings support the idea that suicide-related imagery is an important component in the phenomenology of depression and despair and hint at potentially important differences in the meaning associated with such imagery between those individuals who report experiencing suicidal ideation or behaviour when depressed and those who do not. The findings are consistent with Joiner’s model of acquired capability for suicide through habituation to pain and fear of suicide and suggest that it may be useful to tackle such imagery directly in the treatment of suicidal patients. PMID:21254309

The tail of the ParG DNA segregation protein remodels ParF polymers and enhances ATP hydrolysis via an arginine finger-like motif

PubMed Central

Barillà, Daniela; Carmelo, Emma; Hayes, Finbarr

2007-01-01

The ParF protein of plasmid TP228 belongs to the ubiquitous superfamily of ParA ATPases that drive DNA segregation in bacteria. ATP-bound ParF polymerizes into multistranded filaments. The partner protein ParG is dimeric, consisting of C-termini that interweave into a ribbon–helix–helix domain contacting the centromeric DNA and unstructured N-termini. ParG stimulates ATP hydrolysis by ParF ≈30-fold. Here, we establish that the mobile tails of ParG are crucial for this enhancement and that arginine R19 within the tail is absolutely required for activation of ParF nucleotide hydrolysis. R19 is part of an arginine finger-like loop in ParG that is predicted to intercalate into the ParF nucleotide-binding pocket thereby promoting ATP hydrolysis. Significantly, mutations of R19 abrogated DNA segregation in vivo, proving that intracellular stimulation of ATP hydrolysis by ParG is a key regulatory process for partitioning. Furthermore, ParG bundles ParF-ATP filaments as well as promoting nucleotide-independent polymerization. The N-terminal flexible tail is required for both activities, because N-terminal ΔParG polypeptides are defective in both functions. Strikingly, the critical arginine finger-like residue R19 is dispensable for ParG-mediated remodeling of ParF polymers, revealing that the ParG N-terminal tail possesses two separable activities in the interplay with ParF: a catalytic function during ATP hydrolysis and a mechanical role in modulation of polymerization. We speculate that activation of nucleotide hydrolysis via an arginine finger loop may be a conserved, regulatory mechanism of ParA family members and their partner proteins, including ParA-ParB and Soj-Spo0J that mediate DNA segregation and MinD-MinE that determine septum localization. PMID:17261809

The tail of the ParG DNA segregation protein remodels ParF polymers and enhances ATP hydrolysis via an arginine finger-like motif.

PubMed

Barillà, Daniela; Carmelo, Emma; Hayes, Finbarr

2007-02-06

The ParF protein of plasmid TP228 belongs to the ubiquitous superfamily of ParA ATPases that drive DNA segregation in bacteria. ATP-bound ParF polymerizes into multistranded filaments. The partner protein ParG is dimeric, consisting of C-termini that interweave into a ribbon-helix-helix domain contacting the centromeric DNA and unstructured N-termini. ParG stimulates ATP hydrolysis by ParF approximately 30-fold. Here, we establish that the mobile tails of ParG are crucial for this enhancement and that arginine R19 within the tail is absolutely required for activation of ParF nucleotide hydrolysis. R19 is part of an arginine finger-like loop in ParG that is predicted to intercalate into the ParF nucleotide-binding pocket thereby promoting ATP hydrolysis. Significantly, mutations of R19 abrogated DNA segregation in vivo, proving that intracellular stimulation of ATP hydrolysis by ParG is a key regulatory process for partitioning. Furthermore, ParG bundles ParF-ATP filaments as well as promoting nucleotide-independent polymerization. The N-terminal flexible tail is required for both activities, because N-terminal DeltaParG polypeptides are defective in both functions. Strikingly, the critical arginine finger-like residue R19 is dispensable for ParG-mediated remodeling of ParF polymers, revealing that the ParG N-terminal tail possesses two separable activities in the interplay with ParF: a catalytic function during ATP hydrolysis and a mechanical role in modulation of polymerization. We speculate that activation of nucleotide hydrolysis via an arginine finger loop may be a conserved, regulatory mechanism of ParA family members and their partner proteins, including ParA-ParB and Soj-Spo0J that mediate DNA segregation and MinD-MinE that determine septum localization.

Control of cleavage spindle orientation in Caenorhabditis elegans: The role of the genes par-2 and par-3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheng, N.N.; Kirby, C.M.; Kemphues, K.J.

1995-02-01

Polarized asymmetric divisions play important roles in the development of plants and animals. The first two embryonic cleavages of Caenorhabditis elegans provide an opportunity to study the mechanisms controlling polarized asymmetric divisions. The first cleavage is unequal, producing daughters with different sizes and fates. The daughter blastomeres divide with different orientations at the second cleavage; the anterior blastomere divides equally across the long axis of the egg, whereas the posterior blastomere divides unequally along the long axis. We report here the results of our analysis of the genes par-2 and par-3 with respect to their contribution to the polarity ofmore » these divisions. Strong loss-of-function mutations in both genes lead to an equal first cleavage and an altered second cleavage. Interestingly, the mutations exhibit striking gene-specific differences at the second cleavage. The par-2 mutations lead to transverse spindle orientations in both blastomeres, whereas par-3 mutations lead to longitudinal spindle orientations in both blastomeres. The spindle orientation defects correlate with defects in centrosome movements during both the first and the second cell cycle. Temperature shift experiments with par-2 (it5ts) indicate that the par-2(+) activity is not required after the two-cell stage. Analysis of double mutants shows that par-3 is epistatic to par-2. We propose a model wherein par-2(+) and par-3(+) act in concert during the first cell cycle to affect asymmetric modification of the cytoskeleton. This polar modification leads to different behaviors of centrosomes in the anterior and posterior and leads ultimately to blastomere-specific spindle orientations at the second cleavage. 44 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.« less

NOAA's Use of High-Resolution Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hund, Erik

2007-01-01

NOAA's use of high-resolution imagery consists of: a) Shoreline mapping and nautical chart revision; b) Coastal land cover mapping; c) Benthic habitat mapping; d) Disaster response; and e) Imagery collection and support for coastal programs.

Visual Imagery without Visual Perception?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertolo, Helder

2005-01-01

The question regarding visual imagery and visual perception remain an open issue. Many studies have tried to understand if the two processes share the same mechanisms or if they are independent, using different neural substrates. Most research has been directed towards the need of activation of primary visual areas during imagery. Here we review…

Caracterisation des occupations du sol en milieu urbain par imagerie radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Codjia, Claude

were able to devise a strategy of compensation of cardinal effects solely based on the responses of the objects according to their orientation from the plane of illumination through the radar's beam. It appeared that a compensation algorithm based on the radar cross section was appropriate. Some examples of the application of this algorithm on HH polarized RADARSAT-2 images are presented as well. Application of this algorithm will allow considerable gains with regard to certain forms of automation (classification and segmentation) at the level of radar imagery thus generating a higher level of quality in regard to visual interpretation. Application of this algorithm on RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2 images with HH, HV, VH, and VV polarisations helped make considerable gains and eliminate most of the classification errors due to the cardinal effects.

The investigation of classification methods of high-resolution imagery

Treesearch

Tracey S. Frescino; Gretchen G. Moisen; Larry DeBlander; Michel Guerin

2007-01-01

As remote-sensing technology advances, high-resolution imagery, such as Quickbird and photography from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), is becoming more readily available for use in forestry applications. Quickbird imagery is currently the highest resolution imagery commercially available. It consists of 2.44-m (8-ft) resolution multispectral bands...

The differential contributions of visual imagery constructs on autobiographical thinking.

PubMed

Aydin, Cagla

2018-02-01

There is a growing theoretical and empirical consensus on the central role of visual imagery in autobiographical memory. However, findings from studies that explore how individual differences in visual imagery are reflected on autobiographical thinking do not present a coherent story. One reason for the mixed findings was suggested to be the treatment of visual imagery as an undifferentiated construct while evidence shows that there is more than one type of visual imagery. The present study investigates the relative contributions of different imagery constructs; namely, object and spatial imagery, on autobiographical memory processes. Additionally, it explores whether a similar relation extends to imagining the future. The results indicate that while object imagery was significantly correlated with several phenomenological characteristics, such as the level of sensory and perceptual details for past events - but not for future events - spatial imagery predicted the level of episodic specificity for both past and future events. We interpret these findings as object imagery being recruited in tasks of autobiographical memory that employ reflective processes while spatial imagery is engaged during direct retrieval of event details. Implications for the role of visual imagery in autobiographical thinking processes are discussed.

Motor experience with a sport-specific implement affects motor imagery

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hua; Shen, Cheng; Zhang, Jian

2018-01-01

The present study tested whether sport-specific implements facilitate motor imagery, whereas nonspecific implements disrupt motor imagery. We asked a group of basketball players (experts) and a group of healthy controls (novices) to physically perform (motor execution) and mentally simulate (motor imagery) basketball throws. Subjects produced motor imagery when they were holding a basketball, a volleyball, or nothing. Motor imagery performance was measured by temporal congruence, which is the correspondence between imagery and execution times estimated as (imagery time minus execution time) divided by (imagery time plus execution time), as well as the vividness of motor imagery. Results showed that experts produced greater temporal congruence and vividness of kinesthetic imagery while holding a basketball compared to when they were holding nothing, suggesting a facilitation effect from sport-specific implements. In contrast, experts produced lower temporal congruence and vividness of kinesthetic imagery while holding a volleyball compared to when they were holding nothing, suggesting the interference effect of nonspecific implements. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between temporal congruence and the vividness of kinesthetic imagery in experts while holding a basketball. On the contrary, the implement manipulation did not modulate the temporal congruence of novices. Our findings suggest that motor representation in experts is built on motor experience associated with specific-implement use and thus was subjected to modulation of the implement held. We conclude that sport-specific implements facilitate motor imagery, whereas nonspecific implements could disrupt motor representation in experts. PMID:29719738

Mental imagery in emotion and emotional disorders.

PubMed

Holmes, Emily A; Mathews, Andrew

2010-04-01

Mental imagery has been considered relevant to psychopathology due to its supposed special relationship with emotion, although evidence for this assumption has been conspicuously lacking. The present review is divided into four main sections: (1) First, we review evidence that imagery can evoke emotion in at least three ways: a direct influence on emotional systems in the brain that are responsive to sensory signals; overlap between processes involved in mental imagery and perception which can lead to responding "as if" to real emotion-arousing events; and the capacity of images to make contact with memories for emotional episodes in the past. (2) Second, we describe new evidence confirming that imagery does indeed evoke greater emotional responses than verbal representation, although the extent of emotional response depends on the image perspective adopted. (3) Third, a heuristic model is presented that contrasts the generation of language-based representations with imagery and offers an account of their differing effects on emotion, beliefs and behavior. (4) Finally, based on the foregoing review, we discuss the role of imagery in maintaining emotional disorders, and its uses in psychological treatment. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Auditory and motor imagery modulate learning in music performance

PubMed Central

Brown, Rachel M.; Palmer, Caroline

2013-01-01

Skilled performers such as athletes or musicians can improve their performance by imagining the actions or sensory outcomes associated with their skill. Performers vary widely in their auditory and motor imagery abilities, and these individual differences influence sensorimotor learning. It is unknown whether imagery abilities influence both memory encoding and retrieval. We examined how auditory and motor imagery abilities influence musicians' encoding (during Learning, as they practiced novel melodies), and retrieval (during Recall of those melodies). Pianists learned melodies by listening without performing (auditory learning) or performing without sound (motor learning); following Learning, pianists performed the melodies from memory with auditory feedback (Recall). During either Learning (Experiment 1) or Recall (Experiment 2), pianists experienced either auditory interference, motor interference, or no interference. Pitch accuracy (percentage of correct pitches produced) and temporal regularity (variability of quarter-note interonset intervals) were measured at Recall. Independent tests measured auditory and motor imagery skills. Pianists' pitch accuracy was higher following auditory learning than following motor learning and lower in motor interference conditions (Experiments 1 and 2). Both auditory and motor imagery skills improved pitch accuracy overall. Auditory imagery skills modulated pitch accuracy encoding (Experiment 1): Higher auditory imagery skill corresponded to higher pitch accuracy following auditory learning with auditory or motor interference, and following motor learning with motor or no interference. These findings suggest that auditory imagery abilities decrease vulnerability to interference and compensate for missing auditory feedback at encoding. Auditory imagery skills also influenced temporal regularity at retrieval (Experiment 2): Higher auditory imagery skill predicted greater temporal regularity during Recall in the presence of

Interactively Browsing NASA's EOS Imagery in Full Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boller, R. A.; Joshi, T.; Schmaltz, J. E.; Ilavajhala, S.; Davies, D.; Murphy, K. J.

2012-12-01

Worldview is a new tool designed to interactively browse full-resolution imagery from NASA's fleet of Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites. It is web-based and developed using open standards (JavaScript, CSS, HTML) for cross-platform compatibility. It addresses growing user demands for access to full-resolution imagery by providing a responsive, interactive interface with global coverage, no artificial boundaries, and views in geographic and polar projections. Currently tailored to the near real-time community, Worldview enables the rapid evaluation and comparison of imagery related to such application areas as fires, floods, and air quality. It is supported by the Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), a system that continuously ingests, mosaics, and serves approximately 21GB of imagery daily. This imagery spans over 50 data products that are available within three hours of observation from instruments aboard Terra, Aqua, and Aura. The GIBS image archive began in May 2012 and will have published approximately 4.4TB of imagery as of December 2012. Worldview facilitates rapid access to this archive and is supplemented by socioeconomic data layers from the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), including products such as population density and economic risk from cyclones. Future plans include the accessibility of additional products that cover the entire Terra/MODIS and Aqua/MODIS missions (>150TB) and the ability to download the underlying science data of the onscreen imagery.

Dynamic Neuro-Cognitive Imagery Improves Mental Imagery Ability, Disease Severity, and Motor and Cognitive Functions in People with Parkinson's Disease

PubMed Central

Hart, Ariel; Andrade, Isaac; Hackney, Madeleine E.

2018-01-01

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience kinesthetic deficits, which affect motor and nonmotor functions, including mental imagery. Imagery training is a recommended, yet underresearched, approach in PD rehabilitation. Dynamic Neuro-Cognitive Imagery (DNI™) is a codified method for imagery training. Twenty subjects with idiopathic PD (Hoehn and Yahr stages I–III) were randomly allocated into DNI training (experimental; n = 10) or in-home learning and exercise program (control; n = 10). Both groups completed at least 16 hours of training within two weeks. DNI training focused on anatomical embodiment and kinesthetic awareness. Imagery abilities, disease severity, and motor and nonmotor functions were assessed pre- and postintervention. The DNI participants improved (p < .05) in mental imagery abilities, disease severity, and motor and spatial cognitive functions. Participants also reported improvements in balance, walking, mood, and coordination, and they were more physically active. Both groups strongly agreed they enjoyed their program and were more mentally active. DNI training is a promising rehabilitation method for improving imagery ability, disease severity, and motor and nonmotor functions in people with PD. This training might serve as a complementary PD therapeutic approach. Future studies should explore the effect of DNI on motor learning and control strategies. PMID:29725348

Motor imagery beyond the motor repertoire: Activity in the primary visual cortex during kinesthetic motor imagery of difficult whole body movements.

PubMed

Mizuguchi, N; Nakata, H; Kanosue, K

2016-02-19

To elucidate the neural substrate associated with capabilities for kinesthetic motor imagery of difficult whole-body movements, we measured brain activity during a trial involving both kinesthetic motor imagery and action observation as well as during a trial with action observation alone. Brain activity was assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Nineteen participants imagined three types of whole-body movements with the horizontal bar: the giant swing, kip, and chin-up during action observation. No participant had previously tried to perform the giant swing. The vividness of kinesthetic motor imagery as assessed by questionnaire was highest for the chin-up, less for the kip and lowest for the giant swing. Activity in the primary visual cortex (V1) during kinesthetic motor imagery with action observation minus that during action observation alone was significantly greater in the giant swing condition than in the chin-up condition within participants. Across participants, V1 activity of kinesthetic motor imagery of the kip during action observation minus that during action observation alone was negatively correlated with vividness of the kip imagery. These results suggest that activity in V1 is dependent upon the capability of kinesthetic motor imagery for difficult whole-body movements. Since V1 activity is likely related to the creation of a visual image, we speculate that visual motor imagery is recruited unintentionally for the less vivid kinesthetic motor imagery of difficult whole-body movements. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Imagery for Self-Healing and Integrative Nursing Practice.

PubMed

Kubes, Laurie F

2015-11-01

Imagery has been used as a healing practice since ancient times. Its reemergence in modern medicine began in the second half of the 20th century, when research suggested that imagery could help reduce patients' pain and anxiety and improve their quality of life and outlook on their illness. While current evidence is insufficient to support claims that imagery affects disease progression, research suggests that this method of inducing relaxation encourages patients' healing process and gives them a greater sense of autonomy in relation to disease and its management. Because imagery is noninvasive, the risks associated with its use are minimal and it is now widely used in integrative nursing. The author discusses imagery's uses and benefits, as well as the potential pitfalls in its use, and describes an imagery technique she has found effective in practice, providing a sample script and explaining how the technique might be used to help patients in various settings.

The applied model of imagery use: Examination of moderation and mediation effects.

PubMed

Koehn, S; Stavrou, N A M; Young, J A; Morris, T

2016-08-01

The applied model of mental imagery use proposed an interaction effect between imagery type and imagery ability. This study had two aims: (a) the examination of imagery ability as a moderating variable between imagery type and dispositional flow, and (b) the testing of alternative mediation models. The sample consisted of 367 athletes from Scotland and Australia, who completed the Sport Imagery Questionnaire, Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire, and Dispositional Flow Scale-2. Hierarchical regression analysis showed direct effects of imagery use and imagery ability on flow, but no significant interaction. Mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect path, indicating a partially mediated relationship (P = 0.002) between imagery use, imagery ability, and flow. Partial mediation was confirmed when the effect of cognitive imagery use and cognitive imagery ability was tested, and a full mediation model was found between motivational imagery use, motivational imagery ability, and flow. The results are discussed in conjunction with potential future research directions on advancing theory and applications. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mental imagery boosts music compositional creativity

PubMed Central

Lim, Stephen Wee Hun

2017-01-01

We empirically investigated the effect of mental imagery on young children’s music compositional creativity. Children aged 5 to 8 years participated in two music composition sessions. In the control session, participants based their composition on a motif that they had created using a sequence of letter names. In the mental imagery session, participants were given a picture of an animal and instructed to imagine the animal’s sounds and movements, before incorporating what they had imagined into their composition. Six expert judges independently rated all music compositions on creativity based on subjective criteria (consensual assessment). Reliability analyses indicated that the expert judges demonstrated a high level of agreement in their ratings. The mental imagery compositions received significantly higher creativity ratings by the expert judges than did the control compositions. These results provide evidence for the effectiveness of mental imagery in enhancing young children’s music compositional creativity. PMID:28296965

Mental imagery boosts music compositional creativity.

PubMed

Wong, Sarah Shi Hui; Lim, Stephen Wee Hun

2017-01-01

We empirically investigated the effect of mental imagery on young children's music compositional creativity. Children aged 5 to 8 years participated in two music composition sessions. In the control session, participants based their composition on a motif that they had created using a sequence of letter names. In the mental imagery session, participants were given a picture of an animal and instructed to imagine the animal's sounds and movements, before incorporating what they had imagined into their composition. Six expert judges independently rated all music compositions on creativity based on subjective criteria (consensual assessment). Reliability analyses indicated that the expert judges demonstrated a high level of agreement in their ratings. The mental imagery compositions received significantly higher creativity ratings by the expert judges than did the control compositions. These results provide evidence for the effectiveness of mental imagery in enhancing young children's music compositional creativity.

Improving Long-term Post-wildfire hydrologic simulations using ParFlow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, S. R.; Kinoshita, A. M.

2015-12-01

Wildfires alter the natural hydrologic processes within a watershed. After vegetation is burned, the combustion of organic material and debris settles into the soil creating a hydrophobic layer beneath the soil surface with varying degree of thickness and depth. Vegetation regrowth rates vary as a function of radiative exposure, burn severity, and precipitation patterns. Hydrologic models used by the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams use input data and model calibration constraints that are generally either one-dimensional, empirically-based models, or two-dimensional, conceptually-based models with lumped parameter distributions. These models estimate runoff measurements at the watershed outlet; however, do not provide a distributed hydrologic simulation at each point within the watershed. This work uses ParFlow, a three-dimensional, distributed hydrologic model to (1) correlate burn severity with hydrophobicity, (2) evaluate vegetation recovery rate on water components, and (3) improve flood prediction for managers to help with resource allocation and management operations in burned watersheds. ParFlow is applied to Devil Canyon (43 km2) in San Bernardino, California, which was 97% burned in the 2003 Old Fire. The model set-up uses a 30m-cell size resolution over a 6.7 km by 6.4 km lateral extent. The subsurface reaches 30 m and is assigned a variable cell thickness. Variable subsurface thickness allows users to explicitly consider the degree of recovery throughout the stages of regrowth. Burn severity maps from remotely sensed imagery are used to assign initial hydrophobic layer parameters and thickness. Vegetation regrowth is represented with satellite an Enhanced Vegetation Index. Pre and post-fire hydrologic response is evaluated using runoff measurements at the watershed outlet, and using water component (overland flow, lateral flow, baseflow) measurements.

Guided Imagery as a Treatment Option for Fatigue

PubMed Central

Menzies, Victoria; Jallo, Nancy

2013-01-01

Purpose Fatigue is one of the most common complaints experienced among the general population. Because fatigue is recognized as a biobehavioral occurrence, a biobehavioral intervention such as guided imagery may be effective in reducing self-reported fatigue. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the research literature related to the use of guided imagery as a nonpharmacological mind-body intervention for the symptom of fatigue. Method The electronic databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection and the Cochrane Library were searched from January 1980 to June 2010. Findings Of 24 articles retrieved, eight met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic literature review. Findings were inconsistent regarding the effectiveness of guided imagery on fatigue. Studies varied in study length, duration of the applied guided imagery intervention, dosage, and whether the images were targeted to the purpose of the intervention. Implications Guided imagery is a simple, economic intervention with the potential to effectively treat fatigue, thus further research is warranted using systematic, well-designed methodologies Standardizing guided imagery interventions according to total duration of exposure and targeted imagery in a variety of different populations adequately powered to detect changes will contribute to and strengthen nursing’s symptom-management armamentarium. PMID:21772047

Imagery Rescripting of Early Traumatic Memories in Social Phobia

PubMed Central

Wild, Jennifer; Clark, David M.

2011-01-01

Negative self-images appear to play a role in the maintenance of social phobia and research suggests they are often linked to earlier memories of socially traumatic events. Imagery rescripting is a clinical intervention that aims to update such unpleasant or traumatic memories, and is increasingly being incorporated in cognitive behavioral therapy programs. In previous research, we have found that imagery rescripting was superior to a control condition in terms of its beneficial effects on negative beliefs, image and memory distress, fear of negative evaluation, and anxiety in social situations. In this article, we describe our imagery rescripting procedure. We consider the importance of updating negative imagery in social phobia, the theoretical basis for imagery rescripting, directions for future research, and how to conduct imagery rescripting, including potential problems and their solutions. PMID:22298942

PAR-2 regulates dental pulp inflammation associated with caries.

PubMed

Lundy, F T; About, I; Curtis, T M; McGahon, M K; Linden, G J; Irwin, C R; El Karim, I A

2010-07-01

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are G-protein-coupled receptors that are activated enzymatically by proteolysis of an N-terminal domain. The cleavage and activation of PARs by serine proteases represent a novel mechanism by which such enzymes could influence the host inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to determine whether PAR-2 expression and activation were increased in dental caries. Using immunohistochemistry, we showed PAR-2 to be localized to pulp cells subjacent to caries lesions, but minimally expressed by healthy pulp tissue. Trypsin and the PAR-2 agonist (PAR2-AP) activated PAR-2 in an in vitro functional assay. Endogenous molecules present in pulp cell lysates from carious teeth specifically activated PAR-2, but those from healthy teeth failed to do so. The activation of PAR-2 in vitro was shown to increase the expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), providing a mechanism whereby PAR-2 could modulate pulpal inflammation.

Par Pond vegetation status Summer 1995 -- Summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackey, H.E. Jr.; Riley, R.S.

1996-01-01

The water level of Par Pond was lowered approximately 20 feet in mid-1991 in order to protect downstream residents from possible dam failure suggested by subsidence on the downstream slope of the dam and to repair the dam. This lowering exposed both emergent and nonemergent macrophyte beds to drying conditions resulting in extensive losses. A survey of the newly emergent, shoreline aquatic plant communities of Par Pond began in June 1995, three months after the refilling of Par Pond to approximately 200 feet above mean sea level. These surveys continued in July, September, and late October, 1995. Communities similar tomore » the pre-drawdown, Par Pond aquatic plant communities are becoming re-established. Emergent beds of maidencane, lotus, waterlily, and watershield are extensive and well developed. Cattail occurrence continued to increase during the summer, but large beds common to Par Pond prior to the drawdown have not formed. Estimates from SPOT HRV, remote sensing satellite data indicated that as much as 120 hectares of emergent wetlands vegetation may have been present along the Par Pond shoreline by early October, 1995. To track the continued development of macrophytes in Par Pond, future surveys throughout 1996 and 1997, along with the continued evaluation of satellite data to map the areal extent of the macrophyte beds of Par Pond, are planned.« less

Object versus spatial visual mental imagery in patients with schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Aleman, André; de Haan, Edward H.F.; Kahn, René S.

2005-01-01

Objective Recent research has revealed a larger impairment of object perceptual discrimination than of spatial perceptual discrimination in patients with schizophrenia. It has been suggested that mental imagery may share processing systems with perception. We investigated whether patients with schizophrenia would show greater impairment regarding object imagery than spatial imagery. Methods Forty-four patients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy control subjects were tested on a task of object visual mental imagery and on a task of spatial visual mental imagery. Both tasks included a condition in which no imagery was needed for adequate performance, but which was in other respects identical to the imagery condition. This allowed us to adjust for nonspecific differences in individual performance. Results The results revealed a significant difference between patients and controls on the object imagery task (F1,63 = 11.8, p = 0.001) but not on the spatial imagery task (F1,63 = 0.14, p = 0.71). To test for a differential effect, we conducted a 2 (patients v. controls) х 2 (object task v. spatial task) analysis of variance. The interaction term was statistically significant (F1,62 = 5.2, p = 0.026). Conclusions Our findings suggest a differential dysfunction of systems mediating object and spatial visual mental imagery in schizophrenia. PMID:15644999

Technical parameters for specifying imagery requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coan, Paul P.; Dunnette, Sheri J.

1994-01-01

Providing visual information acquired from remote events to various operators, researchers, and practitioners has become progressively more important as the application of special skills in alien or hazardous situations increases. To provide an understanding of the technical parameters required to specify imagery, we have identified, defined, and discussed seven salient characteristics of images: spatial resolution, linearity, luminance resolution, spectral discrimination, temporal discrimination, edge definition, and signal-to-noise ratio. We then describe a generalizing imaging system and identified how various parts of the system affect the image data. To emphasize the different applications of imagery, we have constrasted the common television system with the significant parameters of a televisual imaging system for technical applications. Finally, we have established a method by which the required visual information can be specified by describing certain technical parameters which are directly related to the information content of the imagery. This method requires the user to complete a form listing all pertinent data requirements for the imagery.

Physiological correlates of imagery-induced orgasm in women.

PubMed

Whipple, B; Ogden, G; Komisaruk, B R

1992-04-01

Orgasm has been reported to occur in response to imagery in the absence of any physical stimulation. This study was undertaken to ascertain whether the subjective report of imagery-induced orgasm is accompanied by physiological and perceptual events that are characteristic of genitally stimulated orgasm. Subjects were women who claimed that they could experience orgasm from imagery alone. Orgasm from self-induced imagery or genital self-stimulation generated significant increases in systolic blood pressure, heart rate, pupil diameter, pain detection threshold, and pain tolerance threshold over resting control conditions. These findings provide evidence that orgasm from self-induced imagery and genital self-stimulation can each produce significant and substantial net sympathetic activation and concomitant significant increases in pain thresholds. The increases in the self-induced imagery orgasm condition were comparable in magnitude to those in the genital self-stimulation-produced orgasm condition. On this basis we state that physical genital stimulation is evidently not necessary to produce a state that is reported to be an orgasm and that a reassessment of the nature of orgasm is warranted.

Face imagery is based on featural representations.

PubMed

Lobmaier, Janek S; Mast, Fred W

2008-01-01

The effect of imagery on featural and configural face processing was investigated using blurred and scrambled faces. By means of blurring, featural information is reduced; by scrambling a face into its constituent parts configural information is lost. Twenty-four participants learned ten faces together with the sound of a name. In following matching-to-sample tasks participants had to decide whether an auditory presented name belonged to a visually presented scrambled or blurred face in two experimental conditions. In the imagery condition, the name was presented prior to the visual stimulus and participants were required to imagine the corresponding face as clearly and vividly as possible. In the perception condition name and test face were presented simultaneously, thus no facilitation via mental imagery was possible. Analyses of the hit values showed that in the imagery condition scrambled faces were recognized significantly better than blurred faces whereas there was no such effect for the perception condition. The results suggest that mental imagery activates featural representations more than configural representations.

Mental Imagery in Creative Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polland, Mark J.

In order to investigate the relationship between mental imagery and creative problem solving, a study of 44 separate accounts reporting mental imagery experiences associated with creative discoveries were examined. The data included 29 different scientists, among them Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, and 9 artists, musicians, and writers,…

Increased mast cell expression of PAR-2 in skin inflammatory diseases and release of IL-8 upon PAR-2 activation.

PubMed

Carvalho, Ricardo Filipe da Silva; Nilsson, Gunnar; Harvima, Ilkka Tapani

2010-02-01

Mast cells are increasingly present in the lesional skin of chronic skin inflammatory diseases including psoriasis and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). It has previously been shown that proteinase-activated receptor (PAR)-2 is expressed by mast cells, and tryptase is a potent activator of this receptor. In this study, skin biopsies from both healthy-looking and lesional skin of patients with psoriasis and superficial spreading BCC were collected and the expression of PAR-2 immunoreactivity in tryptase-positive mast cells was analysed. PAR-2 expression was confirmed in vitro in different mast cell populations. Cord-blood derived mast cells (CBMC) were stimulated with a PAR-2 activating peptide, 2-furoyl-LIGRLO-NH(2). Consequently, IL-8 and histamine production was analysed in the supernatants. We observed a significant increase in the percentage of mast cells expressing PAR-2 in the lesional skin of psoriasis and BCC patients compared with the healthy-looking skin. HMC-1.2, LAD-2 and CBMC mast cells all expressed PAR-2 both intracellularly and on the cell surface. CBMC activation with the PAR-2 activating peptide resulted in an increased secretion of IL-8, but no histamine release was observed. Furthermore, both PAR-2 and IL-8 were co-localized to the same tryptase-positive mast cells in the lesional BCC skin. These results show that mast cells express increased levels of PAR-2 in chronic skin inflammation. Also, mast cells can be activated by a PAR-2 agonist to secrete IL-8, a chemokine which can contribute to the progress of inflammation.

Cortico-subcortical activation patterns for itch and pain imagery.

PubMed

Mochizuki, Hideki; Baumgärtner, Ulf; Kamping, Sandra; Ruttorf, Michaela; Schad, Lothar R; Flor, Herta; Kakigi, Ryusuke; Treede, Rolf-Detlef

2013-10-01

The imagery of itch and pain evokes emotional responses and covert motor responses (scratching to itch and withdrawal to pain). This suggests some similarity in cerebral mechanisms. However, itch is more socially contagious than pain, as evidenced by the fact that scratching behaviors can be easily initiated by watching itch-inducing situations, whereas withdrawal is less easily initiated by watching painful situations. Thus, we assumed that the cerebral mechanisms of itch imagery partly differ from those of pain imagery in particular with respect to motor regions. We addressed this issue in 18 healthy subjects using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The subjects were instructed to imagine itch and pain sensations in their own bodies while viewing pictures depicting stimuli associated with these sensations. Itch and pain imagery activated the anterior insular cortex (aIC) and motor-related regions such as supplementary motor area, basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum. Activity in these regions was not significantly different between itch and pain imagery. However, functional connectivity between motor-related regions and the aIC showed marked differences between itch and pain imagery. Connectivity with the aIC was stronger in the primary motor and premotor cortices during pain imagery and stronger in the globus pallidus during itch imagery. These findings indicate that brain regions associated with imagery of itch are the same as those involved in imagery of pain, but their functional networks differ. These differences in brain networks may explain why motor responses to itch are more socially contagious than those related to pain. Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetic activity and radial velocity filtering of young Suns: the weak-line T-Tauri stars Par 1379 and Par 2244

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, C. A.; Carmona, A.; Donati, J.-F.; Hussain, G. A. J.; Gregory, S. G.; Alencar, S. H. P.; Bouvier, J.; The Matysse Collaboration

2017-12-01

We report the results of our spectropolarimetric monitoring of the weak-line T-Tauri stars (wTTSs) Par 1379 and Par 2244, within the MaTYSSE (Magnetic Topologies of Young Stars and the Survival of close-in giant Exoplanets) programme. Both stars are of a similar mass (1.6 and 1.8 M⊙) and age (1.8 and 1.1 Myr), with Par 1379 hosting an evolved low-mass dusty circumstellar disc, and with Par 2244 showing evidence of a young debris disc. We detect profile distortions and Zeeman signatures in the unpolarized and circularly polarized lines for each star, and have modelled their rotational modulation using tomographic imaging, yielding brightness and magnetic maps. We find that Par 1379 harbours a weak (250 G), mostly poloidal field tilted 65° from the rotation axis. In contrast, Par 2244 hosts a stronger field (860 G) split 3:2 between poloidal and toroidal components, with most of the energy in higher order modes, and with the poloidal component tilted 45° from the rotation axis. Compared to the lower mass wTTSs, V819 Tau and V830 Tau, Par 2244 has a similar field strength, but is much more complex, whereas the much less complex field of Par 1379 is also much weaker than any other mapped wTTS. We find moderate surface differential rotation of 1.4× and 1.8× smaller than Solar, for Par 1379 and Par 2244, respectively. Using our tomographic maps to predict the activity-related radial velocity (RV) jitter, and filter it from the RV curves, we find RV residuals with dispersions of 0.017 and 0.086 km s-1 for Par 1379 and Par 2244, respectively. We find no evidence for close-in giant planets around either star, with 3σ upper limits of 0.56 and 3.54 MJup (at an orbital distance of 0.1 au).

PAR-2 inhibition reverses experimental pulmonary hypertension.

PubMed

Kwapiszewska, Grazyna; Markart, Philipp; Dahal, Bhola Kumar; Kojonazarov, Baktybek; Marsh, Leigh Matthew; Schermuly, Ralph Theo; Taube, Christian; Meinhardt, Andreas; Ghofrani, Hossein Ardeschir; Steinhoff, Martin; Seeger, Werner; Preissner, Klaus Theo; Olschewski, Andrea; Weissmann, Norbert; Wygrecka, Malgorzata

2012-04-27

A hallmark of the vascular remodeling process underlying pulmonary hypertension (PH) is the aberrant proliferation and migration of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC). Accumulating evidence suggests that mast cell mediators play a role in the pathogenesis of PH. In the present study we investigated the importance of protease-activated receptor (PAR)-2 and its ligand mast cell tryptase in the development of PH. Our results revealed strong increase in PAR-2 and tryptase expression in the lungs of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) patients, hypoxia-exposed mice, and monocrotaline (MCT)-treated rats. Elevated tryptase levels were also detected in plasma samples from IPAH patients. Hypoxia and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB upregulated PAR-2 expression in PASMC. This effect was reversed by HIF (hypoxia inducible factor)-1α depletion, PDGF-BB neutralizing antibody, or the PDGF-BB receptor antagonist Imatinib. Attenuation of PAR-2 expression was also observed in smooth muscle cells of pulmonary vessels of mice exposed to hypoxia and rats challenged with MCT in response to Imatinib treatment. Tryptase induced PASMC proliferation and migration as well as enhanced synthesis of fibronectin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 in a PAR-2- and ERK1/2-dependent manner, suggesting that PAR-2-dependent signaling contributes to vascular remodeling by various mechanisms. Furthermore, PAR-2(-/-) mice were protected against hypoxia-induced PH, and PAR-2 antagonist application reversed established PH in the hypoxia mouse model. Our study identified a novel role of PAR-2 in vascular remodeling in the lung. Interference with this pathway may offer novel therapeutic options for the treatment of PH.

Coaches' Encouragement of Athletes' Imagery Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jedlic, Brie; Hall, Nathan; Munroe-Chandler, Krista; Hall, Craig

2007-01-01

To investigate whether coaches encourage their athletes to use imagery, two studies were undertaken. In the first, 317 athletes completed the Coaches' Encouragement of Athletes' Imagery Use Questionnaire. In the second, 215 coaches completed a slightly modified version of this questionnaire. It was found that coaches and athletes generally agreed…

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

PubMed

Appel, P R

1999-04-01

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

Internal and External Imagery Effects on Tennis Skills Among Novices.

PubMed

Dana, Amir; Gozalzadeh, Elmira

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of internal and external visual imagery perspectives on performance accuracy of open and closed tennis skills (i.e., serve, forehand, and backhand) among novices. Thirty-six young male novices, aged 15-18 years, from a summer tennis program participated. Following initial skill acquisition (12 sessions), baseline assessments of imagery ability and imagery perspective preference were used to assign participants to one of three groups: internal imagery ( n = 12), external imagery ( n = 12), or a no-imagery (mental math exercise) control group ( n = 12). The experimental interventions of 15 minutes of mental imagery (internal or external) or mental math exercises followed by 15 minutes of physical practice were held three times a week for six weeks. The performance accuracy of the groups on the serve, forehand, and backhand strokes was measured at pre- and post-test using videotaping. Results showed significant increases in the performance accuracy of all three tennis strokes in all three groups, but serve accuracy in the internal imagery group and forehand accuracy in the external imagery group showed greater improvements, while backhand accuracy was similarly improved in all three groups. These findings highlight differential efficacy of internal and external visual imagery for performance improvement on complex sport skills in early stage motor learning.

Linking introversion and extraversion to guided imagery.

PubMed

Honeycutt, James M

2003-06-01

Introversion-Extraversion is measured in relation to characteristics of imagined interactions which are a type of mental imagery and daydreaming. Our findings indicate mental imagery measured as characteristics of imagined interactions predict introversion and extraversion.

Little change in tobacco imagery on New Zealand television: 10 years on.

PubMed

Marsh, Louise; McGee, Rob; Robertson, Lindsay; Ward, Matthew; Llewellyn, Rebecca

2016-06-01

To examine changes in the frequency and contexts of tobacco imagery on New Zealand television since 2004. A content analysis of 73 hours of prime time evening television in 2014, including programs, advertisements and trailers, was coded for tobacco imagery. Imagery was defined as being either neutral/pro-tobacco or anti-tobacco. Of the 93 programs coded, 29% had at least one scene with tobacco imagery. Of the 71 scenes with tobacco imagery, 59 were judged as showing neutral/pro-tobacco imagery, while 12 showed anti-tobacco imagery. No significant change in the number of programs containing tobacco imagery, or the type of imagery, was found since 2004, but there were fewer scenes that contained imagery. There has been little change in the amount of tobacco imagery over the past decade. Given the potential for tobacco imagery to promote smoking among young people while reinforcing the habit among those who are trying to quit, action needs to be taken. More could be done to counterbalance pro-tobacco imagery by promoting the Quitline and anti-tobacco media campaigns, and encouraging producers of local TV programs to consider the depiction of tobacco imagery in a way that reflects declining tobacco use. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

Music to the inner ears: exploring individual differences in musical imagery.

PubMed

Beaty, Roger E; Burgin, Chris J; Nusbaum, Emily C; Kwapil, Thomas R; Hodges, Donald A; Silvia, Paul J

2013-12-01

In two studies, we explored the frequency and phenomenology of musical imagery. Study 1 used retrospective reports of musical imagery to assess the contribution of individual differences to imagery characteristics. Study 2 used an experience sampling design to assess the phenomenology of musical imagery over the course of one week in a sample of musicians and non-musicians. Both studies found episodes of musical imagery to be common and positive: people rarely wanted such experiences to end and often heard music that was personally meaningful. Several variables predicted musical imagery, including personality, musical preferences, and positive mood. Musicians tended to hear musical imagery more often, but they reported less frequent episodes of deliberately-generated imagery. Taken together, the present research provides new insights into individual differences in musical imagery, and it supports the emerging view that such experiences are common, positive, and more voluntary than previously recognized. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EEG Topographic Mapping of Visual and Kinesthetic Imagery in Swimmers.

PubMed

Wilson, V E; Dikman, Z; Bird, E I; Williams, J M; Harmison, R; Shaw-Thornton, L; Schwartz, G E

2016-03-01

This study investigated differences in QEEG measures between kinesthetic and visual imagery of a 100-m swim in 36 elite competitive swimmers. Background information and post-trial checks controlled for the modality of imagery, swimming skill level, preferred imagery style, intensity of image and task equality. Measures of EEG relative magnitude in theta, low (7-9 Hz) and high alpha (8-10 Hz), and low and high beta were taken from 19 scalp sites during baseline, visual, and kinesthetic imagery. QEEG magnitudes in the low alpha band during the visual and kinesthetic conditions were attenuated from baseline in low band alpha but no changes were seen in any other bands. Swimmers produced more low alpha EEG magnitude during visual versus kinesthetic imagery. This was interpreted as the swimmers having a greater efficiency at producing visual imagery. Participants who reported a strong intensity versus a weaker feeling of the image (kinesthetic) had less low alpha magnitude, i.e., there was use of more cortical resources, but not for the visual condition. These data suggest that low band (7-9 Hz) alpha distinguishes imagery modalities from baseline, visual imagery requires less cortical resources than kinesthetic imagery, and that intense feelings of swimming requires more brain activity than less intense feelings.

IMPROVING BIOGENIC EMISSION ESTIMATES WITH SATELLITE IMAGERY

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will review how existing and future applications of satellite imagery can improve the accuracy of biogenic emission estimates. Existing applications of satellite imagery to biogenic emission estimates have focused on characterizing land cover. Vegetation dat...

The role of protease-activated receptors PAR-1 and PAR-2 in the repair of 16HBE 14o(-) epithelial cell monolayers in vitro.

PubMed

Ewen, D; Clarke, S L; Smith, J R; Berger, C; Salmon, G; Trevethick, M; Shute, J K

2010-03-01

We recently reported that repair following mechanical wounding of epithelial cell layers in vitro is dependent on fibrin formation and the activity of locally expressed coagulation cascade proteins. Serine proteases of the coagulation cascade are an important group of protease-activated receptor (PAR) activators and PAR-1 to 4 are expressed by the normal bronchial epithelium. We tested the hypothesis that activation of PAR-1 and PAR-2 by coagulation cascade proteases stimulates epithelial repair via effects on fibrin formation. Using mechanically wounded 16HBE 14o(-) epithelial cell layers in culture, we investigated the effect of PAR-1 and PAR-2 agonist peptides, control partially scrambled peptides and PAR-neutralizing antibodies on the rate of repair and fibrin formation. Coagulation factors in culture supernatants were measured by immunoblot. RT-PCR was used to investigate PAR-1, PAR-2 and PGE2 receptor (EP-1 to EP-4) expression in this model and qRT-PCR to quantify responses to wounding. Additionally, we investigated the effect of exogenously added factor Xa (FXa) and neutrophil elastase and the influence of PGE2 and indomethacin on the repair response. PAR-1 and PAR-2 peptide agonists stimulated the rate of repair and enhanced the formation of a fibrin provisional matrix to support the repair process. Conversely, PAR-neutralizing antibodies inhibited repair. Under serum-free culture conditions, 16HBE 14o(-) cells expressed EP-2 and EP-3, but not EP-1 or EP-4, receptors. Wounding induced an increased expression of EP-3 but did not alter EP-2, PAR-1 or PAR-2 expression. In the absence of PAR agonists, there was no evidence for a role for PGE2 in fibrin formation or the repair process. Indomethacin attenuated fibrin formation in wounded cultures only in the presence of the PAR-2 peptide. FXa stimulated epithelial repair while neutrophil elastase reduced the levels of coagulation factors and inhibited repair. Locally expressed serine proteases of the coagulation

Analysis of ParB-centromere interactions by multiplex SPR imaging reveals specific patterns for binding ParB in six centromeres of Burkholderiales chromosomes and plasmids.

PubMed

Pillet, Flavien; Passot, Fanny Marie; Pasta, Franck; Anton Leberre, Véronique; Bouet, Jean-Yves

2017-01-01

Bacterial centromeres-also called parS, are cis-acting DNA sequences which, together with the proteins ParA and ParB, are involved in the segregation of chromosomes and plasmids. The specific binding of ParB to parS nucleates the assembly of a large ParB/DNA complex from which ParA-the motor protein, segregates the sister replicons. Closely related families of partition systems, called Bsr, were identified on the chromosomes and large plasmids of the multi-chromosomal bacterium Burkholderia cenocepacia and other species from the order Burkholeriales. The centromeres of the Bsr partition families are 16 bp palindromes, displaying similar base compositions, notably a central CG dinucleotide. Despite centromeres bind the cognate ParB with a narrow specificity, weak ParB-parS non cognate interactions were nevertheless detected between few Bsr partition systems of replicons not belonging to the same genome. These observations suggested that Bsr partition systems could have a common ancestry but that evolution mostly erased the possibilities of cross-reactions between them, in particular to prevent replicon incompatibility. To detect novel similarities between Bsr partition systems, we have analyzed the binding of six Bsr parS sequences and a wide collection of modified derivatives, to their cognate ParB. The study was carried out by Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging (SPRi) mulitplex analysis enabling a systematic survey of each nucleotide position within the centromere. We found that in each parS some positions could be changed while maintaining binding to ParB. Each centromere displays its own pattern of changes, but some positions are shared more or less widely. In addition from these changes we could speculate evolutionary links between these centromeres.

La pelade par plaques

PubMed Central

Spano, Frank; Donovan, Jeff C.

2015-01-01

Résumé Objectif Présenter aux médecins de famille des renseignements de base pour faire comprendre l’épidémiologie, la pathogenèse, l’histologie et l’approche clinique au diagnostic de la pelade par plaques. Sources des données Une recension a été effectuée dans PubMed pour trouver des articles pertinents concernant la pathogenèse, le diagnostic et le pronostic de la pelade par plaques. Message principal La pelade par plaques est une forme de perte pileuse auto-immune dont la prévalence durant une vie est d’environ 2 %. Des antécédents personnels ou familiaux de troubles auto-immuns concomitants, comme le vitiligo ou une maladie de la thyroïde, peuvent être observés dans un petit sous-groupe de patients. Le diagnostic peut souvent être posé de manière clinique en se fondant sur la perte de cheveux non cicatricielle et circulaire caractéristique, accompagnée de cheveux en « point d’exclamation » en périphérie chez ceux dont le problème en est aux premiers stades. Le diagnostic des cas plus complexes ou des présentations inhabituelles peut être facilité par une biopsie et un examen histologique. Le pronostic varie largement et de mauvais résultats sont associés à une apparition à un âge précoce, une perte importante, la variante ophiasis, des changements aux ongles, des antécédents familiaux ou des troubles auto-immuns concomitants. Conclusion La pelade par plaques est une forme auto-immune de perte de cheveux périodiquement observée en soins primaires. Les médecins de famille sont bien placés pour identifier la pelade par plaques, déterminer la gravité de la maladie et poser le diagnostic différentiel approprié. De plus, ils sont en mesure de renseigner leurs patients à propos de l’évolution clinique de la maladie ainsi que du pronostic général selon le sous-type de patients.

PH motifs in PAR1&2 endow breast cancer growth.

PubMed

Kancharla, A; Maoz, M; Jaber, M; Agranovich, D; Peretz, T; Grisaru-Granovsky, S; Uziely, B; Bar-Shavit, R

2015-11-24

Although emerging roles of protease-activated receptor1&2 (PAR1&2) in cancer are recognized, their underlying signalling events are poorly understood. Here we show signal-binding motifs in PAR1&2 that are critical for breast cancer growth. This occurs via the association of the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain with Akt/PKB as a key signalling event of PARs. Other PH-domain signal-proteins such as Etk/Bmx and Vav3 also associate with PAR1 and PAR2 through their PH domains. PAR1 and PAR2 bind with priority to Etk/Bmx. A point mutation in PAR2, H349A, but not in R352A, abrogates PH-protein association and is sufficient to markedly reduce PAR2-instigated breast tumour growth in vivo and placental extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion in vitro. Similarly, the PAR1 mutant hPar1-7A, which is unable to bind the PH domain, reduces mammary tumours and EVT invasion, endowing these motifs with physiological significance and underscoring the importance of these previously unknown PAR1 and PAR2 PH-domain-binding motifs in both pathological and physiological invasion processes.

Processing of SeaMARC swath sonar imagery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pratson, L.; Malinverno, A.; Edwards, M.

1990-05-01

Side-scan swath sonar systems have become an increasingly important means of mapping the sea floor. Two such systems are the deep-towed, high-resolution SeaMARC I sonar, which has a variable swath width of up to 5 km, and the shallow-towed, lower-resolution SeaMARC II sonar, which has a swath width of 10 km. The sea-floor imagery of acoustic backscatter output by the SeaMARC sonars is analogous to aerial photographs and airborne side-looking radar images of continental topography. Geologic interpretation of the sea-floor imagery is greatly facilitated by image processing. Image processing of the digital backscatter data involves removal of noise by medianmore » filtering, spatial filtering to remove sonar scans of anomalous intensity, across-track corrections to remove beam patterns caused by nonuniform response of the sonar transducers to changes in incident angle, and contrast enhancement by histogram equalization to maximize the available dynamic range. Correct geologic interpretation requires submarine structural fabrics to be displayed in their proper locations and orientations. Geographic projection of sea-floor imagery is achieved by merging the enhanced imagery with the sonar vehicle navigation and correcting for vehicle attitude. Co-registration of bathymetry with sonar imagery introduces sea-floor relief and permits the imagery to be displayed in three-dimensional perspectives, furthering the ability of the marine geologist to infer the processes shaping formerly hidden subsea terrains.« less

Keratometric alterations following the 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless pars plana vitrectomy versus the conventional pars plana vitrectomy.

PubMed

Citirik, Mehmet; Batman, Cosar; Bicer, Tolga; Zilelioglu, Orhan

2009-09-01

To assess the alterations in keratometric astigmatism following the 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless pars plana vitrectomy versus the conventional pars plana vitrectomy. Sixteen consecutive patients were enrolled into the study. Conventional vitrectomy was applied to eight of the cases and 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy was performed in eight patients. Keratometry was performed before and after the surgery. In the 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless pars plana vitrectomy group, statistically significant changes were not observed in the corneal curvature in any post-operative follow-up measurement (p > 0.05); whereas in the conventional pars plana vitrectomy group, statistically significant changes were observed in the first postoperative day (p = 0.01) and first postoperative month (p = 0.03). We noted that these changes returned to baseline in three months (p = 0.26). Both 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless and conventional pars plana vitrectomy are effective surgical modalities for selected diseases of the posterior segment. Surgical procedures are critical for the visual rehabilitation of the patients. The post-operative corneal astigmatism of the vitrectomised eyes can be accurately determined at least two months post-operatively.

Do the physical and environment PETTLEP elements predict sport imagery ability?

PubMed

Anuar, Nurwina; Williams, Sarah E; Cumming, Jennifer

2017-11-01

The present study aimed to examine whether physical and environment elements of PETTLEP imagery relate to the ability to image five types of sport imagery (i.e. skill, strategy, goal, affect and mastery). Two hundred and ninety participants (152 males, 148 females; M age  = 20.24 years, SD = 4.36) from various sports completed the Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire (SIAQ), and a set of items designed specifically for the study to assess how frequently participants incorporate physical (e.g. 'I make small movements or gestures during the imagery') and environment (e.g. 'I image in the real training/competition environment') elements of PETTLEP imagery. Structural equation modelling tested a hypothesised model in which imagery priming (i.e. the best fitting physical and environment elements) significantly and positively predicted imagery ability of the different imagery types (skill, β = 0.38; strategy, β = 0.23; goal, β = 0.21; affect, β = 0.25; mastery, β = 0.22). The model was a good fit to the data: χ 2 (174) = 263.87, p < .001, CFI = .96, TLI = .95, SRMR = .09, RMSEA = 0.05 (90% CI = 0.03-0.05). Findings displayed that priming imagery with physical and environment elements is associated with better skill, strategy, goal, affect and mastery imagery ability. The findings extend models of imagery use by indicating that how athletes images may influence their imagery ability.

The Evolution of an Imagery Data System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alarcon, C.; De Cesare, C.; Huang, T.; Roberts, J. T.; Rodriguez, J.; Cechini, M. F.; Boller, R. A.; Baynes, K.

2016-12-01

NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) has provided visualization of NASA's Earth Science data archives since 2011. The scope of GIBS has expanded over time to include community requested features such as granules, vectors, and profile imagery support. Behind the GIBS system lies the data management and automation package, The Imagery Exchange (TIE). As new features are added to GIBS, TIE must keep up with the capabilities that are required to automate the generation of our products while maintaining a robust generation pipeline. This presentation will focus on the challenges and solutions to expanding the TIE subsystem into a more evolved framework that can support the ever- growing needs of GIBS. This includes the efforts into redesigning the workflow to support sub-daily (e.g. granules) imagery while increasing the overall efficiency of the entire generation lifecycle.

Summary of space imagery studies in Utah and Nevada. [using LANDSAT 1, EREP, and Skylab imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, M. L.; Laylander, P.

1975-01-01

LANDSAT-1, Skylab, and RB-57 imagery acquired within days of each other of the San Rafael swell enabled geological mapping of individual formations of the southern portion of this broad anticlinal feature in eastern Utah. Mapping at a scale of 1/250,000 on an enhanced and enlarged S-190B image resulted in a geological map showing correlative mappable features that are indicated on the geological map of Utah at the same scale. An enhanced enlargement of an S-190B color image at a scale of 1/19,200 of the Bingham Porphyry Copper deposit allowed comparison of a geological map of the area with the space imagery map as fair for the intrusion boundaries and total lack of quality for mapping the sediments. Hydrothermal alteration is only slightly evident on space imagery at Bingham but in the Tintic mining district and the volcanic piles of the Keg and Thomas ranges, Utah, hydrothermal alteration is readily mapped on color enlargements of S-190B (SL-3, T3-3N Tr-2). A mercury soil-gas analyzer was developed for locating hidden mineralized zones which were suggested from space imagery.

Analysis of ParB-centromere interactions by multiplex SPR imaging reveals specific patterns for binding ParB in six centromeres of Burkholderiales chromosomes and plasmids

PubMed Central

Pillet, Flavien; Passot, Fanny Marie

2017-01-01

Bacterial centromeres–also called parS, are cis-acting DNA sequences which, together with the proteins ParA and ParB, are involved in the segregation of chromosomes and plasmids. The specific binding of ParB to parS nucleates the assembly of a large ParB/DNA complex from which ParA—the motor protein, segregates the sister replicons. Closely related families of partition systems, called Bsr, were identified on the chromosomes and large plasmids of the multi-chromosomal bacterium Burkholderia cenocepacia and other species from the order Burkholeriales. The centromeres of the Bsr partition families are 16 bp palindromes, displaying similar base compositions, notably a central CG dinucleotide. Despite centromeres bind the cognate ParB with a narrow specificity, weak ParB-parS non cognate interactions were nevertheless detected between few Bsr partition systems of replicons not belonging to the same genome. These observations suggested that Bsr partition systems could have a common ancestry but that evolution mostly erased the possibilities of cross-reactions between them, in particular to prevent replicon incompatibility. To detect novel similarities between Bsr partition systems, we have analyzed the binding of six Bsr parS sequences and a wide collection of modified derivatives, to their cognate ParB. The study was carried out by Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging (SPRi) mulitplex analysis enabling a systematic survey of each nucleotide position within the centromere. We found that in each parS some positions could be changed while maintaining binding to ParB. Each centromere displays its own pattern of changes, but some positions are shared more or less widely. In addition from these changes we could speculate evolutionary links between these centromeres. PMID:28562673

Neuronal correlates of perception, imagery, and memory for familiar tunes.

PubMed

Herholz, Sibylle C; Halpern, Andrea R; Zatorre, Robert J

2012-06-01

We used fMRI to investigate the neuronal correlates of encoding and recognizing heard and imagined melodies. Ten participants were shown lyrics of familiar verbal tunes; they either heard the tune along with the lyrics, or they had to imagine it. In a subsequent surprise recognition test, they had to identify the titles of tunes that they had heard or imagined earlier. The functional data showed substantial overlap during melody perception and imagery, including secondary auditory areas. During imagery compared with perception, an extended network including pFC, SMA, intraparietal sulcus, and cerebellum showed increased activity, in line with the increased processing demands of imagery. Functional connectivity of anterior right temporal cortex with frontal areas was increased during imagery compared with perception, indicating that these areas form an imagery-related network. Activity in right superior temporal gyrus and pFC was correlated with the subjective rating of imagery vividness. Similar to the encoding phase, the recognition task recruited overlapping areas, including inferior frontal cortex associated with memory retrieval, as well as left middle temporal gyrus. The results present new evidence for the cortical network underlying goal-directed auditory imagery, with a prominent role of the right pFC both for the subjective impression of imagery vividness and for on-line mental monitoring of imagery-related activity in auditory areas.

Abstract Imagery in Art Therapy: What Does It Mean?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanes, Michael J.

1998-01-01

Explores some of the factors involving abstract imagery in the work of art-therapy patients and presents examples of abstract imagery produced by patients in an acute-patient psychiatric hospital. Examples illustrate that abstract imagery can serve not only a defensive purpose, but a progressive function as well. (Author/MKA)

Team Action Imagery and Team Cognition: Imagery of Game Situations and Required Team Actions Promotes a Functional Structure in Players' Representations of Team-Level Tactics.

PubMed

Frank, Cornelia; Linstromberg, Gian-Luca; Hennig, Linda; Heinen, Thomas; Schack, Thomas

2018-02-01

A team's cognitions of interpersonally coordinated actions are a crucial component for successful team performance. Here, we present an approach to practice team action by way of imagery and examine its impact on team cognitions in long-term memory. We investigated the impact of a 4-week team action imagery intervention on futsal players' mental representations of team-level tactics. Skilled futsal players were assigned to either an imagery training group or a no imagery training control group. Participants in the imagery training group practiced four team-level tactics by imagining team actions in specific game situations for three times a week. Results revealed that the imagery training group's representations were more similar to that of an expert representation after the intervention compared with the control group. This study indicates that team action imagery training can have a significant impact on players' tactical skill representations and thus order formation in long-term memory.

Reflecting on imagery: a clinical perspective and overview of the special issue of memory on mental imagery and memory in psychopathology.

PubMed

Hackmann, Ann; Holmes, Emily A

2004-07-01

The authors provide an overview of the papers in the special issue of Memory on mental imagery and memory in psychopathology. The papers address emotional, intrusive mental imagery across a range of psychological disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), agoraphobia, body dysmorphic disorder, mood disorders, and psychosis. They include work on information processing issues including modelling cravings, conditioning, and aversions, as well as imagery qualities such as vividness and emotionality. The overview aims to place the articles in a broader context and draw out some exciting implications of this novel work. It provides a clinical context to the recent growth in this area from a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) perspective. We begin with PTSD, and consider links to imagery in other disorders. The clinical implications stemming from this empirical work and from autobiographical memory theory are discussed. These include consideration of a variety of techniques for eliminating troublesome imagery, and creating healthy, realistic alternatives.

Intérêt de l’imagerie dans les tumeurs osseuses bénignes chez l’enfant

PubMed Central

Traoré, Ousmane; Chban, Kamilia; Hode, Alzavine Fleur; Diarra, Yaya; Salam, Siham; Ouzidane, Lachen

2016-01-01

Les tumeurs osseuses bénignes sont beaucoup plus fréquentes que les tumeurs malignes en milieu pédiatrique. L’exostose (ostéchondrome) en est la plus fréquente. Les différentes techniques d'imagerie occupent une place déterminante dans l'étude de ses tumeurs notamment la radiographie standard. Le but de ce travail est de souligner l’intérêt de l’imagerie dans la prise en charge diagnostique des tumeurs bénignes osseuses chez l’enfant à travers une étude rétrospective portant sur 169 patients. Tous ces patients ont été explorés par la radiographie standard, un complément scanner avec reconstruction multiplanaires avant et après injection de PDC et/ouune IRM 1.5 Tesla a été réalisé en fonction de l’indication. L’âge moyen est de 6 ans avec une légère prédominance masculine. Cliniquement, la tuméfaction est présente dans 35% des cas. La douleur dans 29 %des cas. La localisation la plus fréquente est la métaphyse sur les os long: fémur: 25% des cas, humérus: 17 % des cas, tibia: 21% des cas. Les principales tumeurs bénignes retrouvées sont l’exostose (20,12 %), le kyste osseux (31,95%) et l’ostéoblastome (16, 57%). L’imagerie permet de préciser la topographie et l’extension de la lésion dans l’os, apporter des arguments en faveur de la bénignité et parfois, en faveur de l’origine de la lésion. La radiographie standard seule permet souvent de poser un diagnostic de certitude dans certains cas. PMID:27795776

Improvements and Additions to NASA Near Real-Time Earth Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cechini, Matthew; Boller, Ryan; Baynes, Kathleen; Schmaltz, Jeffrey; DeLuca, Alexandar; King, Jerome; Thompson, Charles; Roberts, Joe; Rodriguez, Joshua; Gunnoe, Taylor;

The Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised, Second Edition (MIQ-RS) Is a Reliable and Valid Tool for Evaluating Motor Imagery in Stroke Populations

PubMed Central

Butler, Andrew J.; Cazeaux, Jennifer; Fidler, Anna; Jansen, Jessica; Lefkove, Nehama; Gregg, Melanie; Hall, Craig; Easley, Kirk A.; Shenvi, Neeta; Wolf, Steven L.

2012-01-01

Mental imagery can improve motor performance in stroke populations when combined with physical therapy. Valid and reliable instruments to evaluate the imagery ability of stroke survivors are needed to maximize the benefits of mental imagery therapy. The purposes of this study were to: examine and compare the test-retest intra-rate reliability of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised, Second Edition (MIQ-RS) in stroke survivors and able-bodied controls, examine internal consistency of the visual and kinesthetic items of the MIQ-RS, determine if the MIQ-RS includes both the visual and kinesthetic dimensions of mental imagery, correlate impairment and motor imagery scores, and investigate the criterion validity of the MIQ-RS in stroke survivors by comparing the results to the KVIQ-10. Test-retest analysis indicated good levels of reliability (ICC range: .83–.99) and internal consistency (Cronbach α: .95–.98) of the visual and kinesthetic subscales in both groups. The two-factor structure of the MIQ-RS was supported by factor analysis, with the visual and kinesthetic components accounting for 88.6% and 83.4% of the total variance in the able-bodied and stroke groups, respectively. The MIQ-RS is a valid and reliable instrument in the stroke population examined and able-bodied populations and therefore useful as an outcome measure for motor imagery ability. PMID:22474504

Techniques for measuring intercepted and absorbed PAR in corn canopies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallo, K. P.; Daughtry, C. S. T.

1984-01-01

The quantity of radiation potentially available for photosynthesis that is captured by the crop is best described as absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Absorbed PAR (APAR) is the difference between descending and ascending fluxes. The four components of APAR were measured above and within two planting densities of corn (Zea mays L.) and several methods of measuring and estimating APAR were examined. A line quantum sensor that spatially averages the photosynthetic photon flux density provided a rapid and portable method of measuring APAR. PAR reflectance from the soil (Typic Argiaquoll) surface decreased from 10% to less than 1% of the incoming PAR as the canopy cover increased. PAR reflectance from the canopy decreased to less than 3% at maximum vegetative cover. Intercepted PAR (1 - transmitted PAR) generally overestimated absorbed PAR by less than 4% throughout most of the growing season. Thus intercepted PAR appears to be a reasonable estimate of absorbed PAR.

Protease-activated receptor (PAR)2, but not PAR1, is involved in collateral formation and anti-inflammatory monocyte polarization in a mouse hind limb ischemia model.

PubMed

van den Hengel, Lisa G; Hellingman, Alwine A; Nossent, Anne Yael; van Oeveren-Rietdijk, Annemarie M; de Vries, Margreet R; Spek, C Arnold; van Zonneveld, Anton Jan; Reitsma, Pieter H; Hamming, Jaap F; de Boer, Hetty C; Versteeg, Henri H; Quax, Paul H A

2013-01-01

In collateral development (i.e. arteriogenesis), mononuclear cells are important and exist as a heterogeneous population consisting of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory/repair-associated cells. Protease-activated receptor (PAR)1 and PAR2 are G-protein-coupled receptors that are both expressed by mononuclear cells and are involved in pro-inflammatory reactions, while PAR2 also plays a role in repair-associated responses. Here, we investigated the physiological role of PAR1 and PAR2 in arteriogenesis in a murine hind limb ischemia model. PAR1-deficient (PAR1-/-), PAR2-deficient (PAR2-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice underwent femoral artery ligation. Laser Doppler measurements revealed reduced post-ischemic blood flow recovery in PAR2-/- hind limbs when compared to WT, while PAR1-/- mice were not affected. Upon ischemia, reduced numbers of smooth muscle actin (SMA)-positive collaterals and CD31-positive capillaries were found in PAR2-/- mice when compared to WT mice, whereas these parameters in PAR1-/- mice did not differ from WT mice. The pool of circulating repair-associated (Ly6C-low) monocytes and the number of repair-associated (CD206-positive) macrophages surrounding collaterals in the hind limbs were increased in WT and PAR1-/- mice, but unaffected in PAR2-/- mice. The number of repair-associated macrophages in PAR2-/- hind limbs correlated with CD11b- and CD115-expression on the circulating monocytes in these animals, suggesting that monocyte extravasation and M-CSF-dependent differentiation into repair-associated cells are hampered. PAR2, but not PAR1, is involved in arteriogenesis and promotes the repair-associated response in ischemic tissues. Therefore, PAR2 potentially forms a new pro-arteriogenic target in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.

Microscopie par rayons X dans la fenêtre de l'eau : faisabilité et intérêt pour la biologie d'un instrument de laboratoire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, J. F.; Moy, J. P.

2005-06-01

La biologie étudie des structures ou des phénomènes sub-cellulaires. Pour cela la microscopie est la technique d'observation privilégiée. La résolution spatiale de la microscopie optique s'avère bien souvent insuffisante pour de telles observations. Les techniques plus résolvantes, comme la microscopie électronique par transmission sont souvent destructrices et d'une complexité peu adaptée aux besoins des biologistes. La microscopie par rayons X dans la fenêtre de l'eau permet l'imagerie rapide de cellules dans leur milieu naturel, nécessite peu de préparation et offre des résolutions de quelques dizaines de nanomètres. De plus, il existe un bon contraste naturel entre les structures carbonées (protéines, lipides) et l'eau. Actuellement cette technique est limitée aux centres de rayonnement synchrotron, ce qui impose une planification et des déplacements incompatibles avec les besoins de la biologie. Un tel microscope fonctionnant avec uns source de laboratoire serait d'une grande utilité. Ce document présente un état de l'art de la microscopie par rayons X dans la fenêtre de l'eau. Un cahier des charges détaillé pour un appareil de laboratoire ayant les performances optiques requises par les biologistes est présenté et confronté aux microscopes X de laboratoire déjà existants. Des solutions concernant la source et les optiques sont également discutées.

How imagery changes self-motion perception

PubMed Central

Nigmatullina, Y.; Arshad, Q.; Wu, K.; Seemungal, B.M.; Bronstein, A.M.; Soto, D.

2015-01-01

Imagery and perception are thought to be tightly linked, however, little is known about the interaction between imagery and the vestibular sense, in particular, self-motion perception. In this study, the observers were seated in the dark on a motorized chair that could rotate either to the right or to the left. Prior to the physical rotation, observers were asked to imagine themselves rotating leftward or rightward. We found that if the direction of imagined rotation was different to the physical rotation of the chair (incongruent trials), the velocity of the chair needed to be higher for observers to experience themselves rotating relative to when the imagined and the physical rotation matched (on congruent trials). Accordingly, the vividness of imagined rotations was reduced on incongruent relative to congruent trials. Notably, we found that similar effects of imagery were found at the earliest stages of vestibular processing, namely, the onset of the vestibular–ocular reflex was modulated by the congruency between physical and imagined rotations. Together, the results demonstrate that mental imagery influences self-motion perception by exerting top-down influences over the earliest vestibular response and subsequent perceptual decision-making. PMID:25637805

Imagery for Disaster Response and Recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bethel, G. R.

2011-12-01

Exposing the remotely sensed imagery for disaster response and recovery can provide the basis for an unbiased understanding of current conditions. Having created consolidated remotely sensed and geospatial data sources documents for US and Foreign disasters over the past six years, availability and usability are continuing to evolve. By documenting all existing sources of imagery and value added products, the disaster response and recovery community can develop actionable information. The past two years have provided unique situations to use imagery including a major humanitarian disaster and response effort in Haiti, a major environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, a killer tornado in Joplin Missouri and long-term flooding in the Midwest. Each disaster presents different challenges and requires different spatial resolutions, spectral properties and/or multi-temporal collections. The community of data providers continues to expand with organized actives such as the International Charter for Space and Major Disasters and acquisitions by the private sector for the public good rather than for profit. However, data licensing, the lack of cross-calibration and inconsistent georeferencing hinder optimal use. Recent pre-event imagery is a critial component to any disaster response.

Doxycycline directly targets PAR1 to suppress tumor progression.

PubMed

Zhong, Weilong; Chen, Shuang; Zhang, Qiang; Xiao, Ting; Qin, Yuan; Gu, Ju; Sun, Bo; Liu, Yanrong; Jing, Xiangyan; Hu, Xuejiao; Zhang, Peng; Zhou, Honggang; Sun, Tao; Yang, Cheng

2017-03-07

Doxycycline have been reported to exert anti-cancer activity and have been assessed as anti-cancer agents in clinical trials. However, the direct targets of doxycycline in cancer cells remain unclear. In this study, we used a chemical proteomics approach to identify the Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) as a specific target of inhibition of doxycycline. Binding assays and single-molecule imaging assays were performed to confirm the inhibition of doxycycline to PAR1. The effect of doxycycline on multi-omics and cell functions were assessed based on a PAR1/thrombin model. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations revealed that doxycycline interacts with key amino acids in PAR1. Mutation of PAR1 further confirmed the computation-based results. Moreover, doxycycline provides highly selective inhibition of PAR1 signaling in tumors in vitro and in vivo. Using pathological clinical samples co-stained for doxycycline and PAR1, it was found that doxycycline fluorescence intensity and PAR1 expression shown a clear positive correlation. Thus, doxycycline may be a useful targeted anti-cancer drug that should be further investigated in clinical trials.

PAR -- Interface to the ADAM Parameter System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Currie, Malcolm J.; Chipperfield, Alan J.

PAR is a library of Fortran subroutines that provides convenient mechanisms for applications to exchange information with the outside world, through input-output channels called parameters. Parameters enable a user to control an application's behaviour. PAR supports numeric, character, and logical parameters, and is currently implemented only on top of the ADAM parameter system. The PAR library permits parameter values to be obtained, without or with a variety of constraints. Results may be put into parameters to be passed onto other applications. Other facilities include setting a prompt string, and suggested defaults. This document also introduces a preliminary C interface for the PAR library -- this may be subject to change in the light of experience.

Reading Pictures for Story Comprehension Requires Mental Imagery Skills

PubMed Central

Boerma, Inouk E.; Mol, Suzanne E.; Jolles, Jelle

2016-01-01

We examined the role of mental imagery skills on story comprehension in 150 fifth graders (10- to 12-year-olds), when reading a narrative book chapter with alternating words and pictures (i.e., text blocks were alternated by one- or two-page picture spreads). A parallel group design was used, in which we compared our experimental book version, in which pictures were used to replace parts of the corresponding text, to two control versions, i.e., a text-only version and a version with the full story text and all pictures. Analyses showed an interaction between mental imagery and book version: children with higher mental imagery skills outperformed children with lower mental imagery skills on story comprehension after reading the experimental narrative. This was not the case for both control conditions. This suggests that children’s mental imagery skills significantly contributed to the mental representation of the story that they created, by successfully integrating information from both words and pictures. The results emphasize the importance of mental imagery skills for explaining individual variability in reading development. Implications for educational practice are that we should find effective ways to instruct children how to “read” pictures and how to develop and use their mental imagery skills. This will probably contribute to their mental models and therefore their story comprehension. PMID:27822194

An emerging paradigm: a strength-based approach to exploring mental imagery

PubMed Central

MacIntyre, Tadhg E.; Moran, Aidan P.; Collet, Christian; Guillot, Aymeric

2013-01-01

Mental imagery, or the ability to simulate in the mind information that is not currently perceived by the senses, has attracted considerable research interest in psychology since the early 1970's. Within the past two decades, research in this field—as in cognitive psychology more generally—has been dominated by neuroscientific methods that typically involve comparisons between imagery performance of participants from clinical populations with those who exhibit apparently normal cognitive functioning. Although this approach has been valuable in identifying key neural substrates of visual imagery, it has been less successful in understanding the possible mechanisms underlying another simulation process, namely, motor imagery or the mental rehearsal of actions without engaging in the actual movements involved. In order to address this oversight, a “strength-based” approach has been postulated which is concerned with understanding those on the high ability end of the imagery performance spectrum. Guided by the expert performance approach and principles of ecological validity, converging methods have the potential to enable imagery researchers to investigate the neural “signature” of elite performers, for example. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explain the origin, nature, and implications of the strength-based approach to mental imagery. Following a brief explanation of the background to this latter approach, we highlight some important theoretical advances yielded by recent research on mental practice, mental travel, and meta-imagery processes in expert athletes and dancers. Next, we consider the methodological implications of using a strength-based approach to investigate imagery processes. The implications for the field of motor cognition are outlined and specific research questions, in dynamic imagery, imagery perspective, measurement, multi-sensory imagery, and metacognition that may benefit from this approach in the future are sketched

fMRI-based Multivariate Pattern Analyses Reveal Imagery Modality and Imagery Content Specific Representations in Primary Somatosensory, Motor and Auditory Cortices.

PubMed

de Borst, Aline W; de Gelder, Beatrice

2017-08-01

Previous studies have shown that the early visual cortex contains content-specific representations of stimuli during visual imagery, and that these representational patterns of imagery content have a perceptual basis. To date, there is little evidence for the presence of a similar organization in the auditory and tactile domains. Using fMRI-based multivariate pattern analyses we showed that primary somatosensory, auditory, motor, and visual cortices are discriminative for imagery of touch versus sound. In the somatosensory, motor and visual cortices the imagery modality discriminative patterns were similar to perception modality discriminative patterns, suggesting that top-down modulations in these regions rely on similar neural representations as bottom-up perceptual processes. Moreover, we found evidence for content-specific representations of the stimuli during auditory imagery in the primary somatosensory and primary motor cortices. Both the imagined emotions and the imagined identities of the auditory stimuli could be successfully classified in these regions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Improvement in spatial imagery following sight onset late in childhood.

PubMed

Gandhi, Tapan K; Ganesh, Suma; Sinha, Pawan

2014-03-01

The factors contributing to the development of spatial imagery skills are not well understood. Here, we consider whether visual experience shapes these skills. Although differences in spatial imagery between sighted and blind individuals have been reported, it is unclear whether these differences are truly due to visual deprivation or instead are due to extraneous factors, such as reduced opportunities for the blind to interact with their environment. A direct way of assessing vision's contribution to the development of spatial imagery is to determine whether spatial imagery skills change soon after the onset of sight in congenitally blind individuals. We tested 10 children who gained sight after several years of congenital blindness and found significant improvements in their spatial imagery skills following sight-restoring surgeries. These results provide evidence of vision's contribution to spatial imagery and also have implications for the nature of internal spatial representations.

Stereoscopy in cinematographic synthetic imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisenmann, Jonathan; Parent, Rick

2009-02-01

In this paper we present experiments and results pertaining to the perception of depth in stereoscopic viewing of synthetic imagery. In computer animation, typical synthetic imagery is highly textured and uses stylized illumination of abstracted material models by abstracted light source models. While there have been numerous studies concerning stereoscopic capabilities, conventions for staging and cinematography in stereoscopic movies have not yet been well-established. Our long-term goal is to measure the effectiveness of various cinematography techniques on the human visual system in a theatrical viewing environment. We would like to identify the elements of stereoscopic cinema that are important in terms of enhancing the viewer's understanding of a scene as well as providing guidelines for the cinematographer relating to storytelling. In these experiments we isolated stereoscopic effects by eliminating as many other visual cues as is reasonable. In particular, we aim to empirically determine what types of movement in synthetic imagery affect the perceptual depth sensing capabilities of our viewers. Using synthetic imagery, we created several viewing scenarios in which the viewer is asked to locate a target object's depth in a simple environment. The scenarios were specifically designed to compare the effectiveness of stereo viewing, camera movement, and object motion in aiding depth perception. Data were collected showing the error between the choice of the user and the actual depth value, and patterns were identified that relate the test variables to the viewer's perceptual depth accuracy in our theatrical viewing environment.

An Evolving Model for Capacity Building with Earth Observation Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sylak-Glassman, E. J.

2015-12-01

For the first forty years of Earth observation satellite imagery, all imagery was collected by civilian or military governmental satellites. Over this timeframe, countries without observation satellite capabilities had very limited access to Earth observation data or imagery. In response to the limited access to Earth observation systems, capacity building efforts were focused on satellite manufacturing. Wood and Weigel (2012) describe the evolution of satellite programs in developing countries with a technology ladder. A country moves up the ladder as they move from producing satellites with training services to building satellites locally. While the ladder model may be appropriate if the goal is to develop autonomous satellite manufacturing capability, in the realm of Earth observation, the goal is generally to derive societal benefit from the use of Earth observation-derived information. In this case, the model for developing Earth observation capacity is more appropriately described by a hub-and-spoke model in which the use of Earth observation imagery is the "hub," and the "spokes" describe the various paths to achieving that imagery: the building of a satellite (either independently or with assistance), the purchase of a satellite, participation in a constellation of satellites, and the use of freely available or purchased satellite imagery. We discuss the different capacity-building activities that are conducted in each of these pathways, such as the "Know-How Transfer and Training" program developed by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. , Earth observation imagery training courses run by SERVIR in developing countries, and the use of national or regional remote sensing centers (such as those in Morocco, Malaysia, and Kenya) to disseminate imagery and training. In addition, we explore the factors that determine through which "spoke" a country arrives at the ability to use Earth observation imagery, and discuss best practices for achieving the capability to use

Imagining a brighter future: the effect of positive imagery training on mood, prospective mental imagery and emotional bias in older adults.

PubMed

Murphy, Susannah E; Clare O'Donoghue, M; Drazich, Erin H S; Blackwell, Simon E; Christina Nobre, Anna; Holmes, Emily A

2015-11-30

Positive affect and optimism play an important role in healthy ageing and are associated with improved physical and cognitive health outcomes. This study investigated whether it is possible to boost positive affect and associated positive biases in this age group using cognitive training. The effect of computerised imagery-based cognitive bias modification on positive affect, vividness of positive prospective imagery and interpretation biases in older adults was measured. 77 older adults received 4 weeks (12 sessions) of imagery cognitive bias modification or a control condition. They were assessed at baseline, post-training and at a one-month follow-up. Both groups reported decreased negative affect and trait anxiety, and increased optimism across the three assessments. Imagery cognitive bias modification significantly increased the vividness of positive prospective imagery post-training, compared with the control training. Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no difference between the training groups in negative interpretation bias. This is a useful demonstration that it is possible to successfully engage older adults in computer-based cognitive training and to enhance the vividness of positive imagery about the future in this group. Future studies are needed to assess the longer-term consequences of such training and the impact on affect and wellbeing in more vulnerable groups. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A rat in the sewer: How mental imagery interacts with object recognition

PubMed Central

Hamburger, Kai

2018-01-01

The role of mental imagery has been puzzling researchers for more than two millennia. Both positive and negative effects of mental imagery on information processing have been discussed. The aim of this work was to examine how mental imagery affects object recognition and associative learning. Based on different perceptual and cognitive accounts we tested our imagery-induced interaction hypothesis in a series of two experiments. According to that, mental imagery could lead to (1) a superior performance in object recognition and associative learning if these objects are imagery-congruent (semantically) and to (2) an inferior performance if these objects are imagery-incongruent. In the first experiment, we used a static environment and tested associative learning. In the second experiment, subjects encoded object information in a dynamic environment by means of a virtual sewer system. Our results demonstrate that subjects who received a role adoption task (by means of guided mental imagery) performed better when imagery-congruent objects were used and worse when imagery-incongruent objects were used. We finally discuss our findings also with respect to alternative accounts and plead for a multi-methodological approach for future research in order to solve this issue. PMID:29590161

A rat in the sewer: How mental imagery interacts with object recognition.

PubMed

Karimpur, Harun; Hamburger, Kai

2018-01-01

The role of mental imagery has been puzzling researchers for more than two millennia. Both positive and negative effects of mental imagery on information processing have been discussed. The aim of this work was to examine how mental imagery affects object recognition and associative learning. Based on different perceptual and cognitive accounts we tested our imagery-induced interaction hypothesis in a series of two experiments. According to that, mental imagery could lead to (1) a superior performance in object recognition and associative learning if these objects are imagery-congruent (semantically) and to (2) an inferior performance if these objects are imagery-incongruent. In the first experiment, we used a static environment and tested associative learning. In the second experiment, subjects encoded object information in a dynamic environment by means of a virtual sewer system. Our results demonstrate that subjects who received a role adoption task (by means of guided mental imagery) performed better when imagery-congruent objects were used and worse when imagery-incongruent objects were used. We finally discuss our findings also with respect to alternative accounts and plead for a multi-methodological approach for future research in order to solve this issue.

The functional impact of mental imagery on conscious perception

PubMed Central

Pearson, Joel; Clifford, Colin; Tong, Frank

2008-01-01

Summary Mental imagery has been proposed to contribute to a variety of high-level cognitive functions, including memory encoding and retrieval, navigation and spatial planning, and even social communication and language comprehension [1–5]. However, it is debated whether mental imagery relies on the same sensory representations as perception [1, 6–10], and if so, what functional consequences such an overlap might have on perception itself. We report novel evidence that single instances of imagery can have a pronounced facilitatory influence on subsequent conscious perception. Either seeing or imagining a specific pattern could strongly bias which of two competing stimuli reach awareness during binocular rivalry. Effects of imagery and perception were location- and orientation-specific, accumulated in strength over time, and survived an intervening visual task lasting several seconds prior to presentation of the rivalry display. Interestingly, effects of imagery differed from those of feature-based attention. The results demonstrate that imagery, in the absence of any incoming visual signals, leads to the formation of a short-term sensory trace that can bias future perception, suggesting a means by which high-level processes that support imagination and memory retrieval may shape low-level sensory representations. PMID:18583132

Proceedings of the 2006 Civil Commercial Imagery Evaluation Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanley, Thomas; Pagnutti, Mary

2007-01-01

The Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation (JACIE) team is a collaborative interagency working group formed to leverage different government agencies' capabilities for the characterization of commercial remote sensing products. The team is composed of staff from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Each JACIE agency has a vested interest in the purchase and use of commercial imagery to support government research and operational applications. The intent of the 2006 workshop is to exchange information regarding the characterization and application of commercial imagery used by the government. The main focus of previous workshops has been on high-resolution satellite imagery from systems; such as, IKONOS (Space Imaging, Inc.), QuickBird (DigitalGlobe, Inc.), and OrbView-3 (ORBIMAGE). This workshop is being expanded to cover all civil medium- and high-resolution commercial imagery used by the government.

An ELISA method detecting the active form of suPAR.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiaolei; Xu, Mingming; Huang, Hailong; Mazar, Andrew; Iqbal, Zafar; Yuan, Cai; Huang, Mingdong

2016-11-01

Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) exists in a number of formats in human plasma, including soluble uPAR (suPAR) and uPAR fragments. We developed an ELISA method to detect specifically the active form suPAR, which binds to its natural ligand uPA. The intra CV and inter CV of this ELISA assay is 8.5% and 9.6% respectively, and the assay can recover 99.74% of added recombinant suPAR from 10% plasma. This assay is quite sensitive, capable of detecting down to 15pg/ml of suPAR, and can measure suPAR concentrations in the range of 0.031-8ng/ml with high linear relationship. Plasma samples from pregnant women were also measured for the active form of suPAR with this assay, giving an averaged level of 1.39ng/ml, slightly higher than the level of pooled plasma from healthy donors (0.96ng/ml). This study demonstrates the feasibility to measure the active form of suPAR, which will likely have value in clinical applications. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Doxycycline directly targets PAR1 to suppress tumor progression

PubMed Central

Qin, Yuan; Gu, Ju; Sun, Bo; Liu, Yanrong; Jing, Xiangyan; Hu, Xuejiao; Zhang, Peng; Zhou, Honggang; Sun, Tao; Yang, Cheng

2017-01-01

Doxycycline have been reported to exert anti-cancer activity and have been assessed as anti-cancer agents in clinical trials. However, the direct targets of doxycycline in cancer cells remain unclear. In this study, we used a chemical proteomics approach to identify the Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) as a specific target of inhibition of doxycycline. Binding assays and single-molecule imaging assays were performed to confirm the inhibition of doxycycline to PAR1. The effect of doxycycline on multi-omics and cell functions were assessed based on a PAR1/thrombin model. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations revealed that doxycycline interacts with key amino acids in PAR1. Mutation of PAR1 further confirmed the computation-based results. Moreover, doxycycline provides highly selective inhibition of PAR1 signaling in tumors in vitro and in vivo. Using pathological clinical samples co-stained for doxycycline and PAR1, it was found that doxycycline fluorescence intensity and PAR1 expression shown a clear positive correlation. Thus, doxycycline may be a useful targeted anti-cancer drug that should be further investigated in clinical trials. PMID:28187433

The Production of Creativity through Right Hemisphere Imagery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gowan, John Curtis

1979-01-01

Research is reviewed on the relationship between right hemisphere imagery and the development of creativity. The role of nonverbal imagery in the incubation period is discussed. Note: For related information, see EC 120 232-238. (CL)

Environmental applications utilizing digital aerial imagery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monday, H.M.

1995-06-01

This paper discusses the use of satellite imagery, aerial photography, and computerized airborne imagery as applied to environmental mapping, analysis, and monitoring. A project conducted by the City of Irving, Texas involves compliance with national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) requirements stipulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of the project was the development and maintenance of a stormwater drainage utility. Digital imagery was collected for a portion of the city to map the City`s porous and impervious surfaces which will then be overlaid with property boundaries in the City`s existing Geographic information System (GIS). This information will allowmore » the City to determine an equitable tax for each land parcel according to the amount of water each parcel is contributing to the stormwater system. Another project involves environmental compliance for warm water discharges created by utility companies. Environmental consultants are using digital airborne imagery to analyze thermal plume affects as well as monitoring power generation facilities. A third project involves wetland restoration. Due to freeway and other forms of construction, plus a major reduction of fresh water supplies, the Southern California coastal wetlands are being seriously threatened. These wetlands, rich spawning grounds for plant and animal life, are home to thousands of waterfowl and shore birds who use this habitat for nesting and feeding grounds. Under the leadership of Southern California Edison (SCE) and CALTRANS (California Department of Transportation), several wetland areas such as the San Dieguito Lagoon (Del Mar, California), the Sweetwater Marsh (San Diego, California), and the Tijuana Estuary (San Diego, California) are being restored and closely monitored using digital airborne imagery.« less

Self-imagery in individuals with high body dissatisfaction: the effect of positive and negative self-imagery on aspects of the self-concept.

PubMed

Farrar, Stephanie; Stopa, Lusia; Turner, Hannah

2015-03-01

Cognitive behavioural models of eating disorders highlight low self-esteem as a maintaining factor. This study explored the impact of positive and negative self-imagery on aspects of the working self (implicit and explicit self-esteem and self-concept clarity) in individuals with high body dissatisfaction (an important aspect of eating disorders). The impact of these images on state body satisfaction and affect was also explored. A group of participants with high body dissatisfaction completed measures of explicit self-esteem, self-concept clarity, state body satisfaction and affect prior to completing a negative (n = 33) or positive (n = 33) self-imagery retrieval task. Following this they completed the baseline measures and a measure of implicit self-esteem. Holding a negative self-image in mind had a negative effect on explicit self-esteem, whilst holding a positive self-image had a beneficial effect. There were no effects of imagery on implicit self-esteem. Holding a negative image in mind led to a significant reduction in self-concept clarity; however, positive self-imagery did not affect self-concept clarity. Holding a negative self-image in mind led to a decrease in body satisfaction and state affect. The opposite was found for the positive self-imagery group. Implicit self-esteem was not measured at baseline. Imagery techniques which promote positive self-images may help improve aspects of the working self, body satisfaction and affect in individuals with high levels of body dissatisfaction. As such, these imagery techniques warrant further investigation in a clinical population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of ET maps derived from MODIS imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, S.; Hendrickx, J. M.; Borchers, B.

2005-12-01

In previous work we have used the New Mexico Tech implementation of the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL-NMT) for the generation of ET maps from LandSat imagery. Comparison of these SEBAL ET estimates versus ET ground measurements using eddy covariance showed satisfactory agreement between the two methods in the heterogeneous arid landscape of the Middle Rio Grande Basin. The objective of this study is to validate SEBAL ET estimates obtained from MODIS imagery. The use of MODIS imagery is attractive since MODIS images are available at a much higher frequency than LandSat images at no cost to the user. MODIS images have a pixel size in the thermal band of 1000x1000 m which is much coarser than the 60x60 m pixel size of LandSat 7. This large pixel size precludes the use of eddy covariance measurements for validation of ET maps derived from MODIS imagery since the eddy covariance measurement is not representative of a 1000x1000 m MODIS pixel. In our experience, a typical foot print of an ET rate measured by eddy covariance on a clear day in New Mexico around 11 am is less than then thousand square meters or two orders of magnitude smaller than a MODIS thermal pixel. Therefore, we have validated ET maps derived from MODIS imagery by comparison with up-scaled ET maps derived from LandSat imagery. The results of our study demonstrate: (1) There is good agreement between ET maps derived from LandSat and MODIS images; (2) Up-scaling of LandSat ET maps over the Middle Rio Grande Basin produces ET maps that are very similar to ET maps directly derived from MODIS images; (3) ET maps derived from free MODIS imagery using SEBAL-NMT can provide reliable regional ET information for water resource managers.

Fracture trends identified by ERTS-1 imagery in Utah and Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, M. L. (Principal Investigator); Erickson, M. P.; Smith, M. R.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. In the Utah-Nevada area, linear structural trends recorded on ERTS-1 imagery conform in part to previously recognized structures. In addition, the ERTS-1 imagery reveals cryptic structures not previously identified and not readily apparent in other imagery. These structures are illustrated by prominent east-west trending structures which appear to be concentrated in pre-volcanic rocks. This suggests that the structures are older than many of those with other trends which are equally prominent in volcanic and non-volcanic terrain. Since the older east-west structures may have controlled early Tertiary emplacement of magma or the ascent of mineralizing fluids, their recognition is important in minerial exploration. Soil-gas sampling and analysis for mercury content is being continued over structures, and projected trends of buried structures which appear, from studies of ERTS-1 imagery, to be favorable to mineralization. Comparison of ERTS-1 and Skylab imagery indicated that ERTS-1 imagery records more previously unrecognized linear structures than the Skylab imagery. In differentiating and identifying different rock types, the Skylab imagery appears to be more effective.

Facilitating the exploitation of ERTS imagery using snow enhancement techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wobber, F. J.; Martin, K. (Principal Investigator); Amato, R. V.; Leshendok, T.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Comparative analysis of snow-free and snow-covered imagery of the New England Test Area has resulted in a larger number of lineaments mapped from snow-covered imagery in three out of four sets of comparative imagery. Analysts unfamiliar with the New England Test Area were utilized; the quality of imagery was independently judged to be uniform. In all image sets, a greater total length of lineaments was mapped with the snow-covered imagery. The value of this technique for fracture mapping in areas with thick soil cover is suggested. A number of potentially useful environmental applications of snow enhancement related to such areas as mining, land use, and hydrology have been identified.

Commercial Satellite Imagery Analysis for Countering Nuclear Proliferation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albright, David; Burkhard, Sarah; Lach, Allison

2018-05-01

High-resolution commercial satellite imagery from a growing number of private satellite companies allows nongovernmental analysts to better understand secret or opaque nuclear programs of countries in unstable or tense regions, called proliferant states. They include North Korea, Iran, India, Pakistan, and Israel. By using imagery to make these countries’ aims and capabilities more transparent, nongovernmental groups like the Institute for Science and International Security have affected the policies of governments and the course of public debate. Satellite imagery work has also strengthened the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency, thereby helping this key international agency build its case to mount inspections of suspect sites and activities. This work has improved assessments of the nuclear capabilities of proliferant states. Several case studies provide insight into the use of commercial satellite imagery as a key tool to educate policy makers and affect policy.

Portable Imagery Quality Assessment Test Field for Uav Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dąbrowski, R.; Jenerowicz, A.

2015-08-01

Nowadays the imagery data acquired from UAV sensors are the main source of all data used in various remote sensing applications, photogrammetry projects and in imagery intelligence (IMINT) as well as in other tasks as decision support. Therefore quality assessment of such imagery is an important task. The research team from Military University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Geodesy Institute, Department of Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry has designed and prepared special test field- The Portable Imagery Quality Assessment Test Field (PIQuAT) that provides quality assessment in field conditions of images obtained with sensors mounted on UAVs. The PIQuAT consists of 6 individual segments, when combined allow for determine radiometric, spectral and spatial resolution of images acquired from UAVs. All segments of the PIQuAT can be used together in various configurations or independently. All elements of The Portable Imagery Quality Assessment Test Field were tested in laboratory conditions in terms of their radiometry and spectral reflectance characteristics.

Visual imagery without visual perception: lessons from blind subjects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bértolo, Helder

2014-08-01

The question regarding visual imagery and visual perception remain an open issue. Many studies have tried to understand if the two processes share the same mechanisms or if they are independent, using different neural substrates. Most research has been directed towards the need of activation of primary visual areas during imagery. Here we review some of the works providing evidence for both claims. It seems that studying visual imagery in blind subjects can be used as a way of answering some of those questions, namely if it is possible to have visual imagery without visual perception. We present results from the work of our group using visual activation in dreams and its relation with EEG's spectral components, showing that congenitally blind have visual contents in their dreams and are able to draw them; furthermore their Visual Activation Index is negatively correlated with EEG alpha power. This study supports the hypothesis that it is possible to have visual imagery without visual experience.

An approach for flood monitoring by the combined use of Landsat 8 optical imagery and COSMO-SkyMed radar imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Xiaohua; Luo, Xin; Liu, Shuguang; Xie, Huan; Chao, Wei; Liu, Shuang; Liu, Shijie; Makhinov, A. N.; Makhinova, A. F.; Jiang, Yuying

2018-02-01

Remote sensing techniques offer potential for effective flood detection with the advantages of low-cost, large-scale, and real-time surface observations. The easily accessible data sources of optical remote sensing imagery provide abundant spectral information for accurate surface water body extraction, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems represent a powerful tool for flood monitoring because of their all-weather capability. This paper introduces a new approach for flood monitoring by the combined use of both Landsat 8 optical imagery and COSMO-SkyMed radar imagery. Specifically, the proposed method applies support vector machine and the active contour without edges model for water extent determination in the periods before and during the flood, respectively. A map difference method is used for the flood inundation analysis. The proposed approach is particularly suitable for large-scale flood monitoring, and it was tested on a serious flood that occurred in northeastern China in August 2013, which caused immense loss of human lives and properties. High overall accuracies of 97.46% for the optical imagery and 93.70% for the radar imagery are achieved by the use of the techniques presented in this study. The results show that about 12% of the whole study area was inundated, corresponding to 5466 km2 of land surface.

Assessing the value of Landsat imagery: Results from a 2012 comprehensive user survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, H. M.; Richardson, L.; Loomis, J.; Koontz, S.; Koontz, L.

2012-12-01

Landsat satellite imagery has long been recognized as unique among remotely sensed data due to the combination of its extensive archive, global coverage, and relatively high spatial and temporal resolution. Since the imagery became available at no cost in 2008, the number of users registered with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has increased tenfold while the number of scenes downloaded annually has increased a hundredfold. It is clear that the imagery is being used extensively, and understanding the benefits provided by this imagery can help inform decisions involving its provision. However, the value of Landsat imagery is difficult to measure for a variety of reasons, one of which stems from the fact that the imagery has characteristics of a public good and does not have a direct market price to reflect its value to society. Further, there is not a clear understanding of the full range of users of the imagery, as well as how these users are distributed across the many different end uses this data is applied to. To assess the value of Landsat imagery, we conducted a survey of users registered with USGS in early 2012. Over 11,000 current users of Landsat imagery responded to the survey. The value of the imagery was measured both qualitatively and quantitatively. To explore the qualitative value of the imagery, users were asked about the importance of the imagery to their work, their dependence on the imagery, and the impacts on their work if there was no Landsat imagery. The majority of users deemed Landsat imagery important to their work and stated they were dependent on Landsat imagery to do their work. Additionally, if Landsat imagery was no longer available, over half of the users would have to discontinue some of their work. On average, these users would discontinue half of their current work if the imagery was no longer available. The focus of this presentation will be the quantitative results of a double-bounded contingent valuation analysis which reveals

Proteinase-Activated Receptor 1 (PAR1) Regulates Leukemic Stem Cell Functions

PubMed Central

Bäumer, Nicole; Krause, Annika; Köhler, Gabriele; Lettermann, Stephanie; Evers, Georg; Hascher, Antje; Bäumer, Sebastian; Berdel, Wolfgang E.

2014-01-01

External signals that are mediated by specific receptors determine stem cell fate. The thrombin receptor PAR1 plays an important role in haemostasis, thrombosis and vascular biology, but also in tumor biology and angiogenesis. Its expression and function in hematopoietic stem cells is largely unknown. Here, we analyzed expression and function of PAR1 in primary hematopoietic cells and their leukemic counterparts. AML patients' blast cells expressed much lower levels of PAR1 mRNA and protein than CD34+ progenitor cells. Constitutive Par1-deficiency in adult mice did not affect engraftment or stem cell potential of hematopoietic cells. To model an AML with Par1-deficiency, we retrovirally introduced the oncogene MLL-AF9 in wild type and Par1−/− hematopoietic progenitor cells. Par1-deficiency did not alter initial leukemia development. However, the loss of Par1 enhanced leukemic stem cell function in vitro and in vivo. Re-expression of PAR1 in Par1−/− leukemic stem cells delayed leukemogenesis in vivo. These data indicate that Par1 contributes to leukemic stem cell maintenance. PMID:24740120

Proteinase-Activated Receptor 1 (PAR1) regulates leukemic stem cell functions.

PubMed

Bäumer, Nicole; Krause, Annika; Köhler, Gabriele; Lettermann, Stephanie; Evers, Georg; Hascher, Antje; Bäumer, Sebastian; Berdel, Wolfgang E; Müller-Tidow, Carsten; Tickenbrock, Lara

2014-01-01

External signals that are mediated by specific receptors determine stem cell fate. The thrombin receptor PAR1 plays an important role in haemostasis, thrombosis and vascular biology, but also in tumor biology and angiogenesis. Its expression and function in hematopoietic stem cells is largely unknown. Here, we analyzed expression and function of PAR1 in primary hematopoietic cells and their leukemic counterparts. AML patients' blast cells expressed much lower levels of PAR1 mRNA and protein than CD34+ progenitor cells. Constitutive Par1-deficiency in adult mice did not affect engraftment or stem cell potential of hematopoietic cells. To model an AML with Par1-deficiency, we retrovirally introduced the oncogene MLL-AF9 in wild type and Par1-/- hematopoietic progenitor cells. Par1-deficiency did not alter initial leukemia development. However, the loss of Par1 enhanced leukemic stem cell function in vitro and in vivo. Re-expression of PAR1 in Par1-/- leukemic stem cells delayed leukemogenesis in vivo. These data indicate that Par1 contributes to leukemic stem cell maintenance.

Muscle Activation During Grasping With and Without Motor Imagery in Healthy Volunteers and Patients After Stroke or With Parkinson's Disease

PubMed Central

Kobelt, Manuela; Wirth, Brigitte; Schuster-Amft, Corina

2018-01-01

Introduction: The present study assessed whether motor imagery (MI) produces electromyographic activation in specific muscles of the upper limb during a hand grasping and arm-lifting task in healthy volunteers, patients after stroke, or with Parkinson's disease. Electromyographic (EMG) activation was compared under three conditions: MI, physical execution (PE), and rest. The task is clinically relevant unilateral executed movement using open muscle chains. Methods: In a cross-sectional study EMG activation was measured in four muscles: M. deltoideus pars clavicularis, M. biceps brachii, M. extensor digitorum, M. flexor carpi radialis. MI ability was evaluated with mental rotation, mental chronometry and the Kinaesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire. Cognitive performance was screened with the Mini-Mental State Examination. Results: Twenty-two participants (11 females, age 52.6 ±15.8, age range 21 to 72) were included: ten healthy volunteers, seven patients after stroke (time after stroke onset 16.3 ± 24.8 months), and five patients with Parkinson's disease (disease duration 60.4 ± 24.5 months). Overall Mini-Mental State Examination scores ranged between 27 and 30. An increased EMG activation during MI compared to rest condition was observed in M. deltoideus pars clavicularis and M. biceps brachii across all participants (p-value = 0.001, p = 0.007). Seven participants (two healthy volunteers, three patients after stroke and two patients with Parkinson's disease) showed a EMG activation during MI of the hand grasping and arm-lifting task in at least one of the target muscles. No correlation between EMG activation during MI and scores of three MI ability assessments were found. Conclusions: The findings suggest that MI can yield subliminal EMG activation. However, that might vary on individual basis. It remains unclear what parameters contribute to or inhibit an EMG activation during MI. Future investigations should determine factors that influence EMG

PAR(2) and temporomandibular joint inflammation in the rat.

PubMed

Denadai-Souza, A; Cenac, N; Casatti, C A; Câmara, P R de Souza; Yshii, L M; Costa, S K P; Vergnolle, N; Muscará, M N

2010-10-01

The proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR(2)) is a putative therapeutic target for arthritis. We hypothesized that the early pro-inflammatory effects secondary to its activation in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are mediated by neurogenic mechanisms. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed a high degree of neurons expressing PAR(2) in retrogradely labeled trigeminal ganglion neurons. Furthermore, PAR(2) immunoreactivity was observed in the lining layer of the TMJ, co-localizing with the neuronal marker PGP9.5 and substance-P-containing peripheral sensory nerve fibers. The intra-articular injection of PAR(2) agonists into the TMJ triggered a dose-dependent increase in plasma extravasation, neutrophil influx, and induction of mechanical allodynia. The pharmacological blockade of natural killer 1 (NK(1)) receptors abolished PAR(2)-induced plasma extravasation and inhibited neutrophil influx and mechanical allodynia. We conclude that PAR(2) activation is pro-inflammatory in the TMJ, through a neurogenic mechanism involving NK(1) receptors. This suggests that PAR(2) is an important component of innate neuro-immune response in the rat TMJ.

PAR proteins regulate maintenance-phase myosin dynamics during Caenorhabditis elegans zygote polarization

PubMed Central

Small, Lawrence E.; Dawes, Adriana T.

2017-01-01

Establishment of anterior–posterior polarity in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote requires two different processes: mechanical activity of the actin–myosin cortex and biochemical activity of partitioning-defective (PAR) proteins. Here we analyze how PARs regulate the behavior of the cortical motor protein nonmuscle myosin (NMY-2) to complement recent efforts that investigate how PARs regulate the Rho GTPase CDC-42, which in turn regulates the actin-myosin cortex. We find that PAR-3 and PAR-6 concentrate CDC-42–dependent NMY-2 in the anterior cortex, whereas PAR-2 inhibits CDC-42–dependent NMY-2 in the posterior domain by inhibiting PAR-3 and PAR-6. In addition, we find that PAR-1 and PAR-3 are necessary for inhibiting movement of NMY-2 across the cortex. PAR-1 protects NMY-2 from being moved across the cortex by forces likely originating in the cytoplasm. Meanwhile, PAR-3 stabilizes NMY-2 against PAR-2 and PAR-6 dynamics on the cortex. We find that PAR signaling fulfills two roles: localizing NMY-2 to the anterior cortex and preventing displacement of the polarized cortical actin–myosin network. PMID:28615321

Recce imagery compression options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Healy, Donald J.

1995-09-01

The errors introduced into reconstructed RECCE imagery by ATARS DPCM compression are compared to those introduced by the more modern DCT-based JPEG compression algorithm. For storage applications in which uncompressed sensor data is available JPEG provides better mean-square-error performance while also providing more flexibility in the selection of compressed data rates. When ATARS DPCM compression has already been performed, lossless encoding techniques may be applied to the DPCM deltas to achieve further compression without introducing additional errors. The abilities of several lossless compression algorithms including Huffman, Lempel-Ziv, Lempel-Ziv-Welch, and Rice encoding to provide this additional compression of ATARS DPCM deltas are compared. It is shown that the amount of noise in the original imagery significantly affects these comparisons.

What Do Eye Gaze Metrics Tell Us about Motor Imagery?

PubMed

Poiroux, Elodie; Cavaro-Ménard, Christine; Leruez, Stéphanie; Lemée, Jean Michel; Richard, Isabelle; Dinomais, Mickael

2015-01-01

Many of the brain structures involved in performing real movements also have increased activity during imagined movements or during motor observation, and this could be the neural substrate underlying the effects of motor imagery in motor learning or motor rehabilitation. In the absence of any objective physiological method of measurement, it is currently impossible to be sure that the patient is indeed performing the task as instructed. Eye gaze recording during a motor imagery task could be a possible way to "spy" on the activity an individual is really engaged in. The aim of the present study was to compare the pattern of eye movement metrics during motor observation, visual and kinesthetic motor imagery (VI, KI), target fixation, and mental calculation. Twenty-two healthy subjects (16 females and 6 males), were required to perform tests in five conditions using imagery in the Box and Block Test tasks following the procedure described by Liepert et al. Eye movements were analysed by a non-invasive oculometric measure (SMI RED250 system). Two parameters describing gaze pattern were calculated: the index of ocular mobility (saccade duration over saccade + fixation duration) and the number of midline crossings (i.e. the number of times the subjects gaze crossed the midline of the screen when performing the different tasks). Both parameters were significantly different between visual imagery and kinesthesic imagery, visual imagery and mental calculation, and visual imagery and target fixation. For the first time we were able to show that eye movement patterns are different during VI and KI tasks. Our results suggest gaze metric parameters could be used as an objective unobtrusive approach to assess engagement in a motor imagery task. Further studies should define how oculomotor parameters could be used as an indicator of the rehabilitation task a patient is engaged in.

Yoga practice is associated with superior motor imagery performance.

PubMed

Hartnoll, Susannah H; Punt, T David

2017-11-01

Yoga is an activity that aims to integrate physical, mental and spiritual elements and is an increasingly popular approach to enhancing physical fitness. The integration of imagery within yoga practice is considered an important component and may be critical in contributing to the benefits of yoga that have been reported. In this study, we tested whether individuals who practice yoga demonstrate superior performance on an objective measure of implicit motor imagery. Thirty-six participants (18 yoga, 18 non-yoga) matched for age, sex and handedness, undertook the hand laterality recognition task; an objective measure of implicit motor imagery performance. Accuracy and response times were gathered and analysed to determine any group differences as well as any differences relating to the typical hallmarks of imagery (i.e. dominance and awkwardness effects) on the task. Response Times (RTs) in the yoga group were significantly faster than controls (p < 0.05) and there was also a trend towards greater accuracy for the Yoga group (p = 0.073). Dominance effects (faster responses to images corresponding with the dominant limb) and Awkwardness effects (faster responses to images corresponding with natural compared with awkward postures) were evident across groups, supporting the participants' use of motor imagery in undertaking the task. Additionally, a Group × Awkwardness interaction (p < 0.05) revealed that the enhanced imagery performance for the yoga group was most pronounced for awkward postures. This is the first study to show that yoga practice is associated with superior motor imagery performance; an association that may be important in explaining the established rehabilitative value of yoga for chronic pain.

Yoga practice is associated with superior motor imagery performance.

PubMed

Hartnoll, Susannah H; Punt, T David

2017-08-02

Yoga is an activity that aims to integrate physical, mental and spiritual elements and is an increasingly popular approach to enhancing physical fitness. The integration of imagery within yoga practice is considered an important component and may be critical in contributing to the benefits of yoga that have been reported. In this study, we tested whether individuals who practice yoga demonstrate superior performance on an objective measure of implicit motor imagery. Thirty-six participants (18 yoga, 18 nonyoga) matched for age, sex and handedness, undertook the hand laterality recognition task; an objective measure of implicit motor imagery performance. Accuracy and response times were gathered and analysed to determine any group differences as well as any differences relating to the typical hallmarks of imagery (i.e. dominance and awkwardness effects) on the task. Response Times (RTs) in the yoga group were significantly faster than controls (p < 0.05) and there was also a trend towards greater accuracy for the Yoga group (p = 0.073). Dominance effects (faster responses to images corresponding with the dominant limb) and Awkwardness effects (faster responses to images corresponding with natural compared with awkward postures) were evident across groups, supporting the participants' use of motor imagery in undertaking the task. Additionally, a Group × Awkwardness interaction (p < 0.05) revealed that the enhanced imagery performance for the yoga group was most pronounced for awkward postures. This is the first study to show that yoga practice is associated with superior motor imagery performance; an association that may be important in explaining the established rehabilitative value of yoga for chronic pain.

Disentangling visual imagery and perception of real-world objects

PubMed Central

Lee, Sue-Hyun; Kravitz, Dwight J.; Baker, Chris I.

2011-01-01

During mental imagery, visual representations can be evoked in the absence of “bottom-up” sensory input. Prior studies have reported similar neural substrates for imagery and perception, but studies of brain-damaged patients have revealed a double dissociation with some patients showing preserved imagery in spite of impaired perception and others vice versa. Here, we used fMRI and multi-voxel pattern analysis to investigate the specificity, distribution, and similarity of information for individual seen and imagined objects to try and resolve this apparent contradiction. In an event-related design, participants either viewed or imagined individual named object images on which they had been trained prior to the scan. We found that the identity of both seen and imagined objects could be decoded from the pattern of activity throughout the ventral visual processing stream. Further, there was enough correspondence between imagery and perception to allow discrimination of individual imagined objects based on the response during perception. However, the distribution of object information across visual areas was strikingly different during imagery and perception. While there was an obvious posterior-anterior gradient along the ventral visual stream for seen objects, there was an opposite gradient for imagined objects. Moreover, the structure of representations (i.e. the pattern of similarity between responses to all objects) was more similar during imagery than perception in all regions along the visual stream. These results suggest that while imagery and perception have similar neural substrates, they involve different network dynamics, resolving the tension between previous imaging and neuropsychological studies. PMID:22040738

Thermal Imagery of Groundwater Seeps: Possibilities and Limitations.

PubMed

Mundy, Erin; Gleeson, Tom; Roberts, Mark; Baraer, Michel; McKenzie, Jeffrey M

2017-03-01

Quantifying groundwater flow at seepage faces is crucial because seepage faces influence the hydroecology and water budgets of watersheds, lakes, rivers and oceans, and because measuring groundwater fluxes directly in aquifers is extremely difficult. Seepage faces provide a direct and measurable groundwater flux but there is no existing method to quantitatively image groundwater processes at this boundary. Our objective is to determine the possibilities and limitations of thermal imagery in quantifying groundwater discharge from discrete seeps. We developed a conceptual model of temperature below discrete seeps, observed 20 seeps spectacularly exposed in three dimensions at an unused limestone quarry and conducted field experiments to examine the role of diurnal changes and rock face heterogeneity on thermal imagery. The conceptual model suggests that convective air-water heat exchange driven by temperature differences is the dominant heat transfer mechanism. Thermal imagery is effective at locating and characterizing the flux of groundwater seeps. Areas of active groundwater flow and ice growth can be identified from thermal images in the winter, and seepage rates can be differentiated in the summer. However, the application of thermal imagery is limited by diverse factors including technical issues of image acquisition, diurnal changes in radiation and temperature, and rock face heterogeneity. Groundwater discharge rates could not be directly quantified from thermal imagery using our observations but our conceptual model and experiments suggest that thermal imagery could quantify groundwater discharge when there are large temperature differences, simple cliff faces, non-freezing conditions, and no solar radiation. © 2016, National Ground Water Association.

Kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4) initiates intracellular signaling via protease-activated receptors (PARs). KLK4 and PAR-2 are co-expressed during prostate cancer progression.

PubMed

Ramsay, Andrew J; Dong, Ying; Hunt, Melanie L; Linn, MayLa; Samaratunga, Hemamali; Clements, Judith A; Hooper, John D

2008-05-02

Kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4) is one of the 15 members of the human KLK family and a trypsin-like, prostate cancer-associated serine protease. Signaling initiated by trypsin-like serine proteases are transduced across the plasma membrane primarily by members of the protease-activated receptor (PAR) family of G protein-coupled receptors. Here we show, using Ca(2+) flux assays, that KLK4 signals via both PAR-1 and PAR-2 but not via PAR-4. Dose-response analysis over the enzyme concentration range 0.1-1000 nM indicated that KLK4-induced Ca(2+) mobilization via PAR-1 is more potent than via PAR-2, whereas KLK4 displayed greater efficacy via the latter PAR. We confirmed the specificity of KLK4 signaling via PAR-2 using in vitro protease cleavage assays and anti-phospho-ERK1/2/total ERK1/2 Western blot analysis of PAR-2-overexpressing and small interfering RNA-mediated receptor knockdown cell lines. Consistently, confocal microscopy analyses indicated that KLK4 initiates loss of PAR-2 from the cell surface and receptor internalization. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated the co-expression of agonist and PAR-2 in primary prostate cancer and bone metastases, suggesting that KLK4 signaling via this receptor will have pathological relevance. These data provide insight into KLK4-mediated cell signaling and suggest that signals induced by this enzyme via PARs may be important in prostate cancer.

Microtubules induce self-organization of polarized PAR domains in C. elegans zygotes

PubMed Central

Motegi, Fumio; Zonies, Seth; Hao, Yingsong; Cuenca, Adrian A.; Griffin, Erik; Seydoux, Geraldine

2011-01-01

A hallmark of polarized cells is the segregation of the PAR polarity regulators into asymmetric domains at the cell cortex1, 2. Antagonistic interactions involving two conserved kinases, atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) and PAR-1, have been implicated in polarity maintenance1, 2, but the mechanisms that initiate the formation of asymmetric PAR domains are not understood. Here, we describe one pathway used by the sperm-donated centrosome to polarize the PAR proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans zygotes. Before polarization, cortical aPKC excludes PAR-1 kinase and its binding partner PAR-2 by phosphorylation. During symmetry breaking, microtubules nucleated by the centrosome locally protect PAR-2 from phosphorylation by aPKC, allowing PAR-2 and PAR-1 to access the cortex nearest the centrosome. Cortical PAR-1 phosphorylates PAR-3, causing the PAR-3/aPKC complex to leave the cortex. Our findings illustrate how microtubules, independent of actin dynamics, stimulate the self-organization of PAR proteins by providing local protection against a global barrier imposed by aPKC. PMID:21983565

Aspergillus fumigatus Increased PAR-2 Expression and Elevated Proinflammatory Cytokines Expression Through the Pathway of PAR-2/ERK1/2 in Cornea.

PubMed

Niu, Yawen; Zhao, Guiqiu; Li, Cui; Lin, Jing; Jiang, Nan; Che, Chengye; Zhang, Jie; Xu, Qiang

2018-01-01

To determine the role of protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) in cornea infected by Aspergillus fumigatus. PAR-2 was tested in normal and infected corneas of C57BL/6 mice. Mice corneas were infected with A. fumigatus with or without pretreatment of PAR-2 antagonist (FSLLRY-NH2). Polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMNs) were stimulated with 75% ethanol-killed A. fumigatus with or without pretreatment of FSLLRY-NH2. Disease severity was documented by clinical score and photographs with a slit lamp. PCR, Western blot, and ELISA tested expression of PAR-2, IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, MIP-2, and p-ERK1/2. PMN infiltration was assessed by myeloperoxidase assay and immunofluorescent staining. PAR-2 expression was significantly elevated by A. fumigatus, whereas the upregulation was significantly inhibited by FSLLRY-NH2 in mice corneas. FSLLRY-NH2 decreased disease response, PMN infiltration, and proinflammatory cytokine expression compared with infected control. In PMNs, PAR-2 expression was also significantly increased by A. fumigatus, which was significantly inhibited by FSLLRY-NH2. FSLLRY-NH2 significantly inhibited proinflammatory cytokine protein expression, as compared with that in infected control cells, which may be modified by p-ERK1/2. These data provide evidence that A. fumigatus increased PAR-2 expression and elevated disease, PMN infiltration, and proinflammatory cytokine expression through PAR-2, which may be modified by p-ERK1/2.

Imagery Arousal as a Function of Exposure to Artistic Stimuli.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bilotta, Joseph

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent music and art can arouse imagery experiences in an audience. Because of the relationship found between imagery and the arts in past research, it was hypothesized that artistic stimuli would have a greater influence on imagery than other kinds of stimuli (art-information or non-artistic).…

An investigation of mental imagery in bipolar disorder: Exploring "the mind's eye".

PubMed

Di Simplicio, Martina; Renner, Fritz; Blackwell, Simon E; Mitchell, Heather; Stratford, Hannah J; Watson, Peter; Myers, Nick; Nobre, Anna C; Lau-Zhu, Alex; Holmes, Emily A

2016-12-01

Mental imagery abnormalities occur across psychopathologies and are hypothesized to drive emotional difficulties in bipolar disorder (BD). A comprehensive assessment of mental imagery in BD is lacking. We aimed to test whether (i) mental imagery abnormalities (abnormalities in cognitive stages and subjective domains) occur in BD relative to non-clinical controls; and (ii) to determine the specificity of any abnormalities in BD relative to depression and anxiety disorders. Participants included 54 subjects in the BD group (depressed/euthymic; n=27 in each subgroup), subjects with unipolar depression (n=26), subjects with anxiety disorders (n=25), and non-clinical controls (n=27) matched for age, gender, ethnicity, education, and premorbid IQ. Experimental tasks assessed cognitive (non-emotional) measures of mental imagery (cognitive stages). Questionnaires, experimental tasks, and a phenomenological interview assessed subjective domains including spontaneous imagery use, interpretation bias, and emotional mental imagery. (i) Compared to non-clinical controls, the BD combined group reported a greater impact of intrusive prospective imagery in daily life, more vivid and "real" negative images (prospective imagery task), and higher self-involvement (picture-word task). The BD combined group showed no clear abnormalities in cognitive stages of mental imagery. (ii) When depressed individuals with BD were compared to the depressed or anxious clinical control groups, no significant differences remained-across all groups, imagery differences were associated with affective lability and anxiety. Compared to non-clinical controls, BD is characterized by abnormalities in aspects of emotional mental imagery within the context of otherwise normal cognitive aspects. When matched for depression and anxiety, these abnormalities are not specific to BD-rather, imagery may reflect a transdiagnostic marker of emotional psychopathology. © 2016 Medical Research Council. Bipolar Disorders

Enhancing voluntary imitation through attention and motor imagery.

PubMed

Bek, Judith; Poliakoff, Ellen; Marshall, Hannah; Trueman, Sophie; Gowen, Emma

2016-07-01

Action observation activates brain areas involved in performing the same action and has been shown to increase motor learning, with potential implications for neurorehabilitation. Recent work indicates that the effects of action observation on movement can be increased by motor imagery or by directing attention to observed actions. In voluntary imitation, activation of the motor system during action observation is already increased. We therefore explored whether imitation could be further enhanced by imagery or attention. Healthy participants observed and then immediately imitated videos of human hand movement sequences, while movement kinematics were recorded. Two blocks of trials were completed, and after the first block participants were instructed to imagine performing the observed movement (Imagery group, N = 18) or attend closely to the characteristics of the movement (Attention group, N = 15), or received no further instructions (Control group, N = 17). Kinematics of the imitated movements were modulated by instructions, with both Imagery and Attention groups being closer in duration, peak velocity and amplitude to the observed model compared with controls. These findings show that both attention and motor imagery can increase the accuracy of imitation and have implications for motor learning and rehabilitation. Future work is required to understand the mechanisms by which these two strategies influence imitation accuracy.

Effects of kinesthetic versus visual imagery practice on two technical dance movements: a pilot study.

PubMed

Girón, Elizabeth Coker; McIsaac, Tara; Nilsen, Dawn

2012-03-01

Motor imagery is a type of mental practice that involves imagining the body performing a movement in the absence of motor output. Dance training traditionally incorporates mental practice techniques, but quantitative effects of motor imagery on the performance of dance movements are largely unknown. This pilot study compared the effects of two different imagery modalities, external visual imagery and kinesthetic imagery, on pelvis and hip kinematics during two technical dance movements, plié and sauté. Each of three female dance students (mean age = 19.7 years, mean years of training = 10.7) was assigned to use a type of imagery practice: visual imagery, kinesthetic imagery, or no imagery. Effects of motor imagery on peak external hip rotation varied by both modality and task. Kinesthetic imagery increased peak external hip rotation for pliés, while visual imagery increased peak external hip rotation for sautés. Findings suggest that the success of motor imagery in improving performance may be task-specific. Dancers may benefit from matching imagery modality to technical tasks in order to improve alignment and thereby avoid chronic injury.

Integration of aerial oblique imagery and terrestrial imagery for optimized 3D modeling in urban areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Bo; Xie, Linfu; Hu, Han; Zhu, Qing; Yau, Eric

2018-05-01

Photorealistic three-dimensional (3D) models are fundamental to the spatial data infrastructure of a digital city, and have numerous potential applications in areas such as urban planning, urban management, urban monitoring, and urban environmental studies. Recent developments in aerial oblique photogrammetry based on aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer promising techniques for 3D modeling. However, 3D models generated from aerial oblique imagery in urban areas with densely distributed high-rise buildings may show geometric defects and blurred textures, especially on building façades, due to problems such as occlusion and large camera tilt angles. Meanwhile, mobile mapping systems (MMSs) can capture terrestrial images of close-range objects from a complementary view on the ground at a high level of detail, but do not offer full coverage. The integration of aerial oblique imagery with terrestrial imagery offers promising opportunities to optimize 3D modeling in urban areas. This paper presents a novel method of integrating these two image types through automatic feature matching and combined bundle adjustment between them, and based on the integrated results to optimize the geometry and texture of the 3D models generated from aerial oblique imagery. Experimental analyses were conducted on two datasets of aerial and terrestrial images collected in Dortmund, Germany and in Hong Kong. The results indicate that the proposed approach effectively integrates images from the two platforms and thereby improves 3D modeling in urban areas.

Homosexual imagery in print advertisements: attended, remembered, but disliked.

PubMed

Angelini, James R; Bradley, Samuel D

2010-01-01

This study examines whether print advertisements featuring homosexual imagery elicit greater attention and recall while eliciting more negative responses than advertisements featuring heterosexual images. Data indicate that these advertisements were indeed better remembered and required more time to cognitively process, likely because of the advertisement's imagery being inconsistent with existing gender schema. Other responses demonstrated that homosexual imagery negatively impacted opinions about the advertisement itself and the brand featured, and elicited more negative self-reported valence and arousal.

Visual imaging capacity and imagery control in Fine Arts students.

PubMed

Pérez-Fabello, Maria José; Campos, Alfredo; Gómez-Juncal, Rocío

2007-06-01

This study investigated relationships between visual imaging abilities (imaging capacity and imagery control) and academic performance in 146 Fine Arts students (31 men, 115 women). Mean age was 22.3 yr. (SD= 1.9; range 20-26 yr.). All of the participants who volunteered for the experiment regularly attended classes and were first, second, or third year students. For evaluation of imaging abilities, the Spanish versions of the Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control, the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, the Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire, and Betts' Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery were used. Academic performance was assessed in four areas, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, and Complementary Subjects, over a three-year period. The results indicate that imagery control was associated with academic performance in Fine Arts. These findings are discussed in the context of previous studies, and new lines of research are proposed.

Vegetation mapping from ERTS imagery of the Okavango Delta. [Botswana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willamson, D. T.

1974-01-01

The Okavango is Botswana's major water resource. The present study has been specifically directed at mapping vegetation types within the delta and generally concerned with finding what information of value to plant and animal ecologists could be extracted from the imagery. To date it has been found that. (1) It is possible to map broad vegetation types from the imagery. (2) Imagery of the delta records the state of the system in a manner which will facilitate long-term studies of plant succession. (3) Phenological events can be detected. (4) The imagery can be used to detect and map wild fires. This will be useful in determining the role of fire in the ecology of the region. Using the imagery it is thus possible to map existing vegetation and monitor both short and long-term changes.

NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services: Past, Present and Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baynes, K.; Boller, R. A.; Roberts, J. T.; Cechini, M. F.; Alarcon, C.; Pilone, D.

2016-12-01

NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) provides quick access to almost 500 satellite imagery products, covering every part of the world in a free, open, and interoperable manner. Much of the imagery is available with a few hours after satellite overpass and some products span over 15 years. This imagery has been used for a diverse array of applications including wildfire monitoring, air quality research, education, and soaring above the Earth through immersive planetarium shows. In addition to describing GIBS and its origins and showcasing these applications, this talk will describe the process of how new layers are integrated into the system through interfacing with data providers, how the GIBS team has evolved use cases from the community for new functionality, such as vector data and vertical profile information, and how the GIBS team is pushing forward with research and development aimed at bringing data and imagery together in a seamless manner. Finally, we will discuss new layers currently being integrated into the system and an on-going prototype to evolve the system into a cloud environment.

Spatial Classification of Orchards and Vineyards with High Spatial Resolution Panchromatic Imagery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warner, Timothy; Steinmaus, Karen L.

2005-02-01

New high resolution single spectral band imagery offers the capability to conduct image classifications based on spatial patterns in imagery. A classification algorithm based on autocorrelation patterns was developed to automatically extract orchards and vineyards from satellite imagery. The algorithm was tested on IKONOS imagery over Granger, WA, which resulted in a classification accuracy of 95%.

Dishevelled-induced phosphorylation regulates membrane localization of Par1b

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Terabayashi, Takeshi; Funato, Yosuke; Miki, Hiroaki, E-mail: hmiki@protein.osaka-u.ac.jp

2008-10-31

Par1b is an evolutionarily conserved kinase that plays crucial roles in cell polarity. Controlling intracellular localization of Par1b is important for its biological activity. We previously reported that Wnt stimulation or expression of Dvl promotes accumulation of Par1b in the membrane (T. Terabayashi, T.J. Itoh, H. Yamaguchi, Y. Yoshimura, Y. Funato, S. Ohno, H. Miki, Polarity-Regulating Kinase Partitioning-Defective 1/Microtubule Affinity-Regulating Kinase 2 Negatively Regulates Development of Dendrites on Hippocampal Neurons, J. Neurosci. 27 (2007) 13098-13107). However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here we show the importance of Par1b phosphorylation in the regulation of membrane localization. We find that Thr-324 ismore » phosphorylated in a Dvl-dependent manner. Interestingly, the conversion of Thr-324 to Glu results in a significant accumulation of Par1b in the membrane, without any effects on the kinase activity. Moreover, the phospho-mimicking Par1b mutant does not antagonistically function against Dvl in microtubule stabilization and neurite extension, although wildtype Par1b does. These results suggest that membrane accumulation of Par1b induced by Dvl is regulated by its phosphorylation status, which is important for Par1b to regulate the microtubule dynamics.« less

Emotional Imagery and the Differential Diagnosis of Anxiety.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Edwin W., III; And Others

1988-01-01

For 38 anxiety patients, exposure to phobic imagery resulted in significantly larger heart rate and skin conductance increases than control imagery. Results suggest that simple phobia is avoidance disposition, social phobia involves multiple problems of interpersonal dominance, and agoraphobia may be more similar to generalized anxiety disorder…

Tobacco imagery in Bollywood films: 2006–2008

PubMed Central

Nazar, Gaurang P; Gupta, Vinay K; Millett, Christopher; Arora, Monika

2013-01-01

Objective To estimate exposure to tobacco imagery in youth-rated Bollywood films, and examine the results in light of recent developments in India's film rating system. Methods Content coding of 44 top grossing Bollywood films (including 38 youth-rated films) released during 2006–2008 was undertaken to estimate tobacco occurrences and impressions. Results Out of the 38 youth-rated (U and U/A) films coded, 50% contained tobacco imagery. Mean tobacco occurrences were 1.9, 2.9 and 13.7 per U, U/A and adult (A) rated films, respectively. Top grossing youth-rated films delivered 1.91 billion tobacco impressions to Indian cinema audiences. Conclusions Half the youth-rated Bollywood films contain tobacco imagery resulting in large population level exposure in India, relative to other countries. Measures to reduce youth exposure to tobacco imagery through films, such as restricting access through the rating system, will complement other tobacco control measures. PMID:27326073

Studying action representation in children via motor imagery.

PubMed

Gabbard, Carl

2009-12-01

The use of motor imagery is a widely used experimental paradigm for the study of cognitive aspects of action planning and control in adults. Furthermore, there are indications that motor imagery provides a window into the process of action representation. These notions complement internal model theory suggesting that such representations allow predictions (estimates) about the mapping of the self to parameters of the external world; processes that enable successful planning and execution of action. The ability to mentally represent action is important to the development of motor control. This paper presents a critical review of motor imagery research conducted with children (typically developing and special populations) with focus on its merits and possible shortcomings in studying action representation. Included in the review are age-related findings, possible brain structures involved, experimental paradigms, and recommendations for future work. The merits of this review are associated with the apparent increasing attraction for using and studying motor imagery to understand the developmental aspects of action processing in children.

Imagery mnemonics and memory remediation.

PubMed

Richardson, J T

1992-02-01

This paper evaluates the claim that imagery mnemonic techniques are useful in remediation of memory disorders in brain-damaged patients. Clinical research has confirmed that such techniques can lead to improved performance on formal testing in a number of neurologic disease populations and following lesions of either the left or right hemisphere. However, those patients with more severe forms of amnesia and those with medial or bilateral damage do not improve unless the learning task is highly structured. Even among patients who show improvement on formal testing, there is little evidence that they maintain the use of these techniques in similar learning tasks or generalize the use to new learning situations. Imagery mnemonics also appear to be of little practical value in the daily activities that are of most concern to brain-damaged patients themselves. The effectiveness of imagery mnemonics appears to depend upon the patients' motivation and insight rather than upon their intelligence or educational level. Instead of training patients in specific mnemonic techniques, clinicians should promote the development of "meta-cognitive" skills and the acquisition of knowledge about domains of practical significance.

Protease-Activated Receptor 4 (PAR4): A Promising Target for Antiplatelet Therapy.

PubMed

Rwibasira Rudinga, Gamariel; Khan, Ghulam Jilany; Kong, Yi

2018-02-14

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are currently among the leading causes of death worldwide. Platelet aggregation is a key cellular component of arterial thrombi and major cause of CVDs. Protease-activated receptors (PARs), including PAR1, PAR2, PAR3 and PAR4, fall within a subfamily of seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Human platelets express PAR1 and PAR4, which contribute to the signaling transduction processes. In association with CVDs, PAR4 not only contributes to platelet activation but also is a modulator of cellular responses that serve as hallmarks of inflammation. Although several antiplatelet drugs are available on the market, they have many side effects that limit their use. Emerging evidence shows that PAR4 targeting is a safer strategy for preventing thrombosis and consequently may improve the overall cardiac safety profile. Our present review summarizes the PAR4 structural characteristics, activation mechanism, role in the pathophysiology of diseases and understanding the association of PAR4 targeting for improved cardiac protection. Conclusively, this review highlights the importance of PAR4 antagonists and its potential utility in different CVDs.

Delineation of major soil associations using ERTS-1 imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parks, W. L.; Bodenheimer, R. E.

1973-01-01

The delineation of a major soil association in the loess region of Obion County has been accomplished using ERTS-1 imagery. Channel 7 provides the clearest differentiation. The separation of other smaller soil associations in an intensive row crop agricultural area is somewhat more difficult. Soil differentiation has been accomplished visually as well as electronically using a scanning microdensitometer. Lower altitude aircraft imagery permits a more refined soil association identification and where imagery is of sufficient scale, even individual soils may be identified.

Processing ground-based near-infrared imagery of space shuttle re-entries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spisz, Thomas S.; Taylor, Jeff C.; Kennerly, Stephen W.; Osei-Wusu, Kwame; Gibson, David M.; Horvath, Thomas J.; Zalameda, Joseph N.; Kerns, Robert V.; Shea, Edward J.; Mercer, C. David; Schwartz, Richard J.; Dantowitz, Ronald F.; Kozubal, Marek J.

2012-06-01

Ground-based high-resolution, calibrated, near-infrared (NIR) imagery of the Space Shuttle STS-134 Endeavour during reentry has been obtained as part of NASA's HYTHIRM (Hypersonic Thermodynamic InfraRed Measurements) project. The long-range optical sensor package called MARS (Mobile Aerospace Reconnaissance System) was positioned in advance to acquire and track part of the shuttle re-entry. Imagery was acquired during a few minutes, with the best imagery being processed when the shuttle was at 133 kft at Mach 5.8. This paper describes the processing of the NIR imagery, building upon earlier work from the airborne imagery collections of several prior shuttle missions. Our goal is to calculate the temperature distribution of the shuttle's bottom surface as accurately as possible, considering both random and systematic errors, while maintaining all physical features in the imagery, especially local intensity variations. The processing areas described are: 1) radiometric calibration, 2) improvement of image quality, 3) atmospheric compensation, and 4) conversion to temperature. The computed temperature image will be shown, as well as comparisons with thermocouples at different positions on the shuttle. A discussion of the uncertainties of the temperature estimates using the NIR imagery is also given.

Reduction of intracerebral hemorrhage by rivaroxaban after tPA thrombolysis is associated with downregulation of PAR-1 and PAR-2.

PubMed

Morihara, Ryuta; Yamashita, Toru; Kono, Syoichiro; Shang, Jingwei; Nakano, Yumiko; Sato, Kota; Hishikawa, Nozomi; Ohta, Yasuyuki; Heitmeier, Stefan; Perzborn, Elisabeth; Abe, Koji

2017-09-01

This study aimed to assess the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment in rivaroxaban compared with warfarin-pretreated male Wistar rat brain after ischemia in relation to activation profiles of protease-activated receptor-1, -2, -3, and -4 (PAR-1, -2, -3, and -4). After pretreatment with warfarin (0.2 mg/kg/day), low-dose rivaroxaban (60 mg/kg/day), high-dose rivaroxaban (120 mg/kg/day), or vehicle for 14 days, transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced for 90 min, followed by reperfusion with tPA (10 mg/kg/10 ml). Infarct volume, hemorrhagic volume, immunoglobulin G leakage, and blood parameters were examined. Twenty-four hours after reperfusion, immunohistochemistry for PARs was performed in brain sections. ICH volume was increased in the warfarin-pretreated group compared with the rivaroxaban-treated group. PAR-1, -2, -3, and -4 were widely expressed in the normal brain, and their levels were increased in the ischemic brain, especially in the peri-ischemic lesion. Warfarin pretreatment enhanced the expression of PAR-1 and PAR-2 in the peri-ischemic lesion, whereas rivaroxaban pretreatment did not. The present study shows a lower risk of brain hemorrhage in rivaroxaban-pretreated compared with warfarin-pretreated rats following tPA administration to the ischemic brain. It is suggested that the relative downregulation of PAR-1 and PAR-2 by rivaroxaban compared with warfarin pretreatment might be partly involved in the mechanism of reduced hemorrhagic complications in patients receiving rivaroxaban in clinical trials. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Factor X/Xa elicits protective signaling responses in endothelial cells directly via PAR-2 and indirectly via endothelial protein C receptor-dependent recruitment of PAR-1.

PubMed

Bae, Jong-Sup; Yang, Likui; Rezaie, Alireza R

2010-11-05

We recently demonstrated that the Gla domain-dependent interaction of protein C with endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) leads to dissociation of the receptor from caveolin-1 and recruitment of PAR-1 to a protective signaling pathway. Thus, the activation of PAR-1 by either thrombin or PAR-1 agonist peptide elicited a barrier-protective response if endothelial cells were preincubated with protein C. In this study, we examined whether other vitamin K-dependent coagulation protease zymogens can modulate PAR-dependent signaling responses in endothelial cells. We discovered that the activation of both PAR-1 and PAR-2 in endothelial cells pretreated with factor FX (FX)-S195A, but not other procoagulant protease zymogens, also results in initiation of protective intracellular responses. Interestingly, similar to protein C, FX interaction with endothelial cells leads to dissociation of EPCR from caveolin-1 and recruitment of PAR-1 to a protective pathway. Further studies revealed that, FX activated by factor VIIa on tissue factor bearing endothelial cells also initiates protective signaling responses through the activation of PAR-2 independent of EPCR mobilization. All results could be recapitulated by the receptor agonist peptides to both PAR-1 and PAR-2. These results suggest that a cross-talk between EPCR and an unknown FX/FXa receptor, which does not require interaction with the Gla domain of FX, recruits PAR-1 to protective signaling pathways in endothelial cells.

Phenomenological Reliving and Visual Imagery During Autobiographical Recall in Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

El Haj, Mohamad; Kapogiannis, Dimitrios; Antoine, Pascal

2016-03-16

Multiple studies have shown compromise of autobiographical memory and phenomenological reliving in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated various phenomenological features of autobiographical memory to determine their relative vulnerability in AD. To this aim, participants with early AD and cognitively normal older adult controls were asked to retrieve an autobiographical event and rate on a five-point scale metacognitive judgments (i.e., reliving, back in time, remembering, and realness), component processes (i.e., visual imagery, auditory imagery, language, and emotion), narrative properties (i.e., rehearsal and importance), and spatiotemporal specificity (i.e., spatial details and temporal details). AD participants showed lower general autobiographical recall than controls, and poorer reliving, travel in time, remembering, realness, visual imagery, auditory imagery, language, rehearsal, and spatial detail-a decrease that was especially pronounced for visual imagery. Yet, AD participants showed high rating for emotion and importance. Early AD seems to compromise many phenomenological features, especially visual imagery, but also seems to preserve some other features.

MISR Imagery and Articles

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-05-27

... :  Imagery supporting field campaigns, intensive research studies MISR Browse Tool :  Easy access to ellipsoid ... more prevalent than was previously believed. Squeezing Water from Rock : Survivors of the New Madrid earthquakes reported not only ...

Kinesthetic but not visual imagery assists in normalizing the CNV in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Lim, Vanessa K; Polych, Melody A; Holländer, Antje; Byblow, Winston D; Kirk, Ian J; Hamm, Jeff P

2006-10-01

This study investigated whether kinesthetic and/or visual imagery could alter the contingent negative variation (CNV) for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The CNV was recorded in six patients with PD and seven controls before and after a 10min block of imagery. There were two types of imagery employed: kinesthetic and visual, which were evaluated on separate days. The global field power (GFP) of the late CNV did not change after the visual imagery for either group, nor was there a significant difference between the groups. In contrast, kinesthetic imagery resulted in significant group differences pre-, versus post-imagery GFPs, which was not present prior to performing the kinesthetic imagery task. In patients with PD, the CNV amplitudes post-, relative to pre-kinesthetic imagery, increased over the dorsolateral prefrontal regions and decreased in the ipsilateral parietal regions. There were no such changes in controls. A 10-min session of kinesthetic imagery enhanced the GFP amplitude of the late CNV for patients but not for controls. While the study needs to be replicated with a greater number of participants, the results suggest that kinesthetic imagery may be a promising tool for investigations into motor changes, and may potentially be employed therapeutically, in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Users guide to high altitude imagery of Michigan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

A guide to the high altitude imagery of Michigan outlines the areas of the state covered by selected recent high altitude aircraft and Earth Resources Technology Satellite flights. The types of remote sensing used are described. Maps of the flight coverage areas are included along with price lists of available imagery.

Studying Action Representation in Children via Motor Imagery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabbard, Carl

2009-01-01

The use of motor imagery is a widely used experimental paradigm for the study of cognitive aspects of action planning and control in adults. Furthermore, there are indications that motor imagery provides a window into the process of action representation. These notions complement internal model theory suggesting that such representations allow…

Toward a Phenomenology of Dream Imagery and Metaphor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Elmer S., Jr.

1979-01-01

The author partially describes a few of the immanent qualities of dreaming imagery and metaphor. The concept of the ineluctable modality is introduced to illustrate the spontaneous synthesizing of cognitive and noncognitive elements. A short dream excerpt is shared to clarify the pervasive contrapuntallike depth of dreaming imagery. (Author/SJL)

Users, uses, and value of Landsat satellite imagery: results from the 2012 survey of users

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Holly M.; Richardson, Leslie A.; Koontz, Stephen R.; Loomis, John; Koontz, Lynne

2013-01-01

Landsat satellites have been operating since 1972, providing a continuous global record of the Earth’s land surface. The imagery is currently available at no cost through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Social scientists at the USGS Fort Collins Science Center conducted an extensive survey in early 2012 to explore who uses Landsat imagery, how they use the imagery, and what the value of the imagery is to them. The survey was sent to all users registered with USGS who had accessed Landsat imagery in the year prior to the survey and over 11,000 current Landsat imagery users responded. The results of the survey revealed that respondents from many sectors use Landsat imagery in myriad project locations and scales, as well as application areas. The value of Landsat imagery to these users was demonstrated by the high importance of and dependence on the imagery, the numerous environmental and societal benefits observed from projects using Landsat imagery, the potential negative impacts on users’ work if Landsat imagery was no longer available, and the substantial aggregated annual economic benefit from the imagery. These results represent only the value of Landsat to users registered with USGS; further research would help to determine what the value of the imagery is to a greater segment of the population, such as downstream users of the imagery and imagery-derived products.

PAR1 activation affects the neurotrophic properties of Schwann cells.

PubMed

Pompili, Elena; Fabrizi, Cinzia; Somma, Francesca; Correani, Virginia; Maras, Bruno; Schininà, Maria Eugenia; Ciraci, Viviana; Artico, Marco; Fornai, Francesco; Fumagalli, Lorenzo

2017-03-01

Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) is the prototypic member of a family of four G-protein-coupled receptors that signal in response to extracellular proteases. In the peripheral nervous system, the expression and/or the role of PARs are still poorly investigated. High PAR1 mRNA expression was found in the rat dorsal root ganglia and the signal intensity of PAR1 mRNA increased in response to sciatic nerve transection. In the sciatic nerve, functional PAR1 receptor was reported at the level of non-compacted Schwann cell myelin microvilli of the nodes of Ranvier. Schwann cells are the principal population of glial cells of the peripheral nervous system which myelinate axons playing an important role during axonal regeneration and remyelination. The present study was undertaken in order to determine if the activation of PAR1 affects the neurotrophic properties of Schwann cells. Our results suggest that the stimulation of PAR1 could potentiate the Schwann cell ability to favour nerve regeneration. In fact, the conditioned medium obtained from Schwann cell cultures challenged with a specific PAR1 activating peptide (PAR1 AP) displays increased neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties with respect to the culture medium from untreated Schwann cells. The proteomic analysis of secreted proteins in untreated and PAR1 AP-treated Schwann cells allowed the identification of factors differentially expressed in the two samples. Some of them (such as macrophage migration inhibitory factor, matrix metalloproteinase-2, decorin, syndecan 4, complement C1r subcomponent, angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1) appear to be transcriptionally regulated after PAR1 AP treatment as shown by RT-PCR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acquisition of airborne imagery in support of Deepwater Horizon oil spill recovery assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostater, Charles R., Jr.; Muller-Karger, Frank E.

2012-09-01

Remote sensing imagery was collected from a low flying aircraft along the near coastal waters of the Florida Panhandle and northern Gulf of Mexico and into Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA, during March 2011. Imagery was acquired from an aircraft that simultaneously collected traditional photogrammetric film imagery, digital video, digital still images, and digital hyperspectral imagery. The original purpose of the project was to collect airborne imagery to support assessment of weathered oil in littoral areas influenced by the Deepwater Horizon oil and gas spill that occurred during the spring and summer of 2010. This paper describes the data acquired and presents information that demonstrates the utility of small spatial scale imagery to detect the presence of weathered oil along littoral areas in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Flight tracks and examples of imagery collected are presented and methods used to plan and acquire the imagery are described. Results suggest weathered oil in littoral areas after the spill was contained at the source.

Structural geologic interpretations from radar imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reeves, Robert G.

1969-01-01

Certain structural geologic features may be more readily recognized on sidelooking airborne radar (SLAR) images than on conventional aerial photographs, other remote sensor imagery, or by ground observations. SLAR systems look obliquely to one or both sides and their images resemble aerial photographs taken at low sun angle with the sun directly behind the camera. They differ from air photos in geometry, resolution, and information content. Radar operates at much lower frequencies than the human eye, camera, or infrared sensors, and thus "sees" differently. The lower frequency enables it to penetrate most clouds and some precipitation, haze, dust, and some vegetation. Radar provides its own illumination, which can be closely controlled in intensity and frequency. It is narrow band, or essentially monochromatic. Low relief and subdued features are accentuated when viewed from the proper direction. Runs over the same area in significantly different directions (more than 45° from each other), show that images taken in one direction may emphasize features that are not emphasized on those taken in the other direction; optimum direction is determined by those features which need to be emphasized for study purposes. Lineaments interpreted as faults stand out on radar imagery of central and western Nevada; folded sedimentary rocks cut by faults can be clearly seen on radar imagery of northern Alabama. In these areas, certain structural and stratigraphic features are more pronounced on radar images than on conventional photographs; thus radar imagery materially aids structural interpretation.

PAR2 (Protease-Activated Receptor 2) Deficiency Attenuates Atherosclerosis in Mice.

PubMed

Jones, Shannon M; Mann, Adrien; Conrad, Kelsey; Saum, Keith; Hall, David E; McKinney, Lisa M; Robbins, Nathan; Thompson, Joel; Peairs, Abigail D; Camerer, Eric; Rayner, Katey J; Tranter, Michael; Mackman, Nigel; Owens, A Phillip

2018-06-01

PAR2 (protease-activated receptor 2)-dependent signaling results in augmented inflammation and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of PAR2 deficiency on the development of atherosclerosis. PAR2 mRNA and protein expression is increased in human carotid artery and mouse aortic arch atheroma versus control carotid and aortic arch arteries, respectively. To determine the effect of PAR2 deficiency on atherosclerosis, male and female low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient ( Ldlr -/- ) mice (8-12 weeks old) that were Par2 +/+ or Par2 -/- were fed a fat- and cholesterol-enriched diet for 12 or 24 weeks. PAR2 deficiency attenuated atherosclerosis in the aortic sinus and aortic root after 12 and 24 weeks. PAR2 deficiency did not alter total plasma cholesterol concentrations or lipoprotein distributions. Bone marrow transplantation showed that PAR2 on nonhematopoietic cells contributed to atherosclerosis. PAR2 deficiency significantly attenuated levels of the chemokines Ccl2 and Cxcl1 in the circulation and macrophage content in atherosclerotic lesions. Mechanistic studies using isolated primary vascular smooth muscle cells showed that PAR2 deficiency is associated with reduced Ccl2 and Cxcl1 mRNA expression and protein release into the supernatant resulting in less monocyte migration. Our results indicate that PAR2 deficiency is associated with attenuation of atherosclerosis and may reduce lesion progression by blunting Ccl2 - and Cxcl1 -induced monocyte infiltration. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

6883 Maintenance Training Simulator Development Utilizing Imagery Techniques.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-01

increased motivation (as by its game-like setting), etc. These questions are left for future inquiry. 26 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The imagery training...the output of power supply PS4 ." 46. 46 ; 20b. Read instructions (imagery group only). "To ready the board, take the one drawing that is titled

Task-dependent engagements of the primary visual cortex during kinesthetic and visual motor imagery.

PubMed

Mizuguchi, Nobuaki; Nakamura, Maiko; Kanosue, Kazuyuki

2017-01-01

Motor imagery can be divided into kinesthetic and visual aspects. In the present study, we investigated excitability in the corticospinal tract and primary visual cortex (V1) during kinesthetic and visual motor imagery. To accomplish this, we measured motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and probability of phosphene occurrence during the two types of motor imageries of finger tapping. The MEPs and phosphenes were induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation to the primary motor cortex and V1, respectively. The amplitudes of MEPs and probability of phosphene occurrence during motor imagery were normalized based on the values obtained at rest. Corticospinal excitability increased during both kinesthetic and visual motor imagery, while excitability in V1 was increased only during visual motor imagery. These results imply that modulation of cortical excitability during kinesthetic and visual motor imagery is task dependent. The present finding aids in the understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying motor imagery and provides useful information for the use of motor imagery in rehabilitation or motor imagery training. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR(2)) in human periodontitis.

PubMed

Holzhausen, M; Cortelli, J R; da Silva, V Araújo; Franco, G C Nobre; Cortelli, S Cavalca; Vergnolle, N

2010-09-01

No evidence for the role of protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR(2)) in human periodontal disease has been demonstrated so far. Thus, we sought to investigate the expression of PAR(2) mRNA in chronic periodontitis, and to examine whether its expression is related to the presence of PAR(2) potential activators. Microbiological and gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected from individuals with chronic periodontitis and control individuals, and the presence of neutrophil serine proteinase 3 (P3) and Porphyromonas gingivalis was evaluated. PAR(2) mRNA expression was higher (p < 0.001) in those with chronic periodontitis compared with control individuals, and it was statistically decreased (p = 0.0006) after periodontal treatment. Furthermore, those with chronic periodontitis presented higher (p < 0.05) levels of IL-1alpha, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha, total proteolytic activity, P. gingivalis prevalence, and P3mRNA expression compared with control individuals. We conclude that PAR(2) mRNA expression and its potential activators are elevated in human chronic periodontitis, therefore suggesting that PAR(2) may play a role in periodontal inflammation.

An Adaptive Ship Detection Scheme for Spaceborne SAR Imagery

PubMed Central

Leng, Xiangguang; Ji, Kefeng; Zhou, Shilin; Xing, Xiangwei; Zou, Huanxin

2016-01-01

With the rapid development of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and the increasing need of ship detection, research on adaptive ship detection in spaceborne SAR imagery is of great importance. Focusing on practical problems of ship detection, this paper presents a highly adaptive ship detection scheme for spaceborne SAR imagery. It is able to process a wide range of sensors, imaging modes and resolutions. Two main stages are identified in this paper, namely: ship candidate detection and ship discrimination. Firstly, this paper proposes an adaptive land masking method using ship size and pixel size. Secondly, taking into account the imaging mode, incidence angle, and polarization channel of SAR imagery, it implements adaptive ship candidate detection in spaceborne SAR imagery by applying different strategies to different resolution SAR images. Finally, aiming at different types of typical false alarms, this paper proposes a comprehensive ship discrimination method in spaceborne SAR imagery based on confidence level and complexity analysis. Experimental results based on RADARSAT-1, RADARSAT-2, TerraSAR-X, RS-1, and RS-3 images demonstrate that the adaptive scheme proposed in this paper is able to detect ship targets in a fast, efficient and robust way. PMID:27563902

StePar: an automatic code for stellar parameter determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabernero, H. M.; González Hernández, J. I.; Montes, D.

2013-05-01

We introduce a new automatic code (StePar) for determinig stellar atmospheric parameters (T_{eff}, log{g}, ξ and [Fe/H]) in an automated way. StePar employs the 2002 version of the MOOG code (Sneden 1973) and a grid of Kurucz ATLAS9 plane-paralell model atmospheres (Kurucz 1993). The atmospheric parameters are obtained from the EWs of 263 Fe I and 36 Fe II lines (obtained from Sousa et al. 2008, A&A, 487, 373) iterating until the excitation and ionization equilibrium are fullfilled. StePar uses a Downhill Simplex method that minimizes a quadratic form composed by the excitation and ionization equilibrium conditions. Atmospheric parameters determined by StePar are independent of the stellar parameters initial-guess for the problem star, therefore we employ the canonical solar values as initial input. StePar can only deal with FGK stars from F6 to K4, also it can not work with fast rotators, veiled spectra, very metal poor stars or Signal to noise ratio below 30. Optionally StePar can operate with MARCS models (Gustafson et al. 2008, A&A, 486, 951) instead of Kurucz ATLAS9 models, additionally Turbospectrum (Alvarez & Plez 1998, A&A, 330, 1109) can replace the MOOG code and play its role during the parameter determination. StePar has been used to determine stellar parameters for some studies (Tabernero et al. 2012, A&A, 547, A13; Wisniewski et al. 2012, AJ, 143, 107). In addition StePar is being used to obtain parameters for FGK stars from the GAIA-ESO Survey.

Bacterial DNA segregation dynamics mediated by the polymerizing protein ParF.

PubMed

Barillà, Daniela; Rosenberg, Mark F; Nobbmann, Ulf; Hayes, Finbarr

2005-04-06

Prokaryotic DNA segregation most commonly involves members of the Walker-type ParA superfamily. Here we show that the ParF partition protein specified by the TP228 plasmid is a ParA ATPase that assembles into extensive filaments in vitro. Polymerization is potentiated by ATP binding and does not require nucleotide hydrolysis. Analysis of mutations in conserved residues of the Walker A motif established a functional coupling between filament dynamics and DNA partitioning. The partner partition protein ParG plays two separable roles in the ParF polymerization process. ParF is unrelated to prokaryotic polymerizing proteins of the actin or tubulin families, but is a homologue of the MinD cell division protein, which also assembles into filaments. The ultrastructures of the ParF and MinD polymers are remarkably similar. This points to an evolutionary parallel between DNA segregation and cytokinesis in prokaryotic cells, and reveals a potential molecular mechanism for plasmid and chromosome segregation mediated by the ubiquitous ParA-type proteins.

The role of pars flaccida in human middle ear sound transmission.

PubMed

Aritomo, H; Goode, R L; Gonzalez, J

1988-04-01

The role of the pars flaccida in middle ear sound transmission was studied with the use of twelve otoscopically normal, fresh, human temporal bones. Peak-to-peak umbo displacement in response to a constant sound pressure level at the tympanic membrane was measured with a noncontacting video measuring system capable of repeatable measurements down to 0.2 micron. Measurements were made before and after pars flaccida modifications at 18 frequencies between 100 and 4000 Hz. Four pars flaccida modifications were studied: (1) acoustic insulation of the pars flaccida to the ear canal with a silicone rubber baffle, (2) stiffening the pars flaccida with cyanoacrylate cement, (3) decreasing the tension of the pars flaccida with a nonperforating incision, and (4) perforation of the pars flaccida. All of the modifications (except the perforation) had a minimal effect on umbo displacement; this seems to imply that the pars flaccida has a minor acoustic role in human beings.

User's Self-Prediction of Performance in Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface.

PubMed

Ahn, Minkyu; Cho, Hohyun; Ahn, Sangtae; Jun, Sung C

2018-01-01

Performance variation is a critical issue in motor imagery brain-computer interface (MI-BCI), and various neurophysiological, psychological, and anatomical correlates have been reported in the literature. Although the main aim of such studies is to predict MI-BCI performance for the prescreening of poor performers, studies which focus on the user's sense of the motor imagery process and directly estimate MI-BCI performance through the user's self-prediction are lacking. In this study, we first test each user's self-prediction idea regarding motor imagery experimental datasets. Fifty-two subjects participated in a classical, two-class motor imagery experiment and were asked to evaluate their easiness with motor imagery and to predict their own MI-BCI performance. During the motor imagery experiment, an electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded; however, no feedback on motor imagery was given to subjects. From EEG recordings, the offline classification accuracy was estimated and compared with several questionnaire scores of subjects, as well as with each subject's self-prediction of MI-BCI performance. The subjects' performance predictions during motor imagery task showed a high positive correlation ( r = 0.64, p < 0.01). Interestingly, it was observed that the self-prediction became more accurate as the subjects conducted more motor imagery tasks in the Correlation coefficient (pre-task to 2nd run: r = 0.02 to r = 0.54, p < 0.01) and root mean square error (pre-task to 3rd run: 17.7% to 10%, p < 0.01). We demonstrated that subjects may accurately predict their MI-BCI performance even without feedback information. This implies that the human brain is an active learning system and, by self-experiencing the endogenous motor imagery process, it can sense and adopt the quality of the process. Thus, it is believed that users may be able to predict MI-BCI performance and results may contribute to a better understanding of low performance and advancing BCI.

Imitation and matching of meaningless gestures: distinct involvement from motor and visual imagery.

PubMed

Lesourd, Mathieu; Navarro, Jordan; Baumard, Josselin; Jarry, Christophe; Le Gall, Didier; Osiurak, François

2017-05-01

The aim of the present study was to understand the underlying cognitive processes of imitation and matching of meaningless gestures. Neuropsychological evidence obtained in brain damaged patients, has shown that distinct cognitive processes supported imitation and matching of meaningless gestures. Left-brain damaged (LBD) patients failed to imitate while right-brain damaged (RBD) patients failed to match meaningless gestures. Moreover, other studies with brain damaged patients showed that LBD patients were impaired in motor imagery while RBD patients were impaired in visual imagery. Thus, we hypothesize that imitation of meaningless gestures might rely on motor imagery, whereas matching of meaningless gestures might be based on visual imagery. In a first experiment, using a correlational design, we demonstrated that posture imitation relies on motor imagery but not on visual imagery (Experiment 1a) and that posture matching relies on visual imagery but not on motor imagery (Experiment 1b). In a second experiment, by manipulating directly the body posture of the participants, we demonstrated that such manipulation evokes a difference only in imitation task but not in matching task. In conclusion, the present study provides direct evidence that the way we imitate or we have to compare postures depends on motor imagery or visual imagery, respectively. Our results are discussed in the light of recent findings about underlying mechanisms of meaningful and meaningless gestures.

Scanning silence: mental imagery of complex sounds.

PubMed

Bunzeck, Nico; Wuestenberg, Torsten; Lutz, Kai; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Jancke, Lutz

2005-07-15

In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we investigated the neural basis of mental auditory imagery of familiar complex sounds that did not contain language or music. In the first condition (perception), the subjects watched familiar scenes and listened to the corresponding sounds that were presented simultaneously. In the second condition (imagery), the same scenes were presented silently and the subjects had to mentally imagine the appropriate sounds. During the third condition (control), the participants watched a scrambled version of the scenes without sound. To overcome the disadvantages of the stray acoustic scanner noise in auditory fMRI experiments, we applied sparse temporal sampling technique with five functional clusters that were acquired at the end of each movie presentation. Compared to the control condition, we found bilateral activations in the primary and secondary auditory cortices (including Heschl's gyrus and planum temporale) during perception of complex sounds. In contrast, the imagery condition elicited bilateral hemodynamic responses only in the secondary auditory cortex (including the planum temporale). No significant activity was observed in the primary auditory cortex. The results show that imagery and perception of complex sounds that do not contain language or music rely on overlapping neural correlates of the secondary but not primary auditory cortex.

Infrared photography and imagery in water resources research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinove, Charles J.

1965-01-01

Infrared photography has restricted usefulness in general water resources studies but is particularly useful in special problems such as shoreline mapping. Infrared imagery is beginning to be used in water resources studies for the identification of surface and sub surface thermal anomalies as expressed at the surface and the measurement of apparent water surface temperatures. It will attain its maximum usefulness only when interpretation criteria for infrared imagery are fully developed. Several important hydrologic problems to which infrared imagery may be applied are: (1) determination of circulation and cooling of water in power plant cooling ponds, (2) measurement of river temperature and temperature decline downstream from power plants discharging heated water, (3) identification of submarine springs along coasts, and (4) measurement of temperature differences along streams as indicators of effluent seepage of ground water. Although it is possible at this time to identify many features of importance to hydrology by the use of infrared imagery, the task remaining is to develop criteria to show the hydrologic significance of the features.

[Mental Imagery: Neurophysiology and Implications in Psychiatry].

PubMed

Martínez, Nathalie Tamayo

2014-03-01

To provide an explanation about what mental imagery is and some implications in psychiatry. This article is a narrative literature review. There are many terms in which imagery representations are described in different fields of research. They are defined as perceptions in the absence of an external stimulus, and can be created in any sensory modality. Their neurophysiological substrate is almost the same as the one activated during sensory perception. There is no unified theory about its function, but it is possibly the way that our brain uses and manipulates the information to respond to the environment. Mental imagery is an everyday phenomenon, and when it occurs in specific patterns it can be a sign of mental disorders. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Emergency Response Imagery Related to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worthem, A. V.; Madore, B.; Imahori, G.; Woolard, J.; Sellars, J.; Halbach, A.; Helmricks, D.; Quarrick, J.

2017-12-01

NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and Remote Sensing Division acquired and rapidly disseminated emergency response imagery related to the three recent hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Aerial imagery was collected using a Trimble Digital Sensor System, a high-resolution digital camera, by means of NOAA's King Air 350ER and DeHavilland Twin Otter (DHC-6) Aircraft. The emergency response images are used to assess the before and after effects of the hurricanes' damage. The imagery aids emergency responders, such as FEMA, Coast Guard, and other state and local governments, in developing recovery strategies and efforts by prioritizing areas most affected and distributing appropriate resources. Collected imagery is also used to provide damage assessment for use in long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts. Additionally, the imagery allows for those evacuated persons to see images of their homes and neighborhoods remotely. Each of the individual images are processed through ortho-rectification and merged into a uniform mosaic image. These remotely sensed datasets are publically available, and often used by web-based map servers as well as, federal, state, and local government agencies. This poster will show the imagery collected for these three hurricanes and the processes involved in getting data quickly into the hands of those that need it most.

Geomorphic analyses from space imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morisawa, M.

1985-01-01

One of the most obvious applications of space imagery to geomorphological analyses is in the study of drainage patterns and channel networks. LANDSAT, high altitude photography and other types of remote sensing imagery are excellent for depicting stream networks on a regional scale because of their broad coverage in a single image. They offer a valuable tool for comparing and analyzing drainage patterns and channel networks all over the world. Three aspects considered in this geomorphological study are: (1) the origin, evolution and rates of development of drainage systems; (2) the topological studies of network and channel arrangements; and (3) the adjustment of streams to tectonic events and geologic structure (i.e., the mode and rate of adjustment).

Brain activation profiles during kinesthetic and visual imagery: An fMRI study.

PubMed

Kilintari, Marina; Narayana, Shalini; Babajani-Feremi, Abbas; Rezaie, Roozbeh; Papanicolaou, Andrew C

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to identify brain regions involved in motor imagery and differentiate two alternative strategies in its implementation: imagining a motor act using kinesthetic or visual imagery. Fourteen adults were precisely instructed and trained on how to imagine themselves or others perform a movement sequence, with the aim of promoting kinesthetic and visual imagery, respectively, in the context of an fMRI experiment using block design. We found that neither modality of motor imagery elicits activation of the primary motor cortex and that each of the two modalities involves activation of the premotor area which is also activated during action execution and action observation conditions, as well as of the supplementary motor area. Interestingly, the visual and the posterior cingulate cortices show reduced BOLD signal during both imagery conditions. Our results indicate that the networks of regions activated in kinesthetic and visual imagery of motor sequences show a substantial, while not complete overlap, and that the two forms of motor imagery lead to a differential suppression of visual areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selective loss of verbal imagery.

PubMed

Mehta, Z; Newcombe, F

1996-05-01

This single case study of the ability to generate verbal and non-verbal imagery in a woman who sustained a gunshot wound to the brain reports a significant difficulty in generating images of word shapes but not a significant problem in generating object images. Further dissociation, however, was observed in her ability to generate images of living vs non-living material. She made more errors in imagery and factual information tasks for non-living items than for living items. This pattern contrasts with our previous report of the agnosic patient, M.S., who had severe difficulty in generating images of living material, whereas his ability to image the shape of words was comparable to that of normal control subjects. Furthermore, with regard to the generation of images of living compared with non-living material, M.S. shows more errors with living than nonliving items. In contrast, the present patient, S.M., made significantly more errors with non-living relative to living items. There appear to be two types of double dissociation which reinforce the growing evidence of dissociable impairments in the ability to generate images for different types of verbal and non-verbal material. Such dissociations, presumably related to sensory and cognitive processing demands, address the problem of the neural basis of imagery.

PAR-1 contributes to the innate immune response during viral infection

PubMed Central

Antoniak, Silvio; Owens, A. Phillip; Baunacke, Martin; Williams, Julie C.; Lee, Rebecca D.; Weithäuser, Alice; Sheridan, Patricia A.; Malz, Ronny; Luyendyk, James P.; Esserman, Denise A.; Trejo, JoAnn; Kirchhofer, Daniel; Blaxall, Burns C.; Pawlinski, Rafal; Beck, Melinda A.; Rauch, Ursula; Mackman, Nigel

2013-01-01

Coagulation is a host defense system that limits the spread of pathogens. Coagulation proteases, such as thrombin, also activate cells by cleaving PARs. In this study, we analyzed the role of PAR-1 in coxsackievirus B3–induced (CVB3-induced) myocarditis and influenza A infection. CVB3-infected Par1–/– mice expressed reduced levels of IFN-β and CXCL10 during the early phase of infection compared with Par1+/+ mice that resulted in higher viral loads and cardiac injury at day 8 after infection. Inhibition of either tissue factor or thrombin in WT mice also significantly increased CVB3 levels in the heart and cardiac injury compared with controls. BM transplantation experiments demonstrated that PAR-1 in nonhematopoietic cells protected mice from CVB3 infection. Transgenic mice overexpressing PAR-1 in cardiomyocytes had reduced CVB3-induced myocarditis. We found that cooperative signaling between PAR-1 and TLR3 in mouse cardiac fibroblasts enhanced activation of p38 and induction of IFN-β and CXCL10 expression. Par1–/– mice also had decreased CXCL10 expression and increased viral levels in the lung after influenza A infection compared with Par1+/+ mice. Our results indicate that the tissue factor/thrombin/PAR-1 pathway enhances IFN-β expression and contributes to the innate immune response during single-stranded RNA viral infection. PMID:23391721

Mental representation and motor imagery training

PubMed Central

Schack, Thomas; Essig, Kai; Frank, Cornelia; Koester, Dirk

2014-01-01

Research in sports, dance and rehabilitation has shown that basic action concepts (BACs) are fundamental building blocks of mental action representations. BACs are based on chunked body postures related to common functions for realizing action goals. In this paper, we outline issues in research methodology and an experimental method, the structural dimensional analysis of mental representation (SDA-M), to assess action-relevant representational structures that reflect the organization of BACs. The SDA-M reveals a strong relationship between cognitive representation and performance if complex actions are performed. We show how the SDA-M can improve motor imagery training and how it contributes to our understanding of coaching processes. The SDA-M capitalizes on the objective measurement of individual mental movement representations before training and the integration of these results into the motor imagery training. Such motor imagery training based on mental representations (MTMR) has been applied successfully in professional sports such as golf, volleyball, gymnastics, windsurfing, and recently in the rehabilitation of patients who have suffered a stroke. PMID:24904368

The Pitch Imagery Arrow Task: Effects of Musical Training, Vividness, and Mental Control

PubMed Central

Gelding, Rebecca W.; Thompson, William Forde; Johnson, Blake W.

2015-01-01

Musical imagery is a relatively unexplored area, partly because of deficiencies in existing experimental paradigms, which are often difficult, unreliable, or do not provide objective measures of performance. Here we describe a novel protocol, the Pitch Imagery Arrow Task (PIAT), which induces and trains pitch imagery in both musicians and non-musicians. Given a tonal context and an initial pitch sequence, arrows are displayed to elicit a scale-step sequence of imagined pitches, and participants indicate whether the final imagined tone matches an audible probe. It is a staircase design that accommodates individual differences in musical experience and imagery ability. This new protocol was used to investigate the roles that musical expertise, self-reported auditory vividness and mental control play in imagery performance. Performance on the task was significantly better for participants who employed a musical imagery strategy compared to participants who used an alternative cognitive strategy and positively correlated with scores on the Control subscale from the Bucknell Auditory Imagery Scale (BAIS). Multiple regression analysis revealed that Imagery performance accuracy was best predicted by a combination of strategy use and scores on the Vividness subscale of BAIS. These results confirm that competent performance on the PIAT requires active musical imagery and is very difficult to achieve using alternative cognitive strategies. Auditory vividness and mental control were more important than musical experience in the ability to perform manipulation of pitch imagery. PMID:25807078

Bacterial DNA segregation dynamics mediated by the polymerizing protein ParF

PubMed Central

Barillà, Daniela; Rosenberg, Mark F; Nobbmann, Ulf; Hayes, Finbarr

2005-01-01

Prokaryotic DNA segregation most commonly involves members of the Walker-type ParA superfamily. Here we show that the ParF partition protein specified by the TP228 plasmid is a ParA ATPase that assembles into extensive filaments in vitro. Polymerization is potentiated by ATP binding and does not require nucleotide hydrolysis. Analysis of mutations in conserved residues of the Walker A motif established a functional coupling between filament dynamics and DNA partitioning. The partner partition protein ParG plays two separable roles in the ParF polymerization process. ParF is unrelated to prokaryotic polymerizing proteins of the actin or tubulin families, but is a homologue of the MinD cell division protein, which also assembles into filaments. The ultrastructures of the ParF and MinD polymers are remarkably similar. This points to an evolutionary parallel between DNA segregation and cytokinesis in prokaryotic cells, and reveals a potential molecular mechanism for plasmid and chromosome segregation mediated by the ubiquitous ParA-type proteins. PMID:15775965

Neo-Positivist Intrusions, Post-Qualitative Challenges, and PAR's Generative Indeterminacies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Janet L.

2017-01-01

Although committed to PAR's overarching aspirations, many advocates also have noted myriad complexities of engaging in PAR, where ambiguities and disarrays--all kinds of inconclusive evidence--can proliferate. Uncertainties especially can erupt if PAR education-focused projects are positioned, oxymoronically, as expected to produce "high…

The effect of motor imagery with specific implement in expert badminton player.

PubMed

Wang, Z; Wang, S; Shi, F-Y; Guan, Y; Wu, Y; Zhang, L-L; Shen, C; Zeng, Y-W; Wang, D-H; Zhang, J

2014-09-05

Motor skill can be improved with mental simulation. Implements are widely used in daily life and in various sports. However, it is unclear whether the utilization of implements enhances the effect of mental simulation. The present study was designed to investigate the different effects of motor imagery in athletes and novices when they handled a specific implement. We hypothesize that athletes have better motor imagery ability than novices when they hold a specific implement for the sport. This is manifested as higher motor cortical excitability in athletes than novices during motor imagery with the specific implement. Sixteen expert badminton players and 16 novices were compared when they held a specific implement such as a badminton racket and a non-specific implement such as a a plastic bar. Motor imagery ability was measured with a self-evaluation questionnaire. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to test the motor cortical excitability during motor imagery. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and extensor carpi radialis muscles were recorded. Athletes reported better motor imagery than novices when they held a specific implement. Athletes exhibited more MEP facilitation than novices in the FDI muscle with the specific implement applied during motor imagery. The MEP facilitation is correlated with motor imagery ability in athletes. We conclude that the effects of motor imagery with a specific implement are enhanced in athletes compared to novices and the difference between two groups is caused by long-term physical training of athletes with the specific implement. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of people in military and security context imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shannon, Thomas M. L.; Spier, Emmet H.; Wiltshire, Ben

2014-10-01

A high level of manual visual surveillance of complex scenes is dependent solely on the awareness of human operators whereas an autonomous person detection solution could assist by drawing their attention to potential issues, in order to reduce cognitive burden and achieve more with less manpower. Our research addressed the challenge of the reliable identification of persons in a scene who may be partially obscured by structures or by handling weapons or tools. We tested the efficacy of a recently published computer vision approach based on the construction of cascaded, non-linear classifiers from part-based deformable models by assessing performance using imagery containing infantrymen in the open or when obscured, undertaking low level tactics or acting as civilians using tools. Results were compared with those obtained from published upright pedestrian imagery. The person detector yielded a precision of approximately 65% for a recall rate of 85% for military context imagery as opposed to a precision of 85% for the upright pedestrian image cases. These results compared favorably with those reported by the authors when applied to a range of other on-line imagery databases. Our conclusion is that the deformable part-based model method may be a potentially useful people detection tool in the challenging environment of military and security context imagery.

Alcohol imagery on popularly viewed television in the UK

PubMed Central

Lyons, Ailsa; McNeill, Ann; Britton, John

2014-01-01

Background Exposure to alcohol consumption and product imagery in films is associated with increased alcohol consumption among young people, but the extent to which exposure also occurs through television is not clear. We have measured the occurrence of alcohol imagery in prime-time broadcasting on UK free-to-air television channels. Methods Occurrence of alcohol imagery (actual use, implied use, brand appearances or other reference to alcohol) was measured in all broadcasting on the five most popular UK television stations between 6 and 10 p.m. during 3 weeks in 2010, by 1-min interval coding. Results Alcohol imagery occurred in over 40% of broadcasts, most commonly soap operas, feature films, sport and comedies, and was equally frequent before and after the 9 p.m. watershed. Brand appearances occurred in 21% of programmes, and over half of all sports programmes, a third of soap operas and comedies and a fifth of advertising/trailers. Three brands, Heineken, Budweiser and Carlsberg together accounted for ∼40% of all brand depictions. Conclusions Young people are exposed to frequent alcohol imagery, including branding, in UK prime-time television. It is likely that this exposure has an important effect on alcohol consumption in young people. PMID:23929886

Imagery, colour and illness: a review.

PubMed

Carruthers, Helen R

2011-09-01

This paper reviews research on the role of colour and imagery in relation to illness and examines how this might improve communication between the sufferer and those treating or caring for them. It describes a method by which colour can be related to situations such as an individual's mood and how this might be used to predict response to treatment. Furthermore, it provides evidence that documenting the imagery of an illness might give insight into the patients' fears and concerns about their condition as well as helping non-sufferers to understand what they are going through.

Imagery: Paintings in the Mind.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carey, Albert R.

1986-01-01

Describes using the overlapping areas of relaxation, meditation, hypnosis, and imagery as a counseling technique. Explains the methods in terms of right brain functioning, a capability children use naturally. (ABB)

Exceptional visuospatial imagery in schizophrenia; implications for madness and creativity

PubMed Central

Benson, Taylor L.; Park, Sohee

2013-01-01

Biographical and historical accounts suggest a link between scientific creativity and schizophrenia. Longitudinal studies of gifted children indicate that visuospatial imagery plays a pivotal role in exceptional achievements in science and mathematics. We asked whether visuospatial imagery is enhanced in individuals with schizophrenia (SZ). We compared SZ and matched healthy controls (HC) on five visuospatial tasks tapping parietal and frontoparietal functions. Two aspects of visuospatial transformation, spatial location and mental imagery manipulation were examined with Paper Folding Test (PFT) and jigsaw puzzle task (JPT), respectively. Visuospatial intelligence was assessed with Ravens Progressive Matrices, which is associated with frontoparietal network activity. Hemispatial inattention implicating parietal function was assessed with line bisection (LB) task. Mediated by prefrontal cortex, spatial delayed response task (DRT) was used to index working memory maintenance, which was impaired in SZ compared to HC. In contrast, SZ showed intact visuospatial intelligence and transformation of location. Further, SZ performed significantly better than HC on JPT indicating enhanced mental imagery manipulation. Spatial working memory (SWM) maintenance and mental imagery manipulation were strongly associated in HC but dissociated in SZ. Thus, we observed enhanced mental imagery manipulation in SZ but the dissociation of mental imagery from working memory suggests a disrupted frontoparietal network. Finally, while HC showed the expected leftward pseudoneglect, SZ showed increased rightward LB bias implicating left hemispatial inattention and impaired right parietal control of spatial attention. The current results chart a unique profile of impaired, spared and enhanced parietal-mediated visuospatial functions implicating parietal abnormalities as a biobehavioral marker for SZ. We discuss these results in relation to creative cognition. PMID:24273503

Satellite Imagery Analysis for Automated Global Food Security Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moody, D.; Brumby, S. P.; Chartrand, R.; Keisler, R.; Mathis, M.; Beneke, C. M.; Nicholaeff, D.; Skillman, S.; Warren, M. S.; Poehnelt, J.

2017-12-01

The recent computing performance revolution has driven improvements in sensor, communication, and storage technology. Multi-decadal remote sensing datasets at the petabyte scale are now available in commercial clouds, with new satellite constellations generating petabytes/year of daily high-resolution global coverage imagery. Cloud computing and storage, combined with recent advances in machine learning, are enabling understanding of the world at a scale and at a level of detail never before feasible. We present results from an ongoing effort to develop satellite imagery analysis tools that aggregate temporal, spatial, and spectral information and that can scale with the high-rate and dimensionality of imagery being collected. We focus on the problem of monitoring food crop productivity across the Middle East and North Africa, and show how an analysis-ready, multi-sensor data platform enables quick prototyping of satellite imagery analysis algorithms, from land use/land cover classification and natural resource mapping, to yearly and monthly vegetative health change trends at the structural field level.

Imagery as an aid to retrieval for Korsakoff patients.

PubMed

Cermak, L S

1975-06-01

Six Korsakoff patients and six alcoholic controls learned a five item P-A task under each of the following three learning conditions; Rote, Imagery, and Cued learning. Under all conditions the Korsakoff patients took more trials to learn than did the control patients. However, both imagery learning and cued learning were easier than rote learning for the Korsakoff patients when recall was used as the learning index. When a recognition measure was used instead of the recall, imagery learning proved easiest with no difference existing between cued and rote learning. In a second experiment, the patients were given the cue (a mediating link) during presentation, but not during retrieval. Under this condition the Korsakoff patients learned no more rapidly than they did by rote regardless which response measure was required. It was concluded that imagery can aid both storage and retrieval of verbal information for Korsakoff patients, while cuing aids only the retrieval process.

Summary of space imagery studies in Utah and Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, M. L. (Principal Investigator)

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. An enhanced enlargement of a S190B color image at a scale of 1/19,200 of the Bingham porphyry copper deposit has compared a geological map of the area with the space imagery map as fair for the intrusion boundaries and total lack of quality for mapping the sediments. Hydrothermal alteration is only slightly evident on space imagery at Bingham, but in the Tintic mining district and the volcanic piles of the Keg and Thomas ranges, Utah, hydrothermal alteration is readily mapped on color enlargements of S190B. Several sites of calderas were recognized and new ones located on space imagery. One of the tools developed is a mercury soil-gas analyzer that is becoming significant as an aid in locating hidden mineralized zones which were suggested from space imagery. In addition, this tool is a prime aid in locating and better delineating geothermal sites.

Developpement de techniques de diagnostic non intrusif par tomographie optique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubot, Fabien

Que ce soit dans les domaines des procedes industriels ou de l'imagerie medicale, on a assiste ces deux dernieres decennies a un developpement croissant des techniques optiques de diagnostic. L'engouement pour ces methodes repose principalement sur le fait qu'elles sont totalement non invasives, qu'elle utilisent des sources de rayonnement non nocives pour l'homme et l'environnement et qu'elles sont relativement peu couteuses et faciles a mettre en oeuvre comparees aux autres techniques d'imagerie. Une de ces techniques est la Tomographie Optique Diffuse (TOD). Cette methode d'imagerie tridimensionnelle consiste a caracteriser les proprietes radiatives d'un Milieu Semi-Transparent (MST) a partir de mesures optiques dans le proche infrarouge obtenues a l'aide d'un ensemble de sources et detecteurs situes sur la frontiere du domaine sonde. Elle repose notamment sur un modele direct de propagation de la lumiere dans le MST, fournissant les predictions, et un algorithme de minimisation d'une fonction de cout integrant les predictions et les mesures, permettant la reconstruction des parametres d'interet. Dans ce travail, le modele direct est l'approximation diffuse de l'equation de transfert radiatif dans le regime frequentiel tandis que les parametres d'interet sont les distributions spatiales des coefficients d'absorption et de diffusion reduit. Cette these est consacree au developpement d'une methode inverse robuste pour la resolution du probleme de TOD dans le domaine frequentiel. Pour repondre a cet objectif, ce travail est structure en trois parties qui constituent les principaux axes de la these. Premierement, une comparaison des algorithmes de Gauss-Newton amorti et de Broyden- Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) est proposee dans le cas bidimensionnel. Deux methodes de regularisation sont combinees pour chacun des deux algorithmes, a savoir la reduction de la dimension de l'espace de controle basee sur le maillage et la regularisation par penalisation de Tikhonov

Phenomenological reliving and visual imagery during autobiographical recall in Alzheimer’s disease

PubMed Central

El Haj, Mohamad; Kapogiannis, Dimitrios; Antoine, Pascal

2016-01-01

Multiple studies have shown compromise of autobiographical memory and phenomenological reliving in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We investigated various phenomenological features of autobiographical memory to determine their relative vulnerability in AD. To this aim, participants with early AD and cognitively normal older adult controls were asked to retrieve an autobiographical event and rate on a 5-point scale metacognitive judgments (i.e., reliving, back in time, remembering, and realness), component processes (i.e., visual imagery, auditory imagery, language, and emotion), narrative properties (i.e., rehearsal and importance), and spatiotemporal specificity (i.e., spatial details and temporal details). AD participants showed lower general autobiographical recall than controls, and poorer reliving, travel in time, remembering, realness, visual imagery, auditory imagery, language, rehearsal, and spatial detail – a decrease that was especially pronounced for visual imagery. Yet, AD participants showed high rating for emotion and importance. Early AD seems to compromise many phenomenological features, especially visual imagery, but also seems to preserve some other features. PMID:27003216

Detecting Waste Tire Sites Using Satellite Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinlan, B.; Huybrechts, C.; Schmidt, C.; Skiles, J. W.

2005-12-01

Waste tire piles pose environmental threats in the form of toxic fires and potential insect habitat. Previous techniques used to locate tire piles have included California Highway Patrol aerial surveillance and location tips from stakeholders. The TIRe (Tire Identification from Reflectance) model was developed as part of a pilot-project funded by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), a division of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and executed at NASA Ames Research Center's DEVELOP Program during the summer of 2005. The goal of the pilot-project was to determine if high-resolution satellite imagery could be used to locate waste tire disposal sites. The TIRe model, built in Leica Geosystems' ERDAS Imagine Model Builder, was created to automate the process of isolating tires in satellite imagery in two land cover types found in California. The sole geospatial data input to the TIRe model was Space Imaging IKONOS imagery. Once the imagery was processed through the TIRe model, less than 1% of the original image remained, consisting only of dark pixels containing tires or spectrally similar features. The output, a binary image was overlain on top of the original image for visual interpretation. The TIRe model was successfully able to identify waste tire piles as small as 400 tires and will prove to be a valuable tool for the detection, monitoring and remediation of waste tire sites.

Imagerie polarimétrique active : des applications militaires et duales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goudail, François; Boffety, Matthieu; Leviandier, Luc; Vannier, Nicolas

2017-12-01

L'imagerie polarimétrique active permet de révéler des contrastes invisibles à l'oeil humain et aux caméras classiques. Elle peut étendre les capacités de décamouflage des systèmes d'imagerie active et améliorer la détection d'objets dangereux sur des pistes. Elle possède également de nombreuses applications duales dans des domaines tels que l'imagerie biomédicale ou la vision industrielle.

Sport Transition of JPSS VIIRS Imagery for Night-time Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuell, Kevin; LeRoy, Anita; Smith, Matt; Miller, Steve; Kann, Diedre; Bernhardt, David; Reydell, Nezette; Cox, Robert

2014-01-01

The NASA/Short-term Prediction, Research, and Transition (SPoRT) Program and NOAA/Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) work within the NOAA/Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Proving Ground to demonstrate the unique capabilities of the VIIRS instrument. Very similar to MODIS, the VIIRS instrument provides many high-resolution visible and infrared channels in a broad spectrum. In addition, VIIRS is equipped with a low-light sensor that is able to detect light emissions from the land and atmosphere as well as reflected sunlight by the lunar surface. This band is referred to as the Day-Night Band due to the sunlight being used at night to see cloud and topographic features just as one would typically see in day-time visible imagery. NWS forecast offices that collaborate with SPoRT and CIRA have utilized MODIS imagery in operations, but have longed for more frequent passes of polar-orbiting data. The VIIRS instrument enhances SPoRT collaborations with WFOs by providing another day and night-time pass, and at times two additional passes due to its large swath width. This means that multi-spectral, RGB imagery composites are more readily available to prepare users for their use in GOES-R era and high-resolution imagery for use in high-latitudes is more frequently able to supplement standard GOES imagery within the SPoRT Hybrid GEO-LEO product. The transition of VIIRS also introduces the new Day-Night Band capability to forecast operations. An Intensive Evaluation Period (IEP) was conducted in Summer 2013 with a group of "Front Range" NWS offices related to VIIRS night-time imagery. VIIRS single-channel imagery is able to better analyze the specific location of fire hotspots and other land features, as well as provide a more true measurement of various cloud and aerosol properties than geostationary measurements, especially at night. Viewed within the SPoRT Hybrid imagery, the VIIRS data allows forecasters to better interpret the more frequent, but

Effects of Mental Imagery on Muscular Strength in Healthy and Patient Participants: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Slimani, Maamer; Tod, David; Chaabene, Helmi; Miarka, Bianca; Chamari, Karim

2016-01-01

The aims of the present review were to (i) provide a critical overview of the current literature on the effects of mental imagery on muscular strength in healthy participants and patients with immobilization of the upper extremity (i.e., hand) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), (ii) identify potential moderators and mediators of the “mental imagery-strength performance” relationship and (iii) determine the relative contribution of electromyography (EMG) and brain activities, neural and physiological adaptations in the mental imagery-strength performance relationship. This paper also discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the contemporary literature and suggests possible directions for future research. Overall, the results reveal that the combination of mental imagery and physical practice is more efficient than, or at least comparable to, physical execution with respect to strength performance. Imagery prevention intervention was also effective in reducing of strength loss after short-term muscle immobilization and ACL. The present review also indicates advantageous effects of internal imagery (range from 2.6 to 136.3%) for strength performance compared with external imagery (range from 4.8 to 23.2%). Typically, mental imagery with muscular activity was higher in active than passive muscles, and imagining “lifting a heavy object” resulted in more EMG activity compared with imagining “lifting a lighter object”. Thus, in samples of students, novices, or youth male and female athletes, internal mental imagery has a greater effect on muscle strength than external mental imagery does. Imagery ability, motivation, and self-efficacy have been shown to be the variables mediating the effect of mental imagery on strength performance. Finally, the greater effects of internal imagery than those of external imagery could be explained in terms of neural adaptations, stronger brain activation, higher muscle excitation, greater somatic and

Proteases in agricultural dust induce lung inflammation through PAR-1 and PAR-2 activation.

PubMed

Romberger, Debra J; Heires, Art J; Nordgren, Tara M; Souder, Chelsea P; West, William; Liu, Xiang-de; Poole, Jill A; Toews, Myron L; Wyatt, Todd A

2015-08-15

Workers exposed to aerosolized dust present in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are susceptible to inflammatory lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Extracts of dust collected from hog CAFOs [hog dust extract (HDE)] are potent stimulators of lung inflammatory responses in several model systems. The observation that HDE contains active proteases prompted the present study, which evaluated the role of CAFO dust proteases in lung inflammatory processes and tested whether protease-activated receptors (PARs) are involved in the signaling pathway for these events. We hypothesized that the damaging proinflammatory effect of HDE is due, in part, to the proteolytic activation of PARs, and inhibiting the proteases in HDE or disrupting PAR activation would attenuate HDE-mediated inflammatory indexes in bronchial epithelial cells (BECs), in mouse lung slices in vitro, and in a murine in vivo exposure model. Human BECs and mouse lung slice cultures stimulated with 5% HDE released significantly more of each of the cytokines measured (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, keratinocyte-derived chemokine/CXC chemokine ligand 1, and macrophage inflammatory protein-2/CXC chemokine ligand 2) than controls, and these effects were markedly diminished by protease inhibition. Inhibition of PARs also blunted the HDE-induced cytokine release from BECs. In addition, protease depletion inhibited HDE-induced BEC intracellular PKCα and PKCε activation. C57BL/6J mice administered 12.5% HDE intranasally, either once or daily for 3 wk, exhibited increased total cellular and neutrophil influx, bronchial alveolar fluid inflammatory cytokines, lung histopathology, and inflammatory scores compared with mice receiving protease-depleted HDE. These data suggest that proteases in dust from CAFOs are important mediators of lung inflammation, and these proteases and their receptors may provide novel targets for therapeutic intervention in CAFO dust-induced airways disease.

[A study on the individual differences of the experience of hypnagogic imagery].

PubMed

Watanabe, T

1998-02-01

Having defined the distinction between hypnagogic imagery and dreams, a preliminary study on the individual differences in the experience of visual hypnagogic imagery was conducted. (1) A questionnaire on visual hypnagogic experience was administered to 796 students. The results suggested that previous researches on the incidence of this experience might have suffered from ambiguous definitions. (2) The Scale of Mental Imagery (Hasegawa, 1992) was administered to 330 of the same students, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire to 305 students, and S-A Creativity Test (Sozosei-shinri-kenkyukai, 1969) to 221 students. The frequency of hypnagogic experiences was significantly associated with the scores of "the vividness of mental imagery", "neuroticism", and "creativity". (3) Based on these results, a proposed research problem on hypnagogic imagery was discussed.

Dance and Imagery--The Link between Movement and Imagination.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Karen Lynn, Ed.; And Others

1990-01-01

This feature examines the diverse nature of imagery, how images work, and the use of imagery--in creative dance for children, to enhance alignment, and as a therapeutic device. Also explored are creative visualization and research tools for observing and categorizing the use of images by dance teachers. (IAH)

NASA Polar Imagery: Have It Your Way or Have It Our Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmaltz, J. E.; Alarcon, C.; Boller, R. A.; Cechini, M. F.; Davies, D.; Ilavajhala, S.; Hall, J. R.; Huang, T.; Joshi, T.; McGann, J. M.; Murphy, K. J.; Plesea, L.; Roberts, J. T.; Thompson, C. K.; Timmons, E.

2013-12-01

The MODIS Rapid Response project has been providing complete near real-time imagery coverage of Antarctica since December 2008 and the Arctic since March 2009. In late 2009, the Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) was created to greatly expand the range of near real-time data products from a variety of Earth Observing System (EOS) instruments. NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) began exploring methods to distribute these data as imagery in an intuitive, geo-referenced format, which would be available within three hours of acquisition. Toward this end, EOSDIS has developed the Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS, http://earthdata.nasa.gov/gibs) to provide highly responsive, scalable, and expandable imagery services. To meet these performance goals, the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) was chosen as the standard interface for these services. GIBS has been one of the pioneers in providing tiled image services for the polar regions and also in the clarification of the time and elevation dimensions as used within the WMTS specification. Currently, there are more than a dozen MODIS imagery products available in polar stereographic projections for each pole, including four daily one kilometer 11 micron thermal infrared band images during all seasons. Imagery back to mid-2013 is currently available and reprocessing of imagery from the entire MODIS record is underway and community input is being solicited on recommendations for additional imagery layers from MODIS and other NASA instruments. A variety of geo-spatial client software is able to access these WMTS services. In addition, users can write their own interfaces using OpenLayers or the GDAL library. An OpenLayers demonstration client, Worldview (http://earthdata.nasa.gov/worldview), was developed at Goddard to showcase GIBS imagery. Worldview provides easy viewing of the entire imagery record. A search function allows discovery and

Imagery and Verbal Counseling Methods in Stress Inoculation Training for Pain Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worthington, Everett L., Jr.; Shumate, Michael

1981-01-01

Pleasant imagery relieves pain and may account for much of the effectiveness of stress inoculation training. Women who used imagery controlled their pain better; women who did not use imagery had longer tolerance when they heard pain conceptualized as a multistage process. Self-instruction did not affect pain control. (Author)

Seeing Is Believing: Using Imagery to Enhance Your Coaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finch, Laura M.

2011-01-01

Imagery is a powerful sport psychology tool easily accessible to coaches. These reminders can help coaches improve their athletes' images and performance: (1) Create vivid and controllable images; (2) Use polysensory images and instructional cues, delivered, ideally, in real time; (3) Use internal and external perspectives; (4) Use imagery during…

Estimating forest characteristics using NAIP imagery and ArcObjects

Treesearch

John S Hogland; Nathaniel M. Anderson; Woodam Chung; Lucas Wells

2014-01-01

Detailed, accurate, efficient, and inexpensive methods of estimating basal area, trees, and aboveground biomass per acre across broad extents are needed to effectively manage forests. In this study we present such a methodology using readily available National Agriculture Imagery Program imagery, Forest Inventory Analysis samples, a two stage classification and...

Imagery and Information Processing: Some Implications for Therapeutic Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Corwin P.

This study of the human power to make mental images in the mind, here called "imagery," is studied as a phenomena of empirical psychology. The findings have importance for the process of communication, especially in behavioral modification through psychotherapy. Current research in imagery is reviewed, along with possible applications to…

Geologic hypotheses of Lake Tanganyika region, Zaire, drawn from ERTS imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolyce, U.; Ilunga, S.

1974-01-01

Based on initial work in the Lake Tanganyika area of eastern Zaire, it has been concluded that ERTS imagery is extremely useful for reconnaissance level geologic mapping and analysis in this region of the humid tropics. In particular, ERTS imagery has proven useful for recognizing and mapping regional structural units, for recognizing major structural features, and for arriving at some preliminary hypotheses about the mineral potential of the area. Results so far indicate that ERTS imagery can make a major contribution to the development of the mineral resources of the country. Research has concentrated on applications of ERTS imagery in the field of cartography, geology, forestry, hydrology and agriculture. For the work in geology, a test site was chosen in eastern Zaire on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in the vicinity of the Lukuga River. This area was selected because of its varied geology and the existence of two frames of cloud-free ERTS imagery.

Monitoring black-tailed prairie dog colonies with high-resolution satellite imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sidle, John G.; Johnson, D.H.; Euliss, B.R.; Tooze, M.

2002-01-01

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) warrants listing as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Central to any conservation planning for the black-tailed prairie dog is an appropriate detection and monitoring technique. Because coarse-resolution satellite imagery is not adequate to detect black-tailed prairie dog colonies, we examined the usefulness of recently available high-resolution (1-m) satellite imagery. In 6 purchased scenes of national grasslands, we were easily able to visually detect small and large colonies without using image-processing algorithms. The Ikonos (Space Imaging(tm)) satellite imagery was as adequate as large-scale aerial photography to delineate colonies. Based on the high quality of imagery, we discuss a possible monitoring program for black-tailed prairie dog colonies throughout the Great Plains, using the species' distribution in North Dakota as an example. Monitoring plots could be established and imagery acquired periodically to track the expansion and contraction of colonies.

High-resolution satellite imagery is an important yet underutilized resource in conservation biology.

PubMed

Boyle, Sarah A; Kennedy, Christina M; Torres, Julio; Colman, Karen; Pérez-Estigarribia, Pastor E; de la Sancha, Noé U

2014-01-01

Technological advances and increasing availability of high-resolution satellite imagery offer the potential for more accurate land cover classifications and pattern analyses, which could greatly improve the detection and quantification of land cover change for conservation. Such remotely-sensed products, however, are often expensive and difficult to acquire, which prohibits or reduces their use. We tested whether imagery of high spatial resolution (≤5 m) differs from lower-resolution imagery (≥30 m) in performance and extent of use for conservation applications. To assess performance, we classified land cover in a heterogeneous region of Interior Atlantic Forest in Paraguay, which has undergone recent and dramatic human-induced habitat loss and fragmentation. We used 4 m multispectral IKONOS and 30 m multispectral Landsat imagery and determined the extent to which resolution influenced the delineation of land cover classes and patch-level metrics. Higher-resolution imagery more accurately delineated cover classes, identified smaller patches, retained patch shape, and detected narrower, linear patches. To assess extent of use, we surveyed three conservation journals (Biological Conservation, Biotropica, Conservation Biology) and found limited application of high-resolution imagery in research, with only 26.8% of land cover studies analyzing satellite imagery, and of these studies only 10.4% used imagery ≤5 m resolution. Our results suggest that high-resolution imagery is warranted yet under-utilized in conservation research, but is needed to adequately monitor and evaluate forest loss and conversion, and to delineate potentially important stepping-stone fragments that may serve as corridors in a human-modified landscape. Greater access to low-cost, multiband, high-resolution satellite imagery would therefore greatly facilitate conservation management and decision-making.

Effect of motor imagery in children with unilateral cerebral palsy: fMRI study.

PubMed

Chinier, Eva; N'Guyen, Sylvie; Lignon, Grégoire; Ter Minassian, Aram; Richard, Isabelle; Dinomais, Mickaël

2014-01-01

Motor imagery is considered as a promising therapeutic tool for rehabilitation of motor planning problems in patients with cerebral palsy. However motor planning problems may lead to poor motor imagery ability. The aim of this functional magnetic resonance imaging study was to examine and compare brain activation following motor imagery tasks in patients with hemiplegic cerebral palsy with left or right early brain lesions. We tested also the influence of the side of imagined hand movement. Twenty patients with clinical hemiplegic cerebral palsy (sixteen males, mean age 12 years and 10 months, aged 6 years 10 months to 20 years 10 months) participated in this study. Using block design, brain activations following motor imagery of a simple opening-closing hand movement performed by either the paretic or nonparetic hand was examined. During motor imagery tasks, patients with early right brain damages activated bilateral fronto-parietal network that comprise most of the nodes of the network well described in healthy subjects. Inversely, in patients with left early brain lesion brain activation following motor imagery tasks was reduced, compared to patients with right brain lesions. We found also a weak influence of the side of imagined hand movement. Decreased activations following motor imagery in patients with right unilateral cerebral palsy highlight the dominance of the left hemisphere during motor imagery tasks. This study gives neuronal substrate to propose motor imagery tasks in unilateral cerebral palsy rehabilitation at least for patients with right brain lesions.

A comparison of radiometric normalization methods when filling cloud gaps in Lansat imagery.

Treesearch

E. H. Helmer

2007-01-01

Mapping persistently cloudy tropical landscapes with optical satellite imagenery usually requires assembling the clear imagery from several dates. this study compares methods for normalizing image data when filling cloud gaps in Landsat imagery with imagery from other dates.

Craving by imagery cue reactivity in opiate dependence following detoxification

PubMed Central

Behera, Debakanta; Goswami, Utpal; Khastgir, Udayan; Kumar, Satindra

2003-01-01

Background: Frequent relapses in opioid addiction may be a result of abstinentemergent craving. Exposure to various stimuli associated with drug use (drug cues) may trigger craving as a conditioned response to ′drug cues′. Aims: The present study explored the effects of imagery cue exposure on psychophysiological mechanisms of craving, viz. autonomic arousal, in detoxified opiate addicts. Methodology: Opiate dependent subjects (N=38) following detoxification underwent imagery cue reactivity trials.The subjects were asked to describe verbally and then imagine their craving experiences. Results: Craving was measured subjectively by using Visual Analogue Scale and autonomic parameters of galvanic skin resistance (GSR), pulse rate (PR), and skin temperature (ST) was taken during cue imagery. Spearman′s r and Wilcoxon signed ranks test were employed in analysis. Multivariate repeated measurement analysis (wilk′s Lambda) was employed wherever appropriate. Subjective measures of craving, GSR and PR increased significantly whereas ST decreased significantly during drug related cue imagery as compared to neutral cues. Conclusions: The results support that cue imagery is a powerful tool in eliciting craving. Hence, it can be used as a screening manoeuvre for detecting individuals with high cue reactivity, as well as for extinction of craving. PMID:21206851

ASPRS Digital Imagery Guideline Image Gallery Discussion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Robert

2002-01-01

The objectives of the image gallery are to 1) give users and providers a simple means of identifying appropriate imagery for a given application/feature extraction; and 2) define imagery sufficiently to be described in engineering and acquisition terms. This viewgraph presentation includes a discussion of edge response and aliasing for image processing, and a series of images illustrating the effects of signal to noise ratio (SNR) on images. Another series of images illustrates how images are affected by varying the ground sample distances (GSD).

Seasonal vegetation differences from ERTS imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashley, M. D.; Rea, J.

1975-01-01

Knowledge of the times when crop and forest vegetation experience seasonally related changes in development is important in understanding growth and yield relationships. This article describes how densitometry of earth resources technology satellite (ERTS-1) multispectral scanner (MSS) imagery can be used to identify such phenological events. Adjustments for instrument calibration, aperture size, gray-scale differences between overpasses, and normalization of changing solar elevation are considered in detail. Seasonal vegetation differences can be identified by densitometry of band 5 (0.6-0.7 microns) and band 7 (0.8-1.1 microns) MSS imagery. Band-to-band ratios of the densities depicted the changes more graphically than the individual band readings.

A Physicist's Anschauungen Concerning Mental Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Arthur I.; Kaiser, Mary K.

1987-01-01

This book is an integration of historical and psychological analyses, with the goal of understanding the role of mental imagery in three seminal developments of early 20th-century physics: special relativity (1905), general relativity (1915), and quantum mechanics (1925). The book focuses on the insights that can be gleaned from Gesalt psychology, genetic epistemology, and recent theories of imagery in cognitive science. The book is divided into three sections. The first presents the comparative epistemologies of the scientists whose developments provide the data base for analyses. The second section considers the role of aesthetics and "visuability" in the transformation (and evaluation) of scientific concepts.

The effects of gender and music video imagery on sexual attitudes.

PubMed

Kalof, L

1999-06-01

This study examined the influence of gender and exposure to gender-stereo-typed music video imagery on sexual attitudes (adversarial sexual beliefs, acceptance of rape myths, acceptance of interpersonal violence, and gender role stereotyping). A group of 44 U.S. college students were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups that viewed either a video portraying stereotyped sexual imagery or a video that excluded all sexual images. Exposure to traditional sexual imagery had a significant main effect on attitudes about adversarial sexual relationships, and gender had main effects on 3 of 4 sexual attitudes. There was some evidence of an interaction between gender and exposure to traditional sexual imagery on the acceptance of interpersonal violence.

Relationship between relaxation by guided imagery and performance of working memory.

PubMed

Hudetz, J A; Hudetz, A G; Klayman, J

2000-02-01

This study tested the hypothesis that relaxation by guided imagery improves working-memory performance of healthy participants. 30 volunteers (both sexes, ages 17-56 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups and administered the WAIS-III Letter-Number Sequencing Test before and after 10-min. treatment with guided imagery or popular music. The control group received no treatment. Groups' test scores were not different before treatment. The mean increased after relaxation by guided imagery but not after music or no treatment. This result supports the hypothesis that working-memory scores on the test are enhanced by guided imagery and implies that human information processing may be enhanced by prior relaxation.

Guided Imagery in the Classroom: An Enhancement to Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herr, Kay U.

The use of guided imagery meshes with recent insights into right and left brain learning. Guided imagery engages the right brain processes such as imagination, emotion, creative, and intuitive activities. While much instruction is concerned with left brain activity, that is, the processsing of information through words, the addition of right brain…

Further Refinements in the Measurement of Exercise Imagery: The Exercise Imagery Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giacobbi, Peter R., Jr.; Hausenblas, Heather A.; Penfield, Randall D.

2005-01-01

The factorial and construct validity of the Exercise Imagery Inventory (EII) were assessed with 3 separate samples of participants. In Phase 1, a 41-item measure was administered to 504 undergraduate students. Exploratory factor analysis supported a 4-factor model that explained 65% of the variance. In Phase 2, a 19-item measure was administered…

Testing the distinctiveness of visual imagery and motor imagery in a reach paradigm.

PubMed

Gabbard, Carl; Ammar, Diala; Cordova, Alberto

2009-01-01

We examined the distinctiveness of motor imagery (MI) and visual imagery (VI) in the context of perceived reachability. The aim was to explore the notion that the two visual modes have distinctive processing properties tied to the two-visual-system hypothesis. The experiment included an interference tactic whereby participants completed two tasks at the same time: a visual or motor-interference task combined with a MI or VI-reaching task. We expected increased error would occur when the imaged task and the interference task were matched (e.g., MI with the motor task), suggesting an association based on the assumption that the two tasks were in competition for space on the same processing pathway. Alternatively, if there were no differences, dissociation could be inferred. Significant increases in the number of errors were found when the modalities for the imaged (both MI and VI) task and the interference task were matched. Therefore, it appears that MI and VI in the context of perceived reachability recruit different processing mechanisms.

Factor structure of the Spanish version of the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire.

PubMed

Campos, Alfredo; Pérez-Fabello, María José

2011-04-01

The reliability and factor structure of the Spanish version of the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire (OSIVQ) were assessed in a sample of 213 Spanish university graduates. The questionnaire measures three types of processing preferences (verbal, object imagery, and spatial imagery). Principal components analysis with varimax rotation identified three factors, corresponding to the three scales proposed in the original version, explaining 33.1% of the overall variance. Cronbach's alphas were .72, .77, and .81 for the verbal, object imagery, and spatial imagery scales, respectively.

12 CFR 925.19 - Par value and price of stock.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Par value and price of stock. 925.19 Section... ASSOCIATES MEMBERS OF THE BANKS Stock Requirements § 925.19 Par value and price of stock. The capital stock of each Bank shall be sold at par, unless the Board has fixed a higher price. ...

Anxiety reduction in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization following massage and guided imagery.

PubMed

Armstrong, Karen; Dixon, Simon; May, Sara; Patricolo, Gail Elliott

2014-11-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of massage with or without guided imagery in reducing anxiety prior to cardiac catheterization. A total of 55 inpatients and outpatients received massage, guided imagery, or massage with guided imagery prior to cardiac catheterization. Self-reported anxiety levels and blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were evaluated in participants and a matched comparison group. Massage with and without guided imagery resulted in significant reductions in self-reported anxiety (p < 0.0001). Patients receiving intervention had lower diastolic BP and HR vs. the comparison group (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05). Massage with or without guided imagery immediately reduced self-reported anxiety. This pilot study has certain limitations: a non-randomized, convenience sample and a matched control group that was created retrospectively. However, the study indicates a benefit to providing massage or massage with guided imagery prior to anxiety-inducing medical procedures such as cardiac catheterization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect and mechanism of PAR-2 on the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells.

PubMed

Quanjun, D; Qingyu, Z; Qiliang, Z; Liqun, X; Jinmei, C; Ziquan, L; Shike, H

2016-11-01

Esophageal Cancer (EC) is a common malignant tumor occurred in the digestive tract. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of Protease Activated Receptor 2 (PAR-2) on the proliferation of esophageal cancer cell. Transfected esophageal cancer (EC) cell (PAR-2shRNA EC109) was established with low stable PAR-2 expression. EC109 cell was treated with PAR-2 agonist, PAR-2 anti-agonist and MAPK inhibitor respectively; Untreated EC109 cell (blank control) and PAR-2shRNA EC109 cell were used for analysis also. The mRNA expressions of PAR-2, ERK1, Cyclin D1, and c-fos in each group were detected by reverse transcript and polymerase chain reaction. Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions in each group. The cell growth curves were drawn to compare the cell growth. Compared with the blank control, the mRNA and protein expressions of PAR-2, Cyclin D1, and c-fos in PAR-2 agonist group increased significantly (p < 0.05), while decreased significantly in PAR-2shRNA EC109 cell and MAPK inhibitor group (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of ERK1 and protein expression of p-ERK1 increased in PAR-2 agonist group, decreased in PAR-2shRNA EC109 cell and MAPK inhibitor group when compared with blank control (p < 0.05). The growth of cells was upward in PAR-2 agonist group at cell growth phase when compared with blank control, while decreased in PAR-2 shRNA EC109 cell and MAPK inhibitor group with statistical difference (p < 0.05). PAR-2 regulate cell proliferation through the MAPK pathway in esophageal carcinoma cell, and Cyclin D1, c-fos are involved in this process.

Adolescent perceptions of smoking imagery in film.

PubMed

McCool, J P; Cameron, L D; Petrie, K J

2001-05-01

Smoking amongst adolescents in New Zealand continues to be a problem, with more than a one-third increase in smoking prevalence between 1992 and 1997. Favourable portrayals of smoking in the media have been cited as potential motivators of the initiation of smoking among adolescents. To date, however, its role in influencing smoking perceptions and behaviours has not received systematic analysis. A qualitative study was conducted to explore how adolescents interpret and decode smoking imagery in movies. Data was collected through focus groups. Same-gender groups of 12- and 13-year-old students were interviewed at their schools. Participants discussed their recollections of and responses to portrayals of smoking in recently viewed films, as well as their perceptions of smoking in general. Students perceived that smoking in film is both highly prevalent and recognisable, and they regarded on-screen-smoking imagery as an accurate reflection of reality. Adolescents in this study were predominantly nonchalant towards the inclusion of smoking images in film, and they perceived an unrealistically high prevalence of smoking amongst peers and adults. Their noncholant response is linked with the perception that smoking is normal and prevalent and with the broad understanding of the constructed nature of media imagery. Smoking imagery in film may play a critical role in reinforcing cultural interpretations of tobacco use, such as its role as a means of stress relief, development of self-image and as a marker of adult independence.

Vividness of Visual Imagery Depends on the Neural Overlap with Perception in Visual Areas.

PubMed

Dijkstra, Nadine; Bosch, Sander E; van Gerven, Marcel A J

2017-02-01

Research into the neural correlates of individual differences in imagery vividness point to an important role of the early visual cortex. However, there is also great fluctuation of vividness within individuals, such that only looking at differences between people necessarily obscures the picture. In this study, we show that variation in moment-to-moment experienced vividness of visual imagery, within human subjects, depends on the activity of a large network of brain areas, including frontal, parietal, and visual areas. Furthermore, using a novel multivariate analysis technique, we show that the neural overlap between imagery and perception in the entire visual system correlates with experienced imagery vividness. This shows that the neural basis of imagery vividness is much more complicated than studies of individual differences seemed to suggest. Visual imagery is the ability to visualize objects that are not in our direct line of sight: something that is important for memory, spatial reasoning, and many other tasks. It is known that the better people are at visual imagery, the better they can perform these tasks. However, the neural correlates of moment-to-moment variation in visual imagery remain unclear. In this study, we show that the more the neural response during imagery is similar to the neural response during perception, the more vivid or perception-like the imagery experience is. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/371367-07$15.00/0.

The Metrics of Spatial Distance Traversed During Mental Imagery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rinck, Mike; Denis, Michel

2004-01-01

The authors conducted 2 experiments to study the metrics of spatial distance in a mental imagery task. In both experiments, participants first memorized the layout of a building containing 10 rooms with 24 objects. Participants then received mental imagery instructions and imagined how they walked through the building from one room to another. The…

Urban cover mapping using digital, high-resolution aerial imagery

Treesearch

Soojeong Myeong; David J. Nowak; Paul F. Hopkins; Robert H. Brock

2003-01-01

High-spatial resolution digital color-infrared aerial imagery of Syracuse, NY was analyzed to test methods for developing land cover classifications for an urban area. Five cover types were mapped: tree/shrub, grass/herbaceous, bare soil, water and impervious surface. Challenges in high-spatial resolution imagery such as shadow effect and similarity in spectral...

Enhanced Sidescan-Sonar Imagery, North-Central Long Island Sound

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMullen, K.Y.; Poppe, L.J.; Schattgen, P.T.; Doran, E.F.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection have been working cooperatively to map the sea-floor geology within Long Island Sound. Sidescan-sonar imagery collected during three NOAA hydrographic surveys (H11043, H11044, and H11045) was used to interpret the surficial-sediment distribution and sedimentary environments within the Sound. The original sidescan-sonar imagery generated by NOAA was used to evaluate hazards to navigation, which does not require consistent tonal matching throughout the survey. In order to fully utilize these data for geologic interpretation, artifacts within the imagery, primarily due to sidescan-system settings (for example, gain changes), processing techniques (for example, lack of across-track normalization) and environmental noise (for example, sea state), need to be minimized. Sidescan-sonar imagery from surveys H11043, H11044, and H11045 in north-central Long Island Sound was enhanced by matching the grayscale tones between adjacent sidescan-sonar lines to decrease the patchwork effect caused by numerous artifacts and to provide a more coherent sidescan-sonar image for use in geologic interpretation.

Semi-automated based ground-truthing GUI for airborne imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phan, Chung; Lydic, Rich; Moore, Tim; Trang, Anh; Agarwal, Sanjeev; Tiwari, Spandan

2005-06-01

Over the past several years, an enormous amount of airborne imagery consisting of various formats has been collected and will continue into the future to support airborne mine/minefield detection processes, improve algorithm development, and aid in imaging sensor development. The ground-truthing of imagery is a very essential part of the algorithm development process to help validate the detection performance of the sensor and improving algorithm techniques. The GUI (Graphical User Interface) called SemiTruth was developed using Matlab software incorporating signal processing, image processing, and statistics toolboxes to aid in ground-truthing imagery. The semi-automated ground-truthing GUI is made possible with the current data collection method, that is including UTM/GPS (Universal Transverse Mercator/Global Positioning System) coordinate measurements for the mine target and fiducial locations on the given minefield layout to support in identification of the targets on the raw imagery. This semi-automated ground-truthing effort has developed by the US Army RDECOM CERDEC Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD), Countermine Division, Airborne Application Branch with some support by the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Biased normalized cuts for target detection in hyperspectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xuewen; Dorado-Munoz, Leidy P.; Messinger, David W.; Cahill, Nathan D.

2016-05-01

The Biased Normalized Cuts (BNC) algorithm is a useful technique for detecting targets or objects in RGB imagery. In this paper, we propose modifying BNC for the purpose of target detection in hyperspectral imagery. As opposed to other target detection algorithms that typically encode target information prior to dimensionality reduction, our proposed algorithm encodes target information after dimensionality reduction, enabling a user to detect different targets in interactive mode. To assess the proposed BNC algorithm, we utilize hyperspectral imagery (HSI) from the SHARE 2012 data campaign, and we explore the relationship between the number and the position of expert-provided target labels and the precision/recall of the remaining targets in the scene.

The signaling adapter Gab1 regulates cell polarity by acting as a PAR protein scaffold

PubMed Central

Yang, Ziqiang; Xue, Bin; Umitsu, Masataka; Ikura, Mitsuhiko; Muthuswamy, Senthil K.; Neel, Benjamin G.

2012-01-01

Summary Cell polarity plays a key role in development and is disrupted in tumors, yet the molecules and mechanisms that regulate polarity remain poorly defined. We found that the scaffolding adaptor GAB1 interacts with two polarity proteins, PAR1 and PAR3. GAB1 binds PAR1 and enhances its kinase activity. GAB1 brings PAR1 and PAR3 into a transient complex, stimulating PAR3 phosphorylation by PAR1. GAB1 and PAR6 bind the PAR3 PDZ1 domain and thereby compete for PAR3 binding. Consequently, GAB1 depletion causes PAR3 hypo-phosphorylation and increases PAR3/PAR6 complex formation, resulting in accelerated and enhanced tight junction formation, increased trans-epithelial resistance and lateral domain shortening. Conversely, GAB1 over-expression, in a PAR1/PAR3-dependent manner, disrupts epithelial apical-basal polarity, promotes multi-lumen cyst formation, and enhances growth factor-induced epithelial cell scattering. Our results identify GAB1 as a novel negative regulator of epithelial cell polarity that functions as a scaffold for modulating PAR protein complexes on the lateral membrane. PMID:22883624

The Effects of Guided Imagery on Heart Rate Variability in Simulated Spaceflight Emergency Tasks Performers

PubMed Central

Yijing, Zhang; Xiaoping, Du; Fang, Liu; Xiaolu, Jing; Bin, Wu

2015-01-01

Objectives. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of guided imagery training on heart rate variability in individuals while performing spaceflight emergency tasks. Materials and Methods. Twenty-one student subjects were recruited for the experiment and randomly divided into two groups: imagery group (n = 11) and control group (n = 10). The imagery group received instructor-guided imagery (session 1) and self-guided imagery training (session 2) consecutively, while the control group only received conventional training. Electrocardiograms of the subjects were recorded during their performance of nine spaceflight emergency tasks after imagery training. Results. In both of the sessions, the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), the standard deviation of all normal NN (SDNN), the proportion of NN50 divided by the total number of NNs (PNN50), the very low frequency (VLF), the low frequency (LF), the high frequency (HF), and the total power (TP) in the imagery group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Moreover, LF/HF of the subjects after instructor-guided imagery training was lower than that after self-guided imagery training. Conclusions. Guided imagery was an effective regulator for HRV indices and could be a potential stress countermeasure in performing spaceflight tasks. PMID:26137491

Influence of mental imagery on spatial presence and enjoyment assessed in different types of media.

PubMed

Weibel, David; Wissmath, Bartholomäus; Mast, Fred W

2011-10-01

Previous research studies on spatial presence point out that the users' imagery abilities are of importance. However, this influence has not yet been tested for different media. This is surprising because theoretical considerations suggest that mental imagery comes into play when a mediated environment lacks vividness. The aim of this study was to clarify the influence mental imagery abilities can have on the sensation of presence and enjoyment in different mediated environments. We presented the participants (n = 60) a narrative text, a movie sequence, and a computer game. Across all media, no effect of mental imagery abilities on presence and enjoyment was found, but imagery abilities marginally interacted with the mediated environment. Individuals with high imagery abilities experienced more presence and enjoyment in the text condition. The results were different for the film condition: here, individuals with poor imagery abilities reported marginally higher enjoyment ratings, whereas the presence ratings did not differ between the two groups. Imagery abilities had no influence on presence and enjoyment within the computer game condition. The results suggest that good imagery abilities contribute to the sensations of presence and enjoyment when reading a narrative text. The results for this study have an applied impact for media use because their effectiveness can depend on the individual mental imagery abilities.

Mental Imagery-Based Training to Modify Mood and Cognitive Bias in Adolescents: Effects of Valence and Perspective.

PubMed

Burnett Heyes, S; Pictet, A; Mitchell, H; Raeder, S M; Lau, J Y F; Holmes, E A; Blackwell, S E

2017-01-01

Mental imagery has a powerful impact on emotion and cognitive processing in adults, and is implicated in emotional disorders. Research suggests the perspective adopted in mental imagery modulates its emotional impact. However, little is known about the impact of mental imagery in adolescence, despite adolescence being the key time for the onset of emotional dysfunction. We administered computerised positive versus mixed valence picture-word mental imagery training to male adolescent participants (N = 60, aged 11-16 years) across separate field and observer perspective sessions. Positive mood increased more following positive than mixed imagery; pleasantness ratings of ambiguous pictures increased following positive versus mixed imagery generated from field but not observer perspective; negative interpretation bias on a novel scrambled sentences task was smaller following positive than mixed imagery particularly when imagery was generated from field perspective. These findings suggest positive mental imagery generation alters mood and cognition in male adolescents, with the latter moderated by imagery perspective. Identifying key components of such training, such as imagery perspective, extends understanding of the relationship between mental imagery, mood, and cognition in adolescence.

Satellite Imagery Products - Office of Satellite and Product Operations

Science.gov Websites

» Disclaimer » Web Linking Policy » Use of Data and Products » FAQs: Imagery Contact Us Services Argos DCS : Page | VIS | IR | Water Vapor Sample GOES Watervapor composite Detailed Product List Composite Imagery Surface Data GIS Data Available Through Interactive Internet Mapping GIS Fire and Smoke Detection Web Page

Learning basic surgical skills with mental imagery: using the simulation centre in the mind.

PubMed

Sanders, Charles W; Sadoski, Mark; van Walsum, Kim; Bramson, Rachel; Wiprud, Robert; Fossum, Theresa W

2008-06-01

Although surgeons and athletes frequently use mental imagery in preparing to perform, mental imagery has not been extensively researched as a learning technique in medical education. A mental imagery rehearsal technique was experimentally compared with textbook study to determine the effects of each on the learning of basic surgical skills. Sixty-four Year 2 medical students were randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups in which they undertook either mental imagery or textbook study. Both groups received the usual skills course of didactic lectures, demonstrations, physical practice with pigs' feet and a live animal laboratory. One group received additional training in mental imagery and the other group was given textbook study. Performance was assessed at 3 different time-points using a reliable rating scale. Analysis of variance on student performance in live rabbit surgery revealed a significant interaction favouring the imagery group over the textbook study group. The mental imagery technique appeared to transfer learning from practice to actual surgery better than textbook study.

Expanding Access and Usage of NASA Near Real-Time Imagery and Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cechini, M.; Murphy, K. J.; Boller, R. A.; Schmaltz, J. E.; Thompson, C. K.; Huang, T.; McGann, J. M.; Ilavajhala, S.; Alarcon, C.; Roberts, J. T.

2013-12-01

In late 2009, the Land Atmosphere Near-real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) was created to greatly expand the range of near real-time data products from a variety of Earth Observing System (EOS) instruments. Since that time, NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) developed the Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) to provide highly responsive, scalable, and expandable imagery services that distribute near real-time imagery in an intuitive and geo-referenced format. The GIBS imagery services provide access through standards-based protocols such as the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) and standard mapping file formats such as the Keyhole Markup Language (KML). Leveraging these standard mechanisms opens NASA near real-time imagery to a broad landscape of mapping libraries supporting mobile applications. By easily integrating with mobile application development libraries, GIBS makes it possible for NASA imagery to become a reliable and valuable source for end-user applications. Recently, EOSDIS has taken steps to integrate near real-time metadata products into the EOS ClearingHOuse (ECHO) metadata repository. Registration of near real-time metadata allows for near real-time data discovery through ECHO clients. In kind with the near real-time data processing requirements, the ECHO ingest model allows for low-latency metadata insertion and updates. Combining with the ECHO repository, the fast visual access of GIBS imagery can now be linked directly back to the source data file(s). Through the use of discovery standards such as OpenSearch, desktop and mobile applications can connect users to more than just an image. As data services, such as OGC Web Coverage Service, become more prevalent within the EOSDIS system, applications may even be able to connect users from imagery to data values. In addition, the full resolution GIBS imagery provides visual context to other GIS data and tools. The NASA near real-time imagery

New perspectives on archaeological prospecting: Multispectral imagery analysis from Army City, Kansas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banks, Benjamin Daniel

Aerial imagery analysis has a long history in European archaeology and despite early attempts little progress has been made to promote its use in North America. Recent advances in multispectral satellite and aerial sensors are helping to make aerial imagery analysis more effective in North America, and more cost effective. A site in northeastern Kansas is explored using multispectral aerial and satellite imagery allowing buried features to be mapped. Many of the problems associated with early aerial imagery analysis are explored, such as knowledge of archeological processes that contribute to crop mark formation. Use of multispectral imagery provides a means of detecting and enhancing crop marks not easily distinguishable in visible spectrum imagery. Unsupervised computer classifications of potential archaeological features permits their identification and interpretation while supervised classifications, incorporating limited amounts of geophysical data, provide a more detailed understanding of the site. Supervised classifications allow archaeological processes contributing to crop mark formation to be explored. Aerial imagery analysis is argued to be useful to a wide range of archeological problems, reducing person hours and expenses needed for site delineation and mapping. This technology may be especially useful for cultural resources management.

PAR-2 expression in the gingival crevicular fluid reflects chronic periodontitis severity.

PubMed

Fukushima, Henrique; Alves, Vanessa Tubero Euzebio; Carvalho, Verônica Franco de; Ambrósio, Lucas Macedo Batitucci; Eichler, Rosangela Aparecida Dos Santos; Carvalho, Maria Helena Catelli de; Saraiva, Luciana; Holzhausen, Marinella

2017-01-26

Recent studies investigating protease-activated receptor type 2 (PAR-2) suggest an association between the receptor and periodontal inflammation. It is known that gingipain, a bacterial protease secreted by the important periodontopathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis can activate PAR-2. Previous studies by our group found that PAR-2 is overexpressed in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with moderate chronic periodontitis (MP). The present study aimed at evaluating whether PAR-2 expression is associated with chronic periodontitis severity. GCF samples and clinical parameters, including plaque and bleeding on probing indices, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level, were collected from the control group (n = 19) at baseline, and from MP patients (n = 19) and severe chronic periodontitis (SP) (n = 19) patients before and 6 weeks after periodontal non-surgical treatment. PAR-2 and gingipain messenger RNA (mRNA) in the GCF of 4 periodontal sites per patient were evaluated by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). PAR-2 and gingipain expressions were greater in periodontitis patients than in control group patients. In addition, the SP group presented increased PAR-2 and gingipain mRNA levels, compared with the MP group. Furthermore, periodontal treatment significantly reduced (p <0.05) PAR-2 expression in patients with periodontitis. In conclusion, PAR-2 is associated with chronic periodontitis severity and with gingipain levels in the periodontal pocket, thus suggesting that PAR-2 expression in the GCF reflects the severity of destruction during periodontal infection.

Structures of actin-like ParM filaments show architecture of plasmid-segregating spindles.

PubMed

Bharat, Tanmay A M; Murshudov, Garib N; Sachse, Carsten; Löwe, Jan

2015-07-02

Active segregation of Escherichia coli low-copy-number plasmid R1 involves formation of a bipolar spindle made of left-handed double-helical actin-like ParM filaments. ParR links the filaments with centromeric parC plasmid DNA, while facilitating the addition of subunits to ParM filaments. Growing ParMRC spindles push sister plasmids to the cell poles. Here, using modern electron cryomicroscopy methods, we investigate the structures and arrangements of ParM filaments in vitro and in cells, revealing at near-atomic resolution how subunits and filaments come together to produce the simplest known mitotic machinery. To understand the mechanism of dynamic instability, we determine structures of ParM filaments in different nucleotide states. The structure of filaments bound to the ATP analogue AMPPNP is determined at 4.3 Å resolution and refined. The ParM filament structure shows strong longitudinal interfaces and weaker lateral interactions. Also using electron cryomicroscopy, we reconstruct ParM doublets forming antiparallel spindles. Finally, with whole-cell electron cryotomography, we show that doublets are abundant in bacterial cells containing low-copy-number plasmids with the ParMRC locus, leading to an asynchronous model of R1 plasmid segregation.

PAR-2 receptor-induced effects on human eccrine sweat gland cells.

PubMed

L Bovell, Douglas; Kofler, Barbara; Lang, Roland

2009-01-01

Serine proteases can induce cell signaling by stimulating G-protein-coupled receptors, called proteinase-activated receptors (PAR's) on a variety of epithelial cells. While PAR-2, one such receptor, activates cell signaling in a secretory cell line derived from human sweat glands, there was no information on their presence and effects on intact sweat glands. PAR-2 presence and activation of eccrine sweat glands isolated from human skin samples was investigated using Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy (EM) and Ca(2+) imaging. Anti-human PAR-2 antibody demonstrated the presence of these receptors in eccrine sweat glands. EM showed that PAR-2 activation resulted in degranulation of secretory cells. Ca(2+) imaging using PAR-2 activators demonstrated a two phase increase in [Ca(2+)](i) which was dependent on extracellular Ca(2+) for the second phase, and that the response could be blocked by prior incubation with xestospongin, the IP(3) receptor blocker. The results demonstrated that PAR-2 receptors are present in human sweat gland secretory cells and that these receptors are functionally active and can induce changes associated with secretory events in eccrine glands.

Utility of a scanning densitometer in analyzing remotely sensed imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dooley, J. T.

1976-01-01

The utility of a scanning densitometer for analyzing imagery in the NASA Lewis Research Center's regional remote sensing program was evaluated. Uses studied include: (1) quick-look screening of imagery by means of density slicing, magnification, color coding, and edge enhancement; (2) preliminary category classification of both low- and high-resolution data bases; and (3) quantitative measurement of the extent of features within selected areas. The densitometer was capable of providing fast, convenient, and relatively inexpensive preliminary analysis of aerial and satellite photography and scanner imagery involving land cover, water quality, strip mining, and energy conservation.

Mountain pine beetle detection and monitoring: evaluation of airborne imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, A.; Bone, C.; Dragicevic, S.; Ettya, A.; Northrup, J.; Reich, R.

2007-10-01

The processing and evaluation of digital airborne imagery for detection, monitoring and modeling of mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestations is evaluated. The most efficient and reliable remote sensing strategy for identification and mapping of infestation stages ("current" to "red" to "grey" attack) of MPB in lodgepole pine forests is determined for the most practical and cost effective procedures. This research was planned to specifically enhance knowledge by determining the remote sensing imaging systems and analytical procedures that optimize resource management for this critical forest health problem. Within the context of this study, airborne remote sensing of forest environments for forest health determinations (MPB) is most suitably undertaken using multispectral digitally converted imagery (aerial photography) at scales of 1:8000 for early detection of current MPB attack and 1:16000 for mapping and sequential monitoring of red and grey attack. Digital conversion should be undertaken at 10 to 16 microns for B&W multispectral imagery and 16 to 24 microns for colour and colour infrared imagery. From an "operational" perspective, the use of twin mapping-cameras with colour and B&W or colour infrared film will provide the best approximation of multispectral digital imagery with near comparable performance in a competitive private sector context (open bidding).

Mood stability versus mood instability in bipolar disorder: A possible role for emotional mental imagery

PubMed Central

Holmes, Emily A.; Deeprose, Catherine; Fairburn, Christopher G.; Wallace-Hadrill, Sophie M.A.; Bonsall, Michael B.; Geddes, John R.; Goodwin, Guy M.

2011-01-01

A cognitive model of bipolar disorder suggests that mental imagery acts as an emotional amplifier of mood and may be heightened in bipolar disorder. First, we tested whether patients with bipolar disorder would score higher on mental imagery measures than a matched healthy control group. Second, we examined differences in imagery between patients divided into groups according to their level of mood stability. Mood ratings over approximately 6-months, made using a mobile phone messaging system, were used to divide patients into stable or unstable groups. Clinician decisions of mood stability were corroborated with statistical analysis. Results showed (I) compared to healthy controls, patients with bipolar disorder had significantly higher scores for general mental imagery use, more vivid imagery of future events, higher levels of intrusive prospective imagery, and more extreme imagery-based interpretation bias; (II) compared to patients with stable mood, patients with unstable mood had higher levels of intrusive prospective imagery, and this correlated highly with their current levels of anxiety and depression. The findings were consistent with predictions. Further investigation of imagery in bipolar disorder appears warranted as it may highlight processes that contribute to mood instability with relevance for cognitive behaviour therapy. PMID:21798515

Extraction of linear features on SAR imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Junyi; Li, Deren; Mei, Xin

2006-10-01

Linear features are usually extracted from SAR imagery by a few edge detectors derived from the contrast ratio edge detector with a constant probability of false alarm. On the other hand, the Hough Transform is an elegant way of extracting global features like curve segments from binary edge images. Randomized Hough Transform can reduce the computation time and memory usage of the HT drastically. While Randomized Hough Transform will bring about a great deal of cells invalid during the randomized sample. In this paper, we propose a new approach to extract linear features on SAR imagery, which is an almost automatic algorithm based on edge detection and Randomized Hough Transform. The presented improved method makes full use of the directional information of each edge candidate points so as to solve invalid cumulate problems. Applied result is in good agreement with the theoretical study, and the main linear features on SAR imagery have been extracted automatically. The method saves storage space and computational time, which shows its effectiveness and applicability.

Media, Mental Imagery, and Memory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Robert L.

1978-01-01

Thirty-two students at the University of Oregon were tested to determine the effects of media on mental imagery and memory. The model incorporates a dual coding hypothesis, and five single and multiple channel treatments were used. (Author/JEG)

The Phenomenology and Generation of Positive Mental Imagery in Early Psychosis.

PubMed

Laing, Jennifer; Morland, Tristan; Fornells-Ambrojo, Miriam

2016-11-01

Theoretical models of depression and bipolar disorder emphasise the importance of positive mental imagery in mood and behaviour. Distressing, intrusive images are common in psychosis; however, little is known about positive imagery experiences or their association with clinical symptoms. The aim of the current study was to examine the phenomenology of positive imagery in early psychosis and the relationship between the characteristics of positive, future-oriented imagery and symptom severity. Characteristics, thematic content and appraisals of recent self-reported images were examined in 31 people with early psychosis. The vividness and perceived likelihood of deliberately generated, future-oriented images were investigated in relation to clinical symptoms. Eighty-four percent of participants reported experiencing a recent positive image. Themes included the achievement of personal goals, spending enjoyable time with peers and family, loving, intimate relationships and escape from current circumstances. The vividness and perceived likelihood of generated prospective imagery were negatively correlated with levels of depression and social anxiety. The relationship between emotional problems and the ability to imagine positive, future events may have implications for motivation, mood and goal-directed behaviour in psychosis. Everyday experiences of positive imagery may represent the simulation of future goals, attempts to cope or avoid aversive experiences or idealised fantasy. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The majority of participants experienced a recent positive image with themes related to goal attainment and social relationships. Depression and social anxiety levels were correlated with the vividness of intentionally generated positive future-oriented images and their perceived likelihood. The assessment of positive imagery in early psychosis appears warranted and may provide insights regarding individual coping strategies, values and goals. Copyright

Hyperspectral Imagery Data for Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garegnani, Jerry; Gualtney, Lawrence

1999-01-01

In order for remotely sensed data to be useful in a practical application for agriculture, an information product must be made available to the land management decision maker within 24 to 48 hours of data acquisition. Hyperspectral imagery data is proving useful in differentiation of plant species potentially allowing identification of non-healthy areas and pest infestations within crop fields that may require the farm managers attention. Currently however, extracting the needed site-specific feature information from the vast spectral content of large hyperspectral image files is a labor intensive and time consuming task prohibiting the necessary fast turnaround from raw data to final product. We illustrate the methods, techniques and technologies necessary to produce field-level information products from imagery and other related spatial data that are useful to the farm manager for specific decisions that must be made throughout the growing season. We also propose to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of an integrated system, from acquisition to final product distribution, to utilize imagery for decisions on a working farm in conjunction with a commercial agricultural services company and their crop scouts. The demonstration farm is Chesapeake Farms, a 3000 acre research farm in Chestertown, Maryland on the Eastern Shore and is owned by the DuPont Corporation.

Impervious surfaces mapping using high resolution satellite imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirmeen, Tahmina

In recent years, impervious surfaces have emerged not only as an indicator of the degree of urbanization, but also as an indicator of environmental quality. As impervious surface area increases, storm water runoff increases in velocity, quantity, temperature and pollution load. Any of these attributes can contribute to the degradation of natural hydrology and water quality. Various image processing techniques have been used to identify the impervious surfaces, however, most of the existing impervious surface mapping tools used moderate resolution imagery. In this project, the potential of standard image processing techniques to generate impervious surface data for change detection analysis using high-resolution satellite imagery was evaluated. The city of Oxford, MS was selected as the study site for this project. Standard image processing techniques, including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a combination of NDVI and PCA, and image classification algorithms, were used to generate impervious surfaces from multispectral IKONOS and QuickBird imagery acquired in both leaf-on and leaf-off conditions. Accuracy assessments were performed, using truth data generated by manual classification, with Kappa statistics and Zonal statistics to select the most appropriate image processing techniques for impervious surface mapping. The performance of selected image processing techniques was enhanced by incorporating Soil Brightness Index (SBI) and Greenness Index (GI) derived from Tasseled Cap Transformed (TCT) IKONOS and QuickBird imagery. A time series of impervious surfaces for the time frame between 2001 and 2007 was made using the refined image processing techniques to analyze the changes in IS in Oxford. It was found that NDVI and the combined NDVI--PCA methods are the most suitable image processing techniques for mapping impervious surfaces in leaf-off and leaf-on conditions respectively, using high resolution multispectral

Depth Derivation from the Worldview-2 Satellite Using Hyperspectral Imagery

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

6 C. MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY FROM QUICKBIRD ..............................7 D . HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGERY FROM AVIRIS...27 D . TRANSECTS .................................................................................................29 1. Transect 1...520-600nm), red (630-690nm) and near-IR (760-900nm). Figure 4. Quickbird Satellite (from: http://www.digitalglobe.com/index.php/85/QuickBird) D

A hybrid NIRS-EEG system for self-paced brain computer interface with online motor imagery.

PubMed

Koo, Bonkon; Lee, Hwan-Gon; Nam, Yunjun; Kang, Hyohyeong; Koh, Chin Su; Shin, Hyung-Cheul; Choi, Seungjin

2015-04-15

For a self-paced motor imagery based brain-computer interface (BCI), the system should be able to recognize the occurrence of a motor imagery, as well as the type of the motor imagery. However, because of the difficulty of detecting the occurrence of a motor imagery, general motor imagery based BCI studies have been focusing on the cued motor imagery paradigm. In this paper, we present a novel hybrid BCI system that uses near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) systems together to achieve online self-paced motor imagery based BCI. We designed a unique sensor frame that records NIRS and EEG simultaneously for the realization of our system. Based on this hybrid system, we proposed a novel analysis method that detects the occurrence of a motor imagery with the NIRS system, and classifies its type with the EEG system. An online experiment demonstrated that our hybrid system had a true positive rate of about 88%, a false positive rate of 7% with an average response time of 10.36 s. As far as we know, there is no report that explored hemodynamic brain switch for self-paced motor imagery based BCI with hybrid EEG and NIRS system. From our experimental results, our hybrid system showed enough reliability for using in a practical self-paced motor imagery based BCI. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of terrestrial photogrammetric point clouds derived from thermal imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metcalf, Jeremy P.; Olsen, Richard C.

2016-05-01

Computer vision and photogrammetric techniques have been widely applied to digital imagery producing high density 3D point clouds. Using thermal imagery as input, the same techniques can be applied to infrared data to produce point clouds in 3D space, providing surface temperature information. The work presented here is an evaluation of the accuracy of 3D reconstruction of point clouds produced using thermal imagery. An urban scene was imaged over an area at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, viewing from above as with an airborne system. Terrestrial thermal and RGB imagery were collected from a rooftop overlooking the site using a FLIR SC8200 MWIR camera and a Canon T1i DSLR. In order to spatially align each dataset, ground control points were placed throughout the study area using Trimble R10 GNSS receivers operating in RTK mode. Each image dataset is processed to produce a dense point cloud for 3D evaluation.

Effects of microgravity on cognition: The case of mental imagery.

PubMed

Grabherr, Luzia; Mast, Fred W

2010-01-01

Human cognitive performance is an important factor for the successful and safe outcome of commercial and non-commercial manned space missions. This article aims to provide a systematic review of studies investigating the effects of microgravity on the cognitive abilities of parabolic or space flight participants due to the absence of the gravito-inertial force. We will focus on mental imagery: one of the best studied cognitive functions. Mental imagery is closely connected to perception and motor behavior. It aids important processes such as perceptual anticipation, problem solving and motor simulation, all of which are critical for space travel. Thirteen studies were identified and classified into the following topics: spatial representations, mental image transformations and motor imagery. While research on spatial representation and mental image transformation continues to grow and specific differences in cognitive functioning between 1 g and 0 g have been observed, motor imagery has thus far received little attention.

Monitoring arctic habitat and goose production by satellite imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reeves, H.M.; Cooch, F.G.; Munro, R.E.

1976-01-01

Spacecraft imagery, especially from the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration's Improved TIROS (Television Infra-Red Observational Satellite) Operational Satellites, permits timely evaluations of snow and ice conditions encountered by arctic nesting geese. Imagery from the TIROS satellite for 5 wide]y scattered locations in arctic North America was obtained for three 3-day intervals in June 1973 and 1974. These pictures were used to expand fragmentary habitat data available from ground observations. Late disappearance of snow and ice may prevent or retard nesting effort and reproductive success. Our immediate aim is to recognize years of catastrophic or very good production; however, supporting information from ground studies, LANDSAT imagery, analyses of banding data, and studies of age ratios in popu]ations and harvests eventua

Brulure par Plaque de Bistouri Electrique: a Propos de Quatre Cas

PubMed Central

Khales, A.; Achbouk, A.; Belmir, R.; Cherkab, L.; Ennouhi, M.A.; Ababou, K.; Ihrai, H.

2010-01-01

Summary La brûlure par plaque de bistouri électrique est un accident rare mais grave par la profondeur de la lésion et par sa localisation, surtout quand qu’elle survient dans un contexte chirurgical dont le vécu reste difficile de la part du malade et du chirurgien. Cette brûlure bien que imprévisible reste grave par la profondeur et la localisation de la brûlure et par sa survenue dans un contexte opératoire, chez des patients malades. La prise en charge de la brûlure doit se faire en milieu spécialisé. La prévention reste le seul moyen d’éviter ce type d’accident. PMID:21991216

Expression of protease-activated-receptor 2 (PAR-2) in human esophageal mucosa.

PubMed

Inci, Kamuran; Edebo, Anders; Olbe, Lars; Casselbrant, Anna

2009-01-01

The role of duodenal reflux in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) containing bile salts and pancreatic enzymes (with special attention to trypsin) is still under discussion. Proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) are a novel family and PAR-2 is a unique member of this family because it is activated by trypsin. The aim of the present study was to examine the presence and the position of the PAR-2 receptor in human esophageal mucosa in different subgroups of GERD. Distal biopsies taken from healthy controls, patients with erosive reflux disease (ERD), patients with specialized intestinal metaplasia (SIM) and adenocarcinoma were analyzed for the PAR-2 receptor with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Gene transcripts for the PAR-2 receptor were found in all groups, with increased levels in SIM patients compared to controls. However, this visual pattern was not seen for the protein expression of the PAR-2 receptor showing no apparent quantitative differences between the groups. Immunohistochemistry revealed distinct staining for the PAR-2 receptor in the luminal part of the esophageal epithelium. The localization of the PAR-2 receptor indicates that the receptor can be cleaved and activated by trypsin in duodenogastric esophageal refluxate. The data thus suggest that the trypsin-PAR-2 pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of GERD.

Discovery of potent and selective small-molecule PAR-2 agonists.

PubMed

Seitzberg, Jimmi Gerner; Knapp, Anne Eeg; Lund, Birgitte Winther; Mandrup Bertozzi, Sine; Currier, Erika A; Ma, Jian-Nong; Sherbukhin, Vladimir; Burstein, Ethan S; Olsson, Roger

2008-09-25

Proteinase activated receptor-2 plays a crucial role in a wide variety of conditions with a strong inflammatory component. We present the discovery and characterization of two structurally different, potent, selective, and metabolically stable small-molecule PAR-2 agonists. These ligands may be useful as pharmacological tools for elucidating the complex physiological role of the PAR-2 receptors as well as for the development of PAR-2 antagonists.

The sensory strength of voluntary visual imagery predicts visual working memory capacity.

PubMed

Keogh, Rebecca; Pearson, Joel

2014-10-09

How much we can actively hold in mind is severely limited and differs greatly from one person to the next. Why some individuals have greater capacities than others is largely unknown. Here, we investigated why such large variations in visual working memory (VWM) capacity might occur, by examining the relationship between visual working memory and visual mental imagery. To assess visual working memory capacity participants were required to remember the orientation of a number of Gabor patches and make subsequent judgments about relative changes in orientation. The sensory strength of voluntary imagery was measured using a previously documented binocular rivalry paradigm. Participants with greater imagery strength also had greater visual working memory capacity. However, they were no better on a verbal number working memory task. Introducing a uniform luminous background during the retention interval of the visual working memory task reduced memory capacity, but only for those with strong imagery. Likewise, for the good imagers increasing background luminance during imagery generation reduced its effect on subsequent binocular rivalry. Luminance increases did not affect any of the subgroups on the verbal number working memory task. Together, these results suggest that luminance was disrupting sensory mechanisms common to both visual working memory and imagery, and not a general working memory system. The disruptive selectivity of background luminance suggests that good imagers, unlike moderate or poor imagers, may use imagery as a mnemonic strategy to perform the visual working memory task. © 2014 ARVO.

Visual imagery of famous faces: effects of memory and attention revealed by fMRI.

PubMed

Ishai, Alumit; Haxby, James V; Ungerleider, Leslie G

2002-12-01

Complex pictorial information can be represented and retrieved from memory as mental visual images. Functional brain imaging studies have shown that visual perception and visual imagery share common neural substrates. The type of memory (short- or long-term) that mediates the generation of mental images, however, has not been addressed previously. The purpose of this study was to investigate the neural correlates underlying imagery generated from short- and long-term memory (STM and LTM). We used famous faces to localize the visual response during perception and to compare the responses during visual imagery generated from STM (subjects memorized specific pictures of celebrities before the imagery task) and imagery from LTM (subjects imagined famous faces without seeing specific pictures during the experimental session). We found that visual perception of famous faces activated the inferior occipital gyri, lateral fusiform gyri, the superior temporal sulcus, and the amygdala. Small subsets of these face-selective regions were activated during imagery. Additionally, visual imagery of famous faces activated a network of regions composed of bilateral calcarine, hippocampus, precuneus, intraparietal sulcus (IPS), and the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). In all these regions, imagery generated from STM evoked more activation than imagery from LTM. Regardless of memory type, focusing attention on features of the imagined faces (e.g., eyes, lips, or nose) resulted in increased activation in the right IPS and right IFG. Our results suggest differential effects of memory and attention during the generation and maintenance of mental images of faces.

Using Imagery Rescripting to Treat Major Depression: Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheatley, Jon; Hackmann, Ann

2011-01-01

This paper considers the role that intrusive memories may play in maintaining depression and the rationale for using imagery rescripting in order to target these memories. Potential mechanisms of change underlying imagery rescripting are discussed. The relationship between depressive rumination and memories is considered, as well as potential…

BOREAS RSS-2 Extracted Reflectance Factors Derived from ASAS Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickerson, Jaime (Editor); Dabney, P.; Kovalick, W.; Graham, D.; Bur, Michael; Irons, James R.; Tierney, M.

2000-01-01

The BOREAS RSS-2 team derived atmospherically corrected bidirectional reflectance factor means from multispectral, multiangle ASAS imagery for small homogeneous areas near several BOREAS sites. The ASAS imagery was acquired from the C-130 aircraft platform in 1994 and 1996. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files.

Endophthalmitis following pars plana vitrectomy for vitreous floaters

PubMed Central

Henry, Christopher R; Schwartz, Stephen G; Flynn, Harry W

2014-01-01

A case of Staphylococcus caprae endophthalmitis in a young patient following pars plana vitrectomy for symptomatic vitreous floaters is reported here. Recent literature suggests that there is an increasing trend of performing pars plana vitrectomy for symptomatic floaters. Although rare, the potential risk of endophthalmitis should be explicitly discussed with patients considering surgical intervention for vitreous floaters. PMID:25210434

Endophthalmitis following pars plana vitrectomy for vitreous floaters.

PubMed

Henry, Christopher R; Schwartz, Stephen G; Flynn, Harry W

2014-01-01

A case of Staphylococcus caprae endophthalmitis in a young patient following pars plana vitrectomy for symptomatic vitreous floaters is reported here. Recent literature suggests that there is an increasing trend of performing pars plana vitrectomy for symptomatic floaters. Although rare, the potential risk of endophthalmitis should be explicitly discussed with patients considering surgical intervention for vitreous floaters.

Expression of Par3 polarity protein correlates with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer.

PubMed

Nakamura, Hiroe; Nagasaka, Kazunori; Kawana, Kei; Taguchi, Ayumi; Uehara, Yuriko; Yoshida, Mitsuyo; Sato, Masakazu; Nishida, Haruka; Fujimoto, Asaha; Inoue, Tomoko; Adachi, Katsuyuki; Nagamatsu, Takeshi; Arimoto, Takahide; Oda, Katsutoshi; Osuga, Yutaka; Fujii, Tomoyuki

2016-11-17

Previous studies have shown that the cell polarity protein partitioning defective 3 (Par3) plays an essential role in the formation of tight junctions and definition of apical-basal polarity. Aberrant function of this protein has been reported to be involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer invasion. The aim of this study was to examine the functional mechanism of Par3 in ovarian cancer. First, we investigated the association between Par3 expression level and survival of 50 ovarian cancer patients. Next, we conducted an in vitro analysis of ovarian cancer cell lines, focusing on the cell line JHOC5, to investigate Par3 function. To investigate the function of Par3 in invasion, the IL-6/STAT3 pathway was analyzed upon Par3 knockdown with siRNA. The effect of siRNA treatment was assessed by qPCR, ELISA, and western blotting. Invasiveness and cell proliferation following treatment with siRNA against Par3 were investigated using Matrigel chamber, wound healing, and cell proliferation assays. Expression array data for ovarian cancer patient samples revealed low Par3 expression was significantly associated with good prognosis. Univariate analysis of clinicopathological factors revealed significant association between high Par3 levels and peritoneal dissemination at the time of diagnosis. Knockdown of Par3 in JHOC5 cells suppressed cell invasiveness, migration, and cell proliferation with deregulation of IL-6/STAT3 activity. Taken together, these results suggest that Par3 expression is likely involved in ovarian cancer progression, especially in peritoneal metastasis. The underlying mechanism may be that Par3 modulates IL-6 /STAT3 signaling. Here, we propose that the expression of Par3 in ovarian cancer may control disease outcome.

Information from imagery: ISPRS scientific vision and research agenda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jun; Dowman, Ian; Li, Songnian; Li, Zhilin; Madden, Marguerite; Mills, Jon; Paparoditis, Nicolas; Rottensteiner, Franz; Sester, Monika; Toth, Charles; Trinder, John; Heipke, Christian

2016-05-01

With the increased availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery, terrain based imaging and participatory sensing, inexpensive platforms, and advanced information and communication technologies, the application of imagery is now ubiquitous, playing an important role in many aspects of life and work today. As a leading organisation in this field, the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) has been devoted to effectively and efficiently obtaining and utilising information from imagery since its foundation in the year 1910. This paper examines the significant challenges currently facing ISPRS and its communities, such as providing high-quality information, enabling advanced geospatial computing, and supporting collaborative problem solving. The state-of-the-art in ISPRS related research and development is reviewed and the trends and topics for future work are identified. By providing an overarching scientific vision and research agenda, we hope to call on and mobilise all ISPRS scientists, practitioners and other stakeholders to continue improving our understanding and capacity on information from imagery and to deliver advanced geospatial knowledge that enables humankind to better deal with the challenges ahead, posed for example by global change, ubiquitous sensing, and a demand for real-time information generation.

NASA's Earth Imagery Service as Open Source Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Cesare, C.; Alarcon, C.; Huang, T.; Roberts, J. T.; Rodriguez, J.; Cechini, M. F.; Boller, R. A.; Baynes, K.

2016-12-01

The NASA Global Imagery Browse Service (GIBS) is a software system that provides access to an archive of historical and near-real-time Earth imagery from NASA-supported satellite instruments. The imagery itself is open data, and is accessible via standards such as the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)'s Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) protocol. GIBS includes three core software projects: The Imagery Exchange (TIE), OnEarth, and the Meta Raster Format (MRF) project. These projects are developed using a variety of open source software, including: Apache HTTPD, GDAL, Mapserver, Grails, Zookeeper, Eclipse, Maven, git, and Apache Commons. TIE has recently been released for open source, and is now available on GitHub. OnEarth, MRF, and their sub-projects have been on GitHub since 2014, and the MRF project in particular receives many external contributions from the community. Our software has been successful beyond the scope of GIBS: the PO.DAAC State of the Ocean and COVERAGE visualization projects reuse components from OnEarth. The MRF source code has recently been incorporated into GDAL, which is a core library in many widely-used GIS software such as QGIS and GeoServer. This presentation will describe the challenges faced in incorporating open software and open data into GIBS, and also showcase GIBS as a platform on which scientists and the general public can build their own applications.

The use of ERTS imagery for lake classification. [turbidity due to phytoplankton

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scarpace, F. L.; Wade, R. E.; Fisher, L. T.

1975-01-01

The feasibility of using photographic representations of the ERTS imagery to classify lakes in the State of Wisconsin as to their trophic level was studied. Densitometric readings in band 5 of ERTS 70 mm imagery were taken for all the lakes in Wisconsin greater than 100 acres (approximately 1000 lakes). An algorithm has been developed from ground truth measurements to predict from satellite imagery an indicator of trophic status.

Fully Automated Sunspot Detection and Classification Using SDO HMI Imagery in MATLAB

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

FULLY AUTOMATED SUNSPOT DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION USING SDO HMI IMAGERY IN MATLAB THESIS Gordon M. Spahr, Second Lieutenant, USAF AFIT-ENP-14-M-34...CLASSIFICATION USING SDO HMI IMAGERY IN MATLAB THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Engineering Physics Graduate School of Engineering and Management Air...DISTRIUBUTION UNLIMITED. AFIT-ENP-14-M-34 FULLY AUTOMATED SUNSPOT DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION USING SDO HMI IMAGERY IN MATLAB Gordon M. Spahr, BS Second

Development of RGB Composite Imagery for Operational Weather Forecasting Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molthan, Andrew L.; Fuell, Kevin K.; Oswald, Hayden, K; Knaff, John A.

2012-01-01

The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center, in collaboration with the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), is providing red-green-blue (RGB) color composite imagery to several of NOAA s National Centers and National Weather Service forecast offices as a demonstration of future capabilities of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) to be implemented aboard GOES-R. Forecasters rely upon geostationary satellite imagery to monitor conditions over their regions of responsibility. Since the ABI will provide nearly three times as many channels as the current GOES imager, the volume of data available for analysis will increase. RGB composite imagery can aid in the compression of large data volumes by combining information from multiple channels or paired channel differences into single products that communicate more information than provided by a single channel image. A standard suite of RGB imagery has been developed by the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), based upon the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI). The SEVIRI instrument currently provides visible and infrared wavelengths comparable to the future GOES-R ABI. In addition, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments aboard the NASA Terra and Aqua satellites can be used to demonstrate future capabilities of GOES-R. This presentation will demonstrate an overview of the products currently disseminated to SPoRT partners within the GOES-R Proving Ground, and other National Weather Service forecast offices, along with examples of their application. For example, CIRA has used the channels of the current GOES sounder to produce an "air mass" RGB originally designed for SEVIRI. This provides hourly imagery over CONUS for looping applications while demonstrating capabilities similar to the future ABI instrument. SPoRT has developed similar "air mass" RGB imagery from MODIS, and through

Positive Imagery-Based Cognitive Bias Modification as a Web-Based Treatment Tool for Depressed Adults

PubMed Central

Blackwell, Simon E.; Browning, Michael; Mathews, Andrew; Pictet, Arnaud; Welch, James; Davies, Jim; Watson, Peter; Geddes, John R.

2015-01-01

Depression is a global health problem requiring treatment innovation. Targeting neglected cognitive aspects may provide a useful route. We tested a cognitive-training paradigm using positive mental imagery (imagery cognitive bias modification, imagery CBM), developed via experimental psychopathology studies, in a randomized controlled trial. Training was delivered via the Internet to 150 individuals with current major depression. Unexpectedly, there was no significant advantage for imagery CBM compared with a closely matched control for depression symptoms as a whole in the full sample. In exploratory analyses, compared with the control, imagery CBM significantly improved anhedonia over the intervention and improved depression symptoms as a whole for those participants with fewer than five episodes of depression and those who engaged to a threshold level of imagery. Results suggest avenues for improving imagery CBM to inform low-intensity treatment tools for depression. Anhedonia may be a useful treatment target for future work. PMID:25984421

Assessing urban forest canopy cover using airborne or satellite imagery

Treesearch

Jeffrey T. Walton; David J. Nowak; Eric J. Greenfield

2008-01-01

With the availability of many sources of imagery and various digital classification techniques, assessing urban forest canopy cover is readily accessible to most urban forest managers. Understanding the capability and limitations of various types of imagery and classification methods is essential to interpreting canopy cover values. An overview of several remote...

Sea-Ice Feature Mapping using JERS-1 Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maslanik, James; Heinrichs, John

1994-01-01

JERS-1 SAR and OPS imagery are examined in combination with other data sets to investigate the utility of the JERS-1 sensors for mapping fine-scale sea ice conditions. Combining ERS-1 C band and JERS-1 L band SAR aids in discriminating multiyear and first-year ice. Analysis of OPS imagery for a field site in the Canadian Archipelago highlights the advantages of OPS's high spatial and spectral resolution for mapping ice structure, melt pond distribution, and surface albedo.

Cartographic evaluation of ERTS-1 imagery for part of the United Kingdom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bickmore, D. P. (Principal Investigator); Smith, W. P.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The area around Bristol, England contained a variety of both natural and man-made features visible on ERTS imagery, notably the Seven Estuary, the Jurassic limestones of the Cotswold scarp, and a variety of major and minor communications routes and urban developments. Visual interpretive studies were carried out on the diapositive imagery in order to ascertain the extent to which various terrain features, broadly classified into Solid and Drift Geology, Topography, and Land use, were depicted on the four independent imagery bands. Quantitative assessment of the accuracy of map content suggests that the imagery is inadequate for most mapping purposes within the area of study, at least using traditional interpretation methods.

SkySat-1: very high-resolution imagery from a small satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murthy, Kiran; Shearn, Michael; Smiley, Byron D.; Chau, Alexandra H.; Levine, Josh; Robinson, M. Dirk

2014-10-01

This paper presents details of the SkySat-1 mission, which is the first microsatellite-class commercial earth- observation system to generate sub-meter resolution panchromatic imagery, in addition to sub-meter resolution 4-band pan-sharpened imagery. SkySat-1 was built and launched for an order of magnitude lower cost than similarly performing missions. The low-cost design enables the deployment of a large imaging constellation that can provide imagery with both high temporal resolution and high spatial resolution. One key enabler of the SkySat-1 mission was simplifying the spacecraft design and instead relying on ground- based image processing to achieve high-performance at the system level. The imaging instrument consists of a custom-designed high-quality optical telescope and commercially-available high frame rate CMOS image sen- sors. While each individually captured raw image frame shows moderate quality, ground-based image processing algorithms improve the raw data by combining data from multiple frames to boost image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and decrease the ground sample distance (GSD) in a process Skybox calls "digital TDI". Careful qual-ity assessment and tuning of the spacecraft, payload, and algorithms was necessary to generate high-quality panchromatic, multispectral, and pan-sharpened imagery. Furthermore, the framing sensor configuration en- abled the first commercial High-Definition full-frame rate panchromatic video to be captured from space, with approximately 1 meter ground sample distance. Details of the SkySat-1 imaging instrument and ground-based image processing system are presented, as well as an overview of the work involved with calibrating and validating the system. Examples of raw and processed imagery are shown, and the raw imagery is compared to pre-launch simulated imagery used to tune the image processing algorithms.

ParABS Systems of the Four Replicons of Burkholderia cenocepacia: New Chromosome Centromeres Confer Partition Specificity†

PubMed Central

Dubarry, Nelly; Pasta, Franck; Lane, David

2006-01-01

Most bacterial chromosomes carry an analogue of the parABS systems that govern plasmid partition, but their role in chromosome partition is ambiguous. parABS systems might be particularly important for orderly segregation of multipartite genomes, where their role may thus be easier to evaluate. We have characterized parABS systems in Burkholderia cenocepacia, whose genome comprises three chromosomes and one low-copy-number plasmid. A single parAB locus and a set of ParB-binding (parS) centromere sites are located near the origin of each replicon. ParA and ParB of the longest chromosome are phylogenetically similar to analogues in other multichromosome and monochromosome bacteria but are distinct from those of smaller chromosomes. The latter form subgroups that correspond to the taxa of their hosts, indicating evolution from plasmids. The parS sites on the smaller chromosomes and the plasmid are similar to the “universal” parS of the main chromosome but with a sequence specific to their replicon. In an Escherichia coli plasmid stabilization test, each parAB exhibits partition activity only with the parS of its own replicon. Hence, parABS function is based on the independent partition of individual chromosomes rather than on a single communal system or network of interacting systems. Stabilization by the smaller chromosome and plasmid systems was enhanced by mutation of parS sites and a promoter internal to their parAB operons, suggesting autoregulatory mechanisms. The small chromosome ParBs were found to silence transcription, a property relevant to autoregulation. PMID:16452432

Association between Social Anxiety and Visual Mental Imagery of Neutral Scenes: The Moderating Role of Effortful Control.

PubMed

Moriya, Jun

2017-01-01

According to cognitive theories, verbal processing attenuates emotional processing, whereas visual imagery enhances emotional processing and contributes to the maintenance of social anxiety. Individuals with social anxiety report negative mental images in social situations. However, the general ability of visual mental imagery of neutral scenes in individuals with social anxiety is still unclear. The present study investigated the general ability of non-emotional mental imagery (vividness, preferences for imagery vs. verbal processing, and object or spatial imagery) and the moderating role of effortful control in attenuating social anxiety. The participants ( N = 231) completed five questionnaires. The results showed that social anxiety was not necessarily associated with all aspects of mental imagery. As suggested by theories, social anxiety was not associated with a preference for verbal processing. However, social anxiety was positively correlated with the visual imagery scale, especially the object imagery scale, which concerns the ability to construct pictorial images of individual objects. Further, it was negatively correlated with the spatial imagery scale, which concerns the ability to process information about spatial relations between objects. Although object imagery and spatial imagery positively and negatively predicted the degree of social anxiety, respectively, these effects were attenuated when socially anxious individuals had high effortful control. Specifically, in individuals with high effortful control, both object and spatial imagery were not associated with social anxiety. Socially anxious individuals might prefer to construct pictorial images of individual objects in natural scenes through object imagery. However, even in individuals who exhibit these features of mental imagery, effortful control could inhibit the increase in social anxiety.

ERTS-1 imagery use in reconnaissance prospecting: Evaluation of commercial utility of ERTS-1 imagery in structural reconnaissance for minerals and petroleum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, D. F.; Thomas, G. E. (Principal Investigator); Kinsman, F. E.; Beatty, D. F.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. This study was performed to investigate applications of ERTS-1 imagery in commercial reconnaissance for mineral and hydrocarbon resources. ERTS-1 imagery collected over five areas in North America (Montana; Colorado; New Mexico-West Texas; Superior Province, Canada; and North Slope, Alaska) has been analyzed for data content including linears, lineaments, and curvilinear anomalies. Locations of these features were mapped and compared with known locations of mineral and hydrocarbon accumulations. Results were analyzed in the context of a simple-shear, block-coupling model. Data analyses have resulted in detection of new lineaments, some of which may be continental in extent, detection of many curvilinear patterns not generally seen on aerial photos, strong evidence of continental regmatic fracture patterns, and realization that geological features can be explained in terms of a simple-shear, block-coupling model. The conculsions are that ERTS-1 imagery is of great value in photogeologic/geomorphic interpretations of regional features, and the simple-shear, block-coupling model provides a means of relating data from ERTS imagery to structures that have controlled emplacement of ore deposits and hydrocarbon accumulations, thus providing a basis for a new approach for reconnaissance for mineral, uranium, gas, and oil deposits and structures.

Mental imagery. Effects on static balance and attentional demands of the elderly.

PubMed

Hamel, M F; Lajoie, Yves

2005-06-01

Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of mental imagery in improving motor performance. However, no research has studied the effectiveness of such a technique on static balance in the elderly. This study evaluated the efficiency of a mental imagery technique, aimed at improving static balance by reducing postural oscillations and attentional demands in the elderly. Twenty subjects aged 65 to 90 years old, divided into two groups (8 in Control group and 12 in Experimental group) participated in the study. The experimental participants underwent daily mental imagery training for a period of six weeks. Antero-posterior and lateral oscillations, reaction times during the use of the double-task paradigm were measured, and the Berg Balance Scale, Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, and VMIQ questionnaire were answered during both pre-test and post-test. Attentional demands and postural oscillations (antero-posterior) decreased significantly in the group with mental imagery training compared with those of the Control group. Subjects in the mental imagery group became significantly better in their aptitudes to generate clear vivid mental images, as indicated by the VMIQ questionnaire, whereas no significant difference was observed for the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale or Berg Scale. The results support psychoneuromuscular and motor coding theories associated with mental imagery.

Enhanced Sidescan-Sonar Imagery Offshore of Southeastern Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poppe, Lawrence J.; McMullen, Kate Y.; Williams, S. Jeffress; Ackerman, Seth D.; Glomb, K.A.; Forfinski, N.A.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) have been working cooperatively to map and study the coastal sea floor. The sidescan-sonar imagery collected during NOAA hydrographic surveys has been included as part of these studies. However, the original sonar imagery contains tonal artifacts from environmental noise (for example, sea state), equipment settings (for example, power and gain changes), and processing (for example, inaccurate cross-track and line-to-line normalization), which impart a quilt-like patchwork appearance to the mosaics. These artifacts can obscure the normalized backscatter properties of the sea floor. To address this issue, sidescan-sonar imagery from surveys H11076 and H11079 offshore of southeastern Massachusetts was enhanced by matching backscatter tones of adjacent sidescan-sonar lines. These mosaics provide continuous grayscale perspectives of the backscatter, more accurately reveal the sea-floor geologic trends, and minimize the environment-, acquisition-, and processing-related noise.

Use of satellite imagery for wildland resource evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tueller, P. T. (Principal Investigator)

1972-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Accurate identification and delineation of crested wheatgrass seedlings has enabled a broad inventory of this resource. The entire state of Nevada is being inventoried for crested wheatgrass seedlings. Irrigated fields and pastures are easily visible from ERTS-1 imagery and were quantified in total acres on 12,500 square miles of the state. Recent fire scars may be monitored and inventoried from satellite-borne imagery. Inventory and quantification of large native meadows of Nevada have been accomplished on one frame of ERTS-1 data. This inventory would not have been economically feasible with any known ground inventory method. The U-2 sequential data taken in the spring revealed several resource management oriented phenological changes in the vegetation. The green-up of grasses and shrubs was detected on the imagery and supplied a good indicator for livestock turn-out dates. Water level manipulations in the Ruby Marsh were readily detected by noting changes in vegetation growth and reflectance.

Effects of hypnagogic imagery on the event-related potential to external tone stimuli.

PubMed

Michida, Nanae; Hayashi, Mitsuo; Hori, Tadao

2005-07-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of hypnagogic imagery on the information processes of external tone stimuli during the sleep onset period with the use of event-related potentials. Event-related potentials to tone stimuli were compared between conditions with and without the experience of hypnagogic imagery. To control the arousal level when the tone was presented, a certain criterion named the electroencephalogram stage was used. Stimuli were presented at electroencephalogram stage 4, which was characterized by the appearance of a vertex sharp wave. Data were collected in the sleep laboratory at Hiroshima University. Eleven healthy university and graduate school students participated in the study. N/A. Experiments were performed at night. Reaction times to tone stimuli were measured, and only trials with shorter reaction times than 5000 milliseconds were analyzed. Electroencephalograms were recorded from Fz, Cz, Pz, Oz, T5 and T6. There were no differences in reaction times and electroencephalogram spectra between the conditions of with and without hypnagogic imagery. These results indicated that the arousal levels were not different between the 2 conditions. On the other hand, the N550 amplitude of the event-related potentials in the imagery condition was lower than in the no-imagery condition. The decrease in the N550 amplitude in the imagery condition showed that experiences of hypnagogic imagery exert some influence on the information processes of external tone stimuli. It is possible that the processing of hypnagogic imagery interferes with the processing of external stimuli, lowering the sensitivity to external stimuli.

Effects of Pretend Imagery on Learning Dance in Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sacha, Tori J.; Russ, Sandra W.

2006-01-01

Play is important in child development and learning. The intent of this study was to assess the effects of play, using physical movement and pretend imagery, on learning dance. Four preschool dance classes, encompassing 32 children ages 3-6, were randomly divided into pretend imagery groups and traditional teaching groups. The classes were…

Symmetry breaking and polarization of the C. elegans zygote by the polarity protein PAR-2.

PubMed

Zonies, Seth; Motegi, Fumio; Hao, Yingsong; Seydoux, Geraldine

2010-05-01

Polarization of the C. elegans zygote is initiated by ECT-2-dependent cortical flows, which mobilize the anterior PAR proteins (PAR-3, PAR-6 and PKC-3) away from the future posterior end of the embryo marked by the sperm centrosome. Here, we demonstrate the existence of a second, parallel and redundant pathway that can polarize the zygote in the absence of ECT-2-dependent cortical flows. This second pathway depends on the polarity protein PAR-2. We show that PAR-2 localizes to the cortex nearest the sperm centrosome even in the absence of cortical flows. Once on the cortex, PAR-2 antagonizes PAR-3-dependent recruitment of myosin, creating myosin flows that transport the anterior PAR complex away from PAR-2 in a positive-feedback loop. We propose that polarity in the C. elegans zygote is initiated by redundant ECT-2- and PAR-2-dependent mechanisms that lower PAR-3 levels locally, triggering a positive-feedback loop that polarizes the entire cortex.

The neural basis of kinesthetic and visual imagery in sports: an ALE meta - analysis.

PubMed

Filgueiras, Alberto; Quintas Conde, Erick Francisco; Hall, Craig R

2017-12-19

Imagery is a widely spread technique in the sport sciences that entails the mental rehearsal of a given situation to improve an athlete's learning, performance and motivation. Two modalities of imagery are reported to tap into distinct brain structures, but sharing common components: kinesthetic and visual imagery. This study aimed to investigate the neural basis of those types of imagery with Activation Likelihood Estimation algorithm to perform a meta - analysis. A systematic search was used to retrieve only experimental studies with athletes or sportspersons. Altogether, nine studies were selected and an ALE meta - analysis was performed. Results indicated significant activation of the premotor, somatosensory cortex, supplementary motor areas, inferior and superior parietal lobule, caudate, cingulate and cerebellum in both imagery tasks. It was concluded that visual and kinesthetic imagery share similar neural networks which suggests that combined interventions are beneficial to athletes whereas separate use of those two modalities of imagery may seem less efficient from a neuropsychological approach.

Specific and non-specific interactions of ParB with DNA: implications for chromosome segregation

PubMed Central

Taylor, James A.; Pastrana, Cesar L.; Butterer, Annika; Pernstich, Christian; Gwynn, Emma J.; Sobott, Frank; Moreno-Herrero, Fernando; Dillingham, Mark S.

2015-01-01

The segregation of many bacterial chromosomes is dependent on the interactions of ParB proteins with centromere-like DNA sequences called parS that are located close to the origin of replication. In this work, we have investigated the binding of Bacillus subtilis ParB to DNA in vitro using a variety of biochemical and biophysical techniques. We observe tight and specific binding of a ParB homodimer to the parS sequence. Binding of ParB to non-specific DNA is more complex and displays apparent positive co-operativity that is associated with the formation of larger, poorly defined, nucleoprotein complexes. Experiments with magnetic tweezers demonstrate that non-specific binding leads to DNA condensation that is reversible by protein unbinding or force. The condensed DNA structure is not well ordered and we infer that it is formed by many looping interactions between neighbouring DNA segments. Consistent with this view, ParB is also able to stabilize writhe in single supercoiled DNA molecules and to bridge segments from two different DNA molecules in trans. The experiments provide no evidence for the promotion of non-specific DNA binding and/or condensation events by the presence of parS sequences. The implications of these observations for chromosome segregation are discussed. PMID:25572315

Par Pond vegetation status Summer 1995 -- October survey descriptive summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackey, H.E. Jr.; Riley, R.S.

1995-11-01

The water level of Par Pond was lowered approximately 20 feet in mid-1991 in order to protect downstream residents from possible dam failure suggested by subsidence on the downstream slope of the dam and to repair the dam. This lowering exposed both emergent and nonemergent macrophyte beds to drying conditions resulting in extensive losses. A survey of the emergent shoreline aquatic plant communities began in June 1995, three months after the refilling of Par Pond to approximately 200 feet above mean sea level and continued with this late October survey. Communities similar to the pre-drawdown Par Pond aquatic plant communitiesmore » are becoming re-established; especially, beds of maiden cane, lotus, waterlily, and watershield are now extensive and well established. Cattail occurrence continues to increase, but large beds common to Par Pond prior to the drawdown have not formed. Future surveys throughout 1996 and 1997, along with the continued evaluation of satellite data to map the areal extent of the macrophyte beds of Par Pond, are planned.« less

Motor imagery training improves precision of an upper limb movement in patients with hemiparesis.

PubMed

Grabherr, Luzia; Jola, Corinne; Berra, Gilberto; Theiler, Robert; Mast, Fred W

2015-01-01

In healthy participants, beneficial effects of motor imagery training on movement execution have been shown for precision, strength, and speed. In the clinical context, it is still debated whether motor imagery provides an effective rehabilitation technique in patients with motor deficits. To compare the effectiveness of two different types of movement training: motor imagery vs. motor execution. Twenty-five patients with hemiparesis were assigned to one of two training groups: the imagery or the execution-training group. Both groups completed a baseline test before they received six training sessions, each of which was followed by a test session. Using a novel and precisely quantifiable test, we assessed how accurately patients performed an upper limb movement. Both training groups improved performance over the six test sessions but the improvement was significantly larger in the imagery group. That is, the imagery group was able to perform more precise movements than the execution group after the sixth training session while there was no difference at the beginning of the training. The results provide evidence for the benefit of motor imagery training in patients with hemiparesis and thus suggest the integration of cognitive training in conventional physiotherapy practice.

View from east to west of PAR site storage building; ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View from east to west of PAR site storage building; formerly PAR dispensary - Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, Storage Building, Across street from Family Housing Units 110 & 111, Nekoma, Cavalier County, ND

Facilitating Lecture Recall: The Effects of Embedded Imagery-Evoking Phrases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thrailkill, Nancy J.; Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis

Three experiments describe the effects of imagery on learning a large and integrated body of information from a college lecture. It was hypothesized that high-imagery phrases would be more easily recalled and would promote recall of abstract verbal phrases in close temporal proximity to them. In experiment 1, 22 undergraduates attended a lecture…

Improved Satellite-based Photosysnthetically Active Radiation (PAR) for Air Quality Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pour Biazar, A.; McNider, R. T.; Cohan, D. S.; White, A.; Zhang, R.; Dornblaser, B.; Doty, K.; Wu, Y.; Estes, M. J.

2015-12-01

One of the challenges in understanding the air quality over forested regions has been the uncertainties in estimating the biogenic hydrocarbon emissions. Biogenic volatile organic compounds, BVOCs, play a critical role in atmospheric chemistry, particularly in ozone and particulate matter (PM) formation. In southeastern United States, BVOCs (mostly as isoprene) are the dominant summertime source of reactive hydrocarbon. Despite significant efforts in improving BVOC estimates, the errors in emission inventories remain a concern. Since BVOC emissions are particularly sensitive to the available photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), model errors in PAR result in large errors in emission estimates. Thus, utilization of satellite observations to estimate PAR can help in reducing emission uncertainties. Satellite-based PAR estimates rely on the technique used to derive insolation from satellite visible brightness measurements. In this study we evaluate several insolation products against surface pyranometer observations and offer a bias correction to generate a more accurate PAR product. The improved PAR product is then used in biogenic emission estimates. The improved biogenic emission estimates are compared to the emission inventories over Texas and used in air quality simulation over the period of August-September 2013 (NASA's Discover-AQ field campaign). A series of sensitivity simulations will be performed and evaluated against Discover-AQ observations to test the impact of satellite-derived PAR on air quality simulations.

PAR(2) expression in peripheral blood monocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Crilly, A; Burns, E; Nickdel, M B; Lockhart, J C; Perry, M E; Ferrell, P W; Baxter, D; Dale, J; Dunning, L; Wilson, H; Nijjar, J S; Gracie, J A; Ferrell, W R; McInnes, I B

2012-06-01

Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR(2)) is a G protein-coupled receptor activated by serine proteinases with proinflammatory activity. A study was undertaken to investigate the presence and functional significance of PAR(2) expression on rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-derived leucocyte subsets. Venous blood was obtained from patients with RA and osteoarthritis (OA) as well as healthy control subjects. Surface expression of PAR(2) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was analysed by flow cytometry and interleukin 6 (IL-6) generation by ELISA. Patients with RA had elevated but variable surface expression of PAR(2) on CD14+ monocytes compared with control subjects (median (1st to 3rd quartiles) 1.76% (0.86-4.10%) vs 0.06% (0.03-0.81%), p<0.0001). CD3+ T cells showed a similar pattern with significantly higher PAR(2) expression in patients with RA compared with controls (3.05% (0.36-11.82%) vs 0.08% (0.02-0.28%), p<0.0001). For both subsets, PAR(2) expression was significantly higher (p<0.00001) in patients with high levels of disease activity: PAR(2) expression for both CD14+ and CD3+ cells correlated to C reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Furthermore, in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed RA, elevated PAR(2) expression in both CD14+ and CD3+ cells was significantly reduced 3 months after methotrexate or sulfasalazine treatment and this reduction correlated significantly with the reduction in the 28-joint Disease Activity Scale score (p<0.05). PAR(2) expression on cells from patients with OA was low, similar to levels seen in control subjects. Generation of IL-6 by monocytes in response to a selective PAR(2) agonist was significantly greater in patients with RA than in patients with OA and control subjects (p<0.05). These findings are consistent with a pathogenic role for PAR(2) in RA.

PAR2 expression in peripheral blood monocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

PubMed Central

Crilly, A; Burns, E; Nickdel, M B; Lockhart, J C; Perry, M E; Ferrell, P W; Baxter, D; Dale, J; Dunning, L; Wilson, H; Nijjar, J S; Gracie, J A; Ferrell, W R; McInnes, I B

2012-01-01

Objectives Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) is a G protein-coupled receptor activated by serine proteinases with proinflammatory activity. A study was undertaken to investigate the presence and functional significance of PAR2 expression on rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-derived leucocyte subsets. Methods Venous blood was obtained from patients with RA and osteoarthritis (OA) as well as healthy control subjects. Surface expression of PAR2 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was analysed by flow cytometry and interleukin 6 (IL-6) generation by ELISA. Results Patients with RA had elevated but variable surface expression of PAR2 on CD14+ monocytes compared with control subjects (median (1st to 3rd quartiles) 1.76% (0.86–4.10%) vs 0.06% (0.03–0.81%), p<0.0001). CD3+ T cells showed a similar pattern with significantly higher PAR2 expression in patients with RA compared with controls (3.05% (0.36–11.82%) vs 0.08% (0.02–0.28%), p<0.0001). For both subsets, PAR2 expression was significantly higher (p<0.00001) in patients with high levels of disease activity: PAR2 expression for both CD14+ and CD3+ cells correlated to C reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Furthermore, in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed RA, elevated PAR2 expression in both CD14+ and CD3+ cells was significantly reduced 3 months after methotrexate or sulfasalazine treatment and this reduction correlated significantly with the reduction in the 28-joint Disease Activity Scale score (p<0.05). PAR2 expression on cells from patients with OA was low, similar to levels seen in control subjects. Generation of IL-6 by monocytes in response to a selective PAR2 agonist was significantly greater in patients with RA than in patients with OA and control subjects (p<0.05). Conclusions These findings are consistent with a pathogenic role for PAR2 in RA. PMID:22294633

Facilitating the exploitation of ERTS imagery using snow enhancement techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wobber, F. J. (Principal Investigator); Martin, K. R.; Sheffield, C.; Russell, O.; Amato, R. V.

1972-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Analysis of all available (Gemini, Apollo, Nimbus, NASA aircraft) small scale snow covered imagery has been conducted to develop and refine snow enhancement techniques. A detailed photographic interpretation of ERTS-simulation imagery covering the Feather River/Lake Tahoe area was completed and the 580-680nm. band was determined to be the optimum band for fracture detection. ERTS-1 MSS bands 5 and 7 are best suited for detailed fracture mapping. The two bands should provide more complete fracture detail when utilized in combination. Analysis of early ERTS-1 data along with U-2 ERTS simulation imagery indicates that snow enhancement is a viable technique for geological fracture mapping. A wealth of fracture detail on snow-free terrain was noted during preliminary analysis of ERTS-1 images 1077-15005-6 and 7, 1077-15011-5 and 7, and 1079-15124-5 and 7. A direct comparison of data yield on snow-free versus snow-covered terrain will be conducted within these areas following receipt of snow-covered ERTS-1 imagery.

Assessing motor imagery in brain-computer interface training: Psychological and neurophysiological correlates.

PubMed

Vasilyev, Anatoly; Liburkina, Sofya; Yakovlev, Lev; Perepelkina, Olga; Kaplan, Alexander

2017-03-01

Motor imagery (MI) is considered to be a promising cognitive tool for improving motor skills as well as for rehabilitation therapy of movement disorders. It is believed that MI training efficiency could be improved by using the brain-computer interface (BCI) technology providing real-time feedback on person's mental attempts. While BCI is indeed a convenient and motivating tool for practicing MI, it is not clear whether it could be used for predicting or measuring potential positive impact of the training. In this study, we are trying to establish whether the proficiency in BCI control is associated with any of the neurophysiological or psychological correlates of motor imagery, as well as to determine possible interrelations among them. For that purpose, we studied motor imagery in a group of 19 healthy BCI-trained volunteers and performed a correlation analysis across various quantitative assessment metrics. We examined subjects' sensorimotor event-related EEG events, corticospinal excitability changes estimated with single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), BCI accuracy and self-assessment reports obtained with specially designed questionnaires and interview routine. Our results showed, expectedly, that BCI performance is dependent on the subject's capability to suppress EEG sensorimotor rhythms, which in turn is correlated with the idle state amplitude of those oscillations. Neither BCI accuracy nor the EEG features associated with MI were found to correlate with the level of corticospinal excitability increase during motor imagery, and with assessed imagery vividness. Finally, a significant correlation was found between the level of corticospinal excitability increase and kinesthetic vividness of imagery (KVIQ-20 questionnaire). Our results suggest that two distinct neurophysiological mechanisms might mediate possible effects of motor imagery: the non-specific cortical sensorimotor disinhibition and the focal corticospinal excitability increase

APPLICATION OF MULTI-DATE LANDSAT 5 TIM IMAGERY FOR WETLAND IDENTIFICATION

EPA Science Inventory

Multi-temporal Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery was evaluated for the identification and monitoring of potential jurisdictional wetlands located in the states of Maryland and Delaware. A wetland map prepared from single-date TM imagery was compared to a hybrid map develope...

Using airborne hyperspectral imagery for mapping saltcedar infestations in west Texas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Rio Grande of west Texas contains, by far, the largest infestation of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) in Texas. The objective of this study was to evaluate airborne hyperspectral imagery and different classification techniques for mapping saltcedar infestations. Hyperspectral imagery with 102 usable ba...

Evaluating airborne hyperspectral imagery for mapping saltcedar infestations in west Texas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Rio Grande of west Texas contains by far the largest infestation of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) in Texas. The objective of this study was to evaluate airborne hyperspectral imagery and different classification techniques for mapping saltcedar infestations. Hyperspectral imagery with 102 usable band...

A color prediction model for imagery analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skaley, J. E.; Fisher, J. R.; Hardy, E. E.

1977-01-01

A simple model has been devised to selectively construct several points within a scene using multispectral imagery. The model correlates black-and-white density values to color components of diazo film so as to maximize the color contrast of two or three points per composite. The CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) color coordinate system is used as a quantitative reference to locate these points in color space. Superimposed on this quantitative reference is a perceptional framework which functionally contrasts color values in a psychophysical sense. This methodology permits a more quantitative approach to the manual interpretation of multispectral imagery while resulting in improved accuracy and lower costs.

A three-dimensional ParF meshwork assembles through the nucleoid to mediate plasmid segregation

PubMed Central

McLeod, Brett N.; Allison-Gamble, Gina E.; Barge, Madhuri T.; Tonthat, Nam K.; Schumacher, Maria A.; Hayes, Finbarr

2017-01-01

Abstract Genome segregation is a fundamental step in the life cycle of every cell. Most bacteria rely on dedicated DNA partition proteins to actively segregate chromosomes and low copy-number plasmids. Here, by employing super resolution microscopy, we establish that the ParF DNA partition protein of the ParA family assembles into a three-dimensional meshwork that uses the nucleoid as a scaffold and periodically shuttles between its poles. Whereas ParF specifies the territory for plasmid trafficking, the ParG partner protein dictates the tempo of ParF assembly cycles and plasmid segregation events by stimulating ParF adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis. Mutants in which this ParG temporal regulation is ablated show partition deficient phenotypes as a result of either altered ParF structure or dynamics and indicate that ParF nucleoid localization and dynamic relocation, although necessary, are not sufficient per se to ensure plasmid segregation. We propose a Venus flytrap model that merges the concepts of ParA polymerization and gradient formation and speculate that a transient, dynamic network of intersecting polymers that branches into the nucleoid interior is a widespread mechanism to distribute sizeable cargos within prokaryotic cells. PMID:28034957

Comparison of event related potentials with and without hypnagogic imagery.

PubMed

Michida, N; Hayashi, M; Hori, T

1998-04-01

It is hypothesized that when hypnagogic imagery occurs, an appropriate attention may allocate to the imagery, resulting in the allocation of attention to the external tone stimuli being diminished. N3 amplitude of event related potentials (ERP) obtained a significant difference between the conditions with and without imagery. Arousal level of behavior and electroencephalography were not different between the conditions, therefore it is interpreted that the decrease of the N3 amplitude during imagining reflects the diminution of the allocation of attention to the external tone stimuli. Another late component of ERP, P3, did not make clear peaks in this study despite a large time constant (tau=3.2 s) used for EEG records.

[French norms of imagery for pictures, for concrete and abstract words].

PubMed

Robin, Frédérique

2006-09-01

This paper deals with French norms for mental image versus picture agreement for 138 pictures and the imagery value for 138 concrete words and 69 abstract words. The pictures were selected from Snodgrass et Vanderwart's norms (1980). The concrete words correspond to the dominant naming response to the pictorial stimuli. The abstract words were taken from verbal associative norms published by Ferrand (2001). The norms were established according to two variables: 1) mental image vs. picture agreement, and 2) imagery value of words. Three other variables were controlled: 1) picture naming agreement; 2) familiarity of objects referred to in the pictures and the concrete words, and 3) subjective verbal frequency of words. The originality of this work is to provide French imagery norms for the three kinds of stimuli usually compared in research on dual coding. Moreover, these studies focus on figurative and verbal stimuli variations in visual imagery processes.

Croissance epitaxiale de GaAs sur substrats de Ge par epitaxie par faisceaux chimiques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belanger, Simon

La situation energetique et les enjeux environnementaux auxquels la societe est confrontee entrainent un interet grandissant pour la production d'electricite a partir de l'energie solaire. Parmi les technologies actuellement disponibles, la filiere du photovoltaique a concentrateur solaire (CPV pour concentrator photovoltaics) possede un rendement superieur et mi potentiel interessant a condition que ses couts de production soient competitifs. La methode d'epitaxie par faisceaux chimiques (CBE pour chemical beam epitaxy) possede plusieurs caracteristiques qui la rendent interessante pour la production a grande echelle de cellules photovoltaiques a jonctions multiples a base de semi-conducteurs III-V. Ce type de cellule possede la meilleure efficacite atteinte a ce jour et est utilise sur les satellites et les systemes photovoltaiques a concentrateur solaire (CPV) les plus efficaces. Une des principales forces de la technique CBE se trouve dans son potentiel d'efficacite d'utilisation des materiaux source qui est superieur a celui de la technique d'epitaxie qui est couramment utilisee pour la production a grande echelle de ces cellules. Ce memoire de maitrise presente les travaux effectues dans le but d'evaluer le potentiel de la technique CBE pour realiser la croissance de couches de GaAs sur des substrats de Ge. Cette croissance constitue la premiere etape de fabrication de nombreux modeles de cellules solaires a haute performance decrites plus haut. La realisation de ce projet a necessite le developpement d'un procede de preparation de surface pour les substrats de germanium, la realisation de nombreuses sceances de croissance epitaxiale et la caracterisation des materiaux obtenus par microscopie optique, microscopie a force atomique (AFM), diffraction des rayons-X a haute resolution (HRXRD), microscopie electronique a transmission (TEM), photoluminescence a basse temperature (LTPL) et spectrometrie de masse des ions secondaires (SIMS). Les experiences ont permis

Dialectical Imagery and Postmodern Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davison, Kevin G.

2006-01-01

This article suggests utilizing dialectical imagery, as understood by German social philosopher Walter Benjamin, as an additional qualitative data analysis strategy for research into the postmodern condition. The use of images mined from research data may offer epistemological transformative possibilities that will assist in the demystification of…

Effect of Par Frying on Composition and Texture of Breaded and Battered Catfish

PubMed Central

Woods, Kristin; Lea, Jeanne M.; Brashear, Suzanne S.; Boue, Stephen M.; Daigle, Kim W.; Bett-Garber, Karen L.

2018-01-01

Catfish is often consumed as a breaded and battered fried product; however, there is increasing interest in breaded and battered baked products as a healthier alternative. Par frying can improve the texture properties of breaded and battered baked products, but there are concerns about the increase in lipid uptake from par frying. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of different batters (rice, corn, and wheat) and the effect of par frying on the composition and texture properties of baked catfish. Catfish fillets were cut strips and then coated with batters, which had similar viscosities. Half of the strips were par fried in 177 °C vegetable oil for 1 min and the other half were not par fried. Samples were baked at 177 °C for 25 min. Analysis included % batter adhesion, cooking loss, protein, lipid, ash, and moisture, plus hardness and fracture quality measured using a texture analyzer. A trained sensory panel evaluated both breading and flesh texture attributes. Results found the lipid content of par fried treatments were significantly higher for both corn and wheat batters than for non-par fried treatments. Sensory analysis indicated that the texture of the coatings in the par fried treatments were significantly greater for hardness attributes. Fillet flakiness was significantly greater in the par fried treatments and corn-based batters had moister fillet strips compared to the wheat flour batters. Texture analyzer hardness values were higher for the par fried treatments. PMID:29570660

Imagery and rehearsal as study strategies for written or orally presented passages.

PubMed

De Beni, Rossana; Moè, Angelica

2003-12-01

In the present research, we studied the influence of text presentation modality on recall under imagery, rehearsal, and no strategy instructions. It was hypothesized that imagery is a more effective recall strategy for an oral presentation and rehearsal for a written presentation, and that imagery and rehearsal are effective study strategies. One hundred twenty participants participated, 80 of whom were trained in the use of imagery or rehearsal in the study of passages and 40 of whom made up the control group. A text was presented orally or in writing; the trained participants were to memorize it using the strategy taught, and the participants in the control group were to memorize it using a freely chosen strategy. They were then asked for free written recall. The results confirmed that the participants using imagery recalled the oral presentation better than the written one, and those using rehearsal recalled the written presentation better than the oral one. The discussion focuses on a selective-interference explanation of the presentation modality effects. Practical suggestions are given, and implications for future research are discussed.

Choosing a DIVA: a comparison of emerging digital imagery vegetation analysis techniques

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jorgensen, Christopher F.; Stutzman, Ryan J.; Anderson, Lars C.; Decker, Suzanne E.; Powell, Larkin A.; Schacht, Walter H.; Fontaine, Joseph J.

2013-01-01

Question: What is the precision of five methods of measuring vegetation structure using ground-based digital imagery and processing techniques? Location: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA Methods: Vertical herbaceous cover was recorded using digital imagery techniques at two distinct locations in a mixed-grass prairie. The precision of five ground-based digital imagery vegetation analysis (DIVA) methods for measuring vegetation structure was tested using a split-split plot analysis of covariance. Variability within each DIVA technique was estimated using coefficient of variation of mean percentage cover. Results: Vertical herbaceous cover estimates differed among DIVA techniques. Additionally, environmental conditions affected the vertical vegetation obstruction estimates for certain digital imagery methods, while other techniques were more adept at handling various conditions. Overall, percentage vegetation cover values differed among techniques, but the precision of four of the five techniques was consistently high. Conclusions: DIVA procedures are sufficient for measuring various heights and densities of standing herbaceous cover. Moreover, digital imagery techniques can reduce measurement error associated with multiple observers' standing herbaceous cover estimates, allowing greater opportunity to detect patterns associated with vegetation structure.

Control of Smc Coiled Coil Architecture by the ATPase Heads Facilitates Targeting to Chromosomal ParB/parS and Release onto Flanking DNA

PubMed Central

Minnen, Anita; Bürmann, Frank; Wilhelm, Larissa; Anchimiuk, Anna; Diebold-Durand, Marie-Laure; Gruber, Stephan

2016-01-01

Summary Smc/ScpAB promotes chromosome segregation in prokaryotes, presumably by compacting and resolving nascent sister chromosomes. The underlying mechanisms, however, are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of the Smc ATPase activity in the recruitment of Smc/ScpAB to the Bacillus subtilis chromosome. We demonstrate that targeting of Smc/ScpAB to ParB/parS loading sites is strictly dependent on engagement of Smc head domains and relies on an open organization of the Smc coiled coils. We find that dimerization of the Smc hinge domain stabilizes closed Smc rods and hinders head engagement as well as chromosomal targeting. Conversely, the ScpAB sub-complex promotes head engagement and Smc rod opening and thereby facilitates recruitment of Smc to parS sites. Upon ATP hydrolysis, Smc/ScpAB is released from loading sites and relocates within the chromosome—presumably through translocation along DNA double helices. Our findings define an intermediate state in the process of chromosome organization by Smc. PMID:26904953

The Potential Uses of Commercial Satellite Imagery in the Middle East

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vannoni, M.G.

1999-06-08

It became clear during the workshop that the applicability of commercial satellite imagery to the verification of future regional arms control agreements is limited at this time. Non-traditional security topics such as environmental protection, natural resource management, and the development of infrastructure offer the more promising applications for commercial satellite imagery in the short-term. Many problems and opportunities in these topics are regional, or at least multilateral, in nature. A further advantage is that, unlike arms control and nonproliferation applications, cooperative use of imagery in these topics can be done independently of the formal Middle East Peace Process. The valuemore » of commercial satellite imagery to regional arms control and nonproliferation, however, will increase during the next three years as new, more capable satellite systems are launched. Aerial imagery, such as that used in the Open Skies Treaty, can also make significant contributions to both traditional and non-traditional security applications but has the disadvantage of requiring access to national airspace and potentially higher cost. There was general consensus that commercial satellite imagery is under-utilized in the Middle East and resources for remote sensing, both human and institutional, are limited. This relative scarcity, however, provides a natural motivation for collaboration in non-traditional security topics. Collaborations between scientists, businesses, universities, and non-governmental organizations can work at the grass-roots level and yield contributions to confidence building as well as scientific and economic results. Joint analysis projects would benefit the region as well as establish precedents for cooperation.« less

Using Art Criticism To Examine Meaning in Today's Visual Imagery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Mary Ruth

A method of pedagogical art criticism can be used to examine meaning in one of today's most pervasive forms of visual imagery: the advertising image. It was necessary for the art critical method to accommodate the following components of advertising imagery: (1) history; (2) purpose in a capitalist society; (3) function in society; (4) effects on…

Real-time image processing for passive mmW imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozacik, Stephen; Paolini, Aaron; Bonnett, James; Harrity, Charles; Mackrides, Daniel; Dillon, Thomas E.; Martin, Richard D.; Schuetz, Christopher A.; Kelmelis, Eric; Prather, Dennis W.

2015-05-01

The transmission characteristics of millimeter waves (mmWs) make them suitable for many applications in defense and security, from airport preflight scanning to penetrating degraded visual environments such as brownout or heavy fog. While the cold sky provides sufficient illumination for these images to be taken passively in outdoor scenarios, this utility comes at a cost; the diffraction limit of the longer wavelengths involved leads to lower resolution imagery compared to the visible or IR regimes, and the low power levels inherent to passive imagery allow the data to be more easily degraded by noise. Recent techniques leveraging optical upconversion have shown significant promise, but are still subject to fundamental limits in resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. To address these issues we have applied techniques developed for visible and IR imagery to decrease noise and increase resolution in mmW imagery. We have developed these techniques into fieldable software, making use of GPU platforms for real-time operation of computationally complex image processing algorithms. We present data from a passive, 77 GHz, distributed aperture, video-rate imaging platform captured during field tests at full video rate. These videos demonstrate the increase in situational awareness that can be gained through applying computational techniques in real-time without needing changes in detection hardware.

ParTIES: a toolbox for Paramecium interspersed DNA elimination studies.

PubMed

Denby Wilkes, Cyril; Arnaiz, Olivier; Sperling, Linda

2016-02-15

Developmental DNA elimination occurs in a wide variety of multicellular organisms, but ciliates are the only single-celled eukaryotes in which this phenomenon has been reported. Despite considerable interest in ciliates as models for DNA elimination, no standard methods for identification and characterization of the eliminated sequences are currently available. We present the Paramecium Toolbox for Interspersed DNA Elimination Studies (ParTIES), designed for Paramecium species, that (i) identifies eliminated sequences, (ii) measures their presence in a sequencing sample and (iii) detects rare elimination polymorphisms. ParTIES is multi-threaded Perl software available at https://github.com/oarnaiz/ParTIES. ParTIES is distributed under the GNU General Public Licence v3. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of music on arousal during imagery in elite shooters: A pilot study.

PubMed

Kuan, Garry; Morris, Tony; Terry, Peter

2017-01-01

Beneficial effects of music on several performance-related aspects of sport have been reported, but the processes involved are not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of relaxing and arousing classical music on physiological indicators and subjective perceptions of arousal during imagery of a sport task. First, appropriate music excerpts were selected. Then, 12 skilled shooters performed shooting imagery while listening to the three preselected music excerpts in randomized order. Participants' galvanic skin response, peripheral temperature, and electromyography were monitored during music played concurrently with imagery. Subjective music ratings and physiological measures showed, as hypothesized, that unfamiliar relaxing music was the most relaxing and unfamiliar arousing music was the most arousing. Researchers should examine the impact of unfamiliar relaxing and arousing music played during imagery on subsequent performance in diverse sports. Practitioners can apply unfamiliar relaxing and arousing music with imagery to manipulate arousal level.

View from west to east of PAR site resident engineer's ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View from west to east of PAR site resident engineer's office building (REOB) - Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, Resident Engineers Office Building, Southeast of intersection of PAR Access Road & Fourth Avenue, Nekoma, Cavalier County, ND

Patterning of pain and power with guided imagery.

PubMed

Lewandowski, Wendy A

2004-07-01

Using Martha Rogers' science of unitary human beings, changes in pain and power among 42 patients were examined in relation to the use of a guided imagery modality. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups and repeated measures MANCOVA was used to detect differences in pain and power over a 4-day period of time. The treatment group's pain decreased during the last 2 days of the study. No differences in power emerged. Guided imagery appeared to have potential as a useful nursing modality for chronic pain sufferers.

Harnessing Satellite Imageries in Feature Extraction Using Google Earth Pro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, Sim Joseph; Milano, Alan

2016-07-01

Climate change has been a long-time concern worldwide. Impending flooding, for one, is among its unwanted consequences. The Phil-LiDAR 1 project of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Republic of the Philippines, has developed an early warning system in regards to flood hazards. The project utilizes the use of remote sensing technologies in determining the lives in probable dire danger by mapping and attributing building features using LiDAR dataset and satellite imageries. A free mapping software named Google Earth Pro (GEP) is used to load these satellite imageries as base maps. Geotagging of building features has been done so far with the use of handheld Global Positioning System (GPS). Alternatively, mapping and attribution of building features using GEP saves a substantial amount of resources such as manpower, time and budget. Accuracy-wise, geotagging by GEP is dependent on either the satellite imageries or orthophotograph images of half-meter resolution obtained during LiDAR acquisition and not on the GPS of three-meter accuracy. The attributed building features are overlain to the flood hazard map of Phil-LiDAR 1 in order to determine the exposed population. The building features as obtained from satellite imageries may not only be used in flood exposure assessment but may also be used in assessing other hazards and a number of other uses. Several other features may also be extracted from the satellite imageries.

Estimating Photosynthetically Available Radiation (PAR) at the Earth's surface from satellite observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frouin, Robert

1993-01-01

Current satellite algorithms to estimate photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) at the earth' s surface are reviewed. PAR is deduced either from an insolation estimate or obtained directly from top-of-atmosphere solar radiances. The characteristics of both approaches are contrasted and typical results are presented. The inaccuracies reported, about 10 percent and 6 percent on daily and monthly time scales, respectively, are useful to model oceanic and terrestrial primary productivity. At those time scales variability due to clouds in the ratio of PAR and insolation is reduced, making it possible to deduce PAR directly from insolation climatologies (satellite or other) that are currently available or being produced. Improvements, however, are needed in conditions of broken cloudiness and over ice/snow. If not addressed properly, calibration/validation issues may prevent quantitative use of the PAR estimates in studies of climatic change. The prospects are good for an accurate, long-term climatology of PAR over the globe.

Bridging the gap between motor imagery and motor execution with a brain-robot interface.

PubMed

Bauer, Robert; Fels, Meike; Vukelić, Mathias; Ziemann, Ulf; Gharabaghi, Alireza

2015-03-01

According to electrophysiological studies motor imagery and motor execution are associated with perturbations of brain oscillations over spatially similar cortical areas. By contrast, neuroimaging and lesion studies suggest that at least partially distinct cortical networks are involved in motor imagery and execution. We sought to further disentangle this relationship by studying the role of brain-robot interfaces in the context of motor imagery and motor execution networks. Twenty right-handed subjects performed several behavioral tasks as indicators for imagery and execution of movements of the left hand, i.e. kinesthetic imagery, visual imagery, visuomotor integration and tonic contraction. In addition, subjects performed motor imagery supported by haptic/proprioceptive feedback from a brain-robot-interface. Principal component analysis was applied to assess the relationship of these indicators. The respective cortical resting state networks in the α-range were investigated by electroencephalography using the phase slope index. We detected two distinct abilities and cortical networks underlying motor control: a motor imagery network connecting the left parietal and motor areas with the right prefrontal cortex and a motor execution network characterized by transmission from the left to right motor areas. We found that a brain-robot-interface might offer a way to bridge the gap between these networks, opening thereby a backdoor to the motor execution system. This knowledge might promote patient screening and may lead to novel treatment strategies, e.g. for the rehabilitation of hemiparesis after stroke. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ParCAT: A Parallel Climate Analysis Toolkit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haugen, B.; Smith, B.; Steed, C.; Ricciuto, D. M.; Thornton, P. E.; Shipman, G.

2012-12-01

Climate science has employed increasingly complex models and simulations to analyze the past and predict the future of our climate. The size and dimensionality of climate simulation data has been growing with the complexity of the models. This growth in data is creating a widening gap between the data being produced and the tools necessary to analyze large, high dimensional data sets. With single run data sets increasing into 10's, 100's and even 1000's of gigabytes, parallel computing tools are becoming a necessity in order to analyze and compare climate simulation data. The Parallel Climate Analysis Toolkit (ParCAT) provides basic tools that efficiently use parallel computing techniques to narrow the gap between data set size and analysis tools. ParCAT was created as a collaborative effort between climate scientists and computer scientists in order to provide efficient parallel implementations of the computing tools that are of use to climate scientists. Some of the basic functionalities included in the toolkit are the ability to compute spatio-temporal means and variances, differences between two runs and histograms of the values in a data set. ParCAT is designed to facilitate the "heavy lifting" that is required for large, multidimensional data sets. The toolkit does not focus on performing the final visualizations and presentation of results but rather, reducing large data sets to smaller, more manageable summaries. The output from ParCAT is provided in commonly used file formats (NetCDF, CSV, ASCII) to allow for simple integration with other tools. The toolkit is currently implemented as a command line utility, but will likely also provide a C library for developers interested in tighter software integration. Elements of the toolkit are already being incorporated into projects such as UV-CDAT and CMDX. There is also an effort underway to implement portions of the CCSM Land Model Diagnostics package using ParCAT in conjunction with Python and gnuplot. Par

The edge detection method of the infrared imagery of the laser spot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Che, Jinxi; Zhang, Jinchun; Li, Zhongmin

2016-01-01

In the jamming effectiveness experiments, in which the thermal infrared imager was interfered by the CO2 Laser, in order to evaluate the jamming effect of the thermal infrared imager by the CO2 Laser, it was needed to analyses the obtained infrared imagery of laser spot. Because the laser spot pictures obtained from the thermal infrared imager are irregular, the edge detection is an important process. The image edge is one of the most basic characteristics of the image, and it contains most of the information of the image. Generally, because of the thermal balance effect, the partly temperature of objective is no quite difference; therefore the infrared imagery's ability of reflecting the local detail of object is obvious week. At the same time, when the information of heat distribution of the thermal imagery was combined with the basic information of target, such as the object size, the relative position of field of view, shape and outline, and so on, the information just has more value. Hence, it is an important step for making image processing to extract the objective edge of the infrared imagery. Meanwhile it is an important part of image processing procedure and it is the premise of many subsequent processing. So as to extract outline information of the target from the original thermal imagery, and overcome the disadvantage, such as the low image contrast of the image and serious noise interference, and so on, the edge of thermal imagery needs detecting and processing. The principles of the Roberts, Sobel, Prewitt and Canny operator were analyzed, and then they were used to making edge detection on the thermal imageries of laser spot, which were obtained from the jamming effect experiments of CO2 laser jamming the thermal infrared imager. On the basis of the detection result, their performances were compared. At the end, the characteristics of the operators were summarized, which provide reference for the choice of edge detection operators in thermal imagery

Monitoring Areal Snow Cover Using NASA Satellite Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harshburger, Brian J.; Blandford, Troy; Moore, Brandon

2011-01-01

The objective of this project is to develop products and tools to assist in the hydrologic modeling process, including tools to help prepare inputs for hydrologic models and improved methods for the visualization of streamflow forecasts. In addition, this project will facilitate the use of NASA satellite imagery (primarily snow cover imagery) by other federal and state agencies with operational streamflow forecasting responsibilities. A GIS software toolkit for monitoring areal snow cover extent and producing streamflow forecasts is being developed. This toolkit will be packaged as multiple extensions for ArcGIS 9.x and an opensource GIS software package. The toolkit will provide users with a means for ingesting NASA EOS satellite imagery (snow cover analysis), preparing hydrologic model inputs, and visualizing streamflow forecasts. Primary products include a software tool for predicting the presence of snow under clouds in satellite images; a software tool for producing gridded temperature and precipitation forecasts; and a suite of tools for visualizing hydrologic model forecasting results. The toolkit will be an expert system designed for operational users that need to generate accurate streamflow forecasts in a timely manner. The Remote Sensing of Snow Cover Toolbar will ingest snow cover imagery from multiple sources, including the MODIS Operational Snowcover Data and convert them to gridded datasets that can be readily used. Statistical techniques will then be applied to the gridded snow cover data to predict the presence of snow under cloud cover. The toolbar has the ability to ingest both binary and fractional snow cover data. Binary mapping techniques use a set of thresholds to determine whether a pixel contains snow or no snow. Fractional mapping techniques provide information regarding the percentage of each pixel that is covered with snow. After the imagery has been ingested, physiographic data is attached to each cell in the snow cover image. This data

Interactive effects of the affect quality and directional focus of mental imagery on pain analgesia.

PubMed

Alden, A L; Dale, J A; DeGood, D E

2001-06-01

College students (25 men and 25 women) were randomly assigned (within sex) to each of the 4 factorial groups, based on manipulation of affect quality (positive vs. negative) and directional focus (internal vs. external) of mental imagery, and to a control group receiving no manipulation. Both imagery variables had a significant impact on pain tolerance and ratings during a cold-pressor test with positive affect and external imagery producing greater analgesia than their counterpart conditions. Positive affect imagery combined with external imagery resulted in the lowest reported pain amongst the groups. However, self-reported mood descriptors did not consistently parallel the pain tolerance and rating data. Likewise, although heart rate and skin potential responses increased during the cold pressor for the group as a whole, the only significant difference amongst the experimental groups was the relatively higher skin potential reactivity of the positive affect-external imagery group--possibly reflecting greater task engagement for this group. Seemingly, imagery in this situation operates primarily via cognitive, rather than via physiological mediators of the pain experience.

Results of 17 Independent Geopositional Accuracy Assessments of Earth Satellite Corporation's GeoCover Landsat Thematic Mapper Imagery. Geopositional Accuracy Validation of Orthorectified Landsat TM Imagery: Northeast Asia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Charles M.

2003-01-01

This report provides results of an independent assessment of the geopositional accuracy of the Earth Satellite (EarthSat) Corporation's GeoCover, Orthorectified Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery over Northeast Asia. This imagery was purchased through NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) Scientific Data Purchase (SDP) program.

A three-dimensional ParF meshwork assembles through the nucleoid to mediate plasmid segregation.

PubMed

McLeod, Brett N; Allison-Gamble, Gina E; Barge, Madhuri T; Tonthat, Nam K; Schumacher, Maria A; Hayes, Finbarr; Barillà, Daniela

2017-04-07

Genome segregation is a fundamental step in the life cycle of every cell. Most bacteria rely on dedicated DNA partition proteins to actively segregate chromosomes and low copy-number plasmids. Here, by employing super resolution microscopy, we establish that the ParF DNA partition protein of the ParA family assembles into a three-dimensional meshwork that uses the nucleoid as a scaffold and periodically shuttles between its poles. Whereas ParF specifies the territory for plasmid trafficking, the ParG partner protein dictates the tempo of ParF assembly cycles and plasmid segregation events by stimulating ParF adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis. Mutants in which this ParG temporal regulation is ablated show partition deficient phenotypes as a result of either altered ParF structure or dynamics and indicate that ParF nucleoid localization and dynamic relocation, although necessary, are not sufficient per se to ensure plasmid segregation. We propose a Venus flytrap model that merges the concepts of ParA polymerization and gradient formation and speculate that a transient, dynamic network of intersecting polymers that branches into the nucleoid interior is a widespread mechanism to distribute sizeable cargos within prokaryotic cells. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Deliberate Imagery Practice: The Reliability of Using a Retrospective Recall Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cumming, Jennifer; Hall, Craig; Starkes, Janet L.

2005-01-01

This study examined the reliability of a retrospective recall methodology for providing evidence of deliberate imagery practice. A secondary purpose was to determine which imagery activities constituted the sport-specific definition of deliberate practice (Starkes, Deakin, Allard, Hodges, & Hayes, 1996). Ninety-three Canadian athletes from one…

Effects of silenced PAR-2 on cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis of esophageal cancer.

PubMed

Chen, Jinmei; Xie, Liqun; Zheng, Yanmin; Liu, Caihong

2017-10-01

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) on cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis in the esophageal EC109 cell line. Two short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression plasmids were constructed based on the PAR-2 mRNA sequence in humans, and they were transfected into the EC109 esophageal cancer cell line, and the stable interference cell line (shRNA-PAR-2 EC109) was obtained by puromycin selection. Following transfection of PAR-2 shRNA-1, PAR-2 expression was significantly downregulated in mRNA level and protein level in EC109 cells (P<0.05). The proliferation of EC109 cells transfected with PAR-2 shRNA was significantly lower than the negative control group (P<0.05). At 24, 48 and 72 h, the ratio of proliferation inhibition was 15.92, 24.89 and 32.28%, respectively. Compared with the control group, S-phase arrest was observed in cells transfected with shRNA-PAR-2. The ratio of cells in the S phase was 32.79±4.06, 26.54±1.37 and 33.45±2.46% at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. For invasion, the number of invasive cells was significantly lower in shRNA-PAR2-2 cells compared with the control group (P<0.05). For metastasis assay, the number of invasive cells was significantly lower in shRNA-PAR2-2 cells compared with the control group (P<0.01). In the present study, the PAR-2 shRNA plasmid was constructed successfully, which can significantly downregulate PAR-2 expression in EC109 cells. Subsequent to silencing of PAR-2, the proliferation of EC109 cells was inhibited and the capabilities of invasion and migration were reduced. It is indicated that PAR-2 may be a potential target in esophageal cancer.

Monitoring of environmental effects of coal strip mining from satellite imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, R. L.; Parra, C. G.

1976-01-01

This paper evaluates satellite imagery as a means of monitoring coal strip mines and their environmental effects. The satellite imagery employed is Skylab EREP S-190A and S-190B from SL-2, SL-3 and SL-4 missions; a large variety of camera/film/filter combinations has been reviewed. The investigation includes determining the applicability of satellite imagery for detection of disturbed acreage in areas of coal surface mining as well as the much more detailed monitoring of specific surface-mining operations, including: active mines, inactive mines, highwalls, ramp roads, pits, water impoundments and their associated acidity, graded areas and types of grading, and reclamed areas. Techniques have been developed to enable mining personnel to utilize this imagery in a practical and economic manner, requiring no previous photo-interpretation background and no purchases of expensive viewing or data-analysis equipment. To corroborate the photo-interpretation results, on-site observations were made in the very active mining area near Madisonville, Kentucky.

HCMM and LANDSAT imagery for geological mapping in northwest Queensland. [Australia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, M. M.; Edmiston, D. J. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Photographic prints made from negatives of day-visible and day-IR cover of selected areas were compared with enhanced color composites generated from LANDSAT computer compatible tapes and films. For geological mapping purposes, HCMM imagery is of limited value. While large scale features like the Mikadoodi anticlinorium, contrasting lithological units, and major structures may be distinguished on day-visible and day-IR cover, the spectral bands are too broad and the resolution too coarse even for regional mapping purposes. The imagery appears to be most useful for drainage studies. Where drainage is seasonal, sequential imagery permits monitoring of broad scale water movement while the day-IR imagery yields valuable information on former channels. In plains areas subject to periodic change of stream courses, comparable IR cover at a larger scale would offer considerable potential for reconstruction of former drainage patterns essential for the correct interpretation of geochemical data relative to mineral exploration.

Trace gas detection in hyperspectral imagery using the wavelet packet subspace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvador, Mark A. Z.

This dissertation describes research into a new remote sensing method to detect trace gases in hyperspectral and ultra-spectral data. This new method is based on the wavelet packet transform. It attempts to improve both the computational tractability and the detection of trace gases in airborne and spaceborne spectral imagery. Atmospheric trace gas research supports various Earth science disciplines to include climatology, vulcanology, pollution monitoring, natural disasters, and intelligence and military applications. Hyperspectral and ultra-spectral data significantly increases the data glut of existing Earth science data sets. Spaceborne spectral data in particular significantly increases spectral resolution while performing daily global collections of the earth. Application of the wavelet packet transform to the spectral space of hyperspectral and ultra-spectral imagery data potentially improves remote sensing detection algorithms. It also facilities the parallelization of these methods for high performance computing. This research seeks two science goals, (1) developing a new spectral imagery detection algorithm, and (2) facilitating the parallelization of trace gas detection in spectral imagery data.

Paternal age related schizophrenia (PARS): Latent subgroups detected by k-means clustering analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Hyejoo; Malaspina, Dolores; Ahn, Hongshik; Perrin, Mary; Opler, Mark G; Kleinhaus, Karine; Harlap, Susan; Goetz, Raymond; Antonius, Daniel

2011-05-01

Paternal age related schizophrenia (PARS) has been proposed as a subgroup of schizophrenia with distinct etiology, pathophysiology and symptoms. This study uses a k-means clustering analysis approach to generate hypotheses about differences between PARS and other cases of schizophrenia. We studied PARS (operationally defined as not having any family history of schizophrenia among first and second-degree relatives and fathers' age at birth ≥ 35 years) in a series of schizophrenia cases recruited from a research unit. Data were available on demographic variables, symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; PANSS), cognitive tests (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised; WAIS-R) and olfaction (University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test; UPSIT). We conducted a series of k-means clustering analyses to identify clusters of cases containing high concentrations of PARS. Two analyses generated clusters with high concentrations of PARS cases. The first analysis (N=136; PARS=34) revealed a cluster containing 83% PARS cases, in which the patients showed a significant discrepancy between verbal and performance intelligence. The mean paternal and maternal ages were 41 and 33, respectively. The second analysis (N=123; PARS=30) revealed a cluster containing 71% PARS cases, of which 93% were females; the mean age of onset of psychosis, at 17.2, was significantly early. These results strengthen the evidence that PARS cases differ from other patients with schizophrenia. Hypothesis-generating findings suggest that features of PARS may include a discrepancy between verbal and performance intelligence, and in females, an early age of onset. These findings provide a rationale for separating these phenotypes from others in future clinical, genetic and pathophysiologic studies of schizophrenia and in considering responses to treatment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Par Pond vegetation status Summer 1995 -- June survey descriptive summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackey, H.E. Jr.; Riley, R.S.

1995-06-01

The water level of Par Pond was lowered approximately 20 feet in mid-1991 in order to protect downstream residents from possible dam failure suggested by subsidence on the downstream slope of the dam and to repair the dam. This lowering exposed both emergent and nonemergent macrophyte beds to drying conditions resulting in extensive losses. A survey of the shoreline aquatic plant communities in June 1995, three months after the refilling of Par Pond to approximately 200 feet above mean sea level, indicated that much of the original plant communities and the intermediate shoreline communities present on the exposed sediments havemore » been lost. The extensive old-field and emergent marsh communities that were present on the exposed shoreline during the drawdown have been flooded and much of the pre-drawdown Par Pond aquatic plant communities have not had sufficient time for re-establishment. The shoreline does, however, have extensive beds of maidencane which extend from the shoreline margin to areas as deep as 2 and perhaps 3 meters. Scattered individual plants of lotus and watershield are common and may indicate likely directions of future wetland development in Par Pond. In addition, within isolated coves, which apparently received ground water seepage and/or stream surface flows during the period of the Par Pond draw down, extensive beds of waterlilies and spike rush are common. Invasion of willow and red maple occurred along the lake shoreline as well. Although not absent from this survey, evidence of the extensive redevelopment of the large cattail and eel grass beds was not observed in this first survey of Par Pond. Future surveys during the growing seasons of 1995, 1996, and 1997 along with the evaluation of satellite date to map the areal extent of the macrophyte beds of Par Pond are planned.« less

Provenance of the oil in par-fried French fries after finish frying.

PubMed

Al-Khusaibi, Mohammed; Gordon, Michael H; Lovegrove, Julie A; Niranjan, Keshavan

2012-01-01

Frozen par-fried French fries are finish-fried either by using the same type of oil used for par frying, or a different type. The nutritive quality of the final oil contained in the product depends on the relative amounts and the fatty acid (FA) composition of the oils used for par frying and finish frying. With the aim of understanding the provenance of the oil in the final product, par-fried French fries-either purchased ready or prepared in the laboratory-were finish fried in oils different from the ones used for par frying. The moisture content, oil content, and FA compositions of the par-fried and finish-fried products were experimentally determined, and the relative amounts of each of the oils present in the final product were calculated using the FAs as markers and undertaking a mass balance on each component FA. The results demonstrate that 89% to 93% of the total oil in the final product originates from the finish-frying step. The study also shows that a significant proportion of the oil absorbed during par frying is expelled from the product during finish frying. Further, the expulsion of par-frying oil was found to occur in the early stages of the finish-frying step. Experiments involving different combinations of par-frying and finish-frying oils showed that the relative proportions of the 2 oils did not depend on the individual fatty acid profiles. This study concludes that any positive health benefits of using an oil having a favorable FA profile for par frying, can potentially be lost, if the oil used for finish frying has a less favorable composition. This paper estimates the relative amounts of oil in French fries that have been fried in 2 stages-a par-frying step and a finish-frying step-which is commonly practiced in food service establishments as well as homes. The 2 key conclusions are: (1) nearly 90% of the oil content of the final product is the one used for finish frying; that is, a processor may use very good oil for par frying but if the

[Four-port pars plana vitrectomy for severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy].

PubMed

Wei, Wen-bin; Yang, Qiong; Mo, Jing; Zhou, Dan

2008-01-01

To investigate the 4-port pars plana vitrectomy in eyes with severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). It was a case-control study. Twenty-eight eyes in 27 patients with extensive fibrovascular proliferation associated with PDR were retrospectively collected, who were undergone 4-port pars plana vitreous surgery with bimanual manipulation techniques, such as membrane dissections and enbloc membranectomy. The control group consisted of 30 eyes in 30 patients with PDR which were undergone 3-port pars plana vitrectomy by the same surgeon. Twenty-eight eyes were undergone membrane dissection and enbloc membranectomy smoothly during 4-port pars plana vitrectomy, 2 iatrogenic holes occurred in 1 eye. During the follow up 7 months to 4.5 years, the retina was fully attached in all eyes, visual acuity had improved except 1 eye which complicated with neovascular glaucoma. In the control group, membranes partially remained in 2 eyes, 4 iatrogenic holes appeared in 3 eyes, neovascular glaucoma occurred in 3 eyes, the retina was reattached during the follow-up time from 12 to 34 months. For severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy, the 4-port pars plana vitrectomy with bimanual manipulations of membrane peeling is safe and efficiency.

Effects of music on arousal during imagery in elite shooters: A pilot study

PubMed Central

Kuan, Garry; Morris, Tony; Terry, Peter

2017-01-01

Beneficial effects of music on several performance-related aspects of sport have been reported, but the processes involved are not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of relaxing and arousing classical music on physiological indicators and subjective perceptions of arousal during imagery of a sport task. First, appropriate music excerpts were selected. Then, 12 skilled shooters performed shooting imagery while listening to the three preselected music excerpts in randomized order. Participants’ galvanic skin response, peripheral temperature, and electromyography were monitored during music played concurrently with imagery. Subjective music ratings and physiological measures showed, as hypothesized, that unfamiliar relaxing music was the most relaxing and unfamiliar arousing music was the most arousing. Researchers should examine the impact of unfamiliar relaxing and arousing music played during imagery on subsequent performance in diverse sports. Practitioners can apply unfamiliar relaxing and arousing music with imagery to manipulate arousal level. PMID:28414741

Illustrating and Designing Quranic Imagery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almenoar, Lubna

2009-01-01

Selected verses from Abdullah Yusuf Ali's English language translation of the meaning of the Quran have been used as a literary text to teach both descriptive and figurative imagery (including similes, metaphors and symbols) to students at the undergraduate level in an Islamic institution. The technique--Illustrating and Designing for teaching…

Digital Motion Imagery, Interoperability Challenges for Space Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grubbs, Rodney

2012-01-01

With advances in available bandwidth from spacecraft and between terrestrial control centers, digital motion imagery and video is becoming more practical as a data gathering tool for science and engineering, as well as for sharing missions with the public. The digital motion imagery and video industry has done a good job of creating standards for compression, distribution, and physical interfaces. Compressed data streams can easily be transmitted or distributed over radio frequency, internet protocol, and other data networks. All of these standards, however, can make sharing video between spacecraft and terrestrial control centers a frustrating and complicated task when different standards and protocols are used by different agencies. This paper will explore the challenges presented by the abundance of motion imagery and video standards, interfaces and protocols with suggestions for common formats that could simplify interoperability between spacecraft and ground support systems. Real-world examples from the International Space Station will be examined. The paper will also discuss recent trends in the development of new video compression algorithms, as well likely expanded use of Delay (or Disruption) Tolerant Networking nodes.

Enhanced facial recognition for thermal imagery using polarimetric imaging.

PubMed

Gurton, Kristan P; Yuffa, Alex J; Videen, Gorden W

2014-07-01

We present a series of long-wave-infrared (LWIR) polarimetric-based thermal images of facial profiles in which polarization-state information of the image-forming radiance is retained and displayed. The resultant polarimetric images show enhanced facial features, additional texture, and details that are not present in corresponding conventional thermal imagery. It has been generally thought that conventional thermal imagery (MidIR or LWIR) could not produce the detailed spatial information required for reliable human identification due to the so-called "ghosting" effect often seen in thermal imagery of human subjects. By using polarimetric information, we are able to extract subtle surface features of the human face, thus improving subject identification. Polarimetric image sets considered include the conventional thermal intensity image, S0, the two Stokes images, S1 and S2, and a Stokes image product called the degree-of-linear-polarization image.

DEIMOS-2: cost-effective, very-high resolution multispectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirondini, Fabrizio; López, Julio; González, Enrique; González, José Antonio

2014-10-01

ELECNOR DEIMOS is a private Spanish company, part of the Elecnor industrial group, which owns and operates DEIMOS-1, the first Spanish Earth Observation satellite. DEIMOS-1, launched in 2009, is among the world leading sources of high resolution data. On June 19th, 2014 ELECNOR DEIMOS launched its second satellite, DEIMOS-2, which is a very-high resolution, agile satellite capable of providing 75-cm pan-sharpened imagery, with a 12kmwide swath. The DEIMOS-2 camera delivers multispectral imagery in 5 bands: Panchromatic, G, R, B and NIR. DEIMOS-2 is the first European satellite completely owned by private capital, which is capable of providing submetric multispectral imagery. The whole end-to-end DEIMOS-2 system is designed to provide a cost-effective, dependable and highly responsive service to cope with the increasing need of fast access to very-high resolution imagery. The same 24/7 commercial service which is now available for DEIMOS-1, including tasking, download, processing and delivery, will become available for DEIMOS-2 as well, as soon as the satellite enters into commercial operations, at the end of its in-orbit commissioning. The DEIMOS-2 satellite has been co-developed by ELECNOR DEIMOS and SATREC-I (South Korea), and it has been integrated and tested in the new ELECNOR DEIMOS Satellite Systems premises in Puertollano (Spain). The DEIMOS-2 ground segment, which includes four receiving/commanding ground stations in Spain, Sweden and Canada, has been completely developed in-house by ELECNOR DEIMOS, based on its Ground Segment for Earth Observation (gs4EO®) suite. In this paper we describe the main features of the DEIMOS-2 system, with emphasis on its initial operations and the quality of the initial imagery, and provide updated information on its mission status.

Reconstruction d’une Carbonisation du Pouce par Lambeau Chinois

PubMed Central

Khales, A.; Achbouk, J.A.; Moussaoui, A.; Belmir, R.; Tourabi, K.; Oufkir, A.; Ihrai, H.

2010-01-01

Summary La main en tant qu’organe majeur de la préhension peut être le siège de brûlures graves qui compromettent sa fonction. Bien qu’elle ne représente que 2% de la surface corporelle la brûlure de la main est grave et difficile à traiter, vu la vulnérabilité et la complexité de son appareil locomoteur. Nous rapportons dans ce travail le cas d’un patient victime d’une carbonisation de la main. Huit mois après le parage et la couverture par lambeau inguinal, le patient bénéficie d’une reconstruction du pouce par lambeau chinois associé à une greffe osseuse. Le résultat s’est avéré satisfaisant. Le lambeau chinois prouve par son apport vasculaire et par sa facilité technique qu’il est un moyen très intéressant dans la reconstruction du pouce - ou des doigts en général - surtout dans un contexte de brûlure. PMID:21991226

Current Operational Use of and Future Needs for Microwave Imagery at NOAA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, M.; McWilliams, G.; Chang, P.

2017-12-01

There are many applications of microwave imagery served by NOAA's operational products and services. They include the use of microwave imagery and derived products for monitoring precipitation, tropical cyclones, sea surface temperature under all weather conditions, wind speed, snow and ice cover, and even soil moisture. All of NOAA's line offices including the National Weather Service, National Ocean Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research rely on microwave imagery. Currently microwave imagery products used by NOAA come from a constellation of satellites that includes Air Force's Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS), the Japanese Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR), the Navy's WindSat, and NASA's Global Precipitation Monitoring (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI). Follow-on missions for SSMIS are very uncertain, JAXA approval for a follow-on to AMSR2 is still pending, and GMI is a research satellite (lacking high-latitude coverage) with no commitment for operational continuity. Operational continuity refers to a series of satellites, so when one satellite reaches its design life a new satellite is launched. EUMETSAT has made a commitment to fly a microwave imager in the mid-morning orbit. China and Russia have demonstrated on-orbit microwave imagers. Of utmost importance to NOAA, however, is the quality, access, and latency of the data This presentation will focus on NOAA's current requirements for microwave imagery data which, for the most part, are being fulfilled by AMSR2, SSMIS, and WindSat. It will include examples of products and applications of microwave imagery at NOAA. We will also discuss future needs, especially for improved temporal resolution which hopefully can be met by an international constellation of microwave imagers. Finally, we will discuss what we are doing to address the potential gap in imagery.

Information fusion performance evaluation for motion imagery data using mutual information: initial study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grieggs, Samuel M.; McLaughlin, Michael J.; Ezekiel, Soundararajan; Blasch, Erik

2015-06-01

As technology and internet use grows at an exponential rate, video and imagery data is becoming increasingly important. Various techniques such as Wide Area Motion imagery (WAMI), Full Motion Video (FMV), and Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) are used to collect motion data and extract relevant information. Detecting and identifying a particular object in imagery data is an important step in understanding visual imagery, such as content-based image retrieval (CBIR). Imagery data is segmented and automatically analyzed and stored in dynamic and robust database. In our system, we seek utilize image fusion methods which require quality metrics. Many Image Fusion (IF) algorithms have been proposed based on different, but only a few metrics, used to evaluate the performance of these algorithms. In this paper, we seek a robust, objective metric to evaluate the performance of IF algorithms which compares the outcome of a given algorithm to ground truth and reports several types of errors. Given the ground truth of a motion imagery data, it will compute detection failure, false alarm, precision and recall metrics, background and foreground regions statistics, as well as split and merge of foreground regions. Using the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), Mutual Information (MI), and entropy metrics; experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology for object detection, activity exploitation, and CBIR.

D Object Classification Based on Thermal and Visible Imagery in Urban Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasani, H.; Samadzadegan, F.

2015-12-01

The spatial distribution of land cover in the urban area especially 3D objects (buildings and trees) is a fundamental dataset for urban planning, ecological research, disaster management, etc. According to recent advances in sensor technologies, several types of remotely sensed data are available from the same area. Data fusion has been widely investigated for integrating different source of data in classification of urban area. Thermal infrared imagery (TIR) contains information on emitted radiation and has unique radiometric properties. However, due to coarse spatial resolution of thermal data, its application has been restricted in urban areas. On the other hand, visible image (VIS) has high spatial resolution and information in visible spectrum. Consequently, there is a complementary relation between thermal and visible imagery in classification of urban area. This paper evaluates the potential of aerial thermal hyperspectral and visible imagery fusion in classification of urban area. In the pre-processing step, thermal imagery is resampled to the spatial resolution of visible image. Then feature level fusion is applied to construct hybrid feature space include visible bands, thermal hyperspectral bands, spatial and texture features and moreover Principle Component Analysis (PCA) transformation is applied to extract PCs. Due to high dimensionality of feature space, dimension reduction method is performed. Finally, Support Vector Machines (SVMs) classify the reduced hybrid feature space. The obtained results show using thermal imagery along with visible imagery, improved the classification accuracy up to 8% respect to visible image classification.

Can motor imagery and hypnotic susceptibility explain Conversion Disorder with motor symptoms?

PubMed

Srzich, Alexander J; Byblow, Winston D; Stinear, James W; Cirillo, John; Anson, J Greg

2016-08-01

Marked distortions in sense of agency can be induced by hypnosis in susceptible individuals, including alterations in subjective awareness of movement initiation and control. These distortions, with associated disability, are similar to those experienced with Conversion Disorder (CD), an observation that has led to the hypothesis that hypnosis and CD share causal mechanisms. The purpose of this review is to explore the relationships among motor imagery (MI), hypnotic susceptibility, and CD, then to propose how MI ability may contribute to hypnotic responding and CD. Studies employing subjective assessments of mental imagery have found little association between imagery abilities and hypnotic susceptibility. A positive association between imagery abilities and hypnotic susceptibility becomes apparent when objective measures of imagery ability are employed. A candidate mechanism to explain motor responses during hypnosis is kinaesthetic MI, which engages a strategy that involves proprioception or the "feel" of movement when no movement occurs. Motor suppression imagery (MSI), a strategy involving inhibition of movement, may provide an alternate objective measurable phenomenon that underlies both hypnotic susceptibility and CD. Evidence to date supports the idea that there may be a positive association between kinaesthetic MI ability and hypnotic susceptibility. Additional evidence supports a positive association between hypnotic susceptibility and CD. Disturbances in kinaesthetic MI performance in CD patients indicate that MI mechanisms may also underlie CD symptoms. Further investigation of the above relationships is warranted to explain these phenomena, and establish theoretical explanations underlying sense of agency. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automatic Mosaicking of Satellite Imagery Considering the Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yifei; Pan, Li; Chen, Qi; Zhang, Tong; Zhang, Shasha; Liu, Zhang

2016-06-01

With the rapid development of high resolution remote sensing for earth observation technology, satellite imagery is widely used in the fields of resource investigation, environment protection, and agricultural research. Image mosaicking is an important part of satellite imagery production. However, the existence of clouds leads to lots of disadvantages for automatic image mosaicking, mainly in two aspects: 1) Image blurring may be caused during the process of image dodging, 2) Cloudy areas may be passed through by automatically generated seamlines. To address these problems, an automatic mosaicking method is proposed for cloudy satellite imagery in this paper. Firstly, modified Otsu thresholding and morphological processing are employed to extract cloudy areas and obtain the percentage of cloud cover. Then, cloud detection results are used to optimize the process of dodging and mosaicking. Thus, the mosaic image can be combined with more clear-sky areas instead of cloudy areas. Besides, clear-sky areas will be clear and distortionless. The Chinese GF-1 wide-field-of-view orthoimages are employed as experimental data. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated in four aspects: the effect of cloud detection, the sharpness of clear-sky areas, the rationality of seamlines and efficiency. The evaluation results demonstrated that the mosaic image obtained by our method has fewer clouds, better internal color consistency and better visual clarity compared with that obtained by traditional method. The time consumed by the proposed method for 17 scenes of GF-1 orthoimages is within 4 hours on a desktop computer. The efficiency can meet the general production requirements for massive satellite imagery.

"Data Day" and "Data Night" Definitions - Towards Producing Seamless Global Satellite Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmaltz, J. E.

2017-12-01

For centuries, the art and science of cartography has struggled with the challenge of mapping the round earth on to a flat page, or a flat computer monitor. Earth observing satellites with continuous monitoring of our planet have added the additional complexity of the time dimension to this procedure. The most common current practice is to segment this data by 24-hour Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) day and then split the day into sun side "Data Day" and shadow side "Data Night" global imagery that spans from dateline to dateline. Due to the nature of satellite orbits, simply binning the data by UTC date produces significant discontinuities at the dateline for day images and at Greenwich for night images. Instead, imagery could be generated in a fashion that follows the spatial and temporal progression of the satellite which would produce seamless imagery everywhere on the globe for all times. This presentation will explore approaches to produce such imagery but will also address some of the practical and logistical difficulties in implementing such changes. Topics will include composites versus granule/orbit based imagery, day/night versus ascending/descending definitions, and polar versus global projections.

TMS suppression of right pars triangularis, but not pars opercularis, improves naming in aphasia

PubMed Central

Naeser, Margaret A.; Martin, Paula I.; Theoret, Hugo; Kobayashi, Masahito; Fregni, Felipe; Nicholas, Marjorie; Tormos, Jose M.; Steven, Megan S.; Baker, Errol H.; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro

2011-01-01

This study sought to discover if an optimum 1 cm2 area in the non-damaged right hemisphere (RH) was present, which could temporarily improve naming in chronic, nonfluent aphasia patients when suppressed with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Ten minutes of slow, 1 Hz rTMS was applied to suppress different RH ROIs in eight aphasia cases. Picture naming and response time (RT) were examined before, and immediately after rTMS. In aphasia patients, suppression of right pars triangularis (PTr) led to significant increase in pictures named, and significant decrease in RT. Suppression of right pars opercularis (POp), however, led to significant increase in RT, but no change in number of pictures named. Eight normals named all pictures correctly; similar to aphasia patients, RT significantly decreased following rTMS to suppress right PTr, versus right POp. Differential effects following suppression of right PTr versus right POp suggest different functional roles for these regions. PMID:21864891

A Measurement and Conceptual Investigation of Exercise Imagery Establishing Construct Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giacobbi, Peter R., Jr.; Tuccitto, Daniel E.; Buman, Matthew P.; Munroe-Chandler, Krista

2010-01-01

We assessed the factor structure of a revised version of the Exercise Imagery Inventory (EII; Giacobbi, Hausenblas, & Penfield, 2005), second-order interrelationships for cognitive and motivational forms of mental imagery, and associations with exercise behavior and barriers self-efficacy. A convenience sample of 358 (M age = 20.55 years, SD =…

Mapping Crop Yield and Sow Date Using High Resolution Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royal, K.

2015-12-01

Keitasha Royal, Meha Jain, Ph.D., David Lobell, Ph.D Mapping Crop Yield and Sow Date Using High Resolution ImageryThe use of satellite imagery in agriculture is becoming increasingly more significant and valuable. Due to the emergence of new satellites, such as Skybox, these satellites provide higher resolution imagery (e.g 1m) therefore improving the ability to map smallholder agriculture. For the smallholder farm dominated area of northern India, Skybox high-resolution satellite imagery can aid in understanding how to improve farm yields. In particular, we are interested in mapping winter wheat in India, as this region produces approximately 80% of the country's wheat crop, which is important given that wheat is a staple crop that provides approximately 20% of household calories. In northeast India, the combination of increased heat stress, limited irrigation access, and the difficulty for farmers to access advanced farming technologies results in farmers only producing about 50% of their potential crop yield. The use of satellite imagery can aid in understanding wheat yields through time and help identify ways to increase crop yields in the wheat belt of India. To translate Skybox satellite data into meaningful information about wheat fields, we examine vegetation indices, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), to measure the "greenness" of plants to help determine the health of the crops. We test our ability to predict crop characteristics, like sow date and yield, using vegetation indices of 59 fields for which we have field data in Bihar, India.

Fundamentals of Acoustic Backscatter Imagery

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-10-20

in HYSAS of the acoustic imagery layer of the Master Seafloor Digital Database (MSDDB). Manuscript approved December 19, 1996 2 Clyde E. Nishimura 1.1...than for sidescan systems. Refraction is simply described by Snell’s law, which is derived from the eikonal equation and Fermat’s principle, and can

Mosaicked Historic Airborne Imagery from Seward Peninsula, Alaska, Starting in the 1950's

DOE Data Explorer

Cherry, Jessica; Wirth, Lisa

2016-12-06

Historical airborne imagery for each Seward Peninsula NGEE Arctic site - Teller, Kougarok, Council - with multiple years for each site. This dataset includes mosaicked, geolocated and, where possible, orthorectified, historic airborne and recent satellite imagery. The older photos were sourced from USGS's Earth Explorer site and the newer, satellite imagery is from the Statewide Digital Mapping Initiative (SDMI) project managed by the Geographic Information Network of Alaska on behalf of the state of Alaska.

Exploitation: comparing sexual and violent imagery of females and males in advertising.

PubMed

Rudman, W J; Verdi, P

1993-01-01

This study examines the way female and male models are portrayed in magazine advertisements. Specifically, we focus on differences in sex role stereotyping, sexual display of the body, and violent imagery. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of magazines displaying fashion and fitness advertisements (N = 254). Findings from the analysis show that females are more likely than males to be placed in submissive positions, sexually displayed, and subjects of violent imagery. Sexual display and violent imagery measures are the strongest predictors of subjective level of exploitation.

Colors in mind: a novel paradigm to investigate pure color imagery.

PubMed

Wantz, Andrea L; Borst, Grégoire; Mast, Fred W; Lobmaier, Janek S

2015-07-01

Mental color imagery abilities are commonly measured using paradigms that involve naming, judging, or comparing the colors of visual mental images of well-known objects (e.g., "Is a sunflower darker yellow than a lemon"?). Although this approach is widely used in patient studies, differences in the ability to perform such color comparisons might simply reflect participants' general knowledge of object colors rather than their ability to generate accurate visual mental images of the colors of the objects. The aim of the present study was to design a new color imagery paradigm. Participants were asked to visualize a color for 3 s and then to determine a visually presented color by pressing 1 of 6 keys. We reasoned that participants would react faster when the imagined and perceived colors were congruent than when they were incongruent. In Experiment 1, participants were slower in incongruent than congruent trials but only when they were instructed to visualize the colors. The results in Experiment 2 demonstrate that the congruency effect reported in Experiment 1 cannot be attributed to verbalization of the color that had to be visualized. Finally, in Experiment 3, the congruency effect evoked by mental imagery correlated with performance in a perceptual version of the task. We discuss these findings with respect to the mechanisms that underlie mental imagery and patients suffering from color imagery deficits. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Automatic Extraction of Small Spatial Plots from Geo-Registered UAS Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherkauer, Keith; Hearst, Anthony

2015-04-01

Accurate extraction of spatial plots from high-resolution imagery acquired by Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), is a prerequisite for accurate assessment of experimental plots in many geoscience fields. If the imagery is correctly geo-registered, then it may be possible to accurately extract plots from the imagery based on their map coordinates. To test this approach, a UAS was used to acquire visual imagery of 5 ha of soybean fields containing 6.0 m2 plots in a complex planting scheme. Sixteen artificial targets were setup in the fields before flights and different spatial configurations of 0 to 6 targets were used as Ground Control Points (GCPs) for geo-registration, resulting in a total of 175 geo-registered image mosaics with a broad range of geo-registration accuracies. Geo-registration accuracy was quantified based on the horizontal Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of targets used as checkpoints. Twenty test plots were extracted from the geo-registered imagery. Plot extraction accuracy was quantified based on the percentage of the desired plot area that was extracted. It was found that using 4 GCPs along the perimeter of the field minimized the horizontal RMSE and enabled a plot extraction accuracy of at least 70%, with a mean plot extraction accuracy of 92%. The methods developed are suitable for work in many fields where replicates across time and space are necessary to quantify variability.

Wedding Imagery and Public Support for Gay Marriage.

PubMed

Brewer, Paul R; Wilson, David C; Habegger, Michael

2016-08-01

This study uses an experiment embedded in a large, nationally representative survey to test whether exposure to imagery of a gay or lesbian couple's wedding influences support for gay marriage. It also tests whether any such effects depend on the nature of the image (gay or lesbian couple, kissing or not) and viewer characteristics (sex, age, race, education, religion, and ideology). Results show that exposure to imagery of a gay couple kissing reduced support for gay marriage relative to the baseline. Other image treatments (gay couple not kissing, lesbian couple kissing, lesbian couple not kissing) did not significantly influence opinion.

Open-source algorithm for detecting sea ice surface features in high-resolution optical imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Nicholas C.; Polashenski, Chris M.

2018-04-01

Snow, ice, and melt ponds cover the surface of the Arctic Ocean in fractions that change throughout the seasons. These surfaces control albedo and exert tremendous influence over the energy balance in the Arctic. Increasingly available meter- to decimeter-scale resolution optical imagery captures the evolution of the ice and ocean surface state visually, but methods for quantifying coverage of key surface types from raw imagery are not yet well established. Here we present an open-source system designed to provide a standardized, automated, and reproducible technique for processing optical imagery of sea ice. The method classifies surface coverage into three main categories: snow and bare ice, melt ponds and submerged ice, and open water. The method is demonstrated on imagery from four sensor platforms and on imagery spanning from spring thaw to fall freeze-up. Tests show the classification accuracy of this method typically exceeds 96 %. To facilitate scientific use, we evaluate the minimum observation area required for reporting a representative sample of surface coverage. We provide an open-source distribution of this algorithm and associated training datasets and suggest the community consider this a step towards standardizing optical sea ice imagery processing. We hope to encourage future collaborative efforts to improve the code base and to analyze large datasets of optical sea ice imagery.

Training site statistics from Landsat and Seasat satellite imagery registered to a common map base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, J.

1981-01-01

Landsat and Seasat satellite imagery and training site boundary coordinates were registered to a common Universal Transverse Mercator map base in the Newport Beach area of Orange County, California. The purpose was to establish a spatially-registered, multi-sensor data base which would test the use of Seasat synthetic aperture radar imagery to improve spectral separability of channels used for land use classification of an urban area. Digital image processing techniques originally developed for the digital mosaics of the California Desert and the State of Arizona were adapted to spatially register multispectral and radar data. Techniques included control point selection from imagery and USGS topographic quadrangle maps, control point cataloguing with the Image Based Information System, and spatial and spectral rectifications of the imagery. The radar imagery was pre-processed to reduce its tendency toward uniform data distributions, so that training site statistics for selected Landsat and pre-processed Seasat imagery indicated good spectral separation between channels.

Effects of silenced PAR-2 on cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis of esophageal cancer

PubMed Central

Chen, Jinmei; Xie, Liqun; Zheng, Yanmin; Liu, Caihong

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) on cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis in the esophageal EC109 cell line. Two short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression plasmids were constructed based on the PAR-2 mRNA sequence in humans, and they were transfected into the EC109 esophageal cancer cell line, and the stable interference cell line (shRNA-PAR-2 EC109) was obtained by puromycin selection. Following transfection of PAR-2 shRNA-1, PAR-2 expression was significantly downregulated in mRNA level and protein level in EC109 cells (P<0.05). The proliferation of EC109 cells transfected with PAR-2 shRNA was significantly lower than the negative control group (P<0.05). At 24, 48 and 72 h, the ratio of proliferation inhibition was 15.92, 24.89 and 32.28%, respectively. Compared with the control group, S-phase arrest was observed in cells transfected with shRNA-PAR-2. The ratio of cells in the S phase was 32.79±4.06, 26.54±1.37 and 33.45±2.46% at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. For invasion, the number of invasive cells was significantly lower in shRNA-PAR2-2 cells compared with the control group (P<0.05). For metastasis assay, the number of invasive cells was significantly lower in shRNA-PAR2-2 cells compared with the control group (P<0.01). In the present study, the PAR-2 shRNA plasmid was constructed successfully, which can significantly downregulate PAR-2 expression in EC109 cells. Subsequent to silencing of PAR-2, the proliferation of EC109 cells was inhibited and the capabilities of invasion and migration were reduced. It is indicated that PAR-2 may be a potential target in esophageal cancer. PMID:28943918

Visual and kinesthetic locomotor imagery training integrated with auditory step rhythm for walking performance of patients with chronic stroke.

PubMed

Kim, Jin-Seop; Oh, Duck-Won; Kim, Suhn-Yeop; Choi, Jong-Duk

2011-02-01

To compare the effect of visual and kinesthetic locomotor imagery training on walking performance and to determine the clinical feasibility of incorporating auditory step rhythm into the training. Randomized crossover trial. Laboratory of a Department of Physical Therapy. Fifteen subjects with post-stroke hemiparesis. Four locomotor imagery trainings on walking performance: visual locomotor imagery training, kinesthetic locomotor imagery training, visual locomotor imagery training with auditory step rhythm and kinesthetic locomotor imagery training with auditory step rhythm. The timed up-and-go test and electromyographic and kinematic analyses of the affected lower limb during one gait cycle. After the interventions, significant differences were found in the timed up-and-go test results between the visual locomotor imagery training (25.69 ± 16.16 to 23.97 ± 14.30) and the kinesthetic locomotor imagery training with auditory step rhythm (22.68 ± 12.35 to 15.77 ± 8.58) (P < 0.05). During the swing and stance phases, the kinesthetic locomotor imagery training exhibited significantly increased activation in a greater number of muscles and increased angular displacement of the knee and ankle joints compared with the visual locomotor imagery training, and these effects were more prominent when auditory step rhythm was integrated into each form of locomotor imagery training. The activation of the hamstring during the swing phase and the gastrocnemius during the stance phase, as well as kinematic data of the knee joint, were significantly different for posttest values between the visual locomotor imagery training and the kinesthetic locomotor imagery training with auditory step rhythm (P < 0.05). The therapeutic effect may be further enhanced in the kinesthetic locomotor imagery training than in the visual locomotor imagery training. The auditory step rhythm together with the locomotor imagery training produces a greater positive effect in improving the walking

Identification of a New Epitope in uPAR as a Target for the Cancer Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody ATN-658, a Structural Homolog of the uPAR Binding Integrin CD11b (αM)

PubMed Central

Wei, Ying; Donate, Fernando; Juarez, Jose; Parry, Graham; Chen, Liqing; Meehan, Edward J.; Ahn, Richard W.; Ugolkov, Andrey; Dubrovskyi, Oleksii; O'Halloran, Thomas V.; Huang, Mingdong; Mazar, Andrew P.

2014-01-01

The urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) plays a role in tumor progression and has been proposed as a target for the treatment of cancer. We recently described the development of a novel humanized monoclonal antibody that targets uPAR and has anti-tumor activity in multiple xenograft animal tumor models. This antibody, ATN-658, does not inhibit ligand binding (i.e. uPA and vitronectin) to uPAR and its mechanism of action remains unclear. As a first step in understanding the anti-tumor activity of ATN-658, we set out to identify the epitope on uPAR to which ATN-658 binds. Guided by comparisons between primate and human uPAR, epitope mapping studies were performed using several orthogonal techniques. Systematic site directed and alanine scanning mutagenesis identified the region of aa 268–275 of uPAR as the epitope for ATN-658. No known function has previously been attributed to this epitope Structural insights into epitope recognition were obtained from structural studies of the Fab fragment of ATN-658 bound to uPAR. The structure shows that the ATN-658 binds to the DIII domain of uPAR, close to the C-terminus of the receptor, corroborating the epitope mapping results. Intriguingly, when bound to uPAR, the complementarity determining region (CDR) regions of ATN-658 closely mimic the binding regions of the integrin CD11b (αM), a previously identified uPAR ligand thought to be involved in leukocyte rolling, migration and complement fixation with no known role in tumor progression of solid tumors. These studies reveal a new functional epitope on uPAR involved in tumor progression and demonstrate a previously unrecognized strategy for the therapeutic targeting of uPAR. PMID:24465541

Music, Hemisphere Preference and Imagery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stratton, Valerie N.; Zalanowski, Annette H.

Two experiments were conducted to determine a possible relationship between the right hemisphere, music perception, and mental imagery. The first experiment compared two groups of college students, one of which showed a preference for left hemisphere thinking (n=22) and the other a preference for right hemisphere thinking (n=20), in order to test…

Evaluation of Skylab earth laser beacon imagery. [spaceborne photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piech, K. R.; Schott, J. R.

1975-01-01

During the Skylab 3 and 4 missions the Skylab spacecraft was illuminated by a low power argon ion and dye laser. The earth laser beacon was studied visually by the astronauts. In addition, they collected 35 mm hand-held color photographs of the beacons. Photographs are shown that were obtained on Skylab 3 and Skylab 4. The imagery collected during the Skylab mission was analyzed to evaluate the utility of beacon lasers as terrestial 'artificial stars' for space navigation. The analyses of the imagery revealed two unusual features of the earth laser beacon: (1) The beacon, even though of a low power (approximately 1 watt), is considerably brighter than any other terrain feature and is readily visible on imagery at a distance in excess of 1500 km (900 miles). (2) Another feature of the beacon is its large size. The typical beacon extends over about 5 resolution areas with a characteristic dimension of about 200 m.

Self-rated imagery and encoding strategies in visual memory.

PubMed

Berger, G H; Gaunitz, S C

1979-02-01

The value of self-rated vividness of imagery in predicting performance was investigated, taking into account the mnemonic strategies utilized among subjects performing a visual-memory task. Subjects classified as 'good' or 'poor' imagers, according to their scores in the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ; Marks, 1972), were to detect as rapidly as possible differences between pairs of similar pictures presented consecutively. No coding instructions were given and the mnemonic strategies used were analysed by studying subjective reports and objective performance measurements. The results indicated that the subjects utilized two main strategies--a detail or an image strategy. The detail strategy was the more efficient. In accordance with a previous study (Berger & Gaunitz, 1977), it was found that the VVIQ did not discriminate between performance by 'good' and 'poor' imagers. However, among subjects who used the image strategy, 'good' imagers performed more rapidly than 'poor' imagers. Self-rated imagery may then have some value in predicting performance among individuals shown to have utilized an image strategy.

A qualitative evaluation of Landsat imagery of Australian rangelands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graetz, R.D.; Carneggie, David M.; Hacker, R.; Lendon, C.; Wilcox, D.G.

1976-01-01

The capability of multidate, multispectral ERTS-1 imagery of three different rangeland areas within Australia was evaluated for its usefulness in preparing inventories of rangeland types, assessing on a broad scale range condition within these rangeland types, and assessing the response of rangelands to rainfall events over large areas. For the three divergent rangeland test areas, centered on Broken W, Alice Springs and Kalgoorlie, detailed interpretation of the imagery only partially satisfied the information requirements set. It was most useful in the Broken Hill area where fenceline contrasts in range condition were readily visible. At this and the other sites an overstorey of trees made interpretation difficult. Whilst the low resolution characteristics and the lack of stereoscopic coverage hindered interpretation it was felt that this type of imagery with its vast coverage, present low cost and potential for repeated sampling is a useful addition to conventional aerial photography for all rangeland types.

Forest abovegroundbiomass mapping using spaceborne stereo imagery acquired by Chinese ZY-3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, G.; Ni, W.; Zhang, Z.; Xiong, C.

2015-12-01

Besides LiDAR data, another valuable type of data which is also directly sensitive to forest vertical structures and more suitable for regional mapping of forest biomass is the stereo imagery or photogrammetry. Photogrammetry is the traditional technique for deriving terrain elevation. The elevation of the top of a tree canopy can be directly measured from stereo imagery but winter images are required to get the elevation of ground surface because stereo images are acquired by optical sensors which cannot penetrate dense forest canopies with leaf-on condition. Several spaceborne stereoscopic systems with higher spatial resolutions have been launched in the past several years. For example the Chinese satellite Zi Yuan 3 (ZY-3) specifically designed for the collection of stereo imagery with a resolution of 3.6 m for forward and backward views and 2.1 m for the nadir view was launched on January 9, 2012. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the spaceborne stereo imagery acquired in summer has good performance on the description of forest structures. The ground surface elevation could be extracted from spaceborne stereo imagery acquired in winter. This study mainly focused on assessing the mapping of forest biomass through the combination of spaceborne stereo imagery acquired in summer and those in winter. The test sites of this study located at Daxing AnlingMountains areas as shown in Fig.1. The Daxing Anling site is on the south border of boreal forest belonging to frigid-temperate zone coniferous forest vegetation The dominant tree species is Dhurian larch (Larix gmelinii). 10 scenes of ZY-3 stereo images are used in this study. 5 scenes were acquired on March 14,2012 while the other 5 scenes were acquired on September 7, 2012. Their spatial coverage is shown in Fig.2-a. Fig.2-b is the mosaic of nadir images acquired on 09/07/2012 while Fig.2-c is thecorresponding digital surface model (DSM) derived from stereo images acquired on 09/07/2012. Fig.2-d is the

A Cross-Modal Perspective on the Relationships between Imagery and Working Memory

PubMed Central

Likova, Lora T.

2013-01-01

Mapping the distinctions and interrelationships between imagery and working memory (WM) remains challenging. Although each of these major cognitive constructs is defined and treated in various ways across studies, most accept that both imagery and WM involve a form of internal representation available to our awareness. In WM, there is a further emphasis on goal-oriented, active maintenance, and use of this conscious representation to guide voluntary action. Multicomponent WM models incorporate representational buffers, such as the visuo-spatial sketchpad, plus central executive functions. If there is a visuo-spatial “sketchpad” for WM, does imagery involve the same representational buffer? Alternatively, does WM employ an imagery-specific representational mechanism to occupy our awareness? Or do both constructs utilize a more generic “projection screen” of an amodal nature? To address these issues, in a cross-modal fMRI study, I introduce a novel Drawing-Based Memory Paradigm, and conceptualize drawing as a complex behavior that is readily adaptable from the visual to non-visual modalities (such as the tactile modality), which opens intriguing possibilities for investigating cross-modal learning and plasticity. Blindfolded participants were trained through our Cognitive-Kinesthetic Method (Likova, 2010a, 2012) to draw complex objects guided purely by the memory of felt tactile images. If this WM task had been mediated by transfer of the felt spatial configuration to the visual imagery mechanism, the response-profile in visual cortex would be predicted to have the “top-down” signature of propagation of the imagery signal downward through the visual hierarchy. Remarkably, the pattern of cross-modal occipital activation generated by the non-visual memory drawing was essentially the inverse of this typical imagery signature. The sole visual hierarchy activation was isolated to the primary visual area (V1), and accompanied by deactivation of the entire

Commercial imagery archive product development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakkas, Alysa

1999-12-01

The Lockheed Martin (LM) team had garnered over a decade of operational experience in digital imagery management and analysis for the US Government at numerous worldwide sites. Recently, it set out to create a new commercial product to serve the needs of large-scale imagery archiving and analysis markets worldwide. LM decided to provide a turnkey commercial solution to receive, store, retrieve, process, analyze and disseminate in 'push' or 'pull' modes components and adapted and developed its own algorithms to provide added functionality not commercially available elsewhere. The resultant product, Intelligent Library System, satisfies requirements for (a) a potentially unbounded, data archive automated workflow management for increased user productivity; (c) automatic tracking and management of files stored on shelves; (d) ability to ingest, process and disseminate data involves with bandwidths ranging up to multi-gigabit per second; (e) access through a thin client- to-server network environment; (f) multiple interactive users needing retrieval of filters in seconds from both archived images or in real time, and (g) scalability that maintains information throughput performance as the size of the digital library grows.

Interference Effects Demonstrate Distinct Roles for Visual and Motor Imagery during the Mental Representation of Human Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, J.A.

2005-01-01

Four experiments were completed to characterize the utilization of visual imagery and motor imagery during the mental representation of human action. In Experiment 1, movement time functions for a motor imagery human locomotion task conformed to a speed-accuracy trade-off similar to Fitts' Law, whereas those for a visual imagery object motion task…

Plasmid partition system of the P1par family from the pWR100 virulence plasmid of Shigella flexneri.

PubMed

Sergueev, Kirill; Dabrazhynetskaya, Alena; Austin, Stuart

2005-05-01

P1par family members promote the active segregation of a variety of plasmids and plasmid prophages in gram-negative bacteria. Each has genes for ParA and ParB proteins, followed by a parS partition site. The large virulence plasmid pWR100 of Shigella flexneri contains a new P1par family member: pWR100par. Although typical parA and parB genes are present, the putative pWR100parS site is atypical in sequence and organization. However, pWR100parS promoted accurate plasmid partition in Escherichia coli when the pWR100 Par proteins were supplied. Unique BoxB hexamer motifs within parS define species specificities among previously described family members. Although substantially different from P1parS from the P1 plasmid prophage of E. coli, pWR100parS has the same BoxB sequence. As predicted, the species specificity of the two types proved identical. They also shared partition-mediated incompatibility, consistent with the proposed mechanistic link between incompatibility and species specificity. Among several informative sequence differences between pWR100parS and P1parS is the presence of a 21-bp insert at the center of the pWR100parS site. Deletion of this insert left much of the parS activity intact. Tolerance of central inserts with integral numbers of helical DNA turns reflects the critical topology of these sites, which are bent by binding the host IHF protein.

Guided Imagery and Relaxation for Women with Early Stage Breast Cancer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Linda K.; Lee, Sang Min; Puig, Ana I.; Sherrard, Peter A. D.

2005-01-01

Fifty-two women with Stage I and Stage II breast cancer agreed to participate in a study to determine the effectiveness of two interventions, guided imagery and relaxation, to enhance psychological well-being. Participants were randomly assigned to either a guided imagery or relaxation group. Forty women completed the study. A student's t-test was…

Competence imagery: a case study treating emetophobia.

PubMed

Moran, Daniel J; O'Brien, Richard M

2005-06-01

An emetophobic child is nonresponsive to conventional systematic desensitization and has her anxiety responses counterconditioned by using Competence Imagery instead of physical relaxation responses while progressing through her fear hierarchy.

Thermal study of the Missouri River in North Dakota using infrared imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crosby, O. A.

1971-01-01

Studies of infrared imagery obtained from aircraft at 305- to 1,524-meter altitudes indicate the feasibility of monitoring thermal changes attributable to the operation of thermal electric plants and storage reservoirs, as well as natural phenomena such as tributary inflow and ground water seeps in large rivers. No identifiable sources of ground water inflow below the surface of the river could be found in the imagery. The thermal patterns from the generating plants and the major tributary inflow are readily apparent in imagery obtained from an altitude of 305 meters. Portions of the tape-recorded imagery were processed in a color-coded quantization to enhance the displays and to attach quantitative significance to the data. The study indicates a marked decrease in water temperature in the Missouri River prior to early fall and a moderate increase in temperature in late fall because of the Lake Sakakawea impoundment.

Expression of proteinase-activated receptor (PAR)-2 in monocytes from allergic patients and potential molecular mechanism.

PubMed

Ge, Shuqing; Li, Tao; Yao, Qijian; Yan, Hongling; Huiyun, Zhang; Zheng, Yanshan; Zhang, Bin; He, Shaoheng

2016-12-01

Serine proteases play an important role in inflammation via PARs. However, little is known of expression levels of PARs on monocytes of allergic patients, and influence of serine proteases and PARs on TNF-α secretion from monocytes. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and flowcytometry techniques, we observed that the expression level of PAR-2 in monocytes of patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma was increased by 42.9 and 38.2 %. It was found that trypsin, thrombin, and tryptase induced up to 200, 320, and 310 % increase in TNF-α release from monocytes at 16 h, respectively. PAR-1 agonist peptide, SFLLR-NH 2 , and PAR-2 agonist peptide tc-LIGRLO-NH 2 provoked up to 210 and 240 % increase in release of TNF-α. Since SCH 79797, a PAR-1 antagonist, and PD98059, an inhibitor of ERK inhibited thrombin- and SFLLR-NH 2 -induced TNF-α release, the action of thrombin is most likely through a PAR-1- and ERK-mediated signaling mechanism. Similarly, because FSLLRN-NH 2 , an inhibitor of PAR-2 diminished tryptase- and tc-LIGRLO-NH 2 -induced TNF-α release, the action of tryptase appears PAR-2 dependent. Moreover, in vivo study showed that both recombinant cockroach major allergens Per a 1 and Per a 7 provoked upregulation of PAR-2 and PAR-1 expression on CD14+ cells in OVA-sensitized mouse peritoneum. In conclusion, increased expression of PAR-2 in monocytes of AR and asthma implicates that PAR-2 likely play a role in allergy. PAR-2- and PAR-1-mediated TNF-α release from monocytes suggests that these unique protease receptors are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation.

Regulation of long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells by EPCR/PAR1 signaling

PubMed Central

Gur-Cohen, Shiri; Kollet, Orit; Graf, Claudine; Esmon, Charles T.; Ruf, Wolfram; Lapidot, Tsvee

2016-01-01

The common developmental origin of endothelial and hematopoietic cells is manifested by coexpression of several cell surface receptors. Adult murine bone marrow (BM) long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs), endowed with the highest repopulation and self-renewal potential, express endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR), which is used as a marker to isolate them. EPCR/PAR1 signaling in endothelial cells has anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory roles, while thrombin/PAR1 signaling induces coagulation and inflammation. Recent studies define two new PAR1-mediated signaling cascades that regulate EPCR+ LT-HSC BM retention and egress. EPCR/PAR1 signaling facilitates LT-HSC BM repopulation, retention, survival, and chemotherapy resistance by restricting nitric oxide (NO) production, maintaining NOlow LT-HSC BM retention with increased VLA4 expression, affinity, and adhesion. Conversely, acute stress and clinical mobilization upregulate thrombin generation and activate different PAR1 signaling which overcomes BM EPCR+ LT-HSC retention, inducing their recruitment to the bloodstream. Thrombin/PAR1 signaling induces NO generation, TACE-mediated EPCR shedding, and upregulation of CXCR4 and PAR1, leading to CXCL12-mediated stem and progenitor cell mobilization. This review discusses new roles for factors traditionally viewed as coagulation related, which independently act in the BM to regulate PAR1 signaling in bone- and blood-forming progenitor cells, navigating their fate by controlling NO production. PMID:26928241

Traumatismes Oculaires par Petards: Bilan sur Trois Annees

PubMed Central

Zouaoui-Kesraoui, N.; Derdour, A.

2009-01-01

Summary Les accidents dus aux pétards sont des accidents graves. Leur recrudescence ces dernières années en Algérie, essentiellement durant les fêtes du Mawlid Ennabaoui (fête de la naissance du prophète), mérite à notre sens d'entreprendre des bilans exhaustifs dont celui-ci dans le but d'une sensibilisation de toutes les compétences concernées. Nous avons réuni sur trois années consécutives (2002, 2003, 2004) 60 dossiers de malades ayant subi des accidents oculaires par pétards. Nos patients sont répartis en 42 consultations pour blessures légères et 18 hospitalisations pour blessures graves. Parmi ces derniers, neuf ont présenté des complications et séquelles graves (cinq cas de cécité par atrophie du globe oculaire, trois cas de cécité cornéenne et un cas de cécité par trou maculaire). Dans tous ces cas l'incapacité permanente partielle est au minimum de 30%. Au vu de ces données nous proposons des mesures d'éducation sanitaire et une sensibilisation du grand public aux traumatismes oculaires, par le biais de mé dias appropriés: radio, télévision, affiches. PMID:21991157

Self-Regulatory Imagery and Physical Activity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Social-Cognitive Perspective.

PubMed

Kosteli, Maria-Christina; Cumming, Jennifer; Williams, Sarah E

2018-01-01

Limited research has investigated exercise imagery use in middle-aged and older adults and its relationship with affective and behavioral correlates. The study examined the association between self-regulatory imagery and physical activity (PA) through key social cognitive variables. Middle-aged and older adults (N = 299; M age = 59.73 years, SD = 7.73, range = 50 to 80) completed self-report measures assessing self-regulatory imagery use, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, perceived barriers, self-regulatory behavior, enjoyment, and PA levels. Path analysis supported a model (χ² [14] = 21.76, p = .08, CFI = .99, TLI = .97, SRMR = .03, RMSEA = .04) whereby self-regulatory imagery positively predicted self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-regulatory behaviors. Furthermore, self-regulatory imagery indirectly predicted barriers, outcome expectations, self-regulation, enjoyment, and PA. This research highlights self-regulatory imagery as an effective strategy in modifying exercise-related cognitions and behaviors. Incorporating social cognitive constructs into the design of imagery interventions may increase PA engagement.

Imagery use and affective responses during exercise: an examination of cerebral hemodynamics using near-infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Tempest, Gavin; Parfitt, Gaynor

2013-10-01

Imagery, as a cognitive strategy, can improve affective responses during moderate-intensity exercise. The effects of imagery at higher intensities of exercise have not been examined. Further, the effect of imagery use and activity in the frontal cortex during exercise is unknown. Using a crossover design (imagery and control), activity of the frontal cortex (reflected by changes in cerebral hemodynamics using near-infrared spectroscopy) and affective responses were measured during exercise at intensities 5% above the ventilatory threshold (VT) and the respiratory compensation point (RCP). Results indicated that imagery use influenced activity of the frontal cortex and was associated with a more positive affective response at intensities above VT, but not RCP to exhaustion (p < .05). These findings provide direct neurophysiological evidence of imagery use and activity in the frontal cortex during exercise at intensities above VT that positively impact affective responses.

PAR-1/MARK: a kinase essential for maintaining the dynamic state of microtubules.

PubMed

Hayashi, Kenji; Suzuki, Atsushi; Ohno, Shigeo

2012-01-01

The serine/threonine kinase, PAR-1, is an essential component of the evolutionary-conserved polarity-regulating system, PAR-aPKC system, which plays indispensable roles in establishing asymmetric protein distributions and cell polarity in various biological contexts (Suzuki, A. and Ohno, S. (2006). J. Cell Sci., 119: 979-987; Matenia, D. and Mandelkow, E.M. (2009). Trends Biochem. Sci., 34: 332-342). PAR-1 is also known as MARK, which phosphorylates classical microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and detaches MAPs from microtubules (Matenia, D. and Mandelkow, E.M. (2009). Trends Biochem. Sci., 34: 332-342). This MARK activity of PAR-1 suggests its role in microtubule (MT) dynamics, but surprisingly, only few studies have been carried out to address this issue. Here, we summarize our recent study on live imaging analysis of MT dynamics in PAR-1b-depleted cells, which clearly demonstrated the positive role of PAR-1b in maintaining MT dynamics (Hayashi, K., Suzuki, A., Hirai, S., Kurihara, Y., Hoogenraad, C.C., and Ohno, S. (2011). J. Neurosci., 31: 12094-12103). Importantly, our results further revealed the novel physiological function of PAR-1b in maintaining dendritic spine morphology in mature neurons.

Proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) – focus on receptor-receptor-interactions and their physiological and pathophysiological impact

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) are a subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with four members, PAR1, PAR2, PAR3 and PAR4, playing critical functions in hemostasis, thrombosis, embryonic development, wound healing, inflammation and cancer progression. PARs are characterized by a unique activation mechanism involving receptor cleavage by different proteinases at specific sites within the extracellular amino-terminus and the exposure of amino-terminal “tethered ligand“ domains that bind to and activate the cleaved receptors. After activation, the PAR family members are able to stimulate complex intracellular signalling networks via classical G protein-mediated pathways and beta-arrestin signalling. In addition, different receptor crosstalk mechanisms critically contribute to a high diversity of PAR signal transduction and receptor-trafficking processes that result in multiple physiological effects. In this review, we summarize current information about PAR-initiated physical and functional receptor interactions and their physiological and pathological roles. We focus especially on PAR homo- and heterodimerization, transactivation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and receptor serine/threonine kinases (RSTKs), communication with other GPCRs, toll-like receptors and NOD-like receptors, ion channel receptors, and on PAR association with cargo receptors. In addition, we discuss the suitability of these receptor interaction mechanisms as targets for modulating PAR signalling in disease. PMID:24215724

Some approaches to optimal cluster labeling of aerospace imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chittineni, C. B.

1980-01-01

Some approaches are presented to the problem of labeling clusters using information from a given set of labeled and unlabeled aerospace imagery patterns. The assignment of class labels to the clusters is formulated as the determination of the best assignment over all possible ones with respect to some criterion. Cluster labeling is also viewed as the probability of correct labeling with a maximization of likelihood function. Results of the application of these techniques in the processing of remotely sensed multispectral scanner imagery data are presented.

Par3L enhances colorectal cancer cell survival by inhibiting Lkb1/AMPK signaling pathway

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Taiyuan; Liu, Dongning; Lei, Xiong

Partitioning defective 3-like protein (Par3L) is a recently identified cell polarity protein that plays an important role in mammary stem cell maintenance. Previously, we showed that high expression of Par3L is associated with poor survival in malignant colorectal cancer (CRC), but the underlying mechanism remained unknown. To this end, we established a Par3L knockout colorectal cancer cell line using the CRISPR/Cas system. Interestingly, reduced proliferation, enhanced cell death and caspase-3 activation were observed in Par3L knockout (KO) cells as compared with wildtype (WT) cells. Consistent with previous studies, we showed that Par3L interacts with a tumor suppressor protein liver kinasemore » B1 (Lkb1). Moreover, Par3L depletion resulted in abnormal activation of Lkb1/AMPK signaling cascade. Knockdown of Lkb1 in these cells could significantly reduce AMPK activity and partially rescue cell death caused by Par3L knockdown. Furthermore, we showed that Par3L KO cells were more sensitive to chemotherapies and irradiation. Together, these results suggest that Par3L is essential for colorectal cancer cell survival by inhibiting Lkb1/AMPK signaling pathway, and is a putative therapeutic target for CRC. - Highlights: • Par3L knockout using the CRISPR/Cas system induces apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells. • Par3L interacts with Lkb1 and regulates the activity of AMPK signaling cascade. • Par3L knockout cells are more sensitive to treatment of different chemotherapy drugs and irradiation.« less

Do therapeutic imagery practices affect physiological and emotional indicators of threat in high self-critics?

PubMed