Adolescents' Drawings: A View of Their Worlds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chula, Marleyne

This qualitative study investigated the medium of drawings as a methodological technique for visual data analysis. The study explored graphical symbols as an additional source for descriptive, interpretive inquiry. The design focused on gaining insight into the perceptions of adolescents' experiences as expressed by the visual narratives in their…

Qualitative GIS and the Visualization of Narrative Activity Space Data

PubMed Central

Mennis, Jeremy; Mason, Michael J.; Cao, Yinghui

2012-01-01

Qualitative activity space data, i.e. qualitative data associated with the routine locations and activities of individuals, are recognized as increasingly useful by researchers in the social and health sciences for investigating the influence of environment on human behavior. However, there has been little research on techniques for exploring qualitative activity space data. This research illustrates the theoretical principles of combining qualitative and quantitative data and methodologies within the context of GIS, using visualization as the means of inquiry. Through the use of a prototype implementation of a visualization system for qualitative activity space data, and its application in a case study of urban youth, we show how these theoretical methodological principles are realized in applied research. The visualization system uses a variety of visual variables to simultaneously depict multiple qualitative and quantitative attributes of individuals’ activity spaces. The visualization is applied to explore the activity spaces of a sample of urban youth participating in a study on the geographic and social contexts of adolescent substance use. Examples demonstrate how the visualization may be used to explore individual activity spaces to generate hypotheses, investigate statistical outliers, and explore activity space patterns among subject subgroups. PMID:26190932

Qualitative GIS and the Visualization of Narrative Activity Space Data.

PubMed

Mennis, Jeremy; Mason, Michael J; Cao, Yinghui

Qualitative activity space data, i.e. qualitative data associated with the routine locations and activities of individuals, are recognized as increasingly useful by researchers in the social and health sciences for investigating the influence of environment on human behavior. However, there has been little research on techniques for exploring qualitative activity space data. This research illustrates the theoretical principles of combining qualitative and quantitative data and methodologies within the context of GIS, using visualization as the means of inquiry. Through the use of a prototype implementation of a visualization system for qualitative activity space data, and its application in a case study of urban youth, we show how these theoretical methodological principles are realized in applied research. The visualization system uses a variety of visual variables to simultaneously depict multiple qualitative and quantitative attributes of individuals' activity spaces. The visualization is applied to explore the activity spaces of a sample of urban youth participating in a study on the geographic and social contexts of adolescent substance use. Examples demonstrate how the visualization may be used to explore individual activity spaces to generate hypotheses, investigate statistical outliers, and explore activity space patterns among subject subgroups.

Digital versus Traditional: Secondary Students with Visual Impairments' Perceptions of a Digital Algebra Textbook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouck, Emily C.; Weng, Pei-Lin; Satsangi, Rajiv

2016-01-01

Introduction: Digital textbooks are increasingly marketed and used, yet little research examines this medium. Within the limited research, even less investigates the role of digital textbooks in mathematics--a challenging content area for many students, but especially for students with visual impairments. Methods: Through a qualitative analysis,…

Blast and ballistic trajectories in combat casualties: a preliminary analysis using a cartesian positioning system with MDCT.

PubMed

Folio, Les R; Fischer, Tatjana; Shogan, Paul; Frew, Michael; Dwyer, Andrew; Provenzale, James M

2011-08-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the agreement with which radiologists identify wound paths in vivo on MDCT and calculate missile trajectories on the basis of Cartesian coordinates using a Cartesian positioning system (CPS). Three radiologists retrospectively identified 25 trajectories on MDCT in 19 casualties who sustained penetrating trauma in Iraq. Trajectories were described qualitatively in terms of directional path descriptors and quantitatively as trajectory vectors. Directional descriptors, trajectory angles, and angles between trajectories were calculated based on Cartesian coordinates of entrance and terminus or exit recorded in x, y image and table space (z) using a Trajectory Calculator created using spreadsheet software. The consistency of qualitative descriptor determinations was assessed in terms of frequency of observer agreement and multirater kappa statistics. Consistency of trajectory vectors was evaluated in terms of distribution of magnitude of the angles between vectors and the differences between their paraaxial and parasagittal angles. In 68% of trajectories, the observers' visual assessment of qualitative descriptors was congruent. Calculated descriptors agreed across observers in 60% of the trajectories. Estimated kappa also showed good agreement (0.65-0.79, p < 0.001); 70% of calculated paraaxial and parasagittal angles were within 20° across observers, and 61.3% of angles between trajectory vectors were within 20° across observers. Results show agreement of visually assessed and calculated qualitative descriptors and trajectory angles among observers. The Trajectory Calculator describes trajectories qualitatively similar to radiologists' visual assessment, showing the potential feasibility of automated trajectory analysis.

"Whoa! We're Going Deep in the Trees!": Patterns of Collaboration around an Interactive Information Visualization Exhibit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Pryce; Horn, Michael; Block, Florian; Phillips, Brenda; Evans, E. Margaret; Diamond, Judy; Shen, Chia

2015-01-01

In this paper we present a qualitative analysis of natural history museum visitor interaction around a multi-touch tabletop exhibit called "DeepTree" that we designed around concepts of evolution and common descent. DeepTree combines several large scientific datasets and an innovative visualization technique to display a phylogenetic…

Experiences of Students with Visual Impairments in Adoption of Digital Talking Textbooks: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussin, Ahamad

2013-01-01

Assistive technology devices have become essential tools for students with visual impairments. In 2009, the Malaysian Ministry of Education introduced Digital Talking Textbooks (DTTs) for selected subjects to facilitate learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, describe, and interpret the experiences of students with visual…

Assessment of Arterial Wall Enhancement for Differentiation of Parent Artery Disease from Small Artery Disease: Comparison between Histogram Analysis and Visual Analysis on 3-Dimensional Contrast-Enhanced T1-Weighted Turbo Spin Echo MR Images at 3T.

PubMed

Jang, Jinhee; Kim, Tae-Won; Hwang, Eo-Jin; Choi, Hyun Seok; Koo, Jaseong; Shin, Yong Sam; Jung, So-Lyung; Ahn, Kook-Jin; Kim, Bum-Soo

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the histogram analysis and visual scores in 3T MRI assessment of middle cerebral arterial wall enhancement in patients with acute stroke, for the differentiation of parent artery disease (PAD) from small artery disease (SAD). Among the 82 consecutive patients in a tertiary hospital for one year, 25 patients with acute infarcts in middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory were included in this study including 15 patients with PAD and 10 patients with SAD. Three-dimensional contrast-enhanced T1-weighted turbo spin echo MR images with black-blood preparation at 3T were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The degree of MCA stenosis, and visual and histogram assessments on MCA wall enhancement were evaluated. A statistical analysis was performed to compare diagnostic accuracy between qualitative and quantitative metrics. The degree of stenosis, visual enhancement score, geometric mean (GM), and the 90th percentile (90P) value from the histogram analysis were significantly higher in PAD than in SAD ( p = 0.006 for stenosis, < 0.001 for others). The receiver operating characteristic curve area of GM and 90P were 1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-1.00). A histogram analysis of a relevant arterial wall enhancement allows differentiation between PAD and SAD in patients with acute stroke within the MCA territory.

Imagination and society: the role of visual sociology.

PubMed

Cipriani, Roberto; Del Re, Emanuela C

2012-10-01

The paper presents the field of Visual Sociology as an approach that makes use of photographs, films, documentaries, videos, to capture and assess aspects of social life and social signals. It overviews some relevant works in the field, it deals with methodological and epistemological issues, by raising the question of the relation between the observer and the observed, and makes reference to some methods of analysis, such as those proposed by the Grounded Theory, and to some connected tools for automatic qualitative analysis, like NVivo. The relevance of visual sociology to the study of social signals lies in the fact that it can validly integrate the information, introducing a multi-modal approach in the analysis of social signals.

A Qualitative Analysis of Reading Rehabilitation of Persons with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feely, Mary; Vetere, Arlene; Myers, Lynn B.

2007-01-01

One of the most prevalent visual impairments of people aged 60 and older is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which ranks third globally as a cause of visual impairment (World Health Organization, 2006). The purpose of this study was to conduct a tentative subjective assessment of eccentric viewing by persons with AMD. The authors recruited…

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

PubMed

Rowe, Fiona J

2017-09-01

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

Modeling and evaluating user behavior in exploratory visual analysis

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

Reda, Khairi; Johnson, Andrew E.; Papka, Michael E.

Empirical evaluation methods for visualizations have traditionally focused on assessing the outcome of the visual analytic process as opposed to characterizing how that process unfolds. There are only a handful of methods that can be used to systematically study how people use visualizations, making it difficult for researchers to capture and characterize the subtlety of cognitive and interaction behaviors users exhibit during visual analysis. To validate and improve visualization design, however, it is important for researchers to be able to assess and understand how users interact with visualization systems under realistic scenarios. This paper presents a methodology for modeling andmore » evaluating the behavior of users in exploratory visual analysis. We model visual exploration using a Markov chain process comprising transitions between mental, interaction, and computational states. These states and the transitions between them can be deduced from a variety of sources, including verbal transcripts, videos and audio recordings, and log files. This model enables the evaluator to characterize the cognitive and computational processes that are essential to insight acquisition in exploratory visual analysis, and reconstruct the dynamics of interaction between the user and the visualization system. We illustrate this model with two exemplar user studies, and demonstrate the qualitative and quantitative analytical tools it affords.« less

The role of 3-D interactive visualization in blind surveys of H I in galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punzo, D.; van der Hulst, J. M.; Roerdink, J. B. T. M.; Oosterloo, T. A.; Ramatsoku, M.; Verheijen, M. A. W.

2015-09-01

Upcoming H I surveys will deliver large datasets, and automated processing using the full 3-D information (two positional dimensions and one spectral dimension) to find and characterize H I objects is imperative. In this context, visualization is an essential tool for enabling qualitative and quantitative human control on an automated source finding and analysis pipeline. We discuss how Visual Analytics, the combination of automated data processing and human reasoning, creativity and intuition, supported by interactive visualization, enables flexible and fast interaction with the 3-D data, helping the astronomer to deal with the analysis of complex sources. 3-D visualization, coupled to modeling, provides additional capabilities helping the discovery and analysis of subtle structures in the 3-D domain. The requirements for a fully interactive visualization tool are: coupled 1-D/2-D/3-D visualization, quantitative and comparative capabilities, combined with supervised semi-automated analysis. Moreover, the source code must have the following characteristics for enabling collaborative work: open, modular, well documented, and well maintained. We review four state of-the-art, 3-D visualization packages assessing their capabilities and feasibility for use in the case of 3-D astronomical data.

Differentiation of Glioblastoma from Brain Metastasis: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis Using Arterial Spin Labeling MR Imaging.

PubMed

Sunwoo, Leonard; Yun, Tae Jin; You, Sung-Hye; Yoo, Roh-Eul; Kang, Koung Mi; Choi, Seung Hong; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Sohn, Chul-Ho; Park, Sun-Won; Jung, Cheolkyu; Park, Chul-Kee

2016-01-01

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by using arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to differentiate glioblastoma (GBM) from brain metastasis. The institutional review board of our hospital approved this retrospective study. The study population consisted of 128 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection and were diagnosed as either GBM (n = 89) or brain metastasis (n = 39). All participants underwent preoperative MR imaging including ASL. For qualitative analysis, the tumors were visually graded into five categories based on ASL-CBF maps by two blinded reviewers. For quantitative analysis, the reviewers drew regions of interest (ROIs) on ASL-CBF maps upon the most hyperperfused portion within the tumor and upon peritumoral T2 hyperintensity area. Signal intensities of intratumoral and peritumoral ROIs for each subject were normalized by dividing the values by those of contralateral normal gray matter (nCBFintratumoral and nCBFperitumoral, respectively). Visual grading scales and quantitative parameters between GBM and brain metastasis were compared. In addition, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ASL-driven CBF to differentiate GBM from brain metastasis. For qualitative analysis, GBM group showed significantly higher grade compared to metastasis group (p = 0.001). For quantitative analysis, both nCBFintratumoral and nCBFperitumoral in GBM were significantly higher than those in metastasis (both p < 0.001). The areas under the curve were 0.677, 0.714, and 0.835 for visual grading, nCBFintratumoral, and nCBFperitumoral, respectively (all p < 0.001). ASL perfusion MR imaging can aid in the differentiation of GBM from brain metastasis.

Non-auditory factors affecting urban soundscape evaluation.

PubMed

Jeon, Jin Yong; Lee, Pyoung Jik; Hong, Joo Young; Cabrera, Densil

2011-12-01

The aim of this study is to characterize urban spaces, which combine landscape, acoustics, and lighting, and to investigate people's perceptions of urban soundscapes through quantitative and qualitative analyses. A general questionnaire survey and soundwalk were performed to investigate soundscape perception in urban spaces. Non-auditory factors (visual image, day lighting, and olfactory perceptions), as well as acoustic comfort, were selected as the main contexts that affect soundscape perception, and context preferences and overall impressions were evaluated using an 11-point numerical scale. For qualitative analysis, a semantic differential test was performed in the form of a social survey, and subjects were also asked to describe their impressions during a soundwalk. The results showed that urban soundscapes can be characterized by soundmarks, and soundscape perceptions are dominated by acoustic comfort, visual images, and day lighting, whereas reverberance in urban spaces does not yield consistent preference judgments. It is posited that the subjective evaluation of reverberance can be replaced by physical measurements. The categories extracted from the qualitative analysis revealed that spatial impressions such as openness and density emerged as some of the contexts of soundscape perception. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Using Discursis to enhance the qualitative analysis of hospital pharmacist-patient interactions.

PubMed

Chevalier, Bernadette A M; Watson, Bernadette M; Barras, Michael A; Cottrell, William N; Angus, Daniel J

2018-01-01

Pharmacist-patient communication during medication counselling has been successfully investigated using Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT). Communication researchers in other healthcare professions have utilised Discursis software as an adjunct to their manual qualitative analysis processes. Discursis provides a visual, chronological representation of communication exchanges and identifies patterns of interactant engagement. The aim of this study was to describe how Discursis software was used to enhance previously conducted qualitative analysis of pharmacist-patient interactions (by visualising pharmacist-patient speech patterns, episodes of engagement, and identifying CAT strategies employed by pharmacists within these episodes). Visual plots from 48 transcribed audio recordings of pharmacist-patient exchanges were generated by Discursis. Representative plots were selected to show moderate-high and low- level speaker engagement. Details of engagement were investigated for pharmacist application of CAT strategies (approximation, interpretability, discourse management, emotional expression, and interpersonal control). Discursis plots allowed for identification of distinct patterns occurring within pharmacist-patient exchanges. Moderate-high pharmacist-patient engagement was characterised by multiple off-diagonal squares while alternating single coloured squares depicted low engagement. Engagement episodes were associated with multiple CAT strategies such as discourse management (open-ended questions). Patterns reflecting pharmacist or patient speaker dominance were dependant on clinical setting. Discursis analysis of pharmacist-patient interactions, a novel application of the technology in health communication, was found to be an effective visualisation tool to pin-point episodes for CAT analysis. Discursis has numerous practical and theoretical applications for future health communication research and training. Researchers can use the software to support qualitative analysis where large data sets can be quickly reviewed to identify key areas for concentrated analysis. Because Discursis plots are easily generated from audio recorded transcripts, they are conducive as teaching tools for both students and practitioners to assess and develop their communication skills.

Teaching Poverty with Geographic Visualization and Geographic Information Systems (GIS): A Case Study of East Buffalo and Food Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gjesfjeld, Christopher D.; Jung, Jin-Kyu

2014-01-01

Although various methods have been used to teach about poverty in the social work classroom (e.g., quantitative, historical, and qualitative), the use of geographic visualization and geographic information systems (GIS) has become a relatively new method. In our analysis of food access on the East Side of Buffalo, New York, we demonstrate the…

Formulating qualitative features using interactive visualization for analysis of multivariate spatiotemporal data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porter, M.; Hill, M. C.; Pierce, S. A.; Gil, Y.; Pennington, D. D.

2017-12-01

DiscoverWater is a web-based visualization tool developed to enable the visual representation of data, and thus, aid scientific and societal understanding of hydrologic systems. Open data sources are coalesced to, for example, illustrate the impacts on streamflow of irrigation withdrawals. Scientists and stakeholders are informed through synchronized time-series data plots that correlate multiple spatiotemporal datasets and an interactive time-evolving map that provides a spatial analytical context. Together, these components elucidate trends so that the user can try to envision the relations between groundwater-surface water interactions, the impacts of pumping on these interactions, and the interplay of climate. Aligning data in this manner has the capacity for interdisciplinary knowledge discovery and motivates dialogue about system processes that we seek to enhance through qualitative features informed through quantitative models. DiscoverWater and its connection is demonstrated using two field cases. First, it is used to visualize data sets from the High Plains aquifer, where reservoir- and groundwater-supported irrigation has affected the Arkansas River in western Kansas. Second, data and model results from Barton Springs segment of the Edwards aquifer in Texas reveal the effects of regional pumping on this important urbanizing aquifer system. Identifying what is interesting about the data and the modeled system in the two different case studies is a step towards moving typically static visualization capabilities to an adaptive framework. Additionally, the dashboard interface incorporates both quantitative and qualitative information about distinctive case studies in a machine-readable form, such that a catalog of qualitative models can capture subject matter expertise alongside associated datasets. As the catalog is expanded to include other case studies, the collection has potential to establish a standard framework able to inform intelligent system reasoning.

“I'm Riskin' It”: Teachers Take on Consumerism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harste, Jerome C.; Albers, Peggy

2013-01-01

This qualitative study investigates how 90 teachers explored critical curriculum through their reading, analysis and creation of counter advertisements. Located in visual discourse analysis, we designed a study to investigate the question "To what extent can teachers engaged in a critical literacy curriculum talk back to messages of consumerism,…

Health literacy issues among women with visual impairments.

PubMed

Harrison, Tracie C; Mackert, Michael; Watkins, Casey

2010-01-01

The purpose of this secondary analysis using qualitative description was to explore health literacy using the health care experiences of women with permanent visual impairments (VIs). Interviews were analyzed from a sample of 15 community-dwelling women ages 44 to 79 with permanent VIs who had participated in a larger grounded theory study. The 15 women were interviewed twice; the audio-recorded interviews were then transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Using the Institute of Medicine's definition of health literacy, the women's experiences were categorized into their ability to obtain, process, and understand health information. Their perceptions of the factors that influenced their health literacy were also explored. The women voiced that barriers to their ability to gain information in a format amenable to their processing skills, combined with barriers arising from health care providers' attitudes, undermined their ability to build health literacy capacity. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

Physical activity among older people with sight loss: a qualitative research study to inform policy and practice.

PubMed

Phoenix, C; Griffin, M; Smith, B

2015-02-01

To investigate the ways in which participation in physical activity is prevented or facilitated among older people with acquired sight loss later in life. Qualitative research. Interviews were conducted with 48 visually impaired adults age 60+ years, recruited from a range of settings including local sight loss organisations and via talking newspaper advertisements. Visual impairment was defined by self-report. Data was analysed using a thematic analysis. This research represents a first step toward the development of empirically based practical suggestions for decision-makers and health professionals in terms of supporting - when required - visually impaired older adults participation in physical activity. Six themes were identified that captured why physical activity was prevented or facilitated: disabling environments; organisational opportunities; transport; lack of information; confidence, fear and personal safety; and exercise as medicine. Recommendations for policy change need to be focused at the societal level. This includes developing more accessible and inclusive environments and providing meaningful information about physical activity to older adults with a visual impairment, and visual impairment in older age to physical activity providers. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Supporting Clinical Cognition: A Human-Centered Approach to a Novel ICU Information Visualization Dashboard.

PubMed

Faiola, Anthony; Srinivas, Preethi; Duke, Jon

2015-01-01

Advances in intensive care unit bedside displays/interfaces and electronic medical record (EMR) technology have not adequately addressed the topic of visual clarity of patient data/information to further reduce cognitive load during clinical decision-making. We responded to these challenges with a human-centered approach to designing and testing a decision-support tool: MIVA 2.0 (Medical Information Visualization Assistant, v.2). Envisioned as an EMR visualization dashboard to support rapid analysis of real-time clinical data-trends, our primary goal originated from a clinical requirement to reduce cognitive overload. In the study, a convenience sample of 12 participants were recruited, in which quantitative and qualitative measures were used to compare MIVA 2.0 with ICU paper medical-charts, using time-on-task, post-test questionnaires, and interviews. Findings demonstrated a significant difference in speed and accuracy with the use of MIVA 2.0. Qualitative outcomes concurred, with participants acknowledging the potential impact of MIVA 2.0 for reducing cognitive load and enabling more accurate and quicker decision-making.

Living Independently: Exploring the Experiences of Visually Impaired People Living in Age-Related and Lifetime Housing Through Qualitative Synthesis.

PubMed

Rooney, Clíona; Hadjri, Karim; Faith, Verity; Rooney, Máirin; McAllister, Keith; Craig, Cathy

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of visually impaired older people living independently at home. As populations are aging globally, there is now an increase in the prevalence of visual impairment. That means for ongoing and future aging-in-place strategies that seek to enable older people to remain independent for longer, more attention needs to be given to the needs of those with visual impairment. As people develop visual impairment, they use adaptive strategies including modifying long-term homes or relocating to more suitable accommodation. In the United Kingdom, aging-in-place strategies include employing statutory lifetime home standards (LTHS) in the home or relocating to sheltered housing to live independently with support available if required. To get a better understanding of the needs of the visually impaired in the home, 12 interviews with six visually impaired occupants of LTHS homes and six from sheltered accommodation were analyzed separately using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Secondly, qualitative synthesis was used to further analyze themes generated from both samples before interview results were conceptualized in two superordinate concepts, namely, "negotiating priorities" and "understanding visual impairment." Participants from both groups had similar needs and were willing to compromise by living with some negative features. Those who coped well with moving utilized various resources. These findings will shed more understanding on providing good quality housing for those with visual impairment wanting to live either independently or within healthcare home environments.

Using Interactive Data Visualizations for Exploratory Analysis in Undergraduate Genomics Coursework: Field Study Findings and Guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirel, Barbara; Kumar, Anuj; Nong, Paige; Su, Gang; Meng, Fan

2016-02-01

Life scientists increasingly use visual analytics to explore large data sets and generate hypotheses. Undergraduate biology majors should be learning these same methods. Yet visual analytics is one of the most underdeveloped areas of undergraduate biology education. This study sought to determine the feasibility of undergraduate biology majors conducting exploratory analysis using the same interactive data visualizations as practicing scientists. We examined 22 upper level undergraduates in a genomics course as they engaged in a case-based inquiry with an interactive heat map. We qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed students' visual analytic behaviors, reasoning and outcomes to identify student performance patterns, commonly shared efficiencies and task completion. We analyzed students' successes and difficulties in applying knowledge and skills relevant to the visual analytics case and related gaps in knowledge and skill to associated tool designs. Findings show that undergraduate engagement in visual analytics is feasible and could be further strengthened through tool usability improvements. We identify these improvements. We speculate, as well, on instructional considerations that our findings suggested may also enhance visual analytics in case-based modules.

Using Interactive Data Visualizations for Exploratory Analysis in Undergraduate Genomics Coursework: Field Study Findings and Guidelines

PubMed Central

Kumar, Anuj; Nong, Paige; Su, Gang; Meng, Fan

2016-01-01

Life scientists increasingly use visual analytics to explore large data sets and generate hypotheses. Undergraduate biology majors should be learning these same methods. Yet visual analytics is one of the most underdeveloped areas of undergraduate biology education. This study sought to determine the feasibility of undergraduate biology majors conducting exploratory analysis using the same interactive data visualizations as practicing scientists. We examined 22 upper level undergraduates in a genomics course as they engaged in a case-based inquiry with an interactive heat map. We qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed students’ visual analytic behaviors, reasoning and outcomes to identify student performance patterns, commonly shared efficiencies and task completion. We analyzed students’ successes and difficulties in applying knowledge and skills relevant to the visual analytics case and related gaps in knowledge and skill to associated tool designs. Findings show that undergraduate engagement in visual analytics is feasible and could be further strengthened through tool usability improvements. We identify these improvements. We speculate, as well, on instructional considerations that our findings suggested may also enhance visual analytics in case-based modules. PMID:26877625

Learning Science Through Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chaudhury, S. Raj

2005-01-01

In the context of an introductory physical science course for non-science majors, I have been trying to understand how scientific visualizations of natural phenomena can constructively impact student learning. I have also necessarily been concerned with the instructional and assessment approaches that need to be considered when focusing on learning science through visually rich information sources. The overall project can be broken down into three distinct segments : (i) comparing students' abilities to demonstrate proportional reasoning competency on visual and verbal tasks (ii) decoding and deconstructing visualizations of an object falling under gravity (iii) the role of directed instruction to elicit alternate, valid scientific visualizations of the structure of the solar system. Evidence of student learning was collected in multiple forms for this project - quantitative analysis of student performance on written, graded assessments (tests and quizzes); qualitative analysis of videos of student 'think aloud' sessions. The results indicate that there are significant barriers for non-science majors to succeed in mastering the content of science courses, but with informed approaches to instruction and assessment, these barriers can be overcome.

Visual salience metrics for image inpainting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardis, Paul A.; Singhal, Amit

2009-01-01

Quantitative metrics for successful image inpainting currently do not exist, with researchers instead relying upon qualitative human comparisons to evaluate their methodologies and techniques. In an attempt to rectify this situation, we propose two new metrics to capture the notions of noticeability and visual intent in order to evaluate inpainting results. The proposed metrics use a quantitative measure of visual salience based upon a computational model of human visual attention. We demonstrate how these two metrics repeatably correlate with qualitative opinion in a human observer study, correctly identify the optimum uses for exemplar-based inpainting (as specified in the original publication), and match qualitative opinion in published examples.

Descriptive approaches to landscape analysis

Treesearch

R. Burton Litton Jr.

1979-01-01

Descriptive landscape analyses include various procedures used to document visual/scenic resources. Historic and regional examples of landscape description represent desirable insight for contemporary professional inventory work. Routed and areal landscape inventories are discussed as basic tools. From them, qualitative and quantitative evaluations can be developed...

Mixed methods in gerontological research: Do the qualitative and quantitative data “touch”?

PubMed Central

Happ, Mary Beth

2010-01-01

This paper distinguishes between parallel and integrated mixed methods research approaches. Barriers to integrated mixed methods approaches in gerontological research are discussed and critiqued. The author presents examples of mixed methods gerontological research to illustrate approaches to data integration at the levels of data analysis, interpretation, and research reporting. As a summary of the methodological literature, four basic levels of mixed methods data combination are proposed. Opportunities for mixing qualitative and quantitative data are explored using contemporary examples from published studies. Data transformation and visual display, judiciously applied, are proposed as pathways to fuller mixed methods data integration and analysis. Finally, practical strategies for mixing qualitative and quantitative data types are explicated as gerontological research moves beyond parallel mixed methods approaches to achieve data integration. PMID:20077973

Using Discursis to enhance the qualitative analysis of hospital pharmacist-patient interactions

PubMed Central

Barras, Michael A.; Angus, Daniel J.

2018-01-01

Introduction Pharmacist-patient communication during medication counselling has been successfully investigated using Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT). Communication researchers in other healthcare professions have utilised Discursis software as an adjunct to their manual qualitative analysis processes. Discursis provides a visual, chronological representation of communication exchanges and identifies patterns of interactant engagement. Aim The aim of this study was to describe how Discursis software was used to enhance previously conducted qualitative analysis of pharmacist-patient interactions (by visualising pharmacist-patient speech patterns, episodes of engagement, and identifying CAT strategies employed by pharmacists within these episodes). Methods Visual plots from 48 transcribed audio recordings of pharmacist-patient exchanges were generated by Discursis. Representative plots were selected to show moderate-high and low- level speaker engagement. Details of engagement were investigated for pharmacist application of CAT strategies (approximation, interpretability, discourse management, emotional expression, and interpersonal control). Results Discursis plots allowed for identification of distinct patterns occurring within pharmacist-patient exchanges. Moderate-high pharmacist-patient engagement was characterised by multiple off-diagonal squares while alternating single coloured squares depicted low engagement. Engagement episodes were associated with multiple CAT strategies such as discourse management (open-ended questions). Patterns reflecting pharmacist or patient speaker dominance were dependant on clinical setting. Discussion and conclusions Discursis analysis of pharmacist-patient interactions, a novel application of the technology in health communication, was found to be an effective visualisation tool to pin-point episodes for CAT analysis. Discursis has numerous practical and theoretical applications for future health communication research and training. Researchers can use the software to support qualitative analysis where large data sets can be quickly reviewed to identify key areas for concentrated analysis. Because Discursis plots are easily generated from audio recorded transcripts, they are conducive as teaching tools for both students and practitioners to assess and develop their communication skills. PMID:29787568

Qualitative Differences in the Representation of Abstract versus Concrete Words: Evidence from the Visual-World Paradigm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunabeitia, Jon Andoni; Aviles, Alberto; Afonso, Olivia; Scheepers, Christoph; Carreiras, Manuel

2009-01-01

In the present visual-world experiment, participants were presented with visual displays that included a target item that was a semantic associate of an abstract or a concrete word. This manipulation allowed us to test a basic prediction derived from the qualitatively different representational framework that supports the view of different…

Proteomic data analysis of glioma cancer stem-cell lines based on novel nonlinear dimensional data reduction techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lespinats, Sylvain; Pinker-Domenig, Katja; Wengert, Georg; Houben, Ivo; Lobbes, Marc; Stadlbauer, Andreas; Meyer-Bäse, Anke

2016-05-01

Glioma-derived cancer stem cells (GSCs) are tumor-initiating cells and may be refractory to radiation and chemotherapy and thus have important implications for tumor biology and therapeutics. The analysis and interpretation of large proteomic data sets requires the development of new data mining and visualization approaches. Traditional techniques are insufficient to interpret and visualize these resulting experimental data. The emphasis of this paper lies in the application of novel approaches for the visualization, clustering and projection representation to unveil hidden data structures relevant for the accurate interpretation of biological experiments. These qualitative and quantitative methods are applied to the proteomic analysis of data sets derived from the GSCs. The achieved clustering and visualization results provide a more detailed insight into the protein-level fold changes and putative upstream regulators for the GSCs. However the extracted molecular information is insufficient in classifying GSCs and paving the pathway to an improved therapeutics of the heterogeneous glioma.

The Case for Open Source Software: The Interactional Discourse Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Seongsook

2016-01-01

Computational techniques and software applications for the quantitative content analysis of texts are now well established, and many qualitative data software applications enable the manipulation of input variables and the visualization of complex relations between them via interactive and informative graphical interfaces. Although advances in…

["...cause in such a big hospital ... visually impaired persons like me, alone, can't get anywhere"--the experience of visually impaired people of the in-patient care--an empirical, explorative study].

PubMed

Golde, Christian

2007-02-01

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of people with visual impairment within in-patient care. Actually, in nursing literature, no similar research is known in the German speaking area. Therefore, an qualitative research framework was used. By using a convenience sampling eight participants have been chosen. Mainly, the thematic content analysis of Burnard has been applied to the analysis of the empirical data. Mental spatial concepts for orientation, primarily acoustically made communicative resonance fields, and Action techniques constitute three major topics, which have been categorised in this study. These concepts are discussed in the cause of the research with respect to their implications on nursing care.

Analysis, simulation and visualization of 1D tapping via reduced dynamical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackmore, Denis; Rosato, Anthony; Tricoche, Xavier; Urban, Kevin; Zou, Luo

2014-04-01

A low-dimensional center-of-mass dynamical model is devised as a simplified means of approximately predicting some important aspects of the motion of a vertical column comprised of a large number of particles subjected to gravity and periodic vertical tapping. This model is investigated first as a continuous dynamical system using analytical, simulation and visualization techniques. Then, by employing an approach analogous to that used to approximate the dynamics of a bouncing ball on an oscillating flat plate, it is modeled as a discrete dynamical system and analyzed to determine bifurcations and transitions to chaotic motion along with other properties. The predictions of the analysis are then compared-primarily qualitatively-with visualization and simulation results of the reduced continuous model, and ultimately with simulations of the complete system dynamics.

A method for visualizing high-density porous polyethylene (medpor, porex) with computed tomographic scanning.

PubMed

Vendemia, Nicholas; Chao, Jerry; Ivanidze, Jana; Sanelli, Pina; Spinelli, Henry M

2011-01-01

Medpor (Porex Surgical, Inc, Newnan, GA) is composed of porous polyethylene and is commonly used in craniofacial reconstruction. When complications such as seroma or abscess formation arise, diagnostic modalities are limited because Medpor is radiolucent on conventional radiologic studies. This poses a problem in situations where imaging is necessary to distinguish the implant from surrounding tissues. To present a clinically useful method for imaging Medpor with conventional computed tomographic (CT) scanning. Eleven patients (12 total implants) who have undergone reconstructive surgery with Medpor were included in the study. A retrospective review of CT scans done between 1 and 16 months postoperatively was performed using 3 distinct CT window settings. Measurements of implant dimensions and Hounsfield units were recorded and qualitatively assessed. Of the 3 distinct window settings studied, namely, "bone" (W1100/L450), "soft tissue"; (W500/L50), and "implant" (W800/L200), the implant window proved the most ideal, allowing the investigators to visualize and evaluate Medpor in all cases. Qualitative analysis revealed that Medpor implants were able to be distinguished from surrounding tissue in both the implant and soft tissue windows, with a density falling between that of fat and fluid. In 1 case, Medpor could not be visualized in the soft tissue window, although it could be visualized in the implant window. Quantitative analysis demonstrated a mean (SD) density of -38.7 (7.4) Hounsfield units. Medpor may be optimally visualized on conventional CT scans using the implant window settings W800/L200, which can aid in imaging Medpor and diagnosing implant-related complications.

3-D interactive visualisation tools for Hi spectral line imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Hulst, J. M.; Punzo, D.; Roerdink, J. B. T. M.

2017-06-01

Upcoming HI surveys will deliver such large datasets that automated processing using the full 3-D information to find and characterize HI objects is unavoidable. Full 3-D visualization is an essential tool for enabling qualitative and quantitative inspection and analysis of the 3-D data, which is often complex in nature. Here we present SlicerAstro, an open-source extension of 3DSlicer, a multi-platform open source software package for visualization and medical image processing, which we developed for the inspection and analysis of HI spectral line data. We describe its initial capabilities, including 3-D filtering, 3-D selection and comparative modelling.

Decolonizing Education: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Post-Secondary Humanities Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Kimberly C.

2012-01-01

This dissertation examines nine post-secondary humanities textbooks published between 2001 and 2011 using an approach that includes both qualitative and quantitative methodology to analyze the written and visual content of humanities textbooks. This dissertation engages in current debates that address bias in humanities textbooks and contributes…

Patterns of functional vision loss in glaucoma determined with archetypal analysis

PubMed Central

Elze, Tobias; Pasquale, Louis R.; Shen, Lucy Q.; Chen, Teresa C.; Wiggs, Janey L.; Bex, Peter J.

2015-01-01

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy accompanied by vision loss which can be mapped by visual field (VF) testing revealing characteristic patterns related to the retinal nerve fibre layer anatomy. While detailed knowledge about these patterns is important to understand the anatomic and genetic aspects of glaucoma, current classification schemes are typically predominantly derived qualitatively. Here, we classify glaucomatous vision loss quantitatively by statistically learning prototypical patterns on the convex hull of the data space. In contrast to component-based approaches, this method emphasizes distinct aspects of the data and provides patterns that are easier to interpret for clinicians. Based on 13 231 reliable Humphrey VFs from a large clinical glaucoma practice, we identify an optimal solution with 17 glaucomatous vision loss prototypes which fit well with previously described qualitative patterns from a large clinical study. We illustrate relations of our patterns to retinal structure by a previously developed mathematical model. In contrast to the qualitative clinical approaches, our results can serve as a framework to quantify the various subtypes of glaucomatous visual field loss. PMID:25505132

CAD system for automatic analysis of CT perfusion maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hachaj, T.; Ogiela, M. R.

2011-03-01

In this article, authors present novel algorithms developed for the computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) system for analysis of dynamic brain perfusion, computer tomography (CT) maps, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebral blood volume (CBV). Those methods perform both quantitative analysis [detection and measurement and description with brain anatomy atlas (AA) of potential asymmetries/lesions] and qualitative analysis (semantic interpretation of visualized symptoms). The semantic interpretation (decision about type of lesion: ischemic/hemorrhagic, is the brain tissue at risk of infraction or not) of visualized symptoms is done by, so-called, cognitive inference processes allowing for reasoning on character of pathological regions based on specialist image knowledge. The whole system is implemented in.NET platform (C# programming language) and can be used on any standard PC computer with.NET framework installed.

Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Results in Health Science Mixed Methods Research Through Joint Displays.

PubMed

Guetterman, Timothy C; Fetters, Michael D; Creswell, John W

2015-11-01

Mixed methods research is becoming an important methodology to investigate complex health-related topics, yet the meaningful integration of qualitative and quantitative data remains elusive and needs further development. A promising innovation to facilitate integration is the use of visual joint displays that bring data together visually to draw out new insights. The purpose of this study was to identify exemplar joint displays by analyzing the various types of joint displays being used in published articles. We searched for empirical articles that included joint displays in 3 journals that publish state-of-the-art mixed methods research. We analyzed each of 19 identified joint displays to extract the type of display, mixed methods design, purpose, rationale, qualitative and quantitative data sources, integration approaches, and analytic strategies. Our analysis focused on what each display communicated and its representation of mixed methods analysis. The most prevalent types of joint displays were statistics-by-themes and side-by-side comparisons. Innovative joint displays connected findings to theoretical frameworks or recommendations. Researchers used joint displays for convergent, explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, and intervention designs. We identified exemplars for each of these designs by analyzing the inferences gained through using the joint display. Exemplars represented mixed methods integration, presented integrated results, and yielded new insights. Joint displays appear to provide a structure to discuss the integrated analysis and assist both researchers and readers in understanding how mixed methods provides new insights. We encourage researchers to use joint displays to integrate and represent mixed methods analysis and discuss their value. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Results in Health Science Mixed Methods Research Through Joint Displays

PubMed Central

Guetterman, Timothy C.; Fetters, Michael D.; Creswell, John W.

2015-01-01

PURPOSE Mixed methods research is becoming an important methodology to investigate complex health-related topics, yet the meaningful integration of qualitative and quantitative data remains elusive and needs further development. A promising innovation to facilitate integration is the use of visual joint displays that bring data together visually to draw out new insights. The purpose of this study was to identify exemplar joint displays by analyzing the various types of joint displays being used in published articles. METHODS We searched for empirical articles that included joint displays in 3 journals that publish state-of-the-art mixed methods research. We analyzed each of 19 identified joint displays to extract the type of display, mixed methods design, purpose, rationale, qualitative and quantitative data sources, integration approaches, and analytic strategies. Our analysis focused on what each display communicated and its representation of mixed methods analysis. RESULTS The most prevalent types of joint displays were statistics-by-themes and side-by-side comparisons. Innovative joint displays connected findings to theoretical frameworks or recommendations. Researchers used joint displays for convergent, explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, and intervention designs. We identified exemplars for each of these designs by analyzing the inferences gained through using the joint display. Exemplars represented mixed methods integration, presented integrated results, and yielded new insights. CONCLUSIONS Joint displays appear to provide a structure to discuss the integrated analysis and assist both researchers and readers in understanding how mixed methods provides new insights. We encourage researchers to use joint displays to integrate and represent mixed methods analysis and discuss their value. PMID:26553895

Diagnostic performance of qualitative shear-wave elastography according to different color map opacities for breast masses.

PubMed

Kim, Hana; Youk, Ji Hyun; Gweon, Hye Mi; Kim, Jeong-Ah; Son, Eun Ju

2013-08-01

To compare the diagnostic performance of qualitative shear-wave elastography (SWE) according to three different color map opacities for breast masses 101 patients aged 21-77 years with 113 breast masses underwent B-mode US and SWE under three different color map opacities (50%, 19% and 100%) before biopsy or surgery. Following SWE features were reviewed: visual pattern classification (pattern 1-4), color homogeneity (Ehomo) and six-point color score of maximum elasticity (Ecol). Combined with B-mode US and SWE, the likelihood of malignancy (LOM) was also scored. The area under the curve (AUC) was obtained by ROC curve analysis to assess the diagnostic performance under each color opacity. A visual color pattern, Ehomo, Ecol and LOM scoring were significantly different between benign and malignant lesions under all color opacities (P<0.001). For 50% opacity, AUCs of visual color pattern, Ecol, Ehomo and LOM scoring were 0.902, 0.951, 0.835 and 0.975. But, for each SWE feature, there was no significant difference in the AUC among three different color opacities. For all color opacities, visual color pattern and Ecol showed significantly higher AUC than Ehomo. In addition, a combined set of B-mode US and SWE showed significantly higher AUC than SWE alone for color patterns, Ehomo, but no significant difference was found in Ecol. Qualitative SWE was useful to differentiate benign from malignant breast lesion under all color opacities. The difference in color map opacity did not significantly influence diagnostic performance of SWE. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical Education Experiences at Residential Schools for Students Who Are Blind: A Phenomenological Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haegele, Justin A.; Sato, Takahiro; Zhu, Xihe; Avery, Timothy

2017-01-01

Introduction: Recently, researchers have explored the perspectives of those with disabilities to better understand their experiences in physical education. However, little has been done with focusing on those with visual impairments. Utilizing a qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis framework, the purpose of this study was to examine…

Photo-Elicitation: Reflexivity on Method, Analysis, and Graphic Portraits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richard, Veronica M.; Lahman, Maria K. E.

2015-01-01

In this methodological discussion, the authors detail and reflect on the processes of using photo-elicitation interviewing as a way to align with positive qualitative methodologies, to gain access to participant beliefs and values, and to highlight participant voices through their choices of words and visuals. A review of the literature and an…

Visualizing Identities in LIS Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackney, S. E.; Handel, Dinah; Hezekiah, Bianca; Hochman, Jessica; Lau, Amy; Sula, Chris Alen

2018-01-01

This paper is based on statistical and qualitative analysis of library and information science (LIS) literature. Our study asks the question of whether, and if so, how, and how often, the discourse generated by scholarly literature in LIS engages discussion about identity in LIS, what topics are covered, and whether the articles engage praxis, or…

Dynamic Attack Tree Tool for Risk Assessments

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

Black, Karl

2012-03-13

DATT enables interactive visualization, qualitative analysis and recording of cyber and other forms of risk. It facilitates dynamic risk-based approaches (as opposed to static compliance-based) to security and risk management in general. DATT allows decision makers to consistently prioritize risk mitigation strategies and quickly see where attention is most needed across the enterprise.

Scenario-Based Programming, Usability-Oriented Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexandron, Giora; Armoni, Michal; Gordon, Michal; Harel, David

2014-01-01

In this article, we discuss the possible connection between the programming language and the paradigm behind it, and programmers' tendency to adopt an external or internal perspective of the system they develop. Based on a qualitative analysis, we found that when working with the visual, interobject language of live sequence charts (LSC),…

Polarization visualization of changes of anisotropic meat structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blokhina, Anastasia A.; Ryzhova, Victoria A.; Kleshchenok, Maksim A.; Lobanova, Anastasiya Y.

2017-06-01

The main aspect in developing methods for optical diagnostics and visualization of biological tissues using polarized radiation is the transformation analysis of the state of light polarization when it is scattered by the medium. The polarization characteristic spatial distributions of the detected scattered radiation, in particular the degree of depolarization, have a pronounced anisotropy. The presence of optical anisotropy can provide valuable additional information on the structural features of the biological object and its physiological status. Analysis of the polarization characteristics of the scattered radiation of biological tissues in some cases provides a qualitatively new results in the study of biological samples. These results can be used in medicine and food industry.

Three-dimensional analysis of scoliosis surgery using stereophotogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Stanley B.; Booth, Kellogg S.; Reilly, Chris W.; Sawatzky, Bonita J.; Tredwell, Stephen J.

1994-04-01

A new stereophotogrammetric analysis and 3D visualization allow accurate assessment of the scoliotic spine during instrumentation. Stereophoto pairs taken at each stage of the operation and robust statistical techniques are used to compute 3D transformations of the vertebrae between stages. These determine rotation, translation, goodness of fit, and overall spinal contour. A polygonal model of the spine using commercial 3D modeling package is used to produce an animation sequence of the transformation. The visualization have provided some important observation. Correction of the scoliosis is achieved largely through vertebral translation and coronal plane rotation, contrary to claims that large axial rotations are required. The animations provide valuable qualitative information for surgeons assessing the results of scoliotic correction.

The Effect of Concept Mapping on Student Understanding and Correlation with Student Learning Styles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosley, William G.

This study investigated the use of concept mapping as a pedagogical strategy to promote change in the learning styles of pre-nursing students. Students' individual learning styles revealed two subsets of students; those who demonstrated a learning style that favors abstract conceptualization and those who demonstrated a learning style that favors concrete experience. Students in the experimental groups performed concept mapping activities designed to facilitate an integrative understanding of interactions between various organ systems of the body while the control group received a traditional didactic instruction without performing concept mapping activities. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in order to measure differences in student achievement. Analysis of the quantitative data revealed no significant change in the learning styles of students in either the control or experimental groups. Learning style groups were analyzed qualitatively for recurring or emergent themes that students identified as facilitating their learning. An analysis of qualitative data revealed that most students in the pre-nursing program were able to identify concepts within the class based upon visual cues, and a majority of these students exhibited the learning style of abstract conceptualization. As the laboratory experience for the course involves an examination of the anatomical structures of the human body, a visual identification of these structures seemed to be the most logical method to measure students' ability to identify anatomical structures.

Qualitative Dimensions in Scoring the Rey Visual Memory Test of Malingering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, G. A. Elmer; And Others

1996-01-01

A new qualitative scoring system for the Rey Visual Memory Test was tested for its ability to distinguish between malingerers and nonmalingerers. The new system, based on the types of errors made, was able to distinguish between 53 psychiatrically disabled and 64 normal nonmalingerers, and between nonmalingerers and 91 possible malingerers. (SLD)

Analysis of the critical thinking process of junior high school students in solving geometric problems by utilizing the v-a-k learning styles model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hananto, R. B.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Riyadi

2018-05-01

The research aims to identify the critical thinking process of students in solving geometry problems. The geometry problem selected in this study was the building of flat side room (cube). The critical thinking process was implemented to visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles. This research was a descriptive analysis research using qualitative method. The subjects of this research were 3 students selected by purposive sampling consisting of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. Data collection was done through test, interview, and observation. The results showed that the students' critical thinking process in identifying and defining steps for each learning style were similar in solving problems. The critical thinking differences were seen in enumerate, analyze, list, and self-correct steps. It was also found that critical thinking process of students with kinesthetic learning style was better than visual and auditory learning styles.

Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Glaucoma: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of the Optic Nerve Head and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (An AOS Thesis)

PubMed Central

Chen, Teresa C.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To demonstrate that video-rate spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) can qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate optic nerve head (ONH) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) glaucomatous structural changes. To correlate quantitative SDOCT parameters with disc photography and visual fields. Methods: SDOCT images from 4 glaucoma eyes (4 patients) with varying stages of open-angle glaucoma (ie, early, moderate, late) were qualitatively contrasted with 2 age-matched normal eyes (2 patients). Of 61 other consecutive patients recruited in an institutional setting, 53 eyes (33 patients) met inclusion/exclusion criteria for quantitative studies. Images were obtained using two experimental SDOCT systems, one utilizing a superluminescent diode and the other a titanium:sapphire laser source, with axial resolutions of about 6 μm and 3 μm, respectively. Results: Classic glaucomatous ONH and RNFL structural changes were seen in SDOCT images. An SDOCT reference plane 139 μm above the retinal pigment epithelium yielded cup-disc ratios that best correlated with masked physician disc photography cup-disc ratio assessments. The minimum distance band, a novel SDOCT neuroretinal rim parameter, showed good correlation with physician cup-disc ratio assessments, visual field mean deviation, and pattern standard deviation (P values range, .0003–.024). RNFL and retinal thickness maps correlated well with disc photography and visual field testing. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this thesis presents the first comprehensive qualitative and quantitative evaluation of SDOCT images of the ONH and RNFL in glaucoma. This pilot study provides basis for developing more automated quantitative SDOCT-specific glaucoma algorithms needed for future prospective multicenter national trials. PMID:20126502

Student Satisfaction With Blackboard-Style Videos.

PubMed

Wolf, Andrew B; Peyre, Sarah E

2018-04-19

Blackboard-style videos with simple drawings illustrating concepts have become immensely popular in recent years. However, there has been no published research evaluating their efficacy in nursing education. This pilot study evaluates the use of blackboard-style videos in an online pathophysiology course. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation data were analyzed to evaluate student satisfaction. The data indicated that students were highly satisfied with the course and the delivery of content using blackboard-style videos. The qualitative analysis uncovered two key themes explaining the high level of satisfaction: visual plus narrative explanations support learning and student control over pacing enhances learning.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stockall, Nancy

2013-01-01

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

Land Cover Change and Remote Sensing in the Classroom: An Exercise to Study Urban Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delahunty, Tina; Lewis-Gonzales, Sarah; Phelps, Jack; Sawicki, Ben; Roberts, Charles; Carpenter, Penny

2012-01-01

The processes and implications of urban growth are studied in a variety of disciplines as urban growth affects both the physical and human landscape. Remote sensing methods provide ways to visualize and mathematically represent urban growth; and resultant land cover change data enable both quantitative and qualitative analysis. This article helps…

Cultural Commonalities and Differences in Spatial Problem-Solving: A Computational Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovett, Andrew; Forbus, Kenneth

2011-01-01

A fundamental question in human cognition is how people reason about space. We use a computational model to explore cross-cultural commonalities and differences in spatial cognition. Our model is based upon two hypotheses: (1) the structure-mapping model of analogy can explain the visual comparisons used in spatial reasoning; and (2) qualitative,…

The Shape of Joy, the Colour of Fear: Multimodal Abduction in the Foreign Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Mark Evan; Johnson, Neil H.

2014-01-01

In this article, we describe a programme of qualitative research and interpretive analysis around an approach to foreign language pedagogy that aimed to develop learners' symbolic competence through experience with and examination of the signs in acts of communication. Learners were presented with the problem of visually representing the abstract…

Qualitative Contrast between Knowledge-Limited Mixed-State and Variable-Resources Models of Visual Change Detection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nosofsky, Robert M.; Donkin, Chris

2016-01-01

We report an experiment designed to provide a qualitative contrast between knowledge-limited versions of mixed-state and variable-resources (VR) models of visual change detection. The key data pattern is that observers often respond "same" on big-change trials, while simultaneously being able to discriminate between same and small-change…

Flow visualization and modeling for education and outreach in low-income countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motanated, K.

2016-12-01

Being able to visualize the dynamic interaction between the movement of water and sediment flux is undeniably a profound tool for students and novices to understand complicated earth surface processes. In a laser-sheet flow visualization technique, a light source that is thin and monochromatic is required to illuminate sediments or tracers in the flow. However, an ideal laser sheet generator is rather expensive, especially for schools and universities residing in low-income countries. This project is proposing less-expensive options for a laser-sheet source and flow visualization experiment configuration for qualitative observation and quantitative analysis of the interaction between fluid media and sediments. Here, Fresnel lens is used to convert from point laser into sheet laser. Multiple combinations of laser diodes of various wavelength (nanometer) and power (milliwatt) and Fresnel lenses of various dimensions are analyzed. The pair that is able to produce the thinnest and brightest light sheet is not only effective but also affordable. The motion of sediments in a flow can be observed by illuminating the laser-sheet in an interested flow region. The particle motion is recorded by a video camera that is capable of taking multiple frames per second and having a narrow depth of view. The recorded video file can be played in a slow-motion mode so students can visually observe and qualitatively analyze the particle motion. An open source software package for Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) can calculate the local velocity of particles from still images extracted from the video and create a vector map depicting particle motion. This flow visualization experiment is inexpensive and the configuration is simple to setup. Most importantly, this flow visualization technique serves as a fundamental tool for earth surface process education and can further be applied to sedimentary process modeling.

Qualitative evaluation of water displacement in simulated analytical breaststroke movements.

PubMed

Martens, Jonas; Daly, Daniel

2012-05-01

One purpose of evaluating a swimmer is to establish the individualized optimal technique. A swimmer's particular body structure and the resulting movement pattern will cause the surrounding water to react in differing ways. Consequently, an assessment method based on flow visualization was developed complimentary to movement analysis and body structure quantification. A fluorescent dye was used to make the water displaced by the body visible on video. To examine the hypothesis on the propulsive mechanisms applied in breaststroke swimming, we analyzed the movements of the surrounding water during 4 analytical breaststroke movements using the flow visualization technique.

Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure (PRISM): A novel visual instrument to measure quality of life in dermatological inpatients.

PubMed

Mühleisen, Beda; Büchi, Stefan; Schmidhauser, Simone; Jenewein, Josef; French, Lars E; Hofbauer, Günther F L

2009-07-01

To validate the PRISM (Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure) tool, a novel visual instrument, for the assessment of health-related quality of life in dermatological inpatients compared with the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and the Skindex-29 questionnaires and to report qualitative information on PRISM. In an open longitudinal study, PRISM and Skindex-29 and DLQI questionnaires were completed and HRQOL measurements compared. Academic dermatological inpatient ward. The study population comprised 227 sequential dermatological inpatients on admission. Patients completed the PRISM tool and the Skindex-29 and DLQI questionnaires at admission and discharge. PRISM Self-Illness Separation (SIS) score; Skindex-29 and DLQI scores; and qualitative PRISM information by Mayring inductive qualitative context analysis. The PRISM scores correlated well with those from the Skindex-29 (rho = 0.426; P < .001) and DLQI (rho = 0.304; P < .001) questionnaires. Between PRISM and Skindex-29 scores, the highest correlations were for dermatitis (rho = 0.614) and leg ulcer (rho = 0.554), and between PRISM and DLQI scores, the highest correlations were for psoriasis (rho = 0.418) and tumor (rho = 0.399). The PRISM tool showed comparable or higher sensitivity than quality of life questionnaires to assess changes in the burden of suffering during hospitalization. Inductive qualitative context analysis revealed impairment of adjustment and self-image as major aspects. Patients overall expected symptomatic and functional improvement. In patients with psoriasis and leg ulcers, many expected no treatment benefit. The PRISM tool proved to be convenient and reliable for health-related quality of life assessment, applicable for a wide range of skin diseases, and correlated with DLQI and Skindex-29 scores. With the PRISM tool, free-text answers allow for the assessment of individual information and potentially customized therapeutic approaches.

Experienced quality factors: qualitative evaluation approach to audiovisual quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jumisko-Pyykkö, Satu; Häkkinen, Jukka; Nyman, Göte

2007-02-01

Subjective evaluation is used to identify impairment factors of multimedia quality. The final quality is often formulated via quantitative experiments, but this approach has its constraints, as subject's quality interpretations, experiences and quality evaluation criteria are disregarded. To identify these quality evaluation factors, this study examined qualitatively the criteria participants used to evaluate audiovisual video quality. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 60 participants after a subjective audiovisual quality evaluation experiment. The assessment compared several, relatively low audio-video bitrate ratios with five different television contents on mobile device. In the analysis, methodological triangulation (grounded theory, Bayesian networks and correspondence analysis) was applied to approach the qualitative quality. The results showed that the most important evaluation criteria were the factors of visual quality, contents, factors of audio quality, usefulness - followability and audiovisual interaction. Several relations between the quality factors and the similarities between the contents were identified. As a research methodological recommendation, the focus on content and usage related factors need to be further examined to improve the quality evaluation experiments.

Visual methods in health dialogues: A qualitative study of public health nurse practice in schools.

PubMed

Laholt, Hilde; Guillemin, Marilys; Mcleod, Kim; Olsen, Randi Elisabeth; Lorem, Geir Fagerjord

2017-12-01

We aimed to explore how using visual methods might improve or complicate the dynamics of the health dialogue between public health nurses (PHNs) and school pupils. This was done from the perspective of PHNs, specifically examining how they understood their role and practice as a PHN and the application of visual methods in this practice. The health dialogue is a method used by PHNs in school nursing in Norway. In this practice, there can be communicative barriers between pupils and PHNs. Investigating how PHNs understand their professional practice can lead to ways of addressing these communicative barriers, which can affect pupil satisfaction and achievement of health-related behaviours in the school context. Specifically, the use of visual methods by PHNs may address these communicative barriers. The research design was qualitative, using focus groups combined with visual methods. We conducted focus group interviews using a semi-structured discussion guide and visual methods with five groups of PHNs (n = 31) working in northern Norwegian school health services. The data were collected during January and February 2016. Discussions were audio recorded, transcribed and coded into themes and sub-themes using systematic text condensation and drawings were analysed using interpretive engagement, a method of visual analysis. Drawings and focus group discussions showed that PHNs perceived their professional practice as primarily a relational praxis. The PHNs used a variety of visual methods as part of the health dialogue with school pupils. This active use of visualization worked to build and strengthen relations when words were inadequate and served to enhance the flexible and relational practice employed by the PHNs. PHNs used different kinds of visualization methods to establish relations with school pupils, especially when verbalization by the pupils was difficult. PHNs were aware of both the benefits and challenges of using visualization with school pupils in health education. We recommend the use of visual methods in schools because they are useful for PHNs, other health professionals and teachers working with children and young people in developing relations, particularly where verbal communication may be a challenge. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Utilizing visual art to enhance the clinical observation skills of medical students.

PubMed

Jasani, Sona K; Saks, Norma S

2013-07-01

Clinical observation is fundamental in practicing medicine, but these skills are rarely taught. Currently no evidence-based exercises/courses exist for medical student training in observation skills. The goal was to develop and teach a visual arts-based exercise for medical students, and to evaluate its usefulness in enhancing observation skills in clinical diagnosis. A pre- and posttest and evaluation survey were developed for a three-hour exercise presented to medical students just before starting clerkships. Students were provided with questions to guide discussion of both representational and non-representational works of art. Quantitative analysis revealed that the mean number of observations between pre- and posttests was not significantly different (n=70: 8.63 vs. 9.13, p=0.22). Qualitative analysis of written responses identified four themes: (1) use of subjective terminology, (2) scope of interpretations, (3) speculative thinking, and (4) use of visual analogies. Evaluative comments indicated that students felt the exercise enhanced both mindfulness and skills. Using visual art images with guided questions can train medical students in observation skills. This exercise can be replicated without specially trained personnel or art museum partnerships.

A pilot mixed methods study of patient satisfaction with chiropractic care for back pain.

PubMed

Rowell, Robert M; Polipnick, Judith

2008-10-01

Patient satisfaction is important to payers, clinicians, and patients. The concept of satisfaction is multifactorial and measurement is challenging. Our objective was to explore the use of a mixed-methods design to examine patient satisfaction with chiropractic care for low back pain. Patients were treated 3 times per week for 3 weeks. Outcomes were collected at week 3 and week 4. Qualitative interviews were conducted by the treating clinician and a nontreating staff member. Outcome measures were the Roland Morris Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, the visual analog scale for pain, and the Patient Satisfaction Scale. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and analyzed for themes and constructs of satisfaction. We compared qualitative interview data with quantitative outcomes, and qualitative data from 2 different interviewers. All patients reported high levels of satisfaction. Clinical outcomes were unremarkable with little change noted on visual analog scale and Roland Morris Back Pain Disability Questionnaire scores. We categorized patient comments into the same constructs of satisfaction as those identified for the Patient Satisfaction Scale: Information, Effectiveness, and Caring. An additional construct (Quality of Care) and additional subcategories were identified. Satisfaction with care is not explained by outcome alone. The qualitative data collected from 2 different interviewers had few differences. The results of this study suggest that it is feasible to use a mixed-methods design to examine patient satisfaction. We were able to refine data collection and analysis procedures for the outcome measures and qualitative interview data. We identified limitations and offer recommendations for the next step: the implementation of a larger study.

An efficient visualization method for analyzing biometric data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmes, Mark; McGonagle, Mike; Yates, J. Harlan; Henning, Ronda; Hackett, Jay

2013-05-01

We introduce a novel application for biometric data analysis. This technology can be used as part of a unique and systematic approach designed to augment existing processing chains. Our system provides image quality control and analysis capabilities. We show how analysis and efficient visualization are used as part of an automated process. The goal of this system is to provide a unified platform for the analysis of biometric images that reduce manual effort and increase the likelihood of a match being brought to an examiner's attention from either a manual or lights-out application. We discuss the functionality of FeatureSCOPE™ which provides an efficient tool for feature analysis and quality control of biometric extracted features. Biometric databases must be checked for accuracy for a large volume of data attributes. Our solution accelerates review of features by a factor of up to 100 times. Review of qualitative results and cost reduction is shown by using efficient parallel visual review for quality control. Our process automatically sorts and filters features for examination, and packs these into a condensed view. An analyst can then rapidly page through screens of features and flag and annotate outliers as necessary.

Determination of Three-Dimensional Left Ventricle Motion to Analyze Ventricular Dyssyncrony in SPECT Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebelo, Marina de Sá; Aarre, Ann Kirstine Hummelgaard; Clemmesen, Karen-Louise; Brandão, Simone Cristina Soares; Giorgi, Maria Clementina; Meneghetti, José Cláudio; Gutierrez, Marco Antonio

2009-12-01

A method to compute three-dimension (3D) left ventricle (LV) motion and its color coded visualization scheme for the qualitative analysis in SPECT images is proposed. It is used to investigate some aspects of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT). The method was applied to 3D gated-SPECT images sets from normal subjects and patients with severe Idiopathic Heart Failure, before and after CRT. Color coded visualization maps representing the LV regional motion showed significant difference between patients and normal subjects. Moreover, they indicated a difference between the two groups. Numerical results of regional mean values representing the intensity and direction of movement in radial direction are presented. A difference of one order of magnitude in the intensity of the movement on patients in relation to the normal subjects was observed. Quantitative and qualitative parameters gave good indications of potential application of the technique to diagnosis and follow up of patients submitted to CRT.

A Visual Arts Education pedagogical approach for enhancing quality of life for persons with dementia (innovative practice).

PubMed

Tietyen, Ann C; Richards, Allan G

2017-01-01

A new and innovative pedagogical approach that administers hands-on visual arts activities to persons with dementia based on the field of Visual Arts Education is reported in this paper. The aims of this approach are to enhance cognition and improve quality of life. These aims were explored in a small qualitative study with eight individuals with moderate dementia, and the results are published as a thesis. In this paper, we summarize and report the results of this small qualitative study and expand upon the rationale for the Visual Arts Education pedagogical approach that has shown promise for enhancing cognitive processes and improving quality of life for persons with dementia.

FluoRender: joint freehand segmentation and visualization for many-channel fluorescence data analysis.

PubMed

Wan, Yong; Otsuna, Hideo; Holman, Holly A; Bagley, Brig; Ito, Masayoshi; Lewis, A Kelsey; Colasanto, Mary; Kardon, Gabrielle; Ito, Kei; Hansen, Charles

2017-05-26

Image segmentation and registration techniques have enabled biologists to place large amounts of volume data from fluorescence microscopy, morphed three-dimensionally, onto a common spatial frame. Existing tools built on volume visualization pipelines for single channel or red-green-blue (RGB) channels have become inadequate for the new challenges of fluorescence microscopy. For a three-dimensional atlas of the insect nervous system, hundreds of volume channels are rendered simultaneously, whereas fluorescence intensity values from each channel need to be preserved for versatile adjustment and analysis. Although several existing tools have incorporated support of multichannel data using various strategies, the lack of a flexible design has made true many-channel visualization and analysis unavailable. The most common practice for many-channel volume data presentation is still converting and rendering pseudosurfaces, which are inaccurate for both qualitative and quantitative evaluations. Here, we present an alternative design strategy that accommodates the visualization and analysis of about 100 volume channels, each of which can be interactively adjusted, selected, and segmented using freehand tools. Our multichannel visualization includes a multilevel streaming pipeline plus a triple-buffer compositing technique. Our method also preserves original fluorescence intensity values on graphics hardware, a crucial feature that allows graphics-processing-unit (GPU)-based processing for interactive data analysis, such as freehand segmentation. We have implemented the design strategies as a thorough restructuring of our original tool, FluoRender. The redesign of FluoRender not only maintains the existing multichannel capabilities for a greatly extended number of volume channels, but also enables new analysis functions for many-channel data from emerging biomedical-imaging techniques.

Photography activities for developing students’ spatial orientation and spatial visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendroanto, Aan; van Galen, Frans; van Eerde, D.; Prahmana, R. C. I.; Setyawan, F.; Istiandaru, A.

2017-12-01

Spatial orientation and spatial visualization are the foundation of students’ spatial ability. They assist students’ performance in learning mathematics, especially geometry. Considering its importance, the present study aims to design activities to help young learners developing their spatial orientation and spatial visualization ability. Photography activity was chosen as the context of the activity to guide and support the students. This is a design research study consisting of three phases: 1) preparation and designing 2) teaching experiment, and 3) retrospective analysis. The data is collected by tests and interview and qualitatively analyzed. We developed two photography activities to be tested. In the teaching experiments, 30 students of SD Laboratorium UNESA, Surabaya were involved. The results showed that the activities supported the development of students’ spatial orientation and spatial visualization indicated by students’ learning progresses, answers, and strategies when they solved the problems in the activities.

The portrayal of infant feeding in British women's magazines: a qualitative and quantitative content analysis.

PubMed

O'Brien, E; Myles, P; Pritchard, C

2017-06-01

Exclusive breastfeeding is the best start an infant can receive. However, in many high-income countries breastfeeding rates are low and this may be a reflection of social norms which in turn may be influenced by the media. This study therefore explored the portrayal of infant feeding in women's general interest magazines. The five top selling women's weekly magazines in Britain and Ireland for 2013 over a 4-month period were included. A quantitative and qualitative content analysis was conducted for both written and visual content. In 58 magazines, there were 90 references to infant feeding with an average of 1.5 (range: 0-5) per magazine. Breastfeeding and formula feeding references were present in equal number and both were predominantly portrayed positively. There was only 1 visual representation of breast feeding compared with 11 of bottle feeding. Potential drivers for breastfeeding included its role in post-pregnancy weight loss and celebrity endorsement while family routine, the role of males in the house and concerns about adverse health effects were identified as barriers to breastfeeding. An improvement in visual representations of breast feeding and factual information in women's weekly magazines may be helpful in re-defining social norms regarding infant feeding. Keywords: food and nutrition, health promotion, public health. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mamur, Nuray

2012-01-01

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

High speed digital holographic interferometry for hypersonic flow visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hegde, G. M.; Jagdeesh, G.; Reddy, K. P. J.

2013-06-01

Optical imaging techniques have played a major role in understanding the flow dynamics of varieties of fluid flows, particularly in the study of hypersonic flows. Schlieren and shadowgraph techniques have been the flow diagnostic tools for the investigation of compressible flows since more than a century. However these techniques provide only the qualitative information about the flow field. Other optical techniques such as holographic interferometry and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) have been used extensively for extracting quantitative information about the high speed flows. In this paper we present the application of digital holographic interferometry (DHI) technique integrated with short duration hypersonic shock tunnel facility having 1 ms test time, for quantitative flow visualization. Dynamics of the flow fields in hypersonic/supersonic speeds around different test models is visualized with DHI using a high-speed digital camera (0.2 million fps). These visualization results are compared with schlieren visualization and CFD simulation results. Fringe analysis is carried out to estimate the density of the flow field.

The effects of computer-based dynamic visualization simulations on student learning in high school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moodley, Sadha

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of dynamic computer-based visualizations of the classical model of particle behavior helps to improve student understanding, performance, and interest in science when used by teachers as visual presentations to complement their traditional methods of teaching. The software, Virtual Molecular Dynamics Laboratory (VMDL), was developed at the Center for Polymer Studies at Boston University through funding from the National Science Foundation. The design of the study included five pairs of classes in four different schools in New England from the inner city and from advantaged suburbs. The study employed a treatment-control group design for testing the impact of several VMDL simulations on student learning in several content areas from traditional chemistry and physical science courses. The study employed a mixed qualitative and quantitative design. The quantitative part involved administering the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) as well as post-tests that were topic specific. An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted on the test scores with the GALT scores serving as a covariate. Results of the ANCOVA showed that students' understanding and performance were better in classes where teachers used the computer-based dynamic visualizations to complement their traditional teaching. GALT scores were significantly different among schools but very similar within schools. They were significant in adjusting post-test scores for pre-treatment differences for only two of the schools. The treatment groups outscored the control groups in all five comparisons. The mean differences reached statistical significance at the p < .01 level in only four of the comparisons. The qualitative part of the study involved classroom observations and student interviews. Analysis of classroom observations revealed a shift in classroom dynamics to more learner-centeredness with greater engagement by students, especially in classes that tended to have little student participation without the simulations. Analysis of the student interviews indicated that the dynamic visualizations made learning more enjoyable, helped with remembering, and enhanced students abilities to make connections between the nanoscopic and macroscopic science.

A software tool for automatic classification and segmentation of 2D/3D medical images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strzelecki, Michal; Szczypinski, Piotr; Materka, Andrzej; Klepaczko, Artur

2013-02-01

Modern medical diagnosis utilizes techniques of visualization of human internal organs (CT, MRI) or of its metabolism (PET). However, evaluation of acquired images made by human experts is usually subjective and qualitative only. Quantitative analysis of MR data, including tissue classification and segmentation, is necessary to perform e.g. attenuation compensation, motion detection, and correction of partial volume effect in PET images, acquired with PET/MR scanners. This article presents briefly a MaZda software package, which supports 2D and 3D medical image analysis aiming at quantification of image texture. MaZda implements procedures for evaluation, selection and extraction of highly discriminative texture attributes combined with various classification, visualization and segmentation tools. Examples of MaZda application in medical studies are also provided.

Dementia and Imagination: a mixed-methods protocol for arts and science research

PubMed Central

Windle, Gill; Newman, Andrew; Burholt, Vanessa; Woods, Bob; O'Brien, Dave; Baber, Michael; Hounsome, Barry; Parkinson, Clive; Tischler, Victoria

2016-01-01

Introduction Dementia and Imagination is a multidisciplinary research collaboration bringing together arts and science to address current evidence limitations around the benefits of visual art activities in dementia care. The research questions ask: Can art improve quality of life and well-being? If it does make a difference, how does it do this—and why? Does it have wider social and community benefits? Methods and analysis This mixed-methods study recruits participants from residential care homes, National Health Service (NHS) wards and communities in England and Wales. A visual art intervention is developed and delivered as 1×2-hour weekly group session for 3 months in care and community settings to N=100 people living with dementia. Quantitative and qualitative data are collected at 3 time points to examine the impact on their quality of life, and the perceptions of those who care for them (N=100 family and professional carers). Repeated-measures systematic observations of well-being are obtained during the intervention (intervention vs control condition). The health economics component conducts a social return on investment evaluation of the intervention. Qualitative data are collected at 3 time points (n=35 carers/staff and n=35 people living with dementia) to explore changes in social connectedness. Self-reported outcomes of the intervention delivery are obtained (n=100). Focus groups with intervention participants (n=40) explore perceptions of impact. Social network analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from arts and healthcare professionals (N=100) examines changes in perceptions and practice. Ethics and dissemination The study is approved by North Wales Research Ethics Committee—West. A range of activities will share the research findings, including international and national academic conferences, quarterly newsletters and the project website. Public engagement projects will target a broad range of stakeholders. Policy and practice summaries will be developed. The visual art intervention protocol will be developed as a freely available practitioners guide. PMID:27807080

Qualitative interpretation of PET scans using a Likert scale to assess neck node response to radiotherapy in head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Sjövall, Johanna; Bitzén, Ulrika; Kjellén, Elisabeth; Nilsson, Per; Wahlberg, Peter; Brun, Eva

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether PET scans after radiotherapy (RT), visually interpreted as equivocal regarding metabolic neck node response can be used to accurately categorize patients as responders or nonresponders using a Likert scale and/or maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). Other aims were to determine the performance of different methods for assessing post-RT PET scans (visual inspection, a Likert scale and SUVmax) and to establish whether any method is superior in predicting regional control (RC) and overall survival (OS). In 105 patients with neck node-positive head and neck cancer, the neck node response was evaluated by FDG PET/CT 6 weeks after RT. The scans were clinically assessed by visual inspection and, for the purposes of this analysis, re-evaluated using the Deauville criteria, a five-point Likert scale previously used in lymphoma studies. In addition, SUVmax was determined. All assessment methods were able to significantly predict RC but not OS. The methods were also able to significantly predict remission of tumour after completion of RT. Of the 105 PET scans, 19 were judged as equivocal on visual inspection. The Likert scale was preferable to SUVmax for grouping patients as responders or nonresponders. All methods (visual inspection, SUVmax and the Likert scale) identified responders and nonresponders and predicted RC. A Likert scale is a promising tool to reduce to a minimum the problem of PET scans judged as equivocal. Consensus regarding qualitative assessment would facilitate PET reporting in clinical practice.

Simulations of Carnival Rides and Rube Goldberg Machines for the Visualization of Concepts of Statics and Dynamics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, William; Williams, Richard; Yao, Jason

2010-01-01

Solid modeling is widely used as a teaching tool in summer activities with high school students. The addition of motion analysis allows concepts from statics and dynamics to be introduced to students in both qualitative and quantitative ways. Two sets of solid modeling projects--carnival rides and Rube Goldberg machines--are shown to allow the…

Visual Aggregate Analysis of Eligibility Features of Clinical Trials

PubMed Central

He, Zhe; Carini, Simona; Sim, Ida; Weng, Chunhua

2015-01-01

Objective To develop a method for profiling the collective populations targeted for recruitment by multiple clinical studies addressing the same medical condition using one eligibility feature each time. Methods Using a previously published database COMPACT as the backend, we designed a scalable method for visual aggregate analysis of clinical trial eligibility features. This method consists of four modules for eligibility feature frequency analysis, query builder, distribution analysis, and visualization, respectively. This method is capable of analyzing (1) frequently used qualitative and quantitative features for recruiting subjects for a selected medical condition, (2) distribution of study enrollment on consecutive value points or value intervals of each quantitative feature, and (3) distribution of studies on the boundary values, permissible value ranges, and value range widths of each feature. All analysis results were visualized using Google Charts API. Five recruited potential users assessed the usefulness of this method for identifying common patterns in any selected eligibility feature for clinical trial participant selection. Results We implemented this method as a Web-based analytical system called VITTA (Visual Analysis Tool of Clinical Study Target Populations). We illustrated the functionality of VITTA using two sample queries involving quantitative features BMI and HbA1c for conditions “hypertension” and “Type 2 diabetes”, respectively. The recruited potential users rated the user-perceived usefulness of VITTA with an average score of 86.4/100. Conclusions We contributed a novel aggregate analysis method to enable the interrogation of common patterns in quantitative eligibility criteria and the collective target populations of multiple related clinical studies. A larger-scale study is warranted to formally assess the usefulness of VITTA among clinical investigators and sponsors in various therapeutic areas. PMID:25615940

Visual aggregate analysis of eligibility features of clinical trials.

PubMed

He, Zhe; Carini, Simona; Sim, Ida; Weng, Chunhua

2015-04-01

To develop a method for profiling the collective populations targeted for recruitment by multiple clinical studies addressing the same medical condition using one eligibility feature each time. Using a previously published database COMPACT as the backend, we designed a scalable method for visual aggregate analysis of clinical trial eligibility features. This method consists of four modules for eligibility feature frequency analysis, query builder, distribution analysis, and visualization, respectively. This method is capable of analyzing (1) frequently used qualitative and quantitative features for recruiting subjects for a selected medical condition, (2) distribution of study enrollment on consecutive value points or value intervals of each quantitative feature, and (3) distribution of studies on the boundary values, permissible value ranges, and value range widths of each feature. All analysis results were visualized using Google Charts API. Five recruited potential users assessed the usefulness of this method for identifying common patterns in any selected eligibility feature for clinical trial participant selection. We implemented this method as a Web-based analytical system called VITTA (Visual Analysis Tool of Clinical Study Target Populations). We illustrated the functionality of VITTA using two sample queries involving quantitative features BMI and HbA1c for conditions "hypertension" and "Type 2 diabetes", respectively. The recruited potential users rated the user-perceived usefulness of VITTA with an average score of 86.4/100. We contributed a novel aggregate analysis method to enable the interrogation of common patterns in quantitative eligibility criteria and the collective target populations of multiple related clinical studies. A larger-scale study is warranted to formally assess the usefulness of VITTA among clinical investigators and sponsors in various therapeutic areas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Hartmann, Anja, E-mail: hartmann@ipk-gatersleben.de; Schreiber, Falk; Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle

The characterization of biological systems with respect to their behavior and functionality based on versatile biochemical interactions is a major challenge. To understand these complex mechanisms at systems level modeling approaches are investigated. Different modeling formalisms allow metabolic models to be analyzed depending on the question to be solved, the biochemical knowledge and the availability of experimental data. Here, we describe a method for an integrative analysis of the structure and dynamics represented by qualitative and quantitative metabolic models. Using various formalisms, the metabolic model is analyzed from different perspectives. Determined structural and dynamic properties are visualized in the contextmore » of the metabolic model. Interaction techniques allow the exploration and visual analysis thereby leading to a broader understanding of the behavior and functionality of the underlying biological system. The System Biology Metabolic Model Framework (SBM{sup 2} – Framework) implements the developed method and, as an example, is applied for the integrative analysis of the crop plant potato.« less

Students’ thinking preferences in solving mathematics problems based on learning styles: a comparison of paper-pencil and geogebra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farihah, Umi

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze students’ thinking preferences in solving mathematics problems using paper pencil comparing to geogebra based on their learning styles. This research employed a qualitative descriptive study. The subjects of this research was six of eighth grade students of Madrasah Tsanawiyah Negeri 2 Trenggalek, East Java Indonesia academic year 2015-2016 with their difference learning styles; two visual students, two auditory students, and two kinesthetic students.. During the interview, the students presented the Paper and Pencil-based Task (PBTs) and the Geogebra-based Task (GBTs). By investigating students’ solution methods and the representation in solving the problems, the researcher compared their visual and non-visual thinking preferences in solving mathematics problems while they were using Geogebra and without Geogebra. Based on the result of research analysis, it was shown that the comparison between students’ PBTs and GBTs solution either visual, auditory, or kinesthetic represented how Geogebra can influence their solution method. By using Geogebra, they prefer using visual method while presenting GBTs to using non-visual method.

Extending Beyond Qualitative Interviewing to Illuminate the Tacit Nature of Everyday Occupation: Occupational Mapping and Participatory Occupation Methods.

PubMed

Huot, Suzanne; Rudman, Debbie Laliberte

2015-07-01

The study of human occupation requires a variety of methods to fully elucidate its complex, multifaceted nature. Although qualitative approaches have commonly been used within occupational therapy and occupational science, we contend that such qualitative research must extend beyond the sole use of interviews. Drawing on qualitative methodological literature, we discuss the limits of interview methods and outline other methods, particularly visual methods, as productive means to enhance qualitative research. We then provide an overview of our critical ethnographic study that used narrative, visual, and observational methods to explore the occupational transitions experienced by immigrants to Canada. We describe our use of occupational mapping and participatory occupation methods and the contributions of these combined methods. We conclude that adopting a variety of methods can enable a deeper understanding of the tacit nature of everyday occupation, and is key to advancing knowledge regarding occupation and to informing occupational therapy practice.

A novel combined approach of diffuse reflectance UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis for non-destructive examination of blue ballpoint pen inks in forensic application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Raj; Sharma, Vishal

2017-03-01

The present research is focused on the analysis of writing inks using destructive UV-Vis spectroscopy (dissolution of ink by the solvent) and non-destructive diffuse reflectance UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy along with Chemometrics. Fifty seven samples of blue ballpoint pen inks were analyzed under optimum conditions to determine the differences in spectral features of inks among same and different manufacturers. Normalization was performed on the spectroscopic data before chemometric analysis. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and K-mean cluster analysis were used on the data to ascertain whether the blue ballpoint pen inks could be differentiated by their UV-Vis/UV-Vis NIR spectra. The discriminating power is calculated by qualitative analysis by the visual comparison of the spectra (absorbance peaks), produced by the destructive and non-destructive methods. In the latter two methods, the pairwise comparison is made by incorporating the clustering method. It is found that chemometric method provides better discriminating power (98.72% and 99.46%, in destructive and non-destructive, respectively) in comparison to the qualitative analysis (69.67%).

#FluxFlow: Visual Analysis of Anomalous Information Spreading on Social Media.

PubMed

Zhao, Jian; Cao, Nan; Wen, Zhen; Song, Yale; Lin, Yu-Ru; Collins, Christopher

2014-12-01

We present FluxFlow, an interactive visual analysis system for revealing and analyzing anomalous information spreading in social media. Everyday, millions of messages are created, commented, and shared by people on social media websites, such as Twitter and Facebook. This provides valuable data for researchers and practitioners in many application domains, such as marketing, to inform decision-making. Distilling valuable social signals from the huge crowd's messages, however, is challenging, due to the heterogeneous and dynamic crowd behaviors. The challenge is rooted in data analysts' capability of discerning the anomalous information behaviors, such as the spreading of rumors or misinformation, from the rest that are more conventional patterns, such as popular topics and newsworthy events, in a timely fashion. FluxFlow incorporates advanced machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies, and offers a set of novel visualization designs for presenting the detected threads for deeper analysis. We evaluated FluxFlow with real datasets containing the Twitter feeds captured during significant events such as Hurricane Sandy. Through quantitative measurements of the algorithmic performance and qualitative interviews with domain experts, the results show that the back-end anomaly detection model is effective in identifying anomalous retweeting threads, and its front-end interactive visualizations are intuitive and useful for analysts to discover insights in data and comprehend the underlying analytical model.

Region of interest extraction based on multiscale visual saliency analysis for remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yinggang; Zhang, Libao; Yu, Xianchuan

2015-01-01

Region of interest (ROI) extraction is an important component of remote sensing image processing. However, traditional ROI extraction methods are usually prior knowledge-based and depend on classification, segmentation, and a global searching solution, which are time-consuming and computationally complex. We propose a more efficient ROI extraction model for remote sensing images based on multiscale visual saliency analysis (MVS), implemented in the CIE L*a*b* color space, which is similar to visual perception of the human eye. We first extract the intensity, orientation, and color feature of the image using different methods: the visual attention mechanism is used to eliminate the intensity feature using a difference of Gaussian template; the integer wavelet transform is used to extract the orientation feature; and color information content analysis is used to obtain the color feature. Then, a new feature-competition method is proposed that addresses the different contributions of each feature map to calculate the weight of each feature image for combining them into the final saliency map. Qualitative and quantitative experimental results of the MVS model as compared with those of other models show that it is more effective and provides more accurate ROI extraction results with fewer holes inside the ROI.

An analysis of mathematical connection ability based on student learning style on visualization auditory kinesthetic (VAK) learning model with self-assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apipah, S.; Kartono; Isnarto

2018-03-01

This research aims to analyze the quality of VAK learning with self-assessment toward the ability of mathematical connection performed by students and to analyze students’ mathematical connection ability based on learning styles in VAK learning model with self-assessment. This research applies mixed method type with concurrent embedded design. The subject of this research consists of VIII grade students from State Junior High School 9 Semarang who apply visual learning style, auditory learning style, and kinesthetic learning style. The data of learning style is collected by using questionnaires, the data of mathematical connection ability is collected by performing tests, and the data of self-assessment is collected by using assessment sheets. The quality of learning is qualitatively valued from planning stage, realization stage, and valuation stage. The result of mathematical connection ability test is analyzed quantitatively by mean test, conducting completeness test, mean differentiation test, and mean proportional differentiation test. The result of the research shows that VAK learning model results in well-qualified learning regarded from qualitative and quantitative sides. Students with visual learning style perform the highest mathematical connection ability, students with kinesthetic learning style perform average mathematical connection ability, and students with auditory learning style perform the lowest mathematical connection ability.

A Qualitative Content Analysis of Cigarette Health Warning Labels in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States

PubMed Central

Bell, Kirsten; Dennis, Simone

2015-01-01

The legislation of health warning labels on cigarette packaging is a major focus for tobacco control internationally and is a key component of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This population-level intervention is broadly supported as a vital measure for warning people about the health consequences of smoking. However, some components of this approach warrant close critical inspection. Through a qualitative content analysis of the imagery used on health warning labels from 4 countries, we consider how this imagery depicts people that smoke. By critically analyzing this aspect of the visual culture of tobacco control, we argue that this imagery has the potential for unintended consequences, and obscures the social and embodied contexts in which smoking is experienced. PMID:25521883

Comparison of Mars Science Laboratory Reaction Control System Jet Computations With Flow Visualization and Velocimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bathel, Brett F.; Danehy, Paul M.; Johansen, Craig T.; Ashcraft, Scott W.; Novak, Luke A.

2013-01-01

Numerical predictions of the Mars Science Laboratory reaction control system jets interacting with a Mach 10 hypersonic flow are compared to experimental nitric oxide planar laser-induced fluorescence data. The steady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations using the Baldwin-Barth one-equation turbulence model were solved using the OVERFLOW code. The experimental fluorescence data used for comparison consists of qualitative two-dimensional visualization images, qualitative reconstructed three-dimensional flow structures, and quantitative two-dimensional distributions of streamwise velocity. Through modeling of the fluorescence signal equation, computational flow images were produced and directly compared to the qualitative fluorescence data.

Exploring Space Management Goals in Institutional Care Facilities in China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jiankun

2017-01-01

Space management has been widely examined in commercial facilities, educational facilities, and hospitals but not in China's institutional care facilities. Poor spatial arrangements, such as wasted space, dysfunctionality, and environment mismanagement, are increasing; in turn, the occupancy rate is decreasing due to residential dissatisfaction. To address these problems, this paper's objective is to explore the space management goals (SMGs) in institutional care facilities in China. Systematic literature analysis was adopted to set SMGs' principles, to identify nine theoretical SMGs, and to develop the conceptual model of SMGs for institutional care facilities. A total of 19 intensive interviews were conducted with stakeholders in seven institutional care facilities to collect data for qualitative analysis. The qualitative evidence was analyzed through open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. As a result, six major categories as well as their interrelationships were put forward to visualize the path diagram for exploring SMGs in China's institutional care facilities. Furthermore, seven expected SMGs that were explored from qualitative evidence were confirmed as China's SMGs in institutional care facilities by a validation test. Finally, a gap analysis among theoretical SMGs and China's SMGs provided recommendations for implementing space management in China's institutional care facilities. PMID:29065629

Exploring Space Management Goals in Institutional Care Facilities in China.

PubMed

Li, Lingzhi; Yuan, Jingfeng; Ning, Yan; Shao, Qiuhu; Zhang, Jiankun

2017-01-01

Space management has been widely examined in commercial facilities, educational facilities, and hospitals but not in China's institutional care facilities. Poor spatial arrangements, such as wasted space, dysfunctionality, and environment mismanagement, are increasing; in turn, the occupancy rate is decreasing due to residential dissatisfaction. To address these problems, this paper's objective is to explore the space management goals (SMGs) in institutional care facilities in China. Systematic literature analysis was adopted to set SMGs' principles, to identify nine theoretical SMGs, and to develop the conceptual model of SMGs for institutional care facilities. A total of 19 intensive interviews were conducted with stakeholders in seven institutional care facilities to collect data for qualitative analysis. The qualitative evidence was analyzed through open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. As a result, six major categories as well as their interrelationships were put forward to visualize the path diagram for exploring SMGs in China's institutional care facilities. Furthermore, seven expected SMGs that were explored from qualitative evidence were confirmed as China's SMGs in institutional care facilities by a validation test. Finally, a gap analysis among theoretical SMGs and China's SMGs provided recommendations for implementing space management in China's institutional care facilities.

The Use of Video to Facilitate Visual Attention in Preschool Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanksby, D.

1992-01-01

Sixteen visually impaired children (aged 2-6) were exposed to a specially prepared visual stimulation video, and their vision attention was rated quantitatively and qualitatively. The results suggest that this technique could be useful in stimulating functional vision in young children. (Author)

Visual Thinking Strategies: Teachers' Reflections on Closely Reading Complex Visual Texts within the Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cappello, Marva; Walker, Nancy T.

2016-01-01

The authors offer a new perspective on close reading that uses a range of multimodal texts to capitalize on the visual nature of contemporary society and to support literacy within the academic disciplines. Specifically, a qualitative study explored teachers' perspectives on the use of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), a practice borrowed from…

How to use concept mapping to identify barriers and facilitators of an electronic quality improvement intervention.

PubMed

van Engen-Verheul, Mariëtte; Peek, Niels; Vromen, Tom; Jaspers, Monique; de Keizer, Nicolette

2015-01-01

Systematic quality improvement (QI) interventions are increasingly used to change complex health care systems. Results of randomized clinical trials can provide quantitative evidence whether QI interventions were effective but they do not teach us why and how QI was (not) achieved. Qualitative research methods can answer these questions but typically involve only a small group of respondents against high resources. Concept mapping methodology overcomes these drawbacks by integrating results from qualitative group sessions with multivariate statistical analysis to represent ideas of diverse stakeholders visually on maps in an efficient way. This paper aims to describe how to use concept mapping to qualitatively gain insight into barriers and facilitators of an electronic QI intervention and presents experiences with the method from an ongoing case study to evaluate a QI system in the field of cardiac rehabilitation in the Netherlands.

An Evaluation of Wellness Assessment Visualizations for Older Adults

PubMed Central

Reeder, Blaine; Yoo, Daisy; Aziz, Rafae; Thompson, Hilaire J.; Demiris, George

2015-01-01

Abstract Background Smart home technologies provide a valuable resource to unobtrusively monitor health and wellness within an older adult population. However, the breadth and density of data available along with aging associated decreases in working memory, prospective memory, spatial cognition, and processing speed can make it challenging to comprehend for older adults. We developed visualizations of smart home health data integrated into a framework of wellness. We evaluated the visualizations through focus groups with older adults and identified recommendations to guide the future development of visualizations. Materials and Methods We conducted four focus groups with older adult participants (n=31) at an independent retirement community. Participants were presented with three different visualizations from a wellness pilot study. A qualitative descriptive analysis was conducted to identify thematic content. Results We identified three themes related to processing and application of visualizations: (1) values of visualizations for wellness assessment, (2) cognitive processing approaches to visualizations, and (3) integration of health data for visualization. In addition, the focus groups highlighted key design considerations of visualizations important towards supporting decision-making and evaluation assessments within integrated health displays. Conclusions Participants found inherent value in having visualizations available to proactively engage with their healthcare provider. Integrating the visualizations into a wellness framework helped reduce the complexity of raw smart home data. There has been limited work on health visualizations from a consumer perspective, in particular for an older adult population. Creating appropriately designed visualizations is valuable towards promoting consumer involvement within the shared decision-making process of care. PMID:25401414

Experiences of Visually Impaired Students in Community College Math Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swan, S. Tomeka

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

A database system to support image algorithm evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lien, Y. E.

1977-01-01

The design is given of an interactive image database system IMDB, which allows the user to create, retrieve, store, display, and manipulate images through the facility of a high-level, interactive image query (IQ) language. The query language IQ permits the user to define false color functions, pixel value transformations, overlay functions, zoom functions, and windows. The user manipulates the images through generic functions. The user can direct images to display devices for visual and qualitative analysis. Image histograms and pixel value distributions can also be computed to obtain a quantitative analysis of images.

Challenges in Evaluating Relationships Between Quantitative Data (Carbon Dioxide) and Qualitative Data (Self-Reported Visual Changes)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2014-01-01

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

Morphological imaging and quantification of axial xylem tissue in Fraxinus excelsior L. through X-ray micro-computed tomography.

PubMed

Koddenberg, Tim; Militz, Holger

2018-05-05

The popularity of X-ray based imaging methods has continued to increase in research domains. In wood research, X-ray micro-computed tomography (XμCT) is useful for structural studies examining the three-dimensional and complex xylem tissue of trees qualitatively and quantitatively. In this study, XμCT made it possible to visualize and quantify the spatial xylem organization of the angiosperm species Fraxinus excelsior L. on the microscopic level. Through image analysis, it was possible to determine morphological characteristics of the cellular axial tissue (vessel elements, fibers, and axial parenchyma cells) three-dimensionally. X-ray imaging at high resolutions provides very distinct visual insight into the xylem structure. Numerical analyses performed through semi-automatic procedures made it possible to quickly quantify cell characteristics (length, diameter, and volume of cells). Use of various spatial resolutions (0.87-5 μm) revealed boundaries users should be aware of. Nevertheless, our findings, both qualitative and quantitative, demonstrate XμCT to be a valuable tool for studying the spatial cell morphology of F. excelsior. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Workflows and individual differences during visually guided routine tasks in a road traffic management control room.

PubMed

Starke, Sandra D; Baber, Chris; Cooke, Neil J; Howes, Andrew

2017-05-01

Road traffic control rooms rely on human operators to monitor and interact with information presented on multiple displays. Past studies have found inconsistent use of available visual information sources in such settings across different domains. In this study, we aimed to broaden the understanding of observer behaviour in control rooms by analysing a case study in road traffic control. We conducted a field study in a live road traffic control room where five operators responded to incidents while wearing a mobile eye tracker. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, we investigated the operators' workflow using ergonomics methods and quantified visual information sampling. We found that individuals showed differing preferences for viewing modalities and weighting of task components, with a strong coupling between eye and head movement. For the quantitative analysis of the eye tracking data, we propose a number of metrics which may prove useful to compare visual sampling behaviour across domains in future. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Application of Multi-Parameter Data Visualization by Means of Multidimensional Scaling to Evaluate Possibility of Coal Gasification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamróz, Dariusz; Niedoba, Tomasz; Surowiak, Agnieszka; Tumidajski, Tadeusz; Szostek, Roman; Gajer, Mirosław

2017-09-01

The application of methods drawing upon multi-parameter visualization of data by transformation of multidimensional space into two-dimensional one allow to show multi-parameter data on computer screen. Thanks to that, it is possible to conduct a qualitative analysis of this data in the most natural way for human being, i.e. by the sense of sight. An example of such method of multi-parameter visualization is multidimensional scaling. This method was used in this paper to present and analyze a set of seven-dimensional data obtained from Janina Mining Plant and Wieczorek Coal Mine. It was decided to examine whether the method of multi-parameter data visualization allows to divide the samples space into areas of various applicability to fluidal gasification process. The "Technological applicability card for coals" was used for this purpose [Sobolewski et al., 2012; 2017], in which the key parameters, important and additional ones affecting the gasification process were described.

A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the New Zealand media portrayal of Down syndrome.

PubMed

Wardell, S; Fitzgerald, R P; Legge, M; Clift, K

2014-04-01

There are only a small number of studies that systematically explore the tensions between the global shift to universal screening and the media representations of the people with Down syndrome. This paper contributes to the literature by analyzing the New Zealand media coverage of this topic. To describe the content and quality of selected New Zealand media references to Down syndrome in light of the claim by New Zealand support group Saving Downs of state supported eugenics via universal screening. Quantitative content analysis was conducted of 140 relevant New Zealand articles (from 2001 to 2011) and qualitative critical discourse analysis of 18 relevant articles (from 2009 to 2011) selected from television, magazine and newspaper. The content analysis showed no strong directional reporting although the quality of life for people with Down syndrome was represented as slightly negative. Most articles focused on issues of society, government and care rather than genetics. The qualitative analysis identified themes around quality of life, information and bias, preparedness, eugenics, the visualness of disability and the need for public debate around genetic screening and testing. The New Zealand print media coverage of these issues has been relatively balanced. Recent mixed media coverage of the topic is critical, complex and socially inclusive of people with Down syndrome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"That's Not Quite the Way We See It": The Epistemological Challenge of Visual Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, Kate; Higgins, Steve; Hall, Elaine; Woolner, Pam

2013-01-01

In research textbooks, and much of the research practice, they describe, qualitative processes and interpretivist epistemologies tend to dominate visual methodology. This article challenges the assumptions behind this dominance. Using exemplification from three existing visual data sets produced through one large education research project, this…

Visualizing Gender with Fifth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, David W., Jr.; Albers, Peggy

2014-01-01

How do fifth-grade students in a gifted class construct understandings of the opposite sex? In what ways do these constructions manifest in the visual texts created in literacy and language arts classrooms? This qualitative study integrated visual arts to understand how fifth-grade gifted students represented and perceived gender roles. Using…

Metacognition Difficulty of Students with Visual-Spatial Intelligence during Solving Open-Ended Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimbatmojo, S.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Riyadi, R.

2017-09-01

This study aims to find out students metacognition difficulty during solving open-ended problem in mathematics. It focuses on analysing the metacognition difficulty of students with visual-spatial intelligence in solving open-ended problem. A qualitative research with case study strategy is used in this study. Data in the form of visual-spatial intelligence test result and recorded interview during solving open-ended problems were analysed qualitatively. The results show that: (1) students with high visual-spatial intelligence have no difficulty on each metacognition aspects, (2) students with medium visual-spatial intelligence have difficulty on knowledge aspect on strategy and cognitive tasks, (3) students with low visual-spatial intelligence have difficulty on three metacognition aspects, namely knowledge on strategy, cognitive tasks and self-knowledge. Even though, several researches about metacognition process and metacognition literature recommended the steps to know the characteristics. It is still important to discuss that the difficulties of metacognitive is happened because of several factors, one of which on the characteristics of student’ visual-spatial intelligence. Therefore, it is really important for mathematics educators to consider and pay more attention toward students’ visual-spatial intelligence and metacognition difficulty in designing better mathematics learning.

Respirator Qualitative/Quantitative Fit Test Method Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

carefully fitted to sample the atmosphere in the oral/ nasal or visual cavity. Leakage is expressed as a ratio of the ambient challenge atmosphere...8, 10, 40, 205, 274). While cer- Lain counercial polymer films have reportedly caused fibrosarcomas and other tumors in rats, this has been attributed... nasal passages (Portland cement dust), or cause injury to the skin or mucous membranes by chemical or mechanical action per se or by the rigorous skin

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

PubMed

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

2015-08-01

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

Development of the functional vision questionnaire for children and young people with visual impairment: the FVQ_CYP.

PubMed

Tadić, Valerija; Cooper, Andrew; Cumberland, Phillippa; Lewando-Hundt, Gillian; Rahi, Jugnoo S

2013-12-01

To develop a novel age-appropriate measure of functional vision (FV) for self-reporting by visually impaired (VI) children and young people. Questionnaire development. A representative patient sample of VI children and young people aged 10 to 15 years, visual acuity of the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) worse than 0.48, and a school-based (nonrandom) expert group sample of VI students aged 12 to 17 years. A total of 32 qualitative semistructured interviews supplemented by narrative feedback from 15 eligible VI children and young people were used to generate draft instrument items. Seventeen VI students were consulted individually on item relevance and comprehensibility, instrument instructions, format, and administration methods. The resulting draft instrument was piloted with 101 VI children and young people comprising a nationally representative sample, drawn from 21 hospitals in the United Kingdom. Initial item reduction was informed by presence of missing data and individual item response pattern. Exploratory factor analysis (FA) and parallel analysis (PA), and Rasch analysis (RA) were applied to test the instrument's psychometric properties. Psychometric indices and validity assessment of the Functional Vision Questionnaire for Children and Young People (FVQ_CYP). A total of 712 qualitative statements became a 56-item draft scale, capturing the level of difficulty in performing vision-dependent activities. After piloting, items were removed iteratively as follows: 11 for high percentage of missing data, 4 for skewness, and 1 for inadequate item infit and outfit values in RA, 3 having shown differential item functioning across age groups and 1 across gender in RA. The remaining 36 items showed item fit values within acceptable limits, good measurement precision and targeting, and ordered response categories. The reduced scale has a clear unidimensional structure, with all items having a high factor loading on the single factor in FA and PA. The summary scores correlated significantly with visual acuity. We have developed a novel, psychometrically robust self-report questionnaire for children and young people-the FVQ_CYP-that captures the functional impact of visual disability from their perspective. The 36-item, 4-point unidimensional scale has potential as a complementary adjunct to objective clinical assessments in routine pediatric ophthalmology practice and in research. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SoccerStories: a kick-off for visual soccer analysis.

PubMed

Perin, Charles; Vuillemot, Romain; Fekete, Jean-Daniel

2013-12-01

This article presents SoccerStories, a visualization interface to support analysts in exploring soccer data and communicating interesting insights. Currently, most analyses on such data relate to statistics on individual players or teams. However, soccer analysts we collaborated with consider that quantitative analysis alone does not convey the right picture of the game, as context, player positions and phases of player actions are the most relevant aspects. We designed SoccerStories to support the current practice of soccer analysts and to enrich it, both in the analysis and communication stages. Our system provides an overview+detail interface of game phases, and their aggregation into a series of connected visualizations, each visualization being tailored for actions such as a series of passes or a goal attempt. To evaluate our tool, we ran two qualitative user studies on recent games using SoccerStories with data from one of the world's leading live sports data providers. The first study resulted in a series of four articles on soccer tactics, by a tactics analyst, who said he would not have been able to write these otherwise. The second study consisted in an exploratory follow-up to investigate design alternatives for embedding soccer phases into word-sized graphics. For both experiments, we received a very enthusiastic feedback and participants consider further use of SoccerStories to enhance their current workflow.

Toward statistical modeling of saccadic eye-movement and visual saliency.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaoshuai; Yao, Hongxun; Ji, Rongrong; Liu, Xian-Ming

2014-11-01

In this paper, we present a unified statistical framework for modeling both saccadic eye movements and visual saliency. By analyzing the statistical properties of human eye fixations on natural images, we found that human attention is sparsely distributed and usually deployed to locations with abundant structural information. This observations inspired us to model saccadic behavior and visual saliency based on super-Gaussian component (SGC) analysis. Our model sequentially obtains SGC using projection pursuit, and generates eye movements by selecting the location with maximum SGC response. Besides human saccadic behavior simulation, we also demonstrated our superior effectiveness and robustness over state-of-the-arts by carrying out dense experiments on synthetic patterns and human eye fixation benchmarks. Multiple key issues in saliency modeling research, such as individual differences, the effects of scale and blur, are explored in this paper. Based on extensive qualitative and quantitative experimental results, we show promising potentials of statistical approaches for human behavior research.

"Not hiding, not shouting, just me": gay men negotiate their visual identities.

PubMed

Clarke, Victoria; Smith, Megan

2015-01-01

This study explored how British gay men make sense of their appearance and clothing practices and the pressures and concerns they attend to in discursively negotiating their visual identities. A convenience sample of 20 mostly young, White, and middle-class self-identified gay men responded to a qualitative survey on dress and appearance. The participants clearly understood the rules of compulsory heterosexuality and the risks of looking "too gay." In the data, there was both a strong resistance to the notion of gay as a "master status" and an orientation to the "coming out" imperative in gay communities. The analysis revealed the overriding importance of discourses of authentic individuality for making sense of visual identity and the reported cultivation of appearance and clothing practices that communicate the message that: "I'm not hiding (too closeted), I'm not shouting (too gay), I'm just me (an authentic individual who just happens to be gay)."

Visualization of Motor Axon Navigation and Quantification of Axon Arborization In Mouse Embryos Using Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy.

PubMed

Liau, Ee Shan; Yen, Ya-Ping; Chen, Jun-An

2018-05-11

Spinal motor neurons (MNs) extend their axons to communicate with their innervating targets, thereby controlling movement and complex tasks in vertebrates. Thus, it is critical to uncover the molecular mechanisms of how motor axons navigate to, arborize, and innervate their peripheral muscle targets during development and degeneration. Although transgenic Hb9::GFP mouse lines have long served to visualize motor axon trajectories during embryonic development, detailed descriptions of the full spectrum of axon terminal arborization remain incomplete due to the pattern complexity and limitations of current optical microscopy. Here, we describe an improved protocol that combines light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) and robust image analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively visualize developing motor axons. This system can be easily adopted to cross genetic mutants or MN disease models with Hb9::GFP lines, revealing novel molecular mechanisms that lead to defects in motor axon navigation and arborization.

A novel combined approach of diffuse reflectance UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis for non-destructive examination of blue ballpoint pen inks in forensic application.

PubMed

Kumar, Raj; Sharma, Vishal

2017-03-15

The present research is focused on the analysis of writing inks using destructive UV-Vis spectroscopy (dissolution of ink by the solvent) and non-destructive diffuse reflectance UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy along with Chemometrics. Fifty seven samples of blue ballpoint pen inks were analyzed under optimum conditions to determine the differences in spectral features of inks among same and different manufacturers. Normalization was performed on the spectroscopic data before chemometric analysis. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and K-mean cluster analysis were used on the data to ascertain whether the blue ballpoint pen inks could be differentiated by their UV-Vis/UV-Vis NIR spectra. The discriminating power is calculated by qualitative analysis by the visual comparison of the spectra (absorbance peaks), produced by the destructive and non-destructive methods. In the latter two methods, the pairwise comparison is made by incorporating the clustering method. It is found that chemometric method provides better discriminating power (98.72% and 99.46%, in destructive and non-destructive, respectively) in comparison to the qualitative analysis (69.67%). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Retrospective comparison of three-dimensional imaging sequences in the visualization of posterior fossa cranial nerves.

PubMed

Ors, Suna; Inci, Ercan; Turkay, Rustu; Kokurcan, Atilla; Hocaoglu, Elif

2017-12-01

To compare efficancy of three-dimentional SPACE (sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different flip-angle evolutions) and CISS (constructive interference in steady state) sequences in the imaging of the cisternal segments of cranial nerves V-XII. Temporal MRI scans from 50 patients (F:M ratio, 27:23; mean age, 44.5±15.9 years) admitted to our hospital with vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had both CISS and SPACE sequences. Quantitative analysis of SPACE and CISS sequences was performed by measuring the ventricle-to-parenchyma contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Qualitative analysis of differences in visualization capability, image quality, and severity of artifacts was also conducted. A score ranging 'no artefact' to 'severe artefacts and unreadable' was used for the assessment of artifacts and from 'not visualized' to 'completely visualized' for the assesment of image quality, respectively. The distribution of variables was controlled by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Samples t-test and McNemar's test were used to determine statistical significance. Rates of visualization of posterior fossa cranial nerves in cases of complete visualization were as follows: nerve V (100% for both sequences), nerve VI (94% in SPACE, 86% in CISS sequences), nerves VII-VIII (100% for both sequences), IX-XI nerve complex (96%, 88%); nerve XII (58%, 46%) (p<0.05). SPACE sequences showed fewer artifacts than CISS sequences (p<0.002). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Do Surgeons and Gastroenterologists Describe Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Differently? A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Boehler, Margaret L; Roberts, Nicole; Sanfey, Hilary; Mellinger, John

2016-01-01

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a technically challenging procedure performed by both surgeons and gastroenterologists. There is controversy in the field regarding the training necessary to perform ERCP. Widely disparate requisite volumes of experience to achieve proficiency have been published by representatives of each specialty. The basis for these differences has not been fully explored, with particular reference to the cognitive mindset of the different specialties. Structured cognitive task analytic interviews were conducted with 7 expert gastroenterologists and 4 expert surgeons from 4 institutions, each of whom performs ERCP as a common procedure in their clinical practice. A qualitative analysis and grounded theory approach was used, focusing specifically on duct cannulation as a critical procedural element. Transcripts were analyzed using Atlas.ti software. The qualitative analysis of 11 transcripts identified 173 unique codes from a total of 653 quotes. In all, 5 themes were found to describe the codes: judgment, teaching, techniques, principles, and equipment. Significant differences were noted between gastroenterologists and surgeons across these themes. Gastroenterologists placed emphasis on issues of judgment including rationale, and emphasized explanation and clarification in teaching. Surgeons placed more emphasis on use of visual cues, and emphasized technique and equipment nuances. The data suggest that gastroenterologists deconstruct ERCP competence based on application of rules and rationale through reflection. Surgeons focus more on visual and tactile cues in task deconstruction, and may be more likely to measure proficiency based on technical response to such cues. Based on this study, it is proposed that both specialties might have complementary roles in training therapeutic endoscopists. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How Visual Imagery Contributed to College: A Case of How Visual Imagery Contributes to a College Algebra Student's Understanding of the Concept of Function in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, Rebekah M.

2011-01-01

This investigation utilized the qualitative case study method. Seventy-one College Algebra students were given a mathematical processing instrument. This testing device measured a student's preference for visual thinking. Two students were purposefully selected using the instrument. The visual mathematical learner (VL) was discussed in this…

Students’ Errors in Geometry Viewed from Spatial Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riastuti, N.; Mardiyana, M.; Pramudya, I.

2017-09-01

Geometry is one of the difficult materials because students must have ability to visualize, describe images, draw shapes, and know the kind of shapes. This study aim is to describe student error based on Newmans’ Error Analysis in solving geometry problems viewed from spatial intelligence. This research uses descriptive qualitative method by using purposive sampling technique. The datas in this research are the result of geometri material test and interview by the 8th graders of Junior High School in Indonesia. The results of this study show that in each category of spatial intelligence has a different type of error in solving the problem on the material geometry. Errors are mostly made by students with low spatial intelligence because they have deficiencies in visual abilities. Analysis of student error viewed from spatial intelligence is expected to help students do reflection in solving the problem of geometry.

Classification of the visual landscape for transmission planning

Treesearch

Curtis Miller; Nargis Jetha; Rod MacDonald

1979-01-01

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

Taking a Stance through Visual Texts: Novice Teachers as Educational Agents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orland-Barak, Lily; Maskit, Ditza

2014-01-01

Drawing on qualitative methodologies that integrate verbal and non-verbal texts, this study investigated novice teachers' attributions of their experiences of internship, as conveyed through a visual text. Novices were invited to design a visual text that represented their experience during internship, as part of a national call entitled…

Working with Visual Impairment in Nigeria: A Qualitative Look at Employment Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2013-01-01

Introduction: This study presents the perceptions of employed individuals with visual impairments living in one of the world's most populous developing nations, Nigeria. Methods: The researchers developed a questionnaire that assessed personal and professional experiences among a sample of 172 adults with visual impairments living and working in…

Designing a Culturally Appropriate Visually Enhanced Low-Text Mobile Health App Promoting Physical Activity for Latinos: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Bender, Melinda S; Martinez, Suzanna; Kennedy, Christine

2016-07-01

Rapid proliferation of smartphone ownership and use among Latinos offers a unique opportunity to employ innovative visually enhanced low-text (VELT) mobile health applications (mHealth app) to promote health behavior change for Latinos at risk for lifestyle-related diseases. Using focus groups and in-depth interviews with 16 promotores and 5 health care providers recruited from California clinics, this qualitative study explored perceptions of visuals for a VELT mHealth app promoting physical activity (PA) and limiting sedentary behavior (SB) for Latinos. In this Phase 1 study, participants endorsed visuals portraying PA guidelines and recommended visuals depicting family and socially oriented PA. Overall, participants supported a VELT mHealth app as an alternative to text-based education. Findings will inform the future Phase 2 study development of a culturally appropriate VELT mHealth app to promote PA for Latinos, improve health literacy, and provide an alternative to traditional clinic text-based health education materials. © The Author(s) 2015.

Quantum mechanical wavefunction: visualization at undergraduate level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chhabra, Mahima; Das, Ritwick

2017-01-01

Quantum mechanics (QM) forms the most crucial ingredient of modern-era physical science curricula at undergraduate level. The abstract ideas involved in QM related concepts pose a challenge towards appropriate visualization as a consequence of their counter-intuitive nature and lack of experiment-assisted visualization tools. At the heart of the quantum mechanical formulation lies the concept of ‘wavefunction’, which forms the basis for understanding the behavior of physical systems. At undergraduate level, the concept of ‘wavefunction’ is introduced in an abstract framework using mathematical tools and therefore opens up an enormous scope for alternative conceptions and erroneous visualization. The present work is an attempt towards exploring the visualization models constructed by undergraduate students for appreciating the concept of ‘wavefunction’. We present a qualitative analysis of the data obtained from administering a questionnaire containing four visualization based questions on the topic of ‘wavefunction’ to a group of ten undergraduate-level students at an institute in India which excels in teaching and research of basic sciences. Based on the written responses, all ten students were interviewed in detail to unravel the exact areas of difficulty in visualization of ‘wavefunction’. The outcome of present study not only reveals the gray areas in students’ conceptualization, but also provides a plausible route to address the issues at the pedagogical level within the classroom.

Using qualitative studies to improve the usability of an EMR.

PubMed

Rose, Alan F; Schnipper, Jeffrey L; Park, Elyse R; Poon, Eric G; Li, Qi; Middleton, Blackford

2005-02-01

The adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) and user satisfaction are closely associated with the system's usability. To improve the usability of a results management module of a widely deployed web-based EMR, we conducted two qualitative studies that included multiple focus group and field study sessions. Qualitative research can help focus attention on user tasks and goals and identify patterns of care that can be visualized through task modeling exercises. Findings from both studies raised issues with the amount and organization of information in the display, interference with workflow patterns of primary care physicians, and the availability of visual cues and feedback. We used the findings of these studies to recommend design changes to the user interface of the results management module.

Organizational routines, innovation, and flexibility: the application of narrative networks to dynamic workflow.

PubMed

Hayes, Gillian R; Lee, Charlotte P; Dourish, Paul

2011-08-01

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how current visual representations of organizational and technological processes do not fully account for the variability present in everyday practices. We further demonstrate how narrative networks can augment these representations to indicate potential areas for successful or problematic adoption of new technologies and potential needs for additional training. We conducted a qualitative study of the processes and routines at a major academic medical center slated to be supported by the development and installation of a new comprehensive HIT system. We used qualitative data collection techniques including observations of the activities to be supported by the new system and interviews with department heads, researchers, and both clinical and non-clinical staff. We conducted a narrative network analysis of these data by choosing exemplar processes to be modeled, selecting and analyzing narrative fragments, and developing visual representations of the interconnection of these narratives. Narrative networks enable us to view the variety of ways work has been and can be performed in practice, influencing our ability to design for innovation in use. Narrative networks are a means for analyzing and visualizing organizational routines in concert with more traditional requirements engineering, workflow modeling, and quality improvement outcome measurement. This type of analysis can support a deeper and more nuanced understanding of how and why certain routines continue to exist, change, or stop entirely. At the same time, it can illuminate areas in which adoption may be slow, more training or communication may be needed, and routines preferred by the leadership are subverted by routines preferred by the staff. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-shot water-immersion microscopy platform for qualitative visualization and quantitative phase imaging of biosamples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picazo-Bueno, José Ángel; Cojoc, Dan; Torre, Vincent; Micó, Vicente

2017-07-01

We present the combination of a single-shot water-immersion digital holographic microscopy with broadband illumination for simultaneous visualization of coherent and incoherent images using microbeads and different biosamples.

A program to interest medical students in Changhua, Taiwan in the incorporation of visual arts in medicine.

PubMed

Yang, K T; Lin, C C; Chang, L Y

2011-12-01

Visual arts have been used to facilitate the teaching of the United States Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies used in some countries. Some medical students may not appreciate the usefulness of incorporating arts in medical education. Therefore, arts programs that can interest medical students are necessary. We initiated and evaluated a visual arts program at the Changhua Christian Hospital in Changhua, Taiwan, with an aim to give the students a short review of visual arts and to interest them in the incorporation of arts in medicine. A total of 110 students in clerkship or internship participated in a visual arts program with emphasis on medicine-related visual arts. Content analysis of the data from the notes made by the instructor from direct observation of students; descriptions during discussions and the written feedback from students at the end of the program was used to evaluate the effect of the program. Anonymous questionnaires were also used for self-assessment of students. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed that the course was interesting to students. Themes emerged including its helpfulness to students in interpreting paintings, enhanced empathy, increased cultural awareness, enhanced observational skills, better team work, listening and communication skills and reduced stress. Ratings on the questionnaire showed similar results. Moreover, students had an increase in their confidence and desire to interpret paintings. The structured visual arts program, with emphasis on medicine-related visual arts and other humanities subjects, was able to attract the attention of medical students. It might be helpful to improve the required skills of ACGME competencies, but further studies are needed to support these conclusions.

Route Descriptions by Visually Impaired and Sighted Children from Memory and from Maps.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Rachel; Ungar, Simon; Blades, Mark

1998-01-01

This study evaluated descriptions, either from memory or by using a map (print or tactile), of 12 visually impaired and 12 sighted elementary grade children of two routes around their schools. Descriptions from maps were generally poorer than those from memory. Qualitative differences were also found between descriptions of visually impaired and…

Individuals with Visual Impairments Teaching in Nepal's Mainstream Schools: A Model for Inclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamichhane, Kamal

2016-01-01

This paper explores the challenges and strengths of teachers with a visual impairments teaching in Nepal's mainstream schools, using qualitative interviews of teachers and principals, as well as a student survey data set. Results showed that teachers with visual impairments tend not to teach subjects such as science and mathematics that require…

The Influence of Visual Arts Education on Children with ASD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çevirgen, Ayse; Aktas, Burcu; Kot, Mehtap

2018-01-01

The aim of this research is to examine the effects of visual arts on a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The research included a 13-years-old male student with ASD, the student's parents, and the visual arts teacher. The research was designed according to the case study from qualitative research models. Semi-structured interviewing and…

Fostering First-Year Students' Engagement and Well-Being through Visual Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Everett, Michele C.

2017-01-01

This article reports on a qualitative study that explored the learning outcomes from an innovative instructional method, visual narratives, used in a first-year seminar. Fifty-three students enrolled in a mandatory first semester student success course were instructed to use visual images to tell the story of the first-year experience. Data…

Comparison of strain and shear wave elastography for qualitative and quantitative assessment of breast masses in the same population.

PubMed

Kim, Hyo Jin; Kim, Sun Mi; Kim, Bohyoung; La Yun, Bo; Jang, Mijung; Ko, Yousun; Lee, Soo Hyun; Jeong, Heeyeong; Chang, Jung Min; Cho, Nariya

2018-04-18

We investigated addition of strain and shear wave elastography to conventional ultrasonography for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of breast masses; cut-off points were determined for strain ratio, elasticity ratio, and visual score for differentiating between benign and malignant masses. In all, 108 masses from 94 patients were evaluated with strain and shear wave elastography and scored for suspicion of malignancy, visual score, strain ratio, and elasticity ratio. The diagnostic performance between ultrasonography alone and ultrasonography combined with either type of elastography was compared; cut-off points were determined for strain ratio, elasticity ratio, and visual score. Of the 108 masses, 44 were malignant and 64 were benign. The areas under the curves were significantly higher for strain and shear wave elastography-supplemented ultrasonography (0.839 and 0.826, respectively; P = 0.656) than for ultrasonography alone (0.764; P = 0.018 and 0.035, respectively). The diagnostic performances of strain and elasticity ratios were similar when differentiating benign from malignant masses. Cut-off values for strain ratio, elasticity ratio, and visual scores for strain and shear wave elastography were 2.93, 4, 3, and 2, respectively. Both forms of elastography similarly improved the diagnostic performance of conventional ultrasonography in the qualitative and quantitative assessment of breast masses.

Engagement and skill development in biology students through analysis of art.

PubMed

Milkova, Liliana; Crossman, Colette; Wiles, Stephanie; Allen, Taylor

2013-01-01

An activity involving analysis of art in biology courses was designed with the goals of piquing undergraduates' curiosity, broadening the ways in which college students meaningfully engage with course content and concepts, and developing aspects of students' higher-level thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. To meet these learning outcomes, the activity had three key components: preparatory readings, first-hand visual analysis of art during a visit to an art museum, and communication of the analysis. Following a presentation on the methodology of visual analysis, students worked in small groups to examine through the disciplinary lens of biology a selection of approximately 12 original artworks related in some manner to love. The groups then developed and presented for class members a mini-exhibition of several pieces addressing one of two questions: 1) whether portrayals of love in art align with the growing understanding of the biology of love or 2) whether the bodily experience of love is universal or, alternatively, is culturally influenced, as is the experience of depression. Evaluation of quantitative and qualitative assessment data revealed that the assignment engaged students, supported development of higher-level thinking skills, and prompted meaningful engagement with course material.

Engagement and Skill Development in Biology Students through Analysis of Art

PubMed Central

Milkova, Liliana; Crossman, Colette; Wiles, Stephanie; Allen, Taylor

2013-01-01

An activity involving analysis of art in biology courses was designed with the goals of piquing undergraduates’ curiosity, broadening the ways in which college students meaningfully engage with course content and concepts, and developing aspects of students’ higher-level thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. To meet these learning outcomes, the activity had three key components: preparatory readings, firsthand visual analysis of art during a visit to an art museum, and communication of the analysis. Following a presentation on the methodology of visual analysis, students worked in small groups to examine through the disciplinary lens of biology a selection of approximately 12 original artworks related in some manner to love. The groups then developed and presented for class members a mini-exhibition of several pieces addressing one of two questions: 1) whether portrayals of love in art align with the growing understanding of the biology of love or 2) whether the bodily experience of love is universal or, alternatively, is culturally influenced, as is the experience of depression. Evaluation of quantitative and qualitative assessment data revealed that the assignment engaged students, supported development of higher-level thinking skills, and prompted meaningful engagement with course material. PMID:24297295

A WebGIS-based system for analyzing and visualizing air quality data for Shanghai Municipality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Manyi; Liu, Chaoshun; Gao, Wei

2014-10-01

An online visual analytical system based on Java Web and WebGIS for air quality data for Shanghai Municipality was designed and implemented to quantitatively analyze and qualitatively visualize air quality data. By analyzing the architecture of WebGIS and Java Web, we firstly designed the overall scheme for system architecture, then put forward the software and hardware environment and also determined the main function modules for the system. The visual system was ultimately established with the DIV + CSS layout method combined with JSP, JavaScript, and some other computer programming languages based on the Java programming environment. Moreover, Struts, Spring, and Hibernate frameworks (SSH) were integrated in the system for the purpose of easy maintenance and expansion. To provide mapping service and spatial analysis functions, we selected ArcGIS for Server as the GIS server. We also used Oracle database and ESRI file geodatabase to store spatial data and non-spatial data in order to ensure the data security. In addition, the response data from the Web server are resampled to implement rapid visualization through the browser. The experimental successes indicate that this system can quickly respond to user's requests, and efficiently return the accurate processing results.

[Mothers of visually impaired children: difficult and easy aspects faced in care].

PubMed

Pintanel, Aline Campelo; Gomes, Giovana Calcagno; Xavier, Daiani Modernel

2013-06-01

This study aimed to identify the difficult and easy aspects faced by mothers of visually impaired (VI) children in their care. It is a descriptive qualitative study, developed in the second semester of 2011, with ten mothers of children with visual impairment from an Educational Center for the Visually Impaired located in southern Brazil. Data were collected by means of semistructured interviews and submitted to thematic content analysis. The identified difficulties were the lack of knowledge regarding the disease and how to take care of the child, the lack of access to health services, overload generated by the dependence of the child and lack of support and prejudice within their own family. The easy aspects involved the desire for the child's healthy development the chance of being in touch with qualified professionals for their education, and the contact with other VI children. Therefore, it is important to qualify the family for the care of VI children so as to ensure the development of skills and competencies enabling them to live with quality.

DECISION-COMPONENTS OF NICE'S TECHNOLOGY APPRAISALS ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK.

PubMed

de Folter, Joost; Trusheim, Mark; Jonsson, Pall; Garner, Sarah

2018-01-01

Value assessment frameworks have gained prominence recently in the context of U.S. healthcare. Such frameworks set out a series of factors that are considered in funding decisions. The UK's National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an established health technology assessment (HTA) agency. We present a novel application of text analysis that characterizes NICE's Technology Appraisals in the context of the newer assessment frameworks and present the results in a visual way. A total of 243 documents of NICE's medicines guidance from 2007 to 2016 were analyzed. Text analysis was used to identify a hierarchical set of decision factors considered in the assessments. The frequency of decision factors stated in the documents was determined and their association with terms related to uncertainty. The results were incorporated into visual representations of hierarchical factors. We identified 125 decision factors, and hierarchically grouped these into eight domains: Clinical Effectiveness, Cost Effectiveness, Condition, Current Practice, Clinical Need, New Treatment, Studies, and Other Factors. Textual analysis showed all domains appeared consistently in the guidance documents. Many factors were commonly associated with terms relating to uncertainty. A series of visual representations was created. This study reveals the complexity and consistency of NICE's decision-making processes and demonstrates that cost effectiveness is not the only decision-criteria. The study highlights the importance of processes and methodology that can take both quantitative and qualitative information into account. Visualizations can help effectively communicate this complex information during the decision-making process and subsequently to stakeholders.

Revelations: A Qualitative Inquiry on Visual Artistic Emergence, Common Triggers, Shared Perceptions, and Strategies for Perpetuation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kobylenski, Steven John

2009-01-01

This research proposal identifies those experiences that lead to the pursuit of visual art as sustained passion in life. In seeking the potential factors that contribute to an individual's continued interest in visual art at key points in their physical maturity and educational lives, strategies for success could be developed for the benefit of…

The Effects of Visual Art Integration on Reading at the Elementary Level. A Review of Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarty, Kristine A.

2007-01-01

Although visual art is considered a subject deemed by the federal government as part of the core curriculum, many elementary schools do not include this subject into the current core curriculum of studies. This review of literature provides insight through current qualitative and quantitative studies on the effectiveness of including visual art…

Learning clinical procedures through Internet visual resources: a qualitative study amongst undergraduate students.

PubMed

Gao, X; Wong, L M; Chow, D Y S; Law, X J; Ching, L Y L

2015-02-01

Acquiring competency in performing clinical procedures is central to professional education of healthcare providers. Internet visual resources (IVR), defined as visual materials openly accessible on public websites, provides a new channel to learn clinical procedures. This qualitative study aimed to profile the experience and opinions of undergraduate students (in dentistry, medicine and nursing) in learning clinical procedures through IVR. From clinical degree programmes (Bachelor of Dental Surgery, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Nursing) of University of Hong Kong, 31 students were recruited to join six focus group discussions, which were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis using inductive method, in which themes emerge from data. Students actively looked for IVRs through various means and used them for pre-clinical preparation, post-clinical revision, learning simple and advanced procedures, exploring alternative and updated techniques, and benchmarking against international peers. IVRs were valued for their visual stimulation, inclusion of a wide variety of real-life cases, convenience in access, user-friendliness and time-saving features. Students tended to share and discuss IVRs with their peers rather than with tutors, even when contents deviated from school teaching or faculty's e-learning materials. When doubts persisted, they chose to follow faculty guidelines for examination purpose. Students were frustrated sometimes by difficulties in judging the scientific quality, lack of immediate interactive discussions and loosely structured presentations in some IVRs. Teachers' attitudes towards IVR appeared to vary greatly. Despite the wide spectrum of experience and opinions, IVR was generally viewed by undergraduates from across clinical faculties as enhancing their clinical confidence and self-perceived competency, enriching their learning experience and serving as an important supplement to formal learning in the planned curriculum. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Color and texture associations in voice-induced synesthesia

PubMed Central

Moos, Anja; Simmons, David; Simner, Julia; Smith, Rachel

2013-01-01

Voice-induced synesthesia, a form of synesthesia in which synesthetic perceptions are induced by the sounds of people's voices, appears to be relatively rare and has not been systematically studied. In this study we investigated the synesthetic color and visual texture perceptions experienced in response to different types of “voice quality” (e.g., nasal, whisper, falsetto). Experiences of three different groups—self-reported voice synesthetes, phoneticians, and controls—were compared using both qualitative and quantitative analysis in a study conducted online. Whilst, in the qualitative analysis, synesthetes used more color and texture terms to describe voices than either phoneticians or controls, only weak differences, and many similarities, between groups were found in the quantitative analysis. Notable consistent results between groups were the matching of higher speech fundamental frequencies with lighter and redder colors, the matching of “whispery” voices with smoke-like textures, and the matching of “harsh” and “creaky” voices with textures resembling dry cracked soil. These data are discussed in the light of current thinking about definitions and categorizations of synesthesia, especially in cases where individuals apparently have a range of different synesthetic inducers. PMID:24032023

Computational models of cortical visual processing.

PubMed Central

Heeger, D J; Simoncelli, E P; Movshon, J A

1996-01-01

The visual responses of neurons in the cerebral cortex were first adequately characterized in the 1960s by D. H. Hubel and T. N. Wiesel [(1962) J. Physiol. (London) 160, 106-154; (1968) J. Physiol. (London) 195, 215-243] using qualitative analyses based on simple geometric visual targets. Over the past 30 years, it has become common to consider the properties of these neurons by attempting to make formal descriptions of these transformations they execute on the visual image. Most such models have their roots in linear-systems approaches pioneered in the retina by C. Enroth-Cugell and J. R. Robson [(1966) J. Physiol. (London) 187, 517-552], but it is clear that purely linear models of cortical neurons are inadequate. We present two related models: one designed to account for the responses of simple cells in primary visual cortex (V1) and one designed to account for the responses of pattern direction selective cells in MT (or V5), an extrastriate visual area thought to be involved in the analysis of visual motion. These models share a common structure that operates in the same way on different kinds of input, and instantiate the widely held view that computational strategies are similar throughout the cerebral cortex. Implementations of these models for Macintosh microcomputers are available and can be used to explore the models' properties. PMID:8570605

Factors influencing when intensive care unit nurses go to the bedside to investigate patient related alarms: A descriptive qualitative study.

PubMed

Despins, Laurel A

2017-12-01

This study examines what prompts the intensive care unit (ICU) nurse to go to the patient's bedside to investigate an alarm and the influences on the nurse's determination regarding how quickly this needs to occur. A qualitative descriptive design guided data collection and analysis. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis guided by the Patient Risk Detection Theoretical Framework was applied to the data. Four specialty intensive care units in an academic medical center. ICU nurses go the patient's bedside in response to an alarm to catch patient deterioration and avert harm. Their determination of the immediacy of patient risk and their desire to prioritize their bedside investigations to true alarms influences how quickly they proceed to the bedside. Ready visual access to physiological data and waveform configurations, experience, teamwork, and false alarms are important determinants in the timing of ICU nurses' bedside alarm investigations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Video stereolization: combining motion analysis with user interaction.

PubMed

Liao, Miao; Gao, Jizhou; Yang, Ruigang; Gong, Minglun

2012-07-01

We present a semiautomatic system that converts conventional videos into stereoscopic videos by combining motion analysis with user interaction, aiming to transfer as much as possible labeling work from the user to the computer. In addition to the widely used structure from motion (SFM) techniques, we develop two new methods that analyze the optical flow to provide additional qualitative depth constraints. They remove the camera movement restriction imposed by SFM so that general motions can be used in scene depth estimation-the central problem in mono-to-stereo conversion. With these algorithms, the user's labeling task is significantly simplified. We further developed a quadratic programming approach to incorporate both quantitative depth and qualitative depth (such as these from user scribbling) to recover dense depth maps for all frames, from which stereoscopic view can be synthesized. In addition to visual results, we present user study results showing that our approach is more intuitive and less labor intensive, while producing 3D effect comparable to that from current state-of-the-art interactive algorithms.

Sustained Attention in Children with Primary Language Impairment: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Ebert, Kerry Danahy; Kohnert, Kathryn

2014-01-01

Purpose This study provides a meta-analysis of the difference between children with primary or specific language impairment (LI) and their typically developing peers on tasks of sustained attention. The meta-analysis seeks to determine if children with LI demonstrate subclinical deficits in sustained attention and, if so, under what conditions. Methods Articles that reported empirical data from the performance of children with LI, in comparison to typically developing peers, on a task assessing sustained attention were considered for inclusion. Twenty-eight effect sizes were included in the meta-analysis. Two moderator analyses addressed the effects of stimulus modality and ADHD exclusion. In addition, reaction time outcomes and the effects of task variables were summarized qualitatively. Results The meta-analysis supports the existence of sustained attention deficits in children with LI in both auditory and visual modalities, as demonstrated by reduced accuracy compared to typically developing peers. Larger effect sizes are found in tasks that use auditory and linguistic stimuli than in studies that use visual stimuli. Conclusions Future research should consider the role that sustained attention weaknesses play in LI, as well as the implications for clinical and research assessment tasks. Methodological recommendations are summarized. PMID:21646419

Sustained attention in children with primary language impairment: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ebert, Kerry Danahy; Kohnert, Kathryn

2011-10-01

This study provides a meta-analysis of the difference between children with primary or specific language impairment (LI) and their typically developing peers on tasks of sustained attention. The meta-analysis seeks to determine whether children with LI demonstrate subclinical deficits in sustained attention and, if so, under what conditions. Articles that reported empirical data from the performance of children with LI, in comparison to typically developing peers, on a task assessing sustained attention were considered for inclusion. Twenty-eight effect sizes were included in the meta-analysis. Two moderator analyses addressed the effects of stimulus modality and attention-deficit/hypereactivity disorder exclusion. In addition, reaction time outcomes and the effects of task variables were summarized qualitatively. The meta-analysis supports the existence of sustained attention deficits in children with LI in both auditory and visual modalities, as demonstrated by reduced accuracy compared with typically developing peers. Larger effect sizes are found in tasks that use auditory-linguistic stimuli than in studies that use visual stimuli. Future research should consider the role that sustained attention weaknesses play in LI as well as the implications for clinical and research assessment tasks. Methodological recommendations are summarized.

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

Balakumar, B J; Chavez - Alarcon, Ramiro; Shu, Fangjun

The aerodynamics of a flight-worthy, radio controlled ornithopter is investigated using a combination of Particle-Image Velocimetry (PIV), load cell measurements, and high-speed photography of smoke visualizations. The lift and thrust forces of the ornithopter are measured at various flow speeds, flapping frequencies and angles of attack to characterize the flight performance. These direct force measurements are then compared with forces estimated using control volume analysis on PIV data. High-speed photography of smoke streaks is used to visualize the evolution of leading edge vortices, and to qualitatively infer the effect of wing deformation on the net downwash. Vortical structures in themore » wake are compared to previous studies on root flapping, and direct measurements of flapping efficiency are used to argue that the current ornithopter operates sub-optimally in converting the input energy into propulsive work.« less

Using the Biodatamation(TM) strategy to learn introductory college biology: Value-added effects on selected students' conceptual understanding and conceptual integration of the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reuter, Jewel Jurovich

The purpose of this exploratory research was to study how students learn photosynthesis and cellular respiration and to determine the value added to the student's learning by each of the three technology-scaffolded learning strategy components (animated concept presentations and WebQuest-style activities, data collection, and student-constructed animations) of the BioDatamation(TM) (BDM) Program. BDM learning strategies utilized the Theory of Interacting Visual Fields(TM) (TIVF) (Reuter & Wandersee, 2002a, 2002b; 2003a, 2003b) which holds that meaningful knowledge is hierarchically constructed using the past, present, and future visual fields, with visual metacognitive components that are derived from the principles of Visual Behavior (Jones, 1995), Human Constructivist Theory (Mintzes & Wandersee, 1998a), and Visual Information Design Theory (Tufte, 1990, 1997, 2001). Student alternative conceptions of photosynthesis and cellular respiration were determined by the item analysis of 263,267 Biology Advanced Placement Examinations and were used to develop the BDM instructional strategy and interview questions. The subjects were 24 undergraduate students of high and low biology prior knowledge enrolled in an introductory-level General Biology course at a major research university in the Deep South. Fifteen participants received BDM instruction which included original and innovative learning materials and laboratories in 6 phases; 8 of the 15 participants were the subject of in depth, extended individual analysis. The other 9 participants received traditional, non-BDM instruction. Interviews which included participants' creation of concept maps and visual field diagrams were conducted after each phase. Various content analyses, including Chi's Verbal Analysis and quantitizing/qualitizing were used for data analysis. The total value added to integrative knowledge during BDM instruction with the three visual fields was an average increase of 56% for cellular respiration and 62% increase for photosynthesis knowledge, improved long-term memory of concepts, and enhanced biological literacy to the multidimensional level, as determined by the BSCS literacy model. WebQuest-style activities and data collection provided for animated prior knowledge in the past visual field, and detailed content knowledge construction in the present visual field. During student construction of animated presentations, layering required participants to think by rearranging words and images for improved hierarchical organization of knowledge with real-life applications.

Image Fusion Algorithms Using Human Visual System in Transform Domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vadhi, Radhika; Swamy Kilari, Veera; Samayamantula, Srinivas Kumar

2017-08-01

The endeavor of digital image fusion is to combine the important visual parts from various sources to advance the visibility eminence of the image. The fused image has a more visual quality than any source images. In this paper, the Human Visual System (HVS) weights are used in the transform domain to select appropriate information from various source images and then to attain a fused image. In this process, mainly two steps are involved. First, apply the DWT to the registered source images. Later, identify qualitative sub-bands using HVS weights. Hence, qualitative sub-bands are selected from different sources to form high quality HVS based fused image. The quality of the HVS based fused image is evaluated with general fusion metrics. The results show the superiority among the state-of-the art resolution Transforms (MRT) such as Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), Stationary Wavelet Transform (SWT), Contourlet Transform (CT), and Non Sub Sampled Contourlet Transform (NSCT) using maximum selection fusion rule.

The force pyramid: a spatial analysis of force application during virtual reality brain tumor resection.

PubMed

Azarnoush, Hamed; Siar, Samaneh; Sawaya, Robin; Zhrani, Gmaan Al; Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Alotaibi, Fahad Eid; Bugdadi, Abdulgadir; Bajunaid, Khalid; Marwa, Ibrahim; Sabbagh, Abdulrahman Jafar; Del Maestro, Rolando F

2017-07-01

OBJECTIVE Virtual reality simulators allow development of novel methods to analyze neurosurgical performance. The concept of a force pyramid is introduced as a Tier 3 metric with the ability to provide visual and spatial analysis of 3D force application by any instrument used during simulated tumor resection. This study was designed to answer 3 questions: 1) Do study groups have distinct force pyramids? 2) Do handedness and ergonomics influence force pyramid structure? 3) Are force pyramids dependent on the visual and haptic characteristics of simulated tumors? METHODS Using a virtual reality simulator, NeuroVR (formerly NeuroTouch), ultrasonic aspirator force application was continually assessed during resection of simulated brain tumors by neurosurgeons, residents, and medical students. The participants performed simulated resections of 18 simulated brain tumors with different visual and haptic characteristics. The raw data, namely, coordinates of the instrument tip as well as contact force values, were collected by the simulator. To provide a visual and qualitative spatial analysis of forces, the authors created a graph, called a force pyramid, representing force sum along the z-coordinate for different xy coordinates of the tool tip. RESULTS Sixteen neurosurgeons, 15 residents, and 84 medical students participated in the study. Neurosurgeon, resident and medical student groups displayed easily distinguishable 3D "force pyramid fingerprints." Neurosurgeons had the lowest force pyramids, indicating application of the lowest forces, followed by resident and medical student groups. Handedness, ergonomics, and visual and haptic tumor characteristics resulted in distinct well-defined 3D force pyramid patterns. CONCLUSIONS Force pyramid fingerprints provide 3D spatial assessment displays of instrument force application during simulated tumor resection. Neurosurgeon force utilization and ergonomic data form a basis for understanding and modulating resident force application and improving patient safety during tumor resection.

Defining Literacy for Individuals Who Are Blind or with Visual Impairments: A Qualitative Study of Stakeholders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ye; Al-Said, Shariffa Khalid Qais

2014-01-01

We explored the notion of what constitutes literacy, particularly as it pertains to individuals who are blind or with visual impairments, including those that do not use Braille as their primary way to access and produce text. Four groups of stakeholders participated in the study: a) college students who were blind or with visual impairments, b)…

A Study to Understand the Role of Visual Arts in the Teaching and Learning of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dhanapal, Saroja; Kanapathy, Ravi; Mastan, Jamilah

2014-01-01

This research was carried out to understand the role of visual arts in the teaching and learning of science among Grade 3 teachers and students. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative research design was used to discover the different perceptions of both teachers and students on the role of visual arts in science. The data for the research was…

Quantitative Image Analysis Techniques with High-Speed Schlieren Photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pollard, Victoria J.; Herron, Andrew J.

2017-01-01

Optical flow visualization techniques such as schlieren and shadowgraph photography are essential to understanding fluid flow when interpreting acquired wind tunnel test data. Output of the standard implementations of these visualization techniques in test facilities are often limited only to qualitative interpretation of the resulting images. Although various quantitative optical techniques have been developed, these techniques often require special equipment or are focused on obtaining very precise and accurate data about the visualized flow. These systems are not practical in small, production wind tunnel test facilities. However, high-speed photography capability has become a common upgrade to many test facilities in order to better capture images of unsteady flow phenomena such as oscillating shocks and flow separation. This paper describes novel techniques utilized by the authors to analyze captured high-speed schlieren and shadowgraph imagery from wind tunnel testing for quantification of observed unsteady flow frequency content. Such techniques have applications in parametric geometry studies and in small facilities where more specialized equipment may not be available.

A top-down manner-based DCNN architecture for semantic image segmentation.

PubMed

Qiao, Kai; Chen, Jian; Wang, Linyuan; Zeng, Lei; Yan, Bin

2017-01-01

Given their powerful feature representation for recognition, deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) have been driving rapid advances in high-level computer vision tasks. However, their performance in semantic image segmentation is still not satisfactory. Based on the analysis of visual mechanism, we conclude that DCNNs in a bottom-up manner are not enough, because semantic image segmentation task requires not only recognition but also visual attention capability. In the study, superpixels containing visual attention information are introduced in a top-down manner, and an extensible architecture is proposed to improve the segmentation results of current DCNN-based methods. We employ the current state-of-the-art fully convolutional network (FCN) and FCN with conditional random field (DeepLab-CRF) as baselines to validate our architecture. Experimental results of the PASCAL VOC segmentation task qualitatively show that coarse edges and error segmentation results are well improved. We also quantitatively obtain about 2%-3% intersection over union (IOU) accuracy improvement on the PASCAL VOC 2011 and 2012 test sets.

Big data and visual analytics in anaesthesia and health care.

PubMed

Simpao, A F; Ahumada, L M; Rehman, M A

2015-09-01

Advances in computer technology, patient monitoring systems, and electronic health record systems have enabled rapid accumulation of patient data in electronic form (i.e. big data). Organizations such as the Anesthesia Quality Institute and Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group have spearheaded large-scale efforts to collect anaesthesia big data for outcomes research and quality improvement. Analytics--the systematic use of data combined with quantitative and qualitative analysis to make decisions--can be applied to big data for quality and performance improvements, such as predictive risk assessment, clinical decision support, and resource management. Visual analytics is the science of analytical reasoning facilitated by interactive visual interfaces, and it can facilitate performance of cognitive activities involving big data. Ongoing integration of big data and analytics within anaesthesia and health care will increase demand for anaesthesia professionals who are well versed in both the medical and the information sciences. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Characterization of breast lesion using T1-perfusion magnetic resonance imaging: Qualitative vs. quantitative analysis.

PubMed

Thakran, S; Gupta, P K; Kabra, V; Saha, I; Jain, P; Gupta, R K; Singh, A

2018-06-14

The objective of this study was to quantify the hemodynamic parameters using first pass analysis of T 1 -perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of human breast and to compare these parameters with the existing tracer kinetic parameters, semi-quantitative and qualitative T 1 -perfusion analysis in terms of lesion characterization. MRI of the breast was performed in 50 women (mean age, 44±11 [SD] years; range: 26-75) years with a total of 15 benign and 35 malignant breast lesions. After pre-processing, T 1 -perfusion MRI data was analyzed using qualitative approach by two radiologists (visual inspection of the kinetic curve into types I, II or III), semi-quantitative (characterization of kinetic curve types using empirical parameters), generalized-tracer-kinetic-model (tracer kinetic parameters) and first pass analysis (hemodynamic-parameters). Chi-squared test, t-test, one-way analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) using Bonferroni post-hoc test and receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve were used for statistical analysis. All quantitative parameters except leakage volume (Ve), qualitative (type-I and III) and semi-quantitative curves (type-I and III) provided significant differences (P<0.05) between benign and malignant lesions. Kinetic parameters, particularly volume transfer coefficient (K trans ) provided a significant difference (P<0.05) between all grades except grade-II vs III. The hemodynamic parameter (relative-leakage-corrected-breast-blood-volume [rBBVcorr) provided a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) between all grades. It also provided highest sensitivity and specificity among all parameters in differentiation between different grades of malignant breast lesions. Quantitative parameters, particularly rBBVcorr and K trans provided similar sensitivity and specificity in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions for this cohort. Moreover, rBBVcorr provided better differentiation between different grades of malignant breast lesions among all the parameters. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

The challenges of studying visual expertise in medical image diagnosis.

PubMed

Gegenfurtner, Andreas; Kok, Ellen; van Geel, Koos; de Bruin, Anique; Jarodzka, Halszka; Szulewski, Adam; van Merriënboer, Jeroen Jg

2017-01-01

Visual expertise is the superior visual skill shown when executing domain-specific visual tasks. Understanding visual expertise is important in order to understand how the interpretation of medical images may be best learned and taught. In the context of this article, we focus on the visual skill of medical image diagnosis and, more specifically, on the methodological set-ups routinely used in visual expertise research. We offer a critique of commonly used methods and propose three challenges for future research to open up new avenues for studying characteristics of visual expertise in medical image diagnosis. The first challenge addresses theory development. Novel prospects in modelling visual expertise can emerge when we reflect on cognitive and socio-cultural epistemologies in visual expertise research, when we engage in statistical validations of existing theoretical assumptions and when we include social and socio-cultural processes in expertise development. The second challenge addresses the recording and analysis of longitudinal data. If we assume that the development of expertise is a long-term phenomenon, then it follows that future research can engage in advanced statistical modelling of longitudinal expertise data that extends the routine use of cross-sectional material through, for example, animations and dynamic visualisations of developmental data. The third challenge addresses the combination of methods. Alternatives to current practices can integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches in mixed-method designs, embrace relevant yet underused data sources and understand the need for multidisciplinary research teams. Embracing alternative epistemological and methodological approaches for studying visual expertise can lead to a more balanced and robust future for understanding superior visual skills in medical image diagnosis as well as other medical fields. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Visualization and Time-Series Analysis of Ground-Water Data for C-Area, Savannah River Site, South Carolina, 1984-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conrads, Paul; Roehl, Edwin A.; Daamen, Ruby C.; Chapelle, Francis H.; Lowery, Mark A.; Mundry, Uwe H.

2007-01-01

In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, initiated a study of historical ground-water data of C-Area on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The soils and ground water at C-Area are contaminated with high concentrations of trichloroethylene and lesser amounts of tetrachloroethylene. The objectives of the investigation were (1) to analyze the historical data to determine if data-mining techniques could be applied to the historical database to ascertain whether natural attenuation of recalcitrant contaminants, such as volatile organic compounds, is occurring and (2) to determine whether inferential (surrogate) analytes could be used for more cost-effective monitoring. Twenty-one years of data (1984-2004) were collected from 396 wells in the study area and converted from record data to time-series data for analysis. A Ground-Water Data Viewer was developed to allow users to spatially and temporally visualize the analyte data. Overall, because the data were temporally and spatially sparse, data analysis was limited to only qualitative descriptions.

Spectral saliency via automatic adaptive amplitude spectrum analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaodong; Dai, Jialun; Zhu, Yafei; Zheng, Haiyong; Qiao, Xiaoyan

2016-03-01

Suppressing nonsalient patterns by smoothing the amplitude spectrum at an appropriate scale has been shown to effectively detect the visual saliency in the frequency domain. Different filter scales are required for different types of salient objects. We observe that the optimal scale for smoothing amplitude spectrum shares a specific relation with the size of the salient region. Based on this observation and the bottom-up saliency detection characterized by spectrum scale-space analysis for natural images, we propose to detect visual saliency, especially with salient objects of different sizes and locations via automatic adaptive amplitude spectrum analysis. We not only provide a new criterion for automatic optimal scale selection but also reserve the saliency maps corresponding to different salient objects with meaningful saliency information by adaptive weighted combination. The performance of quantitative and qualitative comparisons is evaluated by three different kinds of metrics on the four most widely used datasets and one up-to-date large-scale dataset. The experimental results validate that our method outperforms the existing state-of-the-art saliency models for predicting human eye fixations in terms of accuracy and robustness.

Patterns in the sky: Natural visualization of aircraft flow fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, James F.; Chambers, Joseph R.

1994-01-01

The objective of the current publication is to present the collection of flight photographs to illustrate the types of flow patterns that were visualized and to present qualitative correlations with computational and wind tunnel results. Initially in section 2, the condensation process is discussed, including a review of relative humidity, vapor pressure, and factors which determine the presence of visible condensate. Next, outputs from computer code calculations are postprocessed by using water-vapor relationships to determine if computed values of relative humidity in the local flow field correlate with the qualitative features of the in-flight condensation patterns. The photographs are then presented in section 3 by flow type and subsequently in section 4 by aircraft type to demonstrate the variety of condensed flow fields that was visualized for a wide range of aircraft and flight maneuvers.

How Therapists Use Visualizations of Upper Limb Movement Information From Stroke Patients: A Qualitative Study With Simulated Information

PubMed Central

Fong, Justin; Klaic, Marlena; Nair, Siddharth; Vetere, Frank; Cofré Lizama, L. Eduardo; Galea, Mary Pauline

2016-01-01

Background Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with upper limb deficits affecting an estimated 30% to 60% of survivors. The effectiveness of upper limb rehabilitation relies on numerous factors, particularly patient compliance to home programs and exercises set by therapists. However, therapists lack objective information about their patients’ adherence to rehabilitation exercises as well as other uses of the affected arm and hand in everyday life outside the clinic. We developed a system that consists of wearable sensor technology to monitor a patient’s arm movement and a Web-based dashboard to visualize this information for therapists. Objective The aim of our study was to evaluate how therapists use upper limb movement information visualized on a dashboard to support the rehabilitation process. Methods An interactive dashboard prototype with simulated movement information was created and evaluated through a user-centered design process with therapists (N=8) at a rehabilitation clinic. Data were collected through observations of therapists interacting with an interactive dashboard prototype, think-aloud data, and interviews. Data were analyzed qualitatively through thematic analysis. Results Therapists use visualizations of upper limb information in the following ways: (1) to obtain objective data of patients’ activity levels, exercise, and neglect outside the clinic, (2) to engage patients in the rehabilitation process through education, motivation, and discussion of experiences with activities of daily living, and (3) to engage with other clinicians and researchers based on objective data. A major limitation is the lack of contextual data, which is needed by therapists to discern how movement data visualized on the dashboard relate to activities of daily living. Conclusions Upper limb information captured through wearable devices provides novel insights for therapists and helps to engage patients and other clinicians in therapy. Consideration needs to be given to the collection and visualization of contextual information to provide meaningful insights into patient engagement in activities of daily living. These findings open the door for further work to develop a fully functioning system and to trial it with patients and clinicians during therapy. PMID:28582257

SensePath: Understanding the Sensemaking Process Through Analytic Provenance.

PubMed

Nguyen, Phong H; Xu, Kai; Wheat, Ashley; Wong, B L William; Attfield, Simon; Fields, Bob

2016-01-01

Sensemaking is described as the process of comprehension, finding meaning and gaining insight from information, producing new knowledge and informing further action. Understanding the sensemaking process allows building effective visual analytics tools to make sense of large and complex datasets. Currently, it is often a manual and time-consuming undertaking to comprehend this: researchers collect observation data, transcribe screen capture videos and think-aloud recordings, identify recurring patterns, and eventually abstract the sensemaking process into a general model. In this paper, we propose a general approach to facilitate such a qualitative analysis process, and introduce a prototype, SensePath, to demonstrate the application of this approach with a focus on browser-based online sensemaking. The approach is based on a study of a number of qualitative research sessions including observations of users performing sensemaking tasks and post hoc analyses to uncover their sensemaking processes. Based on the study results and a follow-up participatory design session with HCI researchers, we decided to focus on the transcription and coding stages of thematic analysis. SensePath automatically captures user's sensemaking actions, i.e., analytic provenance, and provides multi-linked views to support their further analysis. A number of other requirements elicited from the design session are also implemented in SensePath, such as easy integration with existing qualitative analysis workflow and non-intrusive for participants. The tool was used by an experienced HCI researcher to analyze two sensemaking sessions. The researcher found the tool intuitive and considerably reduced analysis time, allowing better understanding of the sensemaking process.

iOS--Worthy of the Hype as Assistive Technology for Visual Impairments? A Phenomenological Study of iOS Device Use by Individuals with Visual Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Shari

2013-01-01

This qualitative study sought to explore the shared essence of the lived experiences of early adopters of iOS devices as assistive technology by persons with visual impairments. The capstone question addressed the idea of whether any one device could fully meet the assistive technology needs of this population. Purposeful sampling methods were…

Methodology for cork plank characterization (Quercus suber L.) by near-infrared spectroscopy and image analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prades, Cristina; García-Olmo, Juan; Romero-Prieto, Tomás; García de Ceca, José L.; López-Luque, Rafael

2010-06-01

The procedures used today to characterize cork plank for the manufacture of cork bottle stoppers continue to be based on a traditional, manual method that is highly subjective. Furthermore, there is no specific legislation regarding cork classification. The objective of this viability study is to assess the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology for characterizing cork plank according to the following variables: aspect or visual quality, porosity, moisture and geographical origin. In order to calculate the porosity coefficient, an image analysis program was specifically developed in Visual Basic language for a desktop scanner. A set comprising 170 samples from two geographical areas of Andalusia (Spain) was classified into eight quality classes by visual inspection. Spectra were obtained in the transverse and tangential sections of the cork planks using an NIRSystems 6500 SY II reflectance spectrophotometer. The quantitative calibrations showed cross-validation coefficients of determination of 0.47 for visual quality, 0.69 for porosity and 0.66 for moisture. The results obtained using NIRS technology are promising considering the heterogeneity and variability of a natural product such as cork in spite of the fact that the standard error of cross validation (SECV) in the quantitative analysis is greater than the standard error of laboratory (SEL) for the three variables. The qualitative analysis regarding geographical origin achieved very satisfactory results. Applying these methods in industry will permit quality control procedures to be automated, as well as establishing correlations between the different classification systems currently used in the sector. These methods can be implemented in the cork chain of custody certification and will also provide a certainly more objective tool for assessing the economic value of the product.

Situational analysis of communication of HIV and AIDS information to persons with visual impairment: a case of Kang'onga Production Centre in Ndola, Zambia.

PubMed

Chintende, Grace Nsangwe; Sitali, Doreen; Michelo, Charles; Mweemba, Oliver

2017-04-04

Despite the increases in health promotion and educational programs on HIV and AIDS, lack of information and communication on HIV and AIDS for the visually impaired persons continues. The underlying factors that create the information and communication gaps have not been fully explored in Zambia. It is therefore important that, this situational analysis on HIV and AIDS information dissemination to persons with visual impairments at Kang'onga Production Centre in Ndola was conducted. The study commenced in December 2014 to May 2015. A qualitative case study design was employed. The study used two focus group discussions with males and females. Each group comprised twelve participants. Eight in-depth interviews involving the visually impaired persons and five key informants working with visually impaired persons were conducted. Data was analysed thematically using NVIVO 8 software. Ethical clearance was sought from Excellency in Research Ethics and Science. Reference Number 2014-May-030. It was established that most visually impaired people lacked knowledge on the cause, transmission and treatment of HIV and AIDS resulting in misconceptions. It was revealed that health promoters and people working with the visually impaired did not have specific HIV and AIDS information programs in Zambia. Further, it was discovered that the media, information education communication and health education were channels through which the visually impaired accessed HIV and AIDS information. Discrimination, stigma, lack of employment opportunities, funding and poverty were among the many challenges identified which the visually impaired persons faced in accessing HIV and AIDS information. Integration of the visually impaired in HIV and AIDS programs would increase funding for economic empowerment and health promotions in order to improve communication on HIV and AIDS information. The study showed that, the visually impaired persons in Zambia are not catered for in the dissemination of HIV and AIDS information. Available information is not user-friendly because it is in unreadable formats thereby increasing the potential for misinformation and limitations to their access. This calls for innovations in the communication on HIV and AIDS information health promotion to the target groups.

Making Visual Arts Learning Visible in a Generalist Elementary School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Susan; Watkins, Marnee; Grant, Gina

2017-01-01

This article presents the story of one elementary school teacher's shift in art praxis through her involvement in a research project aimed at facilitating participatory arts-based communities of practice. Qualitative methods and social constructivism informed Professional Learning Interventions (PLIs) involving: (1) a visual arts workshop, (2)…

How Visual and Semantic Information Influence Learning in Familiar Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goujon, Annabelle; Brockmole, James R.; Ehinger, Krista A.

2012-01-01

Previous research using the contextual cuing paradigm has revealed both quantitative and qualitative differences in learning depending on whether repeated contexts are defined by letter arrays or real-world scenes. To clarify the relative contributions of visual features and semantic information likely to account for such differences, the typical…

Use of a Computer Simulation To Develop Mental Simulations for Understanding Relative Motion Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monaghan, James M.; Clement, John

1999-01-01

Presents evidence for students' qualitative and quantitative difficulties with apparently simple one-dimensional relative-motion problems, students' spontaneous visualization of relative-motion problems, the visualizations facilitating solution of these problems, and students' memories of the online computer simulation used as a framework for…

Visual Arts in Counselling Adults with Depressive Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Khai Ling; Mustaffa, M. S.; Tan, S. Y.

2017-01-01

This study provides a better understanding of using visual arts in counselling adults with depressive disorders. Three in-depth case studies were conducted in the counselling unit of a mental health hospital in Malaysia. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied to explore three adult participants' counselling experiences.…

How an Exchange of Perspectives Led to Tentative Ethical Guidelines for Visual Ethnography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pope, Clive C.; De Luca, Rosemary; Tolich, Martin

2010-01-01

Qualitative research, especially visual ethnography, is an iterative not a linear process, replete with good intentions, false starts, mistaken assumptions, miscommunication and a continually revised statement of the problem. That the camera freezes everything and everyone in the frame only complicates ethical considerations. This work, jointly…

Understanding Communication Preferences of College Students with Visual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Karen A.; Bastian, Joni J.

2010-01-01

Increased enrollment of college students with disabilities raises concerns regarding appropriate communication. Faculty and administrators' lack of knowledge, false assumptions, and fear of the unknown may lead to an inequitable educational experience for students with visual disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the…

The Art of Engaging Young Men as Writers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franco, Mary J.; Unrath, Kathleen

2015-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how purposeful and substantive visual art experiences might support the literacy learning of elementary-aged boys. The overarching research question that guided this exploration was: What happens when Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) art discussions and related artmaking are infused into a…

Effect of organizational strategy on visual memory in patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Kim, Myung-Sun; Namgoong, Yoon; Youn, Tak

2008-08-01

The aim of the present study was to examine how copy organization mediated immediate recall among patients with schizophrenia using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF). The Boston Qualitative Scoring System (BQSS) was applied for qualitative and quantitative analyses of ROCF performances. Subjects included 20 patients with schizophrenia and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. During the copy condition, the schizophrenia group and the control group differed in fragmentation; during the immediate recall condition, the two groups differed in configural presence and planning; and during the delayed recall condition, they differed in several qualitative measurements, including configural presence, cluster presence/placement, detail presence/placement, fragmentation, planning, and neatness. The two groups also differed in several quantitative measurements, including immediate presence and accuracy, immediate retention, delayed retention, and organization. Although organizational strategies used during the copy condition mediated the difference between the two groups during the immediate recall condition, group also had a significant direct effect on immediate recall. Schizophrenia patients are deficient in visual memory, and a piecemeal approach to the figure and organizational deficit seem to be related to the visual memory deficit. But schizophrenia patients also appeared to have some memory problems, including retention and/or retrieval deficits.

Performance of visual inspection with acetic acid for cervical cancer screening: a qualitative summary of evidence to date.

PubMed

Gaffikin, Lynne; Lauterbach, Margo; Blumenthal, Paul D

2003-08-01

Developing countries often lack the necessary resources to use the Papanicolaou (Pap) smear as a screening tool for cervical abnormalities. Because the burden of cervical cancer is highest in such low-resource settings, alternative techniques have been sought. Recently, interest in visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) has increased. Numerous studies have been conducted on its accuracy and its ability to detect cervical lesions when compared with other techniques, both conventional and nonconventional. This review summarizes key findings from the literature to provide researchers and policymakers with an up-to-date summary on VIA. PubMed was used to identify relevant journal articles published between 1982 and 2002. Key words were cervical cancer screening, visual inspection, VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid), DVI (direct visual inspection), AAT (acetic acid test), and cervicoscopy. Studies were eligible for review only if they involved analysis of primary VIA data (ie, not review articles); studies involving magnification devices were excluded. Fifteen studies were reviewed in total; key results were extracted and a summary analysis was performed for sensitivity and specificity parameters. When reported, sensitivity ranged between 66% and 96% and specificity between 64% and 98%. Authors comparing VIA with cytology noted that the overall usefulness of VIA compares favorably with that of the Pap test. The reported findings reviewed here suggest that VIA has the potential to be a cervical cancer screening tool, especially in low resource settings. Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians. After completion of this article, the reader will be able to describe how visual inspection of the cervix for cervical cancer screening (VIA) is performed, to summarize the current literature on VIA, and to list potential advantages of VIA.

Seeing it my way: living with childhood onset visual disability.

PubMed

Tadić, V; Hundt, G Lewando; Keeley, S; Rahi, J S

2015-03-01

Although the significant impact of visual disability in childhood has been widely recognized, children's own perspectives of living with a visual impairment have not been considered. We report the experiences of visually impaired (VI) children and young people aged 10-15 years about growing up with impaired sight. The participants were 32 VI children and young people, aged 10-15 years [visual acuity logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) worse than 0.51] recruited through National Health Service (NHS) paediatric ophthalmology and developmental vision clinics and 11 VI pupils aged 12-17 attending a specialist school for pupils with disabilities. Individual semi-structured interviews with participants captured their experiences of living with a visual impairment. A child-centred interview topic guide was developed from a literature review, observations at ophthalmology clinics, consultation with health and education professionals working with VI children and young people, and interviews and a focus group with VI pupils from the specialist school. Collaborative qualitative thematic analysis by three researchers identified emergent themes. NVivo software was used for coding the data. Analysis identified six themes concerning living with a visual impairment: (i) social relationships, participation and acceptance; (ii) independence and autonomy; (iii) psychological and emotional well-being; (iv) aspirations and concerns about the future; (v) functioning - home, school and leisure; and (vi) treatment of eye condition. Key issues included: the importance of family and peer support; balancing independence, support and safety; the emotional burden and adjustment of living with a disability; concerns about education and job prospects in the future; functional restrictions and limitations; and ongoing management of the eye condition. The findings offer insights into the complex realities of living with visual impairment. They provide the basis for development of patient-reported outcome measures. They can also serve to help enrich the understanding of health professionals working with VI children and young people, potentially enabling them to better support them. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Scalable metadata environments (MDE): artistically impelled immersive environments for large-scale data exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, Ruth G.; Margolis, Todd; Prudhomme, Andrew; Schulze, Jürgen P.; Mostafavi, Iman; Lewis, J. P.; Gossmann, Joachim; Singh, Rajvikram

2014-02-01

Scalable Metadata Environments (MDEs) are an artistic approach for designing immersive environments for large scale data exploration in which users interact with data by forming multiscale patterns that they alternatively disrupt and reform. Developed and prototyped as part of an art-science research collaboration, we define an MDE as a 4D virtual environment structured by quantitative and qualitative metadata describing multidimensional data collections. Entire data sets (e.g.10s of millions of records) can be visualized and sonified at multiple scales and at different levels of detail so they can be explored interactively in real-time within MDEs. They are designed to reflect similarities and differences in the underlying data or metadata such that patterns can be visually/aurally sorted in an exploratory fashion by an observer who is not familiar with the details of the mapping from data to visual, auditory or dynamic attributes. While many approaches for visual and auditory data mining exist, MDEs are distinct in that they utilize qualitative and quantitative data and metadata to construct multiple interrelated conceptual coordinate systems. These "regions" function as conceptual lattices for scalable auditory and visual representations within virtual environments computationally driven by multi-GPU CUDA-enabled fluid dyamics systems.

Analyzing and Visualizing Cosmological Simulations with ParaView

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodring, Jonathan; Heitmann, Katrin; Ahrens, James; Fasel, Patricia; Hsu, Chung-Hsing; Habib, Salman; Pope, Adrian

2011-07-01

The advent of large cosmological sky surveys—ushering in the era of precision cosmology—has been accompanied by ever larger cosmological simulations. The analysis of these simulations, which currently encompass tens of billions of particles and up to a trillion particles in the near future, is often as daunting as carrying out the simulations in the first place. Therefore, the development of very efficient analysis tools combining qualitative and quantitative capabilities is a matter of some urgency. In this paper, we introduce new analysis features implemented within ParaView, a fully parallel, open-source visualization toolkit, to analyze large N-body simulations. A major aspect of ParaView is that it can live and operate on the same machines and utilize the same parallel power as the simulation codes themselves. In addition, data movement is in a serious bottleneck now and will become even more of an issue in the future; an interactive visualization and analysis tool that can handle data in situ is fast becoming essential. The new features in ParaView include particle readers and a very efficient halo finder that identifies friends-of-friends halos and determines common halo properties, including spherical overdensity properties. In combination with many other functionalities already existing within ParaView, such as histogram routines or interfaces to programming languages like Python, this enhanced version enables fast, interactive, and convenient analyses of large cosmological simulations. In addition, development paths are available for future extensions.

New test techniques and analytical procedures for understanding the behavior of advanced propellers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stefko, G. L.; Bober, L. J.; Neumann, H. E.

1983-01-01

Analytical procedures and experimental techniques were developed to improve the capability to design advanced high speed propellers. Some results from the propeller lifting line and lifting surface aerodynamic analysis codes are compared with propeller force data, probe data and laser velocimeter data. In general, the code comparisons with data indicate good qualitative agreement. A rotating propeller force balance demonstrated good accuracy and reduced test time by 50 percent. Results from three propeller flow visualization techniques are shown which illustrate some of the physical phenomena occurring on these propellers.

Using visual art and collaborative reflection to explore medical attitudes toward vulnerable persons

PubMed Central

Kidd, Monica; Nixon, Lara; Rosenal, Tom; Jackson, Roberta; Pereles, Laurie; Mitchell, Ian; Bendiak, Glenda; Hughes, Lisa

2016-01-01

Background Vulnerable persons often face stigma-related barriers while seeking health care. Innovative education and professional development methods are needed to help change this. Method We describe an interdisciplinary group workshop designed around a discomfiting oil portrait, intended to trigger provocative conversations among health care students and practitioners, and we present our mixed methods analysis of participant reflections. Results After the workshop, participants were significantly more likely to endorse the statements that the observation and interpretive skills involved in viewing visual art are relevant to patient care and that visual art should be used in medical education to improve students’ observational skills, narrative skills, and empathy with their patients. Subsequent to the workshop, significantly more participants agreed that art interpretation should be required curriculum for health care students. Qualitative comments from two groups from two different education and professional contexts were examined for themes; conversations focused on issues of power, body image/self-esteem, and lessons for clinical practice. Conclusions We argue that difficult conversations about affective responses to vulnerable persons are possible in a collaborative context using well-chosen works of visual art that can stand in for a patient. PMID:27103949

Using visual art and collaborative reflection to explore medical attitudes toward vulnerable persons.

PubMed

Kidd, Monica; Nixon, Lara; Rosenal, Tom; Jackson, Roberta; Pereles, Laurie; Mitchell, Ian; Bendiak, Glenda; Hughes, Lisa

2016-01-01

Vulnerable persons often face stigma-related barriers while seeking health care. Innovative education and professional development methods are needed to help change this. We describe an interdisciplinary group workshop designed around a discomfiting oil portrait, intended to trigger provocative conversations among health care students and practitioners, and we present our mixed methods analysis of participant reflections. After the workshop, participants were significantly more likely to endorse the statements that the observation and interpretive skills involved in viewing visual art are relevant to patient care and that visual art should be used in medical education to improve students' observational skills, narrative skills, and empathy with their patients. Subsequent to the workshop, significantly more participants agreed that art interpretation should be required curriculum for health care students. Qualitative comments from two groups from two different education and professional contexts were examined for themes; conversations focused on issues of power, body image/self-esteem, and lessons for clinical practice. We argue that difficult conversations about affective responses to vulnerable persons are possible in a collaborative context using well-chosen works of visual art that can stand in for a patient.

SimGraph: A Flight Simulation Data Visualization Workstation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, Joseph A.; Kenney, Patrick S.

1997-01-01

Today's modern flight simulation research produces vast amounts of time sensitive data, making a qualitative analysis of the data difficult while it remains in a numerical representation. Therefore, a method of merging related data together and presenting it to the user in a more comprehensible format is necessary. Simulation Graphics (SimGraph) is an object-oriented data visualization software package that presents simulation data in animated graphical displays for easy interpretation. Data produced from a flight simulation is presented by SimGraph in several different formats, including: 3-Dimensional Views, Cockpit Control Views, Heads-Up Displays, Strip Charts, and Status Indicators. SimGraph can accommodate the addition of new graphical displays to allow the software to be customized to each user s particular environment. A new display can be developed and added to SimGraph without having to design a new application, allowing the graphics programmer to focus on the development of the graphical display. The SimGraph framework can be reused for a wide variety of visualization tasks. Although it was created for the flight simulation facilities at NASA Langley Research Center, SimGraph can be reconfigured to almost any data visualization environment. This paper describes the capabilities and operations of SimGraph.

Visual, Critical, and Scientific Thinking Dispositions in a 3rd Grade Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foss, Stacy

Many American students leave school without the required 21st century critical thinking skills. This qualitative case study, based on the theoretical concepts of Facione, Arheim, and Vygotsky, explored the development of thinking dispositions through the arts in science on the development of scientific thinking skills when used as a conceptual thinking routine in a rural 3rd grade classroom. Research questions examined the disposition to think critically through the arts in science and focused on the perceptions and experiences of 25 students with the Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS) process. Data were collected from classroom observations (n = 10), student interviews (n = 25), teacher interviews ( n = 1), a focus group discussion (n = 3), and artifacts of student work (n = 25); these data included perceptions of VTS, school culture, and classroom characteristics. An inductive analysis of qualitative data resulted in several emergent themes regarding disposition development and students generating questions while increasing affective motivation. The most prevalent dispositions were open-mindedness, the truth-seeking disposition, the analytical disposition, and the systematicity disposition. The findings about the teachers indicated that VTS questions in science supported "gradual release of responsibility", the internalization of process skills and vocabulary, and argumentation. This case study offers descriptive research that links visual arts inquiry and the development of critical thinking dispositions in science at the elementary level. A science curriculum could be developed, that emphasizes the development of thinking dispositions through the arts in science, which in turn, could impact the professional development of teachers and learning outcomes for students.

PRISM, a Novel Visual Metaphor Measuring Personally Salient Appraisals, Attitudes and Decision-Making: Qualitative Evidence Synthesis.

PubMed

Sensky, Tom; Büchi, Stefan

2016-01-01

PRISM (the Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure) is a novel, simple visual instrument. Its utility was initially discovered serendipitously, but has been validated as a quantitative measure of suffering. Recently, new applications for different purposes, even in non-health settings, have encouraged further exploration of how PRISM works, and how it might be applied. This review will summarise the results to date from applications of PRISM and propose a generic conceptualisation of how PRISM works which is consistent with all these applications. A systematic review, in the form of a qualitative evidence synthesis, was carried out of all available published data on PRISM. Fifty-two publications were identified, with a total of 8254 participants. Facilitated by simple instructions, PRISM has been used with patient groups in a variety of settings and cultures. As a measure of suffering, PRISM has, with few exceptions, behaved as expected according to Eric Cassell's seminal conceptualisation of suffering. PRISM has also been used to assess beliefs about or attitudes to stressful working conditions, interpersonal relations, alcohol consumption, and suicide, amongst others. This review supports PRISM behaving as a visual metaphor of the relationship of objects (eg 'my illness') to a subject (eg 'myself') in a defined context (eg 'my life at the moment'). As a visual metaphor, it is quick to complete and yields personally salient information. PRISM is likely to have wide applications in assessing beliefs, attitudes, and decision-making, because of its properties, and because it yields both quantitative and qualitative data. In medicine, it can serve as a generic patient-reported outcome measure. It can serve as a tool for representational guidance, can be applied to developing strategies visually, and is likely to have applications in coaching, psychological assessment and therapeutic interventions.

Comparing Different Approaches to Visualizing Light Waves: An Experimental Study on Teaching Wave Optics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mešic, Vanes; Hajder, Erna; Neumann, Knut; Erceg, Nataša

2016-01-01

Research has shown that students have tremendous difficulties developing a qualitative understanding of wave optics, at all educational levels. In this study, we investigate how three different approaches to visualizing light waves affect students' understanding of wave optics. In the first, the conventional, approach light waves are represented…

Teaching Inequalities: Using Public Transportation and Visual Sociology to Make It Real

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grauerholz, Liz; Settembrino, Marc

2016-01-01

In this article, we describe an adaptation of Nichols, Berry, and Kalogrides's "Hop on the Bus" exercise. In addition to riding the bus, we incorporated a visual component similar to that developed by Whitley by having students conduct a sociological, photographic exercise after they disembarked. Qualitative and quantitative assessment…

Visual Methods and Quality in Information Behaviour Research: The Cases of Photovoice and Mental Mapping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Andrew; Benson, Melanie

2017-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of the paper is to explore the ways in which visual methods can increase the quality of qualitative information behaviour research. Methods: The paper examines Tracy's framework of eight criteria for research quality: worthy topic, rich rigour, sincerity, credibility, resonance, significant contribution, ethical issues…

A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Educational, Vocational and Social Experiences of College Educated Individuals Who Are Visually Impaired

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Mary-Anne M.

2010-01-01

Students who are visually impaired have significantly lower educational and vocational success rates than their nondisabled peers (Hasazi, Johnson, Hasazi, Gordon, & Hull, 1989; Nagle, 2001). A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to explore the educational, vocational and social experiences of college educated individuals who were…

Pre-Service Visual Art Teachers' Perceptions of Assessment in Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Jeanne Maree; Wright, Suzie; Innes, Maureen

2014-01-01

This paper reports on a study conducted into how one cohort of Master of Teaching pre-service visual art teachers perceived their learning in a fully online learning environment. Located in an Australian urban university, this qualitative study provided insights into a number of areas associated with higher education online learning, including…

Looking at Algorithm Visualization through the Eyes of Pre-Service ICT Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saltan, Fatih

2016-01-01

The study investigated pre-service ICT teachers' perceptions of algorithm visualization (AV) with regard to appropriateness of teaching levels and contribution to learning and motivation. In order to achieve this aim, a qualitative case study was carried out. The participants consisted of 218 pre-service ICT teachers from four different…

TMS of the occipital cortex induces tactile sensations in the fingers of blind Braille readers.

PubMed

Ptito, M; Fumal, A; de Noordhout, A Martens; Schoenen, J; Gjedde, A; Kupers, R

2008-01-01

Various non-visual inputs produce cross-modal responses in the visual cortex of early blind subjects. In order to determine the qualitative experience associated with these occipital activations, we systematically stimulated the entire occipital cortex using single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in early blind subjects and in blindfolded seeing controls. Whereas blindfolded seeing controls reported only phosphenes following occipital cortex stimulation, some of the blind subjects reported tactile sensations in the fingers that were somatotopically organized onto the visual cortex. The number of cortical sites inducing tactile sensations appeared to be related to the number of hours of Braille reading per day, Braille reading speed and dexterity. These data, taken in conjunction with previous anatomical, behavioural and functional imaging results, suggest the presence of a polysynaptic cortical pathway between the somatosensory cortex and the visual cortex in early blind subjects. These results also add new evidence that the activity of the occipital lobe in the blind takes its qualitative expression from the character of its new input source, therefore supporting the cortical deference hypothesis.

Using visual thinking strategies with nursing students to enhance nursing assessment skills: A qualitative design.

PubMed

Nanavaty, Joanne

2018-03-01

This qualitative design study addressed the enhancement of nursing assessment skills through the use of Visual Thinking Strategies and reflection. This study advances understanding of the use of Visual Thinking Strategies and reflection as ways to explore new methods of thinking and observing patient situations relating to health care. Sixty nursing students in a licensed practical nursing program made up the sample of participants who attended an art gallery as part of a class assignment. Participants replied to a survey of interest for participation at the art gallery. Participants reviewed artwork at the gallery and shared observations with the larger group during a post-conference session in a gathering area of the museum at the end of the visit. A reflective exercise on the art gallery experience exhibited further thoughts about the art gallery experience and demonstrated the connections made to clinical practice by the student. The findings of this study support the use of Visual Thinking Strategies and reflection as effective teaching and learning tools for enhancing nursing skills. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of dental alginate and agar impression materials as a brain simulant for ballistic testing.

PubMed

Falland-Cheung, Lisa; Piccione, Neil; Zhao, Tianqi; Lazarjan, Milad Soltanipour; Hanlin, Suzanne; Jermy, Mark; Waddell, J Neil

2016-06-01

Routine forensic research into in vitro skin/skull/brain ballistic blood backspatter behavior has traditionally used gelatin at a 1:10 Water:Powder (W:P) ratio by volume as a brain simulant. A limitation of gelatin is its high elasticity compared to brain tissue. Therefore this study investigated the use of dental alginate and agar impression materials as a brain simulant for ballistic testing. Fresh deer brain, alginate (W:P ratio 91.5:8.5) and agar (W:P ratio 81:19) specimens (n=10) (11×22×33mm) were placed in transparent Perspex boxes of the same internal dimensions prior to shooting with a 0.22inch caliber high velocity air gun. Quantitative analysis to establish kinetic energy loss, vertical displacement elastic behavior and qualitative analysis to establish elasticity behavior was done via high-speed camera footage (SA5, Photron, Japan) using Photron Fastcam Viewer software (Version 3.5.1, Photron, Japan) and visual observation. Damage mechanisms and behavior were qualitatively established by observation of the materials during and after shooting. The qualitative analysis found that of the two simulant materials tested, agar behaved more like brain in terms of damage and showed similar mechanical response to brain during the passage of the projectile, in terms of energy absorption and vertical velocity displacement. In conclusion agar showed a mechanical and subsequent damage response that was similar to brain compared to alginate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing a model for effective leadership in healthcare: a concept mapping approach.

PubMed

Hargett, Charles William; Doty, Joseph P; Hauck, Jennifer N; Webb, Allison Mb; Cook, Steven H; Tsipis, Nicholas E; Neumann, Julie A; Andolsek, Kathryn M; Taylor, Dean C

2017-01-01

Despite increasing awareness of the importance of leadership in healthcare, our understanding of the competencies of effective leadership remains limited. We used a concept mapping approach (a blend of qualitative and quantitative analysis of group processes to produce a visual composite of the group's ideas) to identify stakeholders' mental model of effective healthcare leadership, clarifying the underlying structure and importance of leadership competencies. Literature review, focus groups, and consensus meetings were used to derive a representative set of healthcare leadership competency statements. Study participants subsequently sorted and rank-ordered these statements based on their perceived importance in contributing to effective healthcare leadership in real-world settings. Hierarchical cluster analysis of individual sortings was used to develop a coherent model of effective leadership in healthcare. A diverse group of 92 faculty and trainees individually rank-sorted 33 leadership competency statements. The highest rated statements were "Acting with Personal Integrity", "Communicating Effectively", "Acting with Professional Ethical Values", "Pursuing Excellence", "Building and Maintaining Relationships", and "Thinking Critically". Combining the results from hierarchical cluster analysis with our qualitative data led to a healthcare leadership model based on the core principle of Patient Centeredness and the core competencies of Integrity, Teamwork, Critical Thinking, Emotional Intelligence, and Selfless Service. Using a mixed qualitative-quantitative approach, we developed a graphical representation of a shared leadership model derived in the healthcare setting. This model may enhance learning, teaching, and patient care in this important area, as well as guide future research.

Designing human centered GeoVisualization application--the SanaViz--for telehealth users: a case study.

PubMed

Joshi, Ashish; de Araujo Novaes, Magdala; Machiavelli, Josiane; Iyengar, Sriram; Vogler, Robert; Johnson, Craig; Zhang, Jiajie; Hsu, Chiehwen E

2012-01-01

Public health data is typically organized by geospatial unit. GeoVisualization (GeoVis) allows users to see information visually on a map. Examine telehealth users' perceptions towards existing public health GeoVis applications and obtains users' feedback about features important for the design and development of Human Centered GeoVis application "the SanaViz". We employed a cross sectional study design using mixed methods approach for this pilot study. Twenty users involved with the NUTES telehealth center at Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, Brazil were enrolled. Open and closed ended questionnaires were used to gather data. We performed audio recording for the interviews. Information gathered included socio-demographics, prior spatial skills and perception towards use of GeoVis to evaluate telehealth services. Card sorting and sketching methods were employed. Univariate analysis was performed for the continuous and categorical variables. Qualitative analysis was performed for open ended questions. Existing Public Health GeoVis applications were difficult to use. Results found interaction features zooming, linking and brushing and representation features Google maps, tables and bar chart as most preferred GeoVis features. Early involvement of users is essential to identify features necessary to be part of the human centered GeoVis application "the SanaViz".

WeightLifter: Visual Weight Space Exploration for Multi-Criteria Decision Making.

PubMed

Pajer, Stephan; Streit, Marc; Torsney-Weir, Thomas; Spechtenhauser, Florian; Muller, Torsten; Piringer, Harald

2017-01-01

A common strategy in Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is to rank alternative solutions by weighted summary scores. Weights, however, are often abstract to the decision maker and can only be set by vague intuition. While previous work supports a point-wise exploration of weight spaces, we argue that MCDM can benefit from a regional and global visual analysis of weight spaces. Our main contribution is WeightLifter, a novel interactive visualization technique for weight-based MCDM that facilitates the exploration of weight spaces with up to ten criteria. Our technique enables users to better understand the sensitivity of a decision to changes of weights, to efficiently localize weight regions where a given solution ranks high, and to filter out solutions which do not rank high enough for any plausible combination of weights. We provide a comprehensive requirement analysis for weight-based MCDM and describe an interactive workflow that meets these requirements. For evaluation, we describe a usage scenario of WeightLifter in automotive engineering and report qualitative feedback from users of a deployed version as well as preliminary feedback from decision makers in multiple domains. This feedback confirms that WeightLifter increases both the efficiency of weight-based MCDM and the awareness of uncertainty in the ultimate decisions.

Non-Conventional Applications of Computerized Tomography: Analysis of Solid Dosage Forms Produced by Pharmaceutical Industry

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

Martins de Oliveira, Jose Jr.; Germano Martins, Antonio Cesar

X-ray computed tomography (CT) refers to the cross-sectional imaging of an object measuring the transmitted radiation at different directions. In this work, we describe a non-conventional application of computerized tomography: visualization and improvements in the understanding of some internal structural features of solid dosage forms. A micro-CT X-ray scanner, with a minimum resolution of 30 mum was used to characterize some pharmaceutical tablets, granules, controlled-release osmotic tablet and liquid-filled soft-gelatin capsules. The analysis presented in this work are essentially qualitative, but quantitative parameters, such as porosity, density distribution, tablets dimensions, etc. could also be obtained using the related CT techniques.

Size Matters: Penis Size and Sexual Position in Gay Porn Profiles.

PubMed

Brennan, Joseph

2018-01-01

This article combines qualitative and quantitative textual approaches to the representation of penis size and sexual position of performers in 10 of the most visited gay pornography Web sites currently in operation. Specifically, in excess of 6,900 performer profiles sourced from 10 commercial Web sites are analyzed. Textual analysis of the profile descriptions is combined with a quantitative representation of disclosed penis size and sexual position, which is presented visually by two figures. The figures confirm that these sites generally market themselves as featuring penises that are extraordinarily large and find a sample-wide correlation between smaller penis sizes (5-6.5 inches) and receptive sexual acts (bottoming), and larger (8.5-13 inches) with penetrative acts (topping). These observations are supported through the qualitative textual readings of how the performers are described on these popular sites, revealing the narratives and marketing strategies that shape the construction of popular porn brands, performers, and profitable fantasies.

Information Visualization: The State of the Art for Maritime Domain Awareness

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

les auteurs et aux évaluations de la qualité de certains documents, mots-clés et liens. La version sur papier de cette base de données se trouve à...interface design principles, psychological studies, and perception research • include a review of visualization theory including current visualization...builds on that a theory of how maps are understood (knowledge schemata and cognitive representations), and then analyses the use of symbols and

Interactive Particle Visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gribble, Christiaan P.

Particle-based simulation methods are used to model a wide range of complex phenomena and to solve time-dependent problems of various scales. Effective visualizations of the resulting state will communicate subtle changes in the three-dimensional structure, spatial organization, and qualitative trends within a simulation as it evolves. This chapter discusses two approaches to interactive particle visualization that satisfy these goals: one targeting desktop systems equipped with programmable graphics hardware, and the other targeting moderately sized multicore systems using packet-based ray tracing.

[Qualitative analysis of water quality deterioration and infection by Helicobacter pylori in a community with high risk of stomach cancer (Cauca, Colombia)].

PubMed

Acosta, Claudia Patricia; Benavides, John Alexander; Sierra, Carlos Hernán

2015-12-01

This study looks at aspects of the environmental health of the rural population in Timbío (Cauca, Columbia) in relation to the deterioration of water quality. The information was obtained through participatory research methods exploring the management and use of water, the sources of pollution and the perception of water quality and its relation to Helicobacter pylori infection. The results are part of the qualitative analysis of a first research phase characterizing water and sanitation problems and their relation to emerging infectious diseases as well as possible solutions, which was carried out between November 2013 and August 2014. The results of this research are discussed from an ecosystemic approach to human health, recognizing the complexity of environmental conflicts related to water resources and their impacts on the health of populations. Through the methodology used, it is possible to detect and visualize the most urgent problems as well as frequent causes of contamination of water resources so as to propose solutions within a joint agenda of multiple social actors.

Visual function in anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: effect of Vision Restoration Therapy--a pilot study.

PubMed

Jung, Cecilia S; Bruce, Beau; Newman, Nancy J; Biousse, Valérie

2008-05-15

To evaluate the effects of Vision Restoration Therapy (VRT) on the visual function of patients with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Randomized controlled double-blind pilot trial. 10 patients with stable anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION). All patients were evaluated before VRT and after 3 and 6 months of treatment by Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, reading speed, 24-2 SITA-standard Humphrey visual field (HVF), High Resolution Perimetry (HRP) (perimetry obtained during VRT), and vision-based quality of life questionnaire. Patients were randomized between two VRT strategies (5 in each group): I) VRT in which stimulation was performed in the seeing VF of the affected eye ("seeing field-VRT"); II) VRT in which stimulation was performed along the area of central fixation and in the ARV (areas of residual vision) of the affected eye ("ARV-VRT"). The results of the HRP, HVF, and clinical assessment of visual function were compared for each patient and between the two groups at each evaluation. Visual acuity qualitatively improved in the ARV-VRT group, however the change was not statistically significant (p=0.28). Binocular reading speed significantly improved in the ARV-VRT group (p=0.03). HVF foveal sensitivity increased mildly in both groups (p=0.059). HRP analysis showed a similar increase in stimulus accuracy in both groups (mean improvement of about 15%). All patients reported functional improvement after VRT. Despite a small sample, the study showed a trend toward improvement of visual function in the ARV-VRT group. Improvement of HRP in both groups may reflect diffusely increased visual attention (neuronal activation), or improvement of an underlying sub-clinical abnormality in the "seeing" visual field of patients with optic neuropathies.

Analysis of laser printer and photocopier toners by spectral properties and chemometrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Neha; Kumar, Raj; Sharma, Vishal

2018-05-01

The use of printers to generate falsified documents has become a common practice in today's world. The examination and identification of the printed matter in the suspected documents (civil or criminal cases) may provide important information about the authenticity of the document. In the present study, a total number of 100 black toner samples both from laser printers and photocopiers were examined using diffuse reflectance UV-Vis Spectroscopy. The present research is divided into two parts; visual discrimination and discrimination by using multivariate analysis. A comparison between qualitative and quantitative analysis showed that multivariate analysis (Principal component analysis) provides 99.59%pair-wise discriminating power for laser printer toners while 99.84% pair-wise discriminating power for photocopier toners. The overall results obtained confirm the applicability of UV-Vis spectroscopy and chemometrics, in the nondestructive analysis of toner printed documents while enhancing their evidential value for forensic applications.

Simultaneous Analysis and Quality Assurance for Diffusion Tensor Imaging

PubMed Central

Lauzon, Carolyn B.; Asman, Andrew J.; Esparza, Michael L.; Burns, Scott S.; Fan, Qiuyun; Gao, Yurui; Anderson, Adam W.; Davis, Nicole; Cutting, Laurie E.; Landman, Bennett A.

2013-01-01

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) enables non-invasive, cyto-architectural mapping of in vivo tissue microarchitecture through voxel-wise mathematical modeling of multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisitions, each differently sensitized to water diffusion. DTI computations are fundamentally estimation processes and are sensitive to noise and artifacts. Despite widespread adoption in the neuroimaging community, maintaining consistent DTI data quality remains challenging given the propensity for patient motion, artifacts associated with fast imaging techniques, and the possibility of hardware changes/failures. Furthermore, the quantity of data acquired per voxel, the non-linear estimation process, and numerous potential use cases complicate traditional visual data inspection approaches. Currently, quality inspection of DTI data has relied on visual inspection and individual processing in DTI analysis software programs (e.g. DTIPrep, DTI-studio). However, recent advances in applied statistical methods have yielded several different metrics to assess noise level, artifact propensity, quality of tensor fit, variance of estimated measures, and bias in estimated measures. To date, these metrics have been largely studied in isolation. Herein, we select complementary metrics for integration into an automatic DTI analysis and quality assurance pipeline. The pipeline completes in 24 hours, stores statistical outputs, and produces a graphical summary quality analysis (QA) report. We assess the utility of this streamlined approach for empirical quality assessment on 608 DTI datasets from pediatric neuroimaging studies. The efficiency and accuracy of quality analysis using the proposed pipeline is compared with quality analysis based on visual inspection. The unified pipeline is found to save a statistically significant amount of time (over 70%) while improving the consistency of QA between a DTI expert and a pool of research associates. Projection of QA metrics to a low dimensional manifold reveal qualitative, but clear, QA-study associations and suggest that automated outlier/anomaly detection would be feasible. PMID:23637895

Simultaneous analysis and quality assurance for diffusion tensor imaging.

PubMed

Lauzon, Carolyn B; Asman, Andrew J; Esparza, Michael L; Burns, Scott S; Fan, Qiuyun; Gao, Yurui; Anderson, Adam W; Davis, Nicole; Cutting, Laurie E; Landman, Bennett A

2013-01-01

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) enables non-invasive, cyto-architectural mapping of in vivo tissue microarchitecture through voxel-wise mathematical modeling of multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisitions, each differently sensitized to water diffusion. DTI computations are fundamentally estimation processes and are sensitive to noise and artifacts. Despite widespread adoption in the neuroimaging community, maintaining consistent DTI data quality remains challenging given the propensity for patient motion, artifacts associated with fast imaging techniques, and the possibility of hardware changes/failures. Furthermore, the quantity of data acquired per voxel, the non-linear estimation process, and numerous potential use cases complicate traditional visual data inspection approaches. Currently, quality inspection of DTI data has relied on visual inspection and individual processing in DTI analysis software programs (e.g. DTIPrep, DTI-studio). However, recent advances in applied statistical methods have yielded several different metrics to assess noise level, artifact propensity, quality of tensor fit, variance of estimated measures, and bias in estimated measures. To date, these metrics have been largely studied in isolation. Herein, we select complementary metrics for integration into an automatic DTI analysis and quality assurance pipeline. The pipeline completes in 24 hours, stores statistical outputs, and produces a graphical summary quality analysis (QA) report. We assess the utility of this streamlined approach for empirical quality assessment on 608 DTI datasets from pediatric neuroimaging studies. The efficiency and accuracy of quality analysis using the proposed pipeline is compared with quality analysis based on visual inspection. The unified pipeline is found to save a statistically significant amount of time (over 70%) while improving the consistency of QA between a DTI expert and a pool of research associates. Projection of QA metrics to a low dimensional manifold reveal qualitative, but clear, QA-study associations and suggest that automated outlier/anomaly detection would be feasible.

Visual thinking in action: visualizations as used on whiteboards.

PubMed

Walny, Jagoda; Carpendale, Sheelagh; Riche, Nathalie Henry; Venolia, Gina; Fawcett, Philip

2011-12-01

While it is still most common for information visualization researchers to develop new visualizations from a data- or taskdriven perspective, there is growing interest in understanding the types of visualizations people create by themselves for personal use. As part of this recent direction, we have studied a large collection of whiteboards in a research institution, where people make active use of combinations of words, diagrams and various types of visuals to help them further their thought processes. Our goal is to arrive at a better understanding of the nature of visuals that are created spontaneously during brainstorming, thinking, communicating, and general problem solving on whiteboards. We use the qualitative approaches of open coding, interviewing, and affinity diagramming to explore the use of recognizable and novel visuals, and the interplay between visualization and diagrammatic elements with words, numbers and labels. We discuss the potential implications of our findings on information visualization design. © 2011 IEEE

A human centered GeoVisualization framework to facilitate visual exploration of telehealth data: a case study.

PubMed

Joshi, Ashish; de Araujo Novaes, Magdala; Machiavelli, Josiane; Iyengar, Sriram; Vogler, Robert; Johnson, Craig; Zhang, Jiajie; Hsu, Chiehwen E

2012-01-01

Public health data is typically organized by geospatial units. Routine geographic monitoring of health data enables an understanding of the spatial patterns of events in terms of causes and controls. GeoVisualization (GeoVis) allows users to see information hidden both visually and explicitly on a map. Despite the applicability of GeoVis in public health, it is still underused for visualizing public health data. The objective of this study is to examine the perception of telehealth users' to utilize GeoVis as a proof of concept to facilitate visual exploration of telehealth data in Brazil using principles of human centered approach and cognitive fit theory. A mixed methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative assessments was utilized in this cross sectional study conducted at the Telehealth Center of the Federal University of Pernambuco (NUTE-UFPE), Recife, Brazil. A convenient sample of 20 participants currently involved in NUTES was drawn during a period of Sep-Oct 2011. Data was gathered using previously tested questionnaire surveys and in-person interviews. Socio-demographic Information such as age, gender, prior education, familiarity with the use of computer and GeoVis was gathered. Other information gathered included participants' prior spatial analysis skills, level of motivation and use of GeoVis in telehealth. Audio recording was done for all interviews conducted in both English and Portuguese, and transcription of the audio content to English was done by a certified translator. Univariate analysis was performed and means and standard deviations were reported for the continuous variables and frequency distributions for the categorical variables. For the open-ended questions, we utilized a grounded theory to identify themes and their relationship as they emerge from the data. Analysis of the quantitative data was performed using SAS V9.1 and qualitative data was performed using NVivo9. The average age of participants was 28 years (SD=7), a majority of them were females and 100% were professionals with graduate degrees. The users had diverse backgrounds including nursing, computer science, biomedical informatics, statistics, dentistry, administration and engineering. The users had varied roles and responsibilities, used computers frequently but only 5% of them were familiar with GeoVis. Google maps were the most common GeoVis application that the users were familiar with. Despite having minimal spatial skills, there was a strong motivation and relevance among the telehealth users to use GeoVis to facilitate visual exploration of telehealth data for better informed decision making. Results also showed that of the 60% participants with no GeoVis familiarity; 33% had moderate to large data exploratory role, 83% had no spatial skills but 58% preferred analyzing both spatial and temporal dimensions of the data. Majority of the participants agreed to have maps as the first choice to represent the data as it will be able to display the events both in place and time. The results demonstrate a potentially growing need for the use of GeoVis applications to evaluate telehealth data. Understanding of user needs is essential to ensure that the technology is appropriately functional and will be useful to complete the tasks.

Use of optical aids by visually impaired students: social and cultural factors.

PubMed

Monteiro, Gelse Beatriz Martins; Temporini, Edméa Rita; de Carvalho, Keila Monteiro

2006-01-01

To identify conceptions, social and cultural factors regarding the use of optical aids by visually impaired students and to present information to health and educational professionals. Qualitative research using spontaneous theater (interactive theater modality based on improvisation) as research instrument. To analyze data, an adapted form of the collective subject discourse technique - procedures for organization of verbal data - was applied. Scenes, gestures, expressions, silences and behaviors were added to the original proposal. The study population included all visually impaired students from elementary public schools, aged 10 to 14 years who attended a resource room in a São Paulo state city. The students were examined at a university low vision service. Little knowledge about the impairment and difficult adaptation to use of optical aids were identified. The students' behavior showed denial of own problems, discomfort on public use of aids and lack of participation in own health decisions. Analysis through spontaneous theater session allows the professional to gather information which is not possible to acquire in the health assistance atmosphere. Needs, difficulties and barriers the users found before the prescribed treatment were identified.

Food waste reduction practices in German food retail.

PubMed

Hermsdorf, David; Rombach, Meike; Bitsch, Vera

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate food retailers food waste reduction practices in Germany. The focus is on selling and redistributing agricultural produce with visual impairments and other surplus food items. In addition, drivers and barriers regarding the implementation of both waste reduction practices are explored. In total, 12 in-depth interviews with managerial actors in the food retail sector and a food bank spokesperson were recorded, transcribed and analyzed through a qualitative content analysis. In contrast to organic retailers, conventional retailers were reluctant to include agricultural produce with visual impairments in their product assortments, due to fears of negative consumer reactions. Another obstacle was EU marketing standards for specific produce. All retailers interviewed engaged in redistribution of surplus food. Logistics and the regulatory framework were the main barriers to food redistribution. The present study adds to the existing body of literature on food waste reduction practices as it explores selling produce with visual impairments and elaborates on the legal background of food redistribution in German retail. The results are the foundation for providing recommendations to policy makers and charitable food organizations.

Nursing students' experiences of being video-recorded during examination in a fictive emergency care situation.

PubMed

Nyström, Anita; Pålsson, Ylva; Hofsten, Anna; Häggström, Elisabeth

2014-10-01

Promoting undergraduate nursing students' learning in simulated care can be achieved through dynamic scenario-based training sessions that are documented using simple video equipment. One valuable aspect of this kind of training is the subsequent reflective dialogue that takes place between the teacher and the students during the examination. The aim of the present paper is to describe bachelor nursing students' experiences of being video-recorded during an examination with a simulated patient in emergency care. The study was descriptive in design and used a qualitative approach with written answers to open-ended questions; 44 undergraduate nursing students participated. A latent content analysis resulted in three themes: (i) visualization might cause nervousness at first; (ii) visualization promotes dialogue and acknowledgement; and (iii) visualization promotes increased self-knowledge and professional growth. The conclusion is that video-recording is a good way for undergraduate nursing students to develop skills in emergency care situations and to understand their own actions; it might also help them increase their self-knowledge. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Using Dynamic Geometry Software for Teaching Conditional Probability with Area-Proportional Venn Diagrams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radakovic, Nenad; McDougall, Douglas

2012-01-01

This classroom note illustrates how dynamic visualization can be used to teach conditional probability and Bayes' theorem. There are two features of the visualization that make it an ideal pedagogical tool in probability instruction. The first feature is the use of area-proportional Venn diagrams that, along with showing qualitative relationships,…

ICT Accessibility and Usability to Support Learning of Visually-Impaired Students in Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eligi, Innosencia; Mwantimwa, Kelefa

2017-01-01

The main objective of this study was to assess the accessibility and usability of Information and Communication Technology facilities to facilitate learning among visually-impaired students at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). The study employed a mixed methods design in gathering, processing and analysing quantitative and qualitative data.…

Conducting a Qualitative Return on Investment: Determining Whether to Migrate to Blackboard[TM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conn, Cynthia; Roberts, Stephanie

2004-01-01

In 1998, a state university received grant funding to convert their Special Education Blindness and Visual Impairment graduate degree program to an online format. At that time, commercial web course management systems were not accessible to blind and visually impaired users. As a result, grant designers developed a custom, accessible platform,…

Examining the Relationship between Comparative and Self-Focused Academic Data Visualizations in At-Risk College Students' Academic Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aguilar, Stephen J.

2018-01-01

This qualitative study focuses on capturing students' understanding two visualizations often utilized by learning analytics-based educational technologies: bar graphs, and line graphs. It is framed by Achievement Goal Theory--a prominent theory of students' academic motivation--and utilizes interviews (n = 60) to investigate how students at risk…

A Qualitatively Different Experience: Mainstreaming Pupils with a Visual Impairment in Northern Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Colette

2009-01-01

This paper reports the experiences of special education needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) on the inclusion of pupils with a visual impairment (VI) in mainstream schools in Northern Ireland. A mixed method approach (postal questionnaire survey (n=113) and interviews (n=6)) was utilised to triangulate the findings. The results indicate an inverse…

ICT Teachers' Acceptance of "Scratch" as Algorithm Visualization Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saltan, Fatih; Kara, Mehmet

2016-01-01

This study aims to investigate the acceptance of ICT teachers pertaining to the use of Scratch as an Algorithm Visualization (AV) software in terms of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. An embedded mixed method research design was used in the study, in which qualitative data were embedded in quantitative ones and used to explain the…

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: quantitative and visual ventilation pattern analysis at xenon ventilation CT performed by using a dual-energy technique.

PubMed

Park, Eun-Ah; Goo, Jin Mo; Park, Sang Joon; Lee, Hyun Ju; Lee, Chang Hyun; Park, Chang Min; Yoo, Chul-Gyu; Kim, Jong Hyo

2010-09-01

To evaluate the potential of xenon ventilation computed tomography (CT) in the quantitative and visual analysis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study was approved by the institutional review board. After informed consent was obtained, 32 patients with COPD underwent CT performed before the administration of xenon, two-phase xenon ventilation CT with wash-in (WI) and wash-out (WO) periods, and pulmonary function testing (PFT). For quantitative analysis, results of PFT were compared with attenuation parameters from prexenon images and xenon parameters from xenon-enhanced images in the following three areas at each phase: whole lung, lung with normal attenuation, and low-attenuating lung (LAL). For visual analysis, ventilation patterns were categorized according to the pattern of xenon attenuation in the area of structural abnormalities compared with that in the normal-looking background on a per-lobe basis: pattern A consisted of isoattenuation or high attenuation in the WI period and isoattenuation in the WO period; pattern B, isoattenuation or high attenuation in the WI period and high attenuation in the WO period; pattern C, low attenuation in both the WI and WO periods; and pattern D, low attenuation in the WI period and isoattenuation or high attenuation in the WO period. Among various attenuation and xenon parameters, xenon parameters of the LAL in the WO period showed the best inverse correlation with results of PFT (P < .0001). At visual analysis, while emphysema (which affected 99 lobes) commonly showed pattern A or B, airway diseases such as obstructive bronchiolitis (n = 5) and bronchiectasis (n = 2) and areas with a mucus plug (n = 1) or centrilobular nodules (n = 5) showed pattern D or C. WI and WO xenon ventilation CT is feasible for the simultaneous regional evaluation of structural and ventilation abnormalities both quantitatively and qualitatively in patients with COPD. (c) RSNA, 2010.

Presentation Extensions of the SOAP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carnright, Robert; Stodden, David; Coggi, John

2009-01-01

A set of extensions of the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP) enables simultaneous and/or sequential presentation of information from multiple sources. SOAP is used in the aerospace community as a means of collaborative visualization and analysis of data on planned spacecraft missions. The following definitions of terms also describe the display modalities of SOAP as now extended: In SOAP terminology, View signifies an animated three-dimensional (3D) scene, two-dimensional still image, plot of numerical data, or any other visible display derived from a computational simulation or other data source; a) "Viewport" signifies a rectangular portion of a computer-display window containing a view; b) "Palette" signifies a collection of one or more viewports configured for simultaneous (split-screen) display in the same window; c) "Slide" signifies a palette with a beginning and ending time and an animation time step; and d) "Presentation" signifies a prescribed sequence of slides. For example, multiple 3D views from different locations can be crafted for simultaneous display and combined with numerical plots and other representations of data for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The resulting sets of views can be temporally sequenced to convey visual impressions of a sequence of events for a planned mission.

How do people with body dysmorphic disorder view themselves? A thematic analysis.

PubMed

Silver, Joanna; Reavey, Paula; Anne Fineberg, Naomi

2010-09-01

Abstract Objectives. To examine the accounts of people with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and qualitatively explore self perceptions. Methods. Eleven people with BDD were interviewed using a semi-structured schedule. Participants brought photographs of themselves and drew a self-portrait. Transcribed interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis. Results. The most common theme was increased threat perception resulting in disordered interpersonal relationships. Other themes included the wish for regularity and symmetry in appearance, an idealised childhood self, the duty to look good, and a focus on specific "defective" features rather than general ugliness. Conclusions. Using thematic analysis and visual methods, we identified core themes that appear to characterise the way individuals with BDD perceive themselves and their interpersonal relationships. Thematic analysis offers promise as a tool to explore the overlap between BDD and other putatively related mental health problems.

What differs in visual recognition of handwritten vs. printed letters? An fMRI study.

PubMed

Longcamp, Marieke; Hlushchuk, Yevhen; Hari, Riitta

2011-08-01

In models of letter recognition, handwritten letters are considered as a particular font exemplar, not qualitatively different in their processing from printed letters. Yet, some data suggest that recognizing handwritten letters might rely on distinct processes, possibly related to motor knowledge. We applied functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare the neural correlates of perceiving handwritten letters vs. standard printed letters. Statistical analysis circumscribed to frontal brain regions involved in hand-movement triggering and execution showed that processing of handwritten letters is supported by a stronger activation of the left primary motor cortex and the supplementary motor area. At the whole-brain level, additional differences between handwritten and printed letters were observed in the right superior frontal, middle occipital, and parahippocampal gyri, and in the left inferior precentral and the fusiform gyri. The results are suggested to indicate embodiment of the visual perception of handwritten letters. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

How the public engages with global warming: A social representations approach.

PubMed

Smith, Nicholas; Joffe, Helene

2013-01-01

The present study utilises social representations theory to explore common sense conceptualisations of global warming risk using an in-depth, qualitative methodology. Fifty-six members of a British, London-based 2008 public were initially asked to draw or write four spontaneous "first thoughts or feelings" about global warming. These were then explored via an open-ended, exploratory interview. The analysis revealed that first thoughts, either drawn or written, often mirrored the images used by the British press to depict global warming visually. Thus in terms of media framings, it was their visual rather than their textual content that was spontaneously available for their audiences. Furthermore, an in-depth exploration of interview data revealed that global warming was structured around three themata: self/other, natural/unnatural and certainty/uncertainty, reflecting the complex and often contradictory nature of common sense thinking in relation to risk issues.

Portrayal of waterpipe (shisha, hookah, nargile) smoking on Twitter: a qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Grant, A; O'Mahoney, H

2016-11-01

To describe and characterize social media content in relation to waterpipe smoking using qualitative methods. Exploratory qualitative design. A representative sample of pre-existing social media content from Twitter relating to waterpipe smoking and written in the English language was collected during a 1 week period in July 2014. A total of 9671 tweets were collected; duplicates and retweets were removed leaving 4439 unique tweets. Data were analyzed semiotically (positive, negative, positive and negative, no sentiment, unclassifiable) and thematically. Photographs attached to tweets written by individual users indexed using #hookah (n = 299) were subjected to content analysis. Over half of all tweets were positive about waterpipe smoking (59%), with 3% negative, 21% lacking sentiment and 17% unclassifiable. However, there were variations by likely author of tweet, with 91% of tweets from individual users classified as positive. Twitter users focused on their emotional experience, location, other products they were consuming alongside waterpipe smoking, and who they were with. Analysis of photographs highlighted a high degree of synergy between text and visual representations of waterpipe smoking, and two thirds of photographs contained at least part of a waterpipe. Waterpipe smoking may be normalized as an enjoyable activity in this online environment, posing a challenge for public health. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of biochemical values in serum and plasma, fresh and frozen plasma, and hemolyzed samples from orange-winged Amazon parrots (Amazona amazonica).

PubMed

Hawkins, Michelle G; Kass, Philip H; Zinkl, Joseph G; Tell, Lisa A

2006-06-01

To the authors' knowledge, on the basis of sample type, storage condition, or hemolysis, differences in serum and plasma biochemical values have not been evaluated in orange-winged Amazon parrots (Amazona amazonica). The purpose of this study was to compare values for biochemical analytes in serum vs plasma, fresh vs frozen plasma, and nonhemolyzed vs hemolyzed samples in orange-winged Amazon parrots. We also compared differences in serum and plasma yield from whole-blood aliquots. Fifteen biochemical analytes were evaluated in paired serum and plasma, fresh and frozen plasma, nonhemolyzed and hemolyzed serum and plasma samples from orange-winged Amazon parrots (n = 10) using a wet reagent analyzer. Hemolysis was assessed qualitatively (visually) and quantitatively (hemoglobin [Hgb] measured spectrophotometrically). Serum and plasma yields from 500-microl whole-blood aliquots were determined from centrifuged samples. Analyte values significantly differed among sample groups, but were still within published reference intervals, with the exception of increases in potassium concentration in markedly hemolyzed serum and plasma samples. Clinically important changes in hemolyzed serum and plasma samples included increases in potassium, phosphorus, and albumin concentrations and lactate dehydrogenase activity. The degree of hemolysis assigned qualitatively did not correlate with quantitative Hgb concentration. A significantly greater yield of plasma (288 +/- 13 microL) than serum (241 +/- 44 microL) was obtained. Significant differences may occur in different sample types, however, only changes in potassium, phosphorus, albumin, and lactate dehydrogenase values in hemolyzed samples were considered clinically relevant. Lack of agreement between qualitative and quantitative Hgb concentration indicates the unreliability of visual estimation. Based on higher sample yield, and lack of clinically relevant differences from serum, plasma is a better sample choice for clinical chemistry analysis in birds.

Qualitative assessment of a Context of Consumption Framework to inform regulation of cigarette pack design in the U.S.

PubMed

Lee, Joseph G L; Averett, Paige E; Blanchflower, Tiffany; Gregory, Kyle R

2018-02-01

Researchers and regulators need to know how changes to cigarette packages can influence population health. We sought to advance research on the role of cigarette packaging by assessing a theory-informed framework from the fields of design and consumer research. The selected Context of Consumption Framework posits cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to visual design. To assess the Framework's potential for guiding research on the visual design of cigarette packaging in the U.S., this study seeks to understand to what extent the Context of Consumption Framework converges with how adult smokers think and talk about cigarette pack designs. Data for this qualitative study came from six telephone-based focus groups conducted in March 2017. Two groups consisted of lesbian, gay, and bisexual participants; two groups of participants with less than four years college education; one group of LGB and straight identity; and one group the general population. All groups were selected for regional, gender, and racial/ethnic diversity. Participants (n=33) represented all nine U.S. Census divisions. We conducted a deductive qualitative analysis. Cigarette package designs captured the participants' attention, suggested the characteristics of the product, and reflected (or could be leveraged to convey) multiple dimensions of consumer identity. Particular to the affective responses to design, our participants shared that cigarette packaging conveyed how the pack could be used to particular ends, created an emotional response to the designs, complied with normative expectations of a cigarette, elicited interest when designs change, and prompted fascination when unique design characteristics are used. Use of the Context of Consumption Framework for cigarette product packaging design can inform regulatory research on tobacco product packaging. Researchers and regulators should consider multiple cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to cigarette pack design.

Visual Electricity Demonstrator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lincoln, James

2017-09-01

The Visual Electricity Demonstrator (VED) is a linear diode array that serves as a dynamic alternative to an ammeter. A string of 48 red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) blink one after another to create the illusion of a moving current. Having the current represented visually builds an intuitive and qualitative understanding about what is happening in a circuit. In this article, I describe several activities for this device and explain how using this technology in the classroom can enhance the understanding and appreciation of physics.

An effective content-based image retrieval technique for image visuals representation based on the bag-of-visual-words model

PubMed Central

Jabeen, Safia; Mehmood, Zahid; Mahmood, Toqeer; Saba, Tanzila; Rehman, Amjad; Mahmood, Muhammad Tariq

2018-01-01

For the last three decades, content-based image retrieval (CBIR) has been an active research area, representing a viable solution for retrieving similar images from an image repository. In this article, we propose a novel CBIR technique based on the visual words fusion of speeded-up robust features (SURF) and fast retina keypoint (FREAK) feature descriptors. SURF is a sparse descriptor whereas FREAK is a dense descriptor. Moreover, SURF is a scale and rotation-invariant descriptor that performs better in the case of repeatability, distinctiveness, and robustness. It is robust to noise, detection errors, geometric, and photometric deformations. It also performs better at low illumination within an image as compared to the FREAK descriptor. In contrast, FREAK is a retina-inspired speedy descriptor that performs better for classification-based problems as compared to the SURF descriptor. Experimental results show that the proposed technique based on the visual words fusion of SURF-FREAK descriptors combines the features of both descriptors and resolves the aforementioned issues. The qualitative and quantitative analysis performed on three image collections, namely Corel-1000, Corel-1500, and Caltech-256, shows that proposed technique based on visual words fusion significantly improved the performance of the CBIR as compared to the feature fusion of both descriptors and state-of-the-art image retrieval techniques. PMID:29694429

An effective content-based image retrieval technique for image visuals representation based on the bag-of-visual-words model.

PubMed

Jabeen, Safia; Mehmood, Zahid; Mahmood, Toqeer; Saba, Tanzila; Rehman, Amjad; Mahmood, Muhammad Tariq

2018-01-01

For the last three decades, content-based image retrieval (CBIR) has been an active research area, representing a viable solution for retrieving similar images from an image repository. In this article, we propose a novel CBIR technique based on the visual words fusion of speeded-up robust features (SURF) and fast retina keypoint (FREAK) feature descriptors. SURF is a sparse descriptor whereas FREAK is a dense descriptor. Moreover, SURF is a scale and rotation-invariant descriptor that performs better in the case of repeatability, distinctiveness, and robustness. It is robust to noise, detection errors, geometric, and photometric deformations. It also performs better at low illumination within an image as compared to the FREAK descriptor. In contrast, FREAK is a retina-inspired speedy descriptor that performs better for classification-based problems as compared to the SURF descriptor. Experimental results show that the proposed technique based on the visual words fusion of SURF-FREAK descriptors combines the features of both descriptors and resolves the aforementioned issues. The qualitative and quantitative analysis performed on three image collections, namely Corel-1000, Corel-1500, and Caltech-256, shows that proposed technique based on visual words fusion significantly improved the performance of the CBIR as compared to the feature fusion of both descriptors and state-of-the-art image retrieval techniques.

Satellite Imagery Assisted Road-Based Visual Navigation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkova, A.; Gibbens, P. W.

2016-06-01

There is a growing demand for unmanned aerial systems as autonomous surveillance, exploration and remote sensing solutions. Among the key concerns for robust operation of these systems is the need to reliably navigate the environment without reliance on global navigation satellite system (GNSS). This is of particular concern in Defence circles, but is also a major safety issue for commercial operations. In these circumstances, the aircraft needs to navigate relying only on information from on-board passive sensors such as digital cameras. An autonomous feature-based visual system presented in this work offers a novel integral approach to the modelling and registration of visual features that responds to the specific needs of the navigation system. It detects visual features from Google Earth* build a feature database. The same algorithm then detects features in an on-board cameras video stream. On one level this serves to localise the vehicle relative to the environment using Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM). On a second level it correlates them with the database to localise the vehicle with respect to the inertial frame. The performance of the presented visual navigation system was compared using the satellite imagery from different years. Based on comparison results, an analysis of the effects of seasonal, structural and qualitative changes of the imagery source on the performance of the navigation algorithm is presented. * The algorithm is independent of the source of satellite imagery and another provider can be used

Kristi Potter | NREL

Science.gov Websites

on methods to improve visualization techniques by adding qualitative information regarding sketch-based methods for conveying levels of reliability in architectural renderings. Dr. Potter

Diagnostic performance of an automated analysis software for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia with 18F FDG PET

PubMed Central

Partovi, Sasan; Yuh, Roger; Pirozzi, Sara; Lu, Ziang; Couturier, Spencer; Grosse, Ulrich; Schluchter, Mark D; Nelson, Aaron; Jones, Robert; O’Donnell, James K; Faulhaber, Peter

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the ability of a quantitative software-aided approach to improve the diagnostic accuracy of 18F FDG PET for Alzheimer’s dementia over visual analysis alone. Twenty normal subjects (M:F-12:8; mean age 80.6 years) and twenty mild AD subjects (M:F-12:8; mean age 70.6 years) with 18F FDG PET scans were obtained from the ADNI database. Three blinded readers interpreted these PET images first using a visual qualitative approach and then using a quantitative software-aided approach. Images were classified on two five-point scales based on normal/abnormal (1-definitely normal; 5-definitely abnormal) and presence of AD (1-definitely not AD; 5-definitely AD). Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for both approaches were compared based on the aforementioned scales. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the normal vs. abnormal readings of all readers combined were higher when comparing the software-aided vs. visual approach (sensitivity 0.93 vs. 0.83 P = 0.0466; specificity 0.85 vs. 0.60 P = 0.0005; accuracy 0.89 vs. 0.72 P<0.0001). The specificity and accuracy for absence vs. presence of AD of all readers combined were higher when comparing the software-aided vs. visual approach (specificity 0.90 vs. 0.70 P = 0.0008; accuracy 0.81 vs. 0.72 P = 0.0356). Sensitivities of the software-aided and visual approaches did not differ significantly (0.72 vs. 0.73 P = 0.74). The quantitative software-aided approach appears to improve the performance of 18F FDG PET for the diagnosis of mild AD. It may be helpful for experienced 18F FDG PET readers analyzing challenging cases. PMID:28123864

Extending helicopter operations to meet future integrated transportation needs.

PubMed

Stanton, Neville A; Plant, Katherine L; Roberts, Aaron P; Harvey, Catherine; Thomas, T Glyn

2016-03-01

Helicopters have the potential to be an integral part of the future transport system. They offer a means of rapid transit in an overly populated transport environment. However, one of the biggest limitations on rotary wing flight is their inability to fly in degraded visual conditions in the critical phases of approach and landing. This paper presents a study that developed and evaluated a Head up Display (HUD) to assist rotary wing pilots by extending landing to degraded visual conditions. The HUD was developed with the assistance of the Cognitive Work Analysis method as an approach for analysing the cognitive work of landing the helicopter. The HUD was tested in a fixed based flight simulator with qualified helicopter pilots. A qualitative analysis to assess situation awareness and workload found that the HUD enabled safe landing in degraded conditions whilst simultaneously enhancing situation awareness and reducing workload. Continued development in this area has the potential to extend the operational capability of helicopters in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Visualization and analysis of vortex-turbine intersections in wind farms.

PubMed

Shafii, Sohail; Obermaier, Herald; Linn, Rodman; Koo, Eunmo; Hlawitschka, Mario; Garth, Christoph; Hamann, Bernd; Joy, Kenneth I

2013-09-01

Characterizing the interplay between the vortices and forces acting on a wind turbine's blades in a qualitative and quantitative way holds the potential for significantly improving large wind turbine design. This paper introduces an integrated pipeline for highly effective wind and force field analysis and visualization. We extract vortices induced by a turbine's rotation in a wind field, and characterize vortices in conjunction with numerically simulated forces on the blade surfaces as these vortices strike another turbine's blades downstream. The scientifically relevant issue to be studied is the relationship between the extracted, approximate locations on the blades where vortices strike the blades and the forces that exist in those locations. This integrated approach is used to detect and analyze turbulent flow that causes local impact on the wind turbine blade structure. The results that we present are based on analyzing the wind and force field data sets generated by numerical simulations, and allow domain scientists to relate vortex-blade interactions with power output loss in turbines and turbine life expectancy. Our methods have the potential to improve turbine design to save costs related to turbine operation and maintenance.

Spatial Skill Profile of Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putri, R. O. E.

2018-01-01

This study is aimed to investigate the spatial intelligence of mathematics pre-service teachers and find the best instructional strategy that facilitates this aspect. Data were collected from 35 mathematics pre-service teachers. The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT) was used to identify the spatial skill of mathematics pre-service teachers. Statistical analysis indicate that more than 50% of the participants possessed spatial skill in intermediate level, whereas the other were in high and low level of spatial skill. The result also shows that there is a positive correlation between spatial skill and mathematics ability, especially in geometrical problem solving. High spatial skill students tend to have better mathematical performance compare to those in two other levels. Furthermore, qualitative analysis reveals that most students have difficulty in manipulating geometrical objects mentally. This problem mostly appears in intermediate and low-level spatial skill students. The observation revealed that 3-D geometrical figures is the best method that can overcome the mentally manipulation problem and develop the spatial visualization. Computer application can also be used to improve students’ spatial skill.

Dementia and Imagination: a mixed-methods protocol for arts and science research.

PubMed

Windle, Gill; Newman, Andrew; Burholt, Vanessa; Woods, Bob; O'Brien, Dave; Baber, Michael; Hounsome, Barry; Parkinson, Clive; Tischler, Victoria

2016-11-02

Dementia and Imagination is a multidisciplinary research collaboration bringing together arts and science to address current evidence limitations around the benefits of visual art activities in dementia care. The research questions ask: Can art improve quality of life and well-being? If it does make a difference, how does it do this-and why? Does it have wider social and community benefits? This mixed-methods study recruits participants from residential care homes, National Health Service (NHS) wards and communities in England and Wales. A visual art intervention is developed and delivered as 1×2-hour weekly group session for 3 months in care and community settings to N=100 people living with dementia. Quantitative and qualitative data are collected at 3 time points to examine the impact on their quality of life, and the perceptions of those who care for them (N=100 family and professional carers). Repeated-measures systematic observations of well-being are obtained during the intervention (intervention vs control condition). The health economics component conducts a social return on investment evaluation of the intervention. Qualitative data are collected at 3 time points (n=35 carers/staff and n=35 people living with dementia) to explore changes in social connectedness. Self-reported outcomes of the intervention delivery are obtained (n=100). Focus groups with intervention participants (n=40) explore perceptions of impact. Social network analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from arts and healthcare professionals (N=100) examines changes in perceptions and practice. The study is approved by North Wales Research Ethics Committee-West. A range of activities will share the research findings, including international and national academic conferences, quarterly newsletters and the project website. Public engagement projects will target a broad range of stakeholders. Policy and practice summaries will be developed. The visual art intervention protocol will be developed as a freely available practitioners guide. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Laser-Based Flowfield Imaging in a Lean Premixed Prevaporized Sector Combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hicks, Yolanda R.; Locke, Randy J.; Anderson, Robert C.

2005-01-01

OH and fuel planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) is used qualitatively in this study to observe the flame structure resultant from different fuel injector dome configurations within the 3-cup sector combustor test rig. The fluorescence images are compared with some computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results. Interferences in obtaining OH fluorescence signals due to the emission of other species are assessed. NO PLIF images are presented and compared to gas analysis results. The comparison shows that PLIF NO can be an excellent method for measuring NO in the flame. Additionally, we present flow visualization of the molecular species C2.

Supraspinatus tendon micromorphology in individuals with subacromial pain syndrome.

PubMed

Pozzi, Federico; Seitz, Amee L; Plummer, Hillary A; Chow, Kira; Bashford, Gregory R; Michener, Lori A

Cross-sectional cohort. Tendon collagen organization can be estimated by peak spatial frequency radius (PSFR) on ultrasound images. Characterizing PSFR can define the contribution of collagen disruption to shoulder symptoms. The purpose of this was to characterize the (1) supraspinatus tendon PSFR in participants with subacromial pain syndrome (SPS) and healthy controls; (2) PSFR between participants grouped on a tendon visual quality score; and (3) relationship between PSFR with patient-reported pain, function, and shoulder strength. Participants with SPS (n = 20) and age, sex, and arm-dominance-matched healthy controls (n = 20) completed strength testing in scaption and external rotation, and patient-reported pain, and functional outcomes. Supraspinatus tendon ultrasound images were acquired, and PSFR was calculated for a region of interest 15 mm medial to the supraspinatus footprint. PSFR was compared between groups using an independent t-test and an analysis of variance to compare between 3 groups for visually qualitatively rated tendon abnormalities. Relationships between PSFR with pain, function, and strength were assessed using Pearson correlation coefficient. Supraspinatus tendon PSFR was not different between groups (P = .190) or tendon qualitative ratings (P = .556). No relationship was found between PSFR and pain, functional loss, and strength (P > .05). Collagen disruption (PSFR) measured via ultrasound images of the supraspinatus tendon was not different between participants with SPS or in those with visually rated tendon defects. PSFR is not related to shoulder pain, function, and strength, suggesting that supraspinatus tendon collagen disorganization may not be a contributing factor to shoulder SPS. However, collagen disruption may not be isolated to a single region of interest. 3b: case-control study. Copyright © 2017 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning sorting algorithms through visualization construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cetin, Ibrahim; Andrews-Larson, Christine

2016-01-01

Recent increased interest in computational thinking poses an important question to researchers: What are the best ways to teach fundamental computing concepts to students? Visualization is suggested as one way of supporting student learning. This mixed-method study aimed to (i) examine the effect of instruction in which students constructed visualizations on students' programming achievement and students' attitudes toward computer programming, and (ii) explore how this kind of instruction supports students' learning according to their self-reported experiences in the course. The study was conducted with 58 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in their second programming class. They expect to teach information technology and computing-related courses at the primary and secondary levels. An embedded experimental model was utilized as a research design. Students in the experimental group were given instruction that required students to construct visualizations related to sorting, whereas students in the control group viewed pre-made visualizations. After the instructional intervention, eight students from each group were selected for semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the intervention based on visualization construction resulted in significantly better acquisition of sorting concepts. However, there was no significant difference between the groups with respect to students' attitudes toward computer programming. Qualitative data analysis indicated that students in the experimental group constructed necessary abstractions through their engagement in visualization construction activities. The authors of this study argue that the students' active engagement in the visualization construction activities explains only one side of students' success. The other side can be explained through the instructional approach, constructionism in this case, used to design instruction. The conclusions and implications of this study can be used by researchers and instructors dealing with computational thinking.

The Effects of Musical Elements in Mass Media and Internet on the Social Development of Children and Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celasin, Cenk

2013-01-01

In this qualitative study, musical elements in mass media and internet mostly intended to children and adolescents, were examined in the context of the dimensions of the social development of them in a general approach, through scientific literature and written, audio, visual and audio-visual documents regarding mass media and internet. Purpose of…

Examining the Conceptual Understandings of Geoscience Concepts of Students with Visual Impairments: Implications of 3-D Printing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koehler, Karen E.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the use of 3-D printed models as an instructional tool in a middle school science classroom for students with visual impairments and compare their use to traditional tactile graphics for aiding conceptual understanding of geoscience concepts. Specifically, this study examined if the students'…

K-1 Teachers' Visual Arts Beliefs and Their Role in the Early Childhood Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman-Schanz, Blythe Annette

2012-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the visual arts beliefs and practices of eight K-1 teachers in four schools and in two different school districts in a southern state. Using a phenomenological framework (Creswell, 2007; Leedy & Ormrod, 2005), the research revealed the teachers' understandings of beliefs and how…

Instruction-Based Clinical Eye-Tracking Study on the Visual Interpretation of Divergence: How Do Students Look at Vector Field Plots?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, P.; Viiri, J.; Mozaffari, S.; Dengel, A.; Kuhn, J.

2018-01-01

Relating mathematical concepts to graphical representations is a challenging task for students. In this paper, we introduce two visual strategies to qualitatively interpret the divergence of graphical vector field representations. One strategy is based on the graphical interpretation of partial derivatives, while the other is based on the flux…

Expert opinion on best practice guidelines and competency framework for visual screening in children.

PubMed

Lança, Carla

2013-09-01

Screening programs to detect visual abnormalities in children vary among countries. The aim of this study is to describe experts' perception of best practice guidelines and competency framework for visual screening in children. A qualitative focus group technique was applied during the Portuguese national orthoptic congress to obtain the perception of an expert panel of 5 orthoptists and 2 ophthalmologists with experience in visual screening for children (mean age 53.43 years, SD ± 9.40). The panel received in advance a script with the description of three tuning competencies dimensions (instrumental, systemic, and interpersonal) for visual screening. The session was recorded in video and audio. Qualitative data were analyzed using a categorical technique. According to experts' views, six tests (35.29%) have to be included in a visual screening: distance visual acuity test, cover test, bi-prism or 4/6(Δ) prism, fusion, ocular movements, and refraction. Screening should be performed according to the child age before and after 3 years of age (17.65%). The expert panel highlighted the influence of the professional experience in the application of a screening protocol (23.53%). They also showed concern about the false negatives control (23.53%). Instrumental competencies were the most cited (54.09%), followed by interpersonal (29.51%) and systemic (16.4%). Orthoptists should have professional experience before starting to apply a screening protocol. False negative results are a concern that has to be more thoroughly investigated. The proposed framework focuses on core competencies highlighted by the expert panel. Competencies programs could be important do develop better screening programs.

Familiarity increases the number of remembered Pokémon in visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Xie, Weizhen; Zhang, Weiwei

2017-05-01

Long-term memory (LTM) can influence many aspects of short-term memory (STM), including increased STM span. However, it is unclear whether LTM enhances the quantitative or qualitative aspect of STM. That is, do we retain a larger number of representations or more precise representations in STM for familiar stimuli than unfamiliar stimuli? This study took advantage of participants' prior rich multimedia experience with Pokémon, without investing on laboratory training to examine how prior LTM influenced visual STM. In a Pokémon visual STM change detection task, participants remembered more first-generation Pokémon characters that they were more familiar with than recent-generation Pokémon characters that they were less familiar with. No significant difference in memory quality was found when quantitative and qualitative effects of LTM were isolated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Critically, these effects were absent in participants who were unfamiliar with first-generation Pokémon. Furthermore, several alternative interpretations were ruled out, including general video-gaming experience, subjective Pokémon preference, and verbal encoding. Together, these results demonstrated a strong link between prior stimulus familiarity in LTM and visual STM storage capacity.

Visualizing Uncertainty of Point Phenomena by Redesigned Error Ellipses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Christian E.

2018-05-01

Visualizing uncertainty remains one of the great challenges in modern cartography. There is no overarching strategy to display the nature of uncertainty, as an effective and efficient visualization depends, besides on the spatial data feature type, heavily on the type of uncertainty. This work presents a design strategy to visualize uncertainty con-nected to point features. The error ellipse, well-known from mathematical statistics, is adapted to display the uncer-tainty of point information originating from spatial generalization. Modified designs of the error ellipse show the po-tential of quantitative and qualitative symbolization and simultaneous point based uncertainty symbolization. The user can intuitively depict the centers of gravity, the major orientation of the point arrays as well as estimate the ex-tents and possible spatial distributions of multiple point phenomena. The error ellipse represents uncertainty in an intuitive way, particularly suitable for laymen. Furthermore it is shown how applicable an adapted design of the er-ror ellipse is to display the uncertainty of point features originating from incomplete data. The suitability of the error ellipse to display the uncertainty of point information is demonstrated within two showcases: (1) the analysis of formations of association football players, and (2) uncertain positioning of events on maps for the media.

Developing a model for effective leadership in healthcare: a concept mapping approach

PubMed Central

Hargett, Charles William; Doty, Joseph P; Hauck, Jennifer N; Webb, Allison MB; Cook, Steven H; Tsipis, Nicholas E; Neumann, Julie A; Andolsek, Kathryn M; Taylor, Dean C

2017-01-01

Purpose Despite increasing awareness of the importance of leadership in healthcare, our understanding of the competencies of effective leadership remains limited. We used a concept mapping approach (a blend of qualitative and quantitative analysis of group processes to produce a visual composite of the group’s ideas) to identify stakeholders’ mental model of effective healthcare leadership, clarifying the underlying structure and importance of leadership competencies. Methods Literature review, focus groups, and consensus meetings were used to derive a representative set of healthcare leadership competency statements. Study participants subsequently sorted and rank-ordered these statements based on their perceived importance in contributing to effective healthcare leadership in real-world settings. Hierarchical cluster analysis of individual sortings was used to develop a coherent model of effective leadership in healthcare. Results A diverse group of 92 faculty and trainees individually rank-sorted 33 leadership competency statements. The highest rated statements were “Acting with Personal Integrity”, “Communicating Effectively”, “Acting with Professional Ethical Values”, “Pursuing Excellence”, “Building and Maintaining Relationships”, and “Thinking Critically”. Combining the results from hierarchical cluster analysis with our qualitative data led to a healthcare leadership model based on the core principle of Patient Centeredness and the core competencies of Integrity, Teamwork, Critical Thinking, Emotional Intelligence, and Selfless Service. Conclusion Using a mixed qualitative-quantitative approach, we developed a graphical representation of a shared leadership model derived in the healthcare setting. This model may enhance learning, teaching, and patient care in this important area, as well as guide future research. PMID:29355249

Instruction-based clinical eye-tracking study on the visual interpretation of divergence: How do students look at vector field plots?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, P.; Viiri, J.; Mozaffari, S.; Dengel, A.; Kuhn, J.

2018-06-01

Relating mathematical concepts to graphical representations is a challenging task for students. In this paper, we introduce two visual strategies to qualitatively interpret the divergence of graphical vector field representations. One strategy is based on the graphical interpretation of partial derivatives, while the other is based on the flux concept. We test the effectiveness of both strategies in an instruction-based eye-tracking study with N =41 physics majors. We found that students' performance improved when both strategies were introduced (74% correct) instead of only one strategy (64% correct), and students performed best when they were free to choose between the two strategies (88% correct). This finding supports the idea of introducing multiple representations of a physical concept to foster student understanding. Relevant eye-tracking measures demonstrate that both strategies imply different visual processing of the vector field plots, therefore reflecting conceptual differences between the strategies. Advanced analysis methods further reveal significant differences in eye movements between the best and worst performing students. For instance, the best students performed predominantly horizontal and vertical saccades, indicating correct interpretation of partial derivatives. They also focused on smaller regions when they balanced positive and negative flux. This mixed-method research leads to new insights into student visual processing of vector field representations, highlights the advantages and limitations of eye-tracking methodologies in this context, and discusses implications for teaching and for future research. The introduction of saccadic direction analysis expands traditional methods, and shows the potential to discover new insights into student understanding and learning difficulties.

Task-technology fit of video telehealth for nurses in an outpatient clinic setting.

PubMed

Cady, Rhonda G; Finkelstein, Stanley M

2014-07-01

Incorporating telehealth into outpatient care delivery supports management of consumer health between clinic visits. Task-technology fit is a framework for understanding how technology helps and/or hinders a person during work processes. Evaluating the task-technology fit of video telehealth for personnel working in a pediatric outpatient clinic and providing care between clinic visits ensures the information provided matches the information needed to support work processes. The workflow of advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) care coordination provided via telephone and video telehealth was described and measured using a mixed-methods workflow analysis protocol that incorporated cognitive ethnography and time-motion study. Qualitative and quantitative results were merged and analyzed within the task-technology fit framework to determine the workflow fit of video telehealth for APRN care coordination. Incorporating video telehealth into APRN care coordination workflow provided visual information unavailable during telephone interactions. Despite additional tasks and interactions needed to obtain the visual information, APRN workflow efficiency, as measured by time, was not significantly changed. Analyzed within the task-technology fit framework, the increased visual information afforded by video telehealth supported the assessment and diagnostic information needs of the APRN. Telehealth must provide the right information to the right clinician at the right time. Evaluating task-technology fit using a mixed-methods protocol ensured rigorous analysis of fit within work processes and identified workflows that benefit most from the technology.

PRISM, a Novel Visual Metaphor Measuring Personally Salient Appraisals, Attitudes and Decision-Making: Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

PubMed Central

Sensky, Tom; Büchi, Stefan

2016-01-01

Background PRISM (the Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure) is a novel, simple visual instrument. Its utility was initially discovered serendipitously, but has been validated as a quantitative measure of suffering. Recently, new applications for different purposes, even in non-health settings, have encouraged further exploration of how PRISM works, and how it might be applied. This review will summarise the results to date from applications of PRISM and propose a generic conceptualisation of how PRISM works which is consistent with all these applications. Methods A systematic review, in the form of a qualitative evidence synthesis, was carried out of all available published data on PRISM. Results Fifty-two publications were identified, with a total of 8254 participants. Facilitated by simple instructions, PRISM has been used with patient groups in a variety of settings and cultures. As a measure of suffering, PRISM has, with few exceptions, behaved as expected according to Eric Cassell’s seminal conceptualisation of suffering. PRISM has also been used to assess beliefs about or attitudes to stressful working conditions, interpersonal relations, alcohol consumption, and suicide, amongst others. Discussion This review supports PRISM behaving as a visual metaphor of the relationship of objects (eg ‘my illness’) to a subject (eg ‘myself’) in a defined context (eg ‘my life at the moment’). As a visual metaphor, it is quick to complete and yields personally salient information. PRISM is likely to have wide applications in assessing beliefs, attitudes, and decision-making, because of its properties, and because it yields both quantitative and qualitative data. In medicine, it can serve as a generic patient-reported outcome measure. It can serve as a tool for representational guidance, can be applied to developing strategies visually, and is likely to have applications in coaching, psychological assessment and therapeutic interventions. PMID:27214024

The efficacy of manual therapy for rotator cuff tendinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Desjardins-Charbonneau, Ariel; Roy, Jean-Sébastien; Dionne, Clermont E; Frémont, Pierre; MacDermid, Joy C; Desmeules, François

2015-05-01

Systematic review and meta-analysis. To evaluate the efficacy of manual therapy (MT) for patients with rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy. Rotator cuff tendinopathy is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal disorder, for which MT is a common intervention used by physical therapists. However, evidence regarding the efficacy of MT is inconclusive. A literature search using terms related to shoulder, RC tendinopathy, and MT was conducted in 4 databases to identify randomized controlled trials that compared MT to any other type of intervention to treat RC tendinopathy. Randomized controlled trials were assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Meta-analyses or qualitative syntheses of evidence were performed. Twenty-one studies were included. The majority had a high risk of bias. Only 5 studies had a score of 69% or greater, indicating a moderate to low risk of bias. A small but statistically significant overall effect for pain reduction of MT compared with a placebo or in addition to another intervention was observed (n = 406), which may or may not be clinically important, given a mean difference of 1.1 (95% confidence interval: 0.6, 1.6) on a 10-cm visual analog scale. Adding MT to an exercise program (n = 226) significantly decreased pain (mean difference, 1.0; 95% confidence interval: 0.7, 1.4), as reported on a 10-cm visual analog scale, which may or may not be clinically important. Based on qualitative analyses, it is unclear whether MT used alone or added to an exercise program improves function. For patients with RC tendinopathy, based on low- to moderate-quality evidence, MT may decrease pain; however, it is unclear whether it can improve function. More methodologically sound studies are needed to make definitive conclusions. Therapy, level 1a-.

Parental Influence and the Attraction to Physical Activity for Youths Who Are Visually Impaired at a Residential-Day School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Stefan; Farnsworth, Charles; Babkes-Stellino, Megan; Perrett, Jamis

2011-01-01

The study reported here investigated social influences on the attraction to physical activity and perceptions of physical competence among youths with visual impairments. The study was a qualitative case study of a residential-day school in a western state. Eight youths (5 boys and 3 girls) aged 10-18 were interviewed. The participants were chosen…

Challenges of Using Audio-Visual Aids as Warm-Up Activity in Teaching Aviation English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Mehmet; Sule, St.; Seçer, Y. E.

2016-01-01

This study aims to find out the challenges encountered in the use of video as audio-visual material as a warm-up activity in aviation English course at high school level. This study is based on a qualitative study in which focus group interview is used as the data collection procedure. The participants of focus group are four instructors teaching…

A Comparison between Elementary School Students' Mental Models and Visualizations in Textbooks for the Concept of Atom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat-Yaseen, Zeynep

2012-01-01

This study was designed for two major goals, which are to describe students' mental models about atom concept from 6th to 8th grade and to compare students' mental models with visual representations of atom in textbooks. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected with 4 open-ended questions including drawings which were quantified using the…

Qualitative flow visualization of flame attachment on slopes

Treesearch

Torben P. Grumstrup; Sara S. McAllister; Mark A. Finney

2017-01-01

Heating of unburned fuel by attached flames and plume of a wildfire can produce high spread rates that have resulted in firefighter fatalities worldwide. Qualitative flow fields of the plume of a gas burner embedded in a table tilted to 0°, 10°, 20°, and 30° above horizontal were imaged using the retroreflective shadowgraph technique as a means to understand plume...

Domains of health-related quality of life in age-related macular degeneration: a qualitative study in the Chinese cultural context.

PubMed

Bian, Wei; Wan, Junli; Smith, Graeme; Li, Shiying; Tan, Mingqiong; Zhou, Fengjiao

2018-04-17

To explore which areas of health-related quality of life were affected in Chinese patients, and to identify whether the areas are well covered by validated questionnaires. A qualitative study based on semistructured interviews was conducted. A qualitative thematic analysis following the approach of Colaizzi was used to analyse the interview data for significant statements and phrases. The themes and subthemes organised from the analysis were then compared by using the following current instruments: National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25), Macular Disease Quality of life Questionnaire (MacDQoL) and Low-Luminance Questionnaire (LLD). Twenty-one patients with age-related macular degeneration were recruited from the eye clinic of Southwest Eye Hospital in Chongqing, mainland China. The mean age of the participants was 69.8 years (range 57-82 years) and the duration of the disease ranged from 3 months to 6 years. The qualitative analysis revealed nine important domains including symptoms, difficulties with daily activities, depending on others, depression and uncertainty, optimism and hope, social isolation, role change, family support and financial burden. However, all the three questionnaires were insufficient to capture the full extent of quality of life issues of Chinese patients with AMD, and MacDQoL covered more domains when compared with NEI-VFQ-25 and LLD. The domains of concepts important to people with AMD in the Chinese culture are not fully represented in the three widely used questionnaires. Nine important domains were identified for the assessment of quality of life and should be considered when assessing the impact of AMD on Chinese individuals. Further studies are needed to develop an AMD quality of life questionnaire, better tailored to the needs and culture of Chinese patients. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Domains of health-related quality of life in age-related macular degeneration: a qualitative study in the Chinese cultural context

PubMed Central

Bian, Wei; Wan, Junli; Smith, Graeme; Li, Shiying; Tan, Mingqiong; Zhou, Fengjiao

2018-01-01

Objective To explore which areas of health-related quality of life were affected in Chinese patients, and to identify whether the areas are well covered by validated questionnaires. Design A qualitative study based on semistructured interviews was conducted. A qualitative thematic analysis following the approach of Colaizzi was used to analyse the interview data for significant statements and phrases. The themes and subthemes organised from the analysis were then compared by using the following current instruments: National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25), Macular Disease Quality of life Questionnaire (MacDQoL) and Low-Luminance Questionnaire (LLD). Participants and setting Twenty-one patients with age-related macular degeneration were recruited from the eye clinic of Southwest Eye Hospital in Chongqing, mainland China. Results The mean age of the participants was 69.8 years (range 57–82 years) and the duration of the disease ranged from 3 months to 6 years. The qualitative analysis revealed nine important domains including symptoms, difficulties with daily activities, depending on others, depression and uncertainty, optimism and hope, social isolation, role change, family support and financial burden. However, all the three questionnaires were insufficient to capture the full extent of quality of life issues of Chinese patients with AMD, and MacDQoL covered more domains when compared with NEI-VFQ-25 and LLD. Conclusion The domains of concepts important to people with AMD in the Chinese culture are not fully represented in the three widely used questionnaires. Nine important domains were identified for the assessment of quality of life and should be considered when assessing the impact of AMD on Chinese individuals. Further studies are needed to develop an AMD quality of life questionnaire, better tailored to the needs and culture of Chinese patients. PMID:29666126

Quantitative Assessment of Knee Progression Angle During Gait in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

PubMed

Davids, Jon R; Cung, Nina Q; Pomeroy, Robin; Schultz, Brooke; Torburn, Leslie; Kulkarni, Vedant A; Brown, Sean; Bagley, Anita M

2018-04-01

Abnormal hip rotation is a common deviation in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Clinicians typically assess hip rotation during gait by observing the direction that the patella points relative to the path of walking, which is referred to as the knee progression angle (KPA). Two kinematic methods for calculating the KPA are compared with each other. Video-based qualitative assessment of KPA is compared with the quantitative methods to determine reliability and validity. The KPA was calculated by both direct and indirect methods for 32 typically developing (TD) children and a convenience cohort of 43 children with hemiplegic type CP. An additional convenience cohort of 26 children with hemiplegic type CP was selected for qualitative assessment of KPA, performed by 3 experienced clinicians, using 3 categories (internal, >10 degrees; neutral, -10 to 10 degrees; and external, >-10 degrees). Root mean square (RMS) analysis comparing the direct and indirect KPAs was 1.14+0.43 degrees for TD children, and 1.75+1.54 degrees for the affected side of children with CP. The difference in RMS among the 2 groups was statistically, but not clinically, significant (P=0.019). Intraclass correlation coefficient revealed excellent agreement between the direct and indirect methods of KPA for TD and CP children (0.996 and 0.992, respectively; P<0.001).For the qualitative assessment of KPA there was complete agreement among all examiners for 17 of 26 cases (65%). Direct KPA matched for 49 of 78 observations (63%) and indirect KPA matched for 52 of 78 observations (67%). The RMS analysis of direct and indirect methods for KPA was statistically but not clinically significant, which supports the use of either method based upon availability. Video-based qualitative assessment of KPA showed moderate reliability and validity. The differences between observed and calculated KPA indicate the need for caution when relying on visual assessments for clinical interpretation, and demonstrate the value of adding KPA calculation to standard kinematic analysis. Level II-diagnostic test.

Accurate micro-computed tomography imaging of pore spaces in collagen-based scaffold.

PubMed

Zidek, Jan; Vojtova, Lucy; Abdel-Mohsen, A M; Chmelik, Jiri; Zikmund, Tomas; Brtnikova, Jana; Jakubicek, Roman; Zubal, Lukas; Jan, Jiri; Kaiser, Jozef

2016-06-01

In this work we have used X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) as a method to observe the morphology of 3D porous pure collagen and collagen-composite scaffolds useful in tissue engineering. Two aspects of visualizations were taken into consideration: improvement of the scan and investigation of its sensitivity to the scan parameters. Due to the low material density some parts of collagen scaffolds are invisible in a μCT scan. Therefore, here we present different contrast agents, which increase the contrast of the scanned biopolymeric sample for μCT visualization. The increase of contrast of collagenous scaffolds was performed with ceramic hydroxyapatite microparticles (HAp), silver ions (Ag(+)) and silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). Since a relatively small change in imaging parameters (e.g. in 3D volume rendering, threshold value and μCT acquisition conditions) leads to a completely different visualized pattern, we have optimized these parameters to obtain the most realistic picture for visual and qualitative evaluation of the biopolymeric scaffold. Moreover, scaffold images were stereoscopically visualized in order to better see the 3D biopolymer composite scaffold morphology. However, the optimized visualization has some discontinuities in zoomed view, which can be problematic for further analysis of interconnected pores by commonly used numerical methods. Therefore, we applied the locally adaptive method to solve discontinuities issue. The combination of contrast agent and imaging techniques presented in this paper help us to better understand the structure and morphology of the biopolymeric scaffold that is crucial in the design of new biomaterials useful in tissue engineering.

Secondary Students' Perceptions about Learning Qualitative Analysis in Inorganic Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Kim-Chwee Daniel; Goh, Ngoh-Khang; Chia, Lian-Sai; Treagust, David F.

2001-02-01

Grade 10 students in Singapore find qualitative analysis one of the more difficult topics in their external examinations. Fifty-one grade 10 students (15-17 years old) from three schools were interviewed to investigate their perceptions about learning qualitative analysis and the aspects of qualitative analysis they found difficult. The results showed that students found qualitative analysis tedious, difficult to understand and found the practical sessions unrelated to what they learned in class. They also believed that learning qualitative analysis required a great amount of memory work. It is proposed that their difficulties may arise from not knowing explicitly what is required in qualitative analysis, the content of qualitative analysis, the lack of motivation to understand qualitative analysis, cognitive overloading, and the lack of mastery of the required process skills.

Barriers to the Use of Computer Assistive Technology among Students with Visual Impairment in Ghana: The Case of Akropong School for the Blind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ampratwum, Joseph; Offei, Yaw Nyadu; Ntoaduro, Afua

2016-01-01

The study aimed at exploring barriers to the use of computer assistive technology among students with visual impairment at Akropong School for the Blind. A case study design was adopted and the purposive sampling technique used to select 35 participants for the study. The researchers gathered qualitative data using an in-depth interview guide to…

Developing an Inclusive Learning Environment for Students with Visual Impairment in Higher Education: Progressive Mutual Accommodation and Learner Experiences in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewett, Rachel; Douglas, Graeme; McLinden, Michael; Keil, Sue

2017-01-01

Drawing on the findings of a unique longitudinal qualitative study, this article investigates the experiences of 32 young people with visual impairment (VI) in higher education (HE) in the United Kingdom (UK) to explore how well they were able to participate on their courses. We propose and apply a Bioecological Model of Inclusive HE to interpret…

Colorimetric detection of uranium in water

DOEpatents

DeVol, Timothy A [Clemson, SC; Hixon, Amy E [Piedmont, SC; DiPrete, David P [Evans, GA

2012-03-13

Disclosed are methods, materials and systems that can be used to determine qualitatively or quantitatively the level of uranium contamination in water samples. Beneficially, disclosed systems are relatively simple and cost-effective. For example, disclosed systems can be utilized by consumers having little or no training in chemical analysis techniques. Methods generally include a concentration step and a complexation step. Uranium concentration can be carried out according to an extraction chromatographic process and complexation can chemically bind uranium with a detectable substance such that the formed substance is visually detectable. Methods can detect uranium contamination down to levels even below the MCL as established by the EPA.

Advanced Engineering Technology for Measuring Performance.

PubMed

Rutherford, Drew N; D'Angelo, Anne-Lise D; Law, Katherine E; Pugh, Carla M

2015-08-01

The demand for competency-based assessments in surgical training is growing. Use of advanced engineering technology for clinical skills assessment allows for objective measures of hands-on performance. Clinical performance can be assessed in several ways via quantification of an assessee's hand movements (motion tracking), direction of visual attention (eye tracking), levels of stress (physiologic marker measurements), and location and pressure of palpation (force measurements). Innovations in video recording technology and qualitative analysis tools allow for a combination of observer- and technology-based assessments. Overall the goal is to create better assessments of surgical performance with robust validity evidence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The prior statistics of object colors.

PubMed

Koenderink, Jan J

2010-02-01

The prior statistics of object colors is of much interest because extensive statistical investigations of reflectance spectra reveal highly non-uniform structure in color space common to several very different databases. This common structure is due to the visual system rather than to the statistics of environmental structure. Analysis involves an investigation of the proper sample space of spectral reflectance factors and of the statistical consequences of the projection of spectral reflectances on the color solid. Even in the case of reflectance statistics that are translationally invariant with respect to the wavelength dimension, the statistics of object colors is highly non-uniform. The qualitative nature of this non-uniformity is due to trichromacy.

Right Ventricular Hemodynamics in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browning, James; Fenster, Brett; Hertzberg, Jean; Schroeder, Joyce

2012-11-01

Recent advances in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) have allowed for characterization of blood flow in the right ventricle (RV), including calculation of vorticity and circulation, and qualitative visual assessment of coherent flow patterns. In this study, we investigate qualitative and quantitative differences in right ventricular hemodynamics between subjects with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and normal controls. Fifteen (15) PH subjects and 10 age-matched controls underwent same day 3D time resolved CMR and echocardiography. Echocardiography was used to determine right ventricular diastolic function as well as pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). Velocity vectors, vorticity vectors, and streamlines in the RV were visualized in Paraview and total RV Early (E) and Atrial (A) wave diastolic vorticity was quantified. Visualizations of blood flow in the RV are presented for PH and normal subjects. The hypothesis that PH subjects exhibit different RV vorticity levels than normals during diastole is tested and the relationship between RV vorticity and PASP is explored. The mechanics of RV vortex formation are discussed within the context of pulmonary arterial pressure and right ventricular diastolic function coincident with PH.

Qualitative similarities in the visual short-term memory of pigeons and people.

PubMed

Gibson, Brett; Wasserman, Edward; Luck, Steven J

2011-10-01

Visual short-term memory plays a key role in guiding behavior, and individual differences in visual short-term memory capacity are strongly predictive of higher cognitive abilities. To provide a broader evolutionary context for understanding this memory system, we directly compared the behavior of pigeons and humans on a change detection task. Although pigeons had a lower storage capacity and a higher lapse rate than humans, both species stored multiple items in short-term memory and conformed to the same basic performance model. Thus, despite their very different evolutionary histories and neural architectures, pigeons and humans have functionally similar visual short-term memory systems, suggesting that the functional properties of visual short-term memory are subject to similar selective pressures across these distant species.

Visualization and Analysis of Vortex-Turbine Intersections in Wind Farms.

PubMed

Shafii, Sohail; Obermaier, Harald; Linn, Rodman; Koo, Eunmo; Hlawitschka, Mario; Garth, Christoph; Hamann, Bernd; Joy, Kenneth

2013-02-13

Characterizing the interplay between the vortices and forces acting on a wind turbine's blades in a qualitative and quantitative way holds the potential for significantly improving large wind turbine design. The paper introduces an integrated pipeline for highly effective wind and force field analysis and visualization. We extract vortices induced by a turbine's rotation in a wind field, and characterize vortices in conjunction with numerically simulated forces on the blade surfaces as these vortices strike another turbine's blades downstream. The scientifically relevant issue to be studied is the relationship between the extracted, approximate locations on the blades where vortices strike the blades and the forces that exist in those locations. This integrated approach is used to detect and analyze turbulent flow that causes local impact on the wind turbine blade structure. The results that we present are based on analyzing the wind and force field data sets generated by numerical simulations, and allow domain scientists to relate vortex-blade interactions with power output loss in turbines and turbine life-expectancy. Our methods have the potential to improve turbine design in order to save costs related to turbine operation and maintenance.

Support network for families of children and adolescents with visual impairment: strengths and weaknesses.

PubMed

Barbieri, Mayara Caroline; Broekman, Gabriela Van Der Zwaan; Souza, Renata Olzon Dionysio de; Lima, Regina Aparecida Garcia de; Wernet, Monika; Dupas, Giselle

2016-10-01

This study aimed to understand the interactions established between social support networks and families that have children and adolescents with visual impairment, in two different cities in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This was a qualitative, descriptive study with symbolic interactionism as a theoretical framework. A genogram, ecomap and semi-structured interviews with 18 families were used. The method adopted for data analysis was narrative analysis. Two themes were found: potentials derived from the relationship with the support network, and, counterpoints in the support network. The family members accessed other members of their own family, friends, spiritual and cultural activities, health services, government institutions, and philanthropic organizations as support networks. The weakness in health services support is an obstacle to comprehensive healthcare for children and adolescents living in city A. In city B, other possibilities exist because it has a reference service. Despite the weaknesses in the support network in both cities, the family articulates and develops a foundation so that they can provide the best situation possible for their child or adolescent. It is up to health professionals to provide support to families and empower them to care for their members.

Visually Evoked Spiking Evolves While Spontaneous Ongoing Dynamics Persist

PubMed Central

Huys, Raoul; Jirsa, Viktor K.; Darokhan, Ziauddin; Valentiniene, Sonata; Roland, Per E.

2016-01-01

Neurons in the primary visual cortex spontaneously spike even when there are no visual stimuli. It is unknown whether the spiking evoked by visual stimuli is just a modification of the spontaneous ongoing cortical spiking dynamics or whether the spontaneous spiking state disappears and is replaced by evoked spiking. This study of laminar recordings of spontaneous spiking and visually evoked spiking of neurons in the ferret primary visual cortex shows that the spiking dynamics does not change: the spontaneous spiking as well as evoked spiking is controlled by a stable and persisting fixed point attractor. Its existence guarantees that evoked spiking return to the spontaneous state. However, the spontaneous ongoing spiking state and the visual evoked spiking states are qualitatively different and are separated by a threshold (separatrix). The functional advantage of this organization is that it avoids the need for a system reorganization following visual stimulation, and impedes the transition of spontaneous spiking to evoked spiking and the propagation of spontaneous spiking from layer 4 to layers 2–3. PMID:26778982

A way toward analyzing high-content bioimage data by means of semantic annotation and visual data mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herold, Julia; Abouna, Sylvie; Zhou, Luxian; Pelengaris, Stella; Epstein, David B. A.; Khan, Michael; Nattkemper, Tim W.

2009-02-01

In the last years, bioimaging has turned from qualitative measurements towards a high-throughput and highcontent modality, providing multiple variables for each biological sample analyzed. We present a system which combines machine learning based semantic image annotation and visual data mining to analyze such new multivariate bioimage data. Machine learning is employed for automatic semantic annotation of regions of interest. The annotation is the prerequisite for a biological object-oriented exploration of the feature space derived from the image variables. With the aid of visual data mining, the obtained data can be explored simultaneously in the image as well as in the feature domain. Especially when little is known of the underlying data, for example in the case of exploring the effects of a drug treatment, visual data mining can greatly aid the process of data evaluation. We demonstrate how our system is used for image evaluation to obtain information relevant to diabetes study and screening of new anti-diabetes treatments. Cells of the Islet of Langerhans and whole pancreas in pancreas tissue samples are annotated and object specific molecular features are extracted from aligned multichannel fluorescence images. These are interactively evaluated for cell type classification in order to determine the cell number and mass. Only few parameters need to be specified which makes it usable also for non computer experts and allows for high-throughput analysis.

Modeling a space-variant cortical representation for apparent motion.

PubMed

Wurbs, Jeremy; Mingolla, Ennio; Yazdanbakhsh, Arash

2013-08-06

Receptive field sizes of neurons in early primate visual areas increase with eccentricity, as does temporal processing speed. The fovea is evidently specialized for slow, fine movements while the periphery is suited for fast, coarse movements. In either the fovea or periphery discrete flashes can produce motion percepts. Grossberg and Rudd (1989) used traveling Gaussian activity profiles to model long-range apparent motion percepts. We propose a neural model constrained by physiological data to explain how signals from retinal ganglion cells to V1 affect the perception of motion as a function of eccentricity. Our model incorporates cortical magnification, receptive field overlap and scatter, and spatial and temporal response characteristics of retinal ganglion cells for cortical processing of motion. Consistent with the finding of Baker and Braddick (1985), in our model the maximum flash distance that is perceived as an apparent motion (Dmax) increases linearly as a function of eccentricity. Baker and Braddick (1985) made qualitative predictions about the functional significance of both stimulus and visual system parameters that constrain motion perception, such as an increase in the range of detectable motions as a function of eccentricity and the likely role of higher visual processes in determining Dmax. We generate corresponding quantitative predictions for those functional dependencies for individual aspects of motion processing. Simulation results indicate that the early visual pathway can explain the qualitative linear increase of Dmax data without reliance on extrastriate areas, but that those higher visual areas may serve as a modulatory influence on the exact Dmax increase.

How Do Experienced Physicians Access and Evaluate Laboratory Test Results for the Chronic Patient? A Qualitative Analysis.

PubMed

Torsvik, Torbjørn; Lillebo, Børge; Hertzum, Morten

2018-04-01

 Electronic health records may present laboratory test results in a variety of ways. Little is known about how the usefulness of different visualizations of laboratory test results is influenced by the complex and varied process of clinical decision making.  The purpose of this study was to investigate how clinicians access and utilize laboratory test results when caring for patients with chronic illness.  We interviewed 10 attending physicians about how they access and assess laboratory tests when following up patients with chronic illness. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed qualitatively.  Informants preferred different visualizations of laboratory test results, depending on what aspects of the data they were interested in. As chronic patients may have laboratory test results that are permanently outside standardized reference ranges, informants would often look for significant change, rather than exact values. What constituted significant change depended on contextual information (e.g., the results of other investigations, intercurrent diseases, and medical interventions) spread across multiple locations in the electronic health record. For chronic patients, the temporal relations between data could often be of special interest. Informants struggled with finding and synthesizing fragmented information into meaningful overviews.  The presentation of laboratory test results should account for the large variety of associated contextual information needed for clinical comprehension. Future research is needed to improve the integration of the different parts of the electronic health record. Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.

Cortical phase changes in Alzheimer's disease at 7T MRI: a novel imaging marker.

PubMed

van Rooden, Sanneke; Versluis, Maarten J; Liem, Michael K; Milles, Julien; Maier, Andrea B; Oleksik, Ania M; Webb, Andrew G; van Buchem, Mark A; van der Grond, Jeroen

2014-01-01

Postmortem studies have indicated the potential of high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize amyloid depositions in the cerebral cortex. The aim of this study is to test this hypothesis in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). T2*-weighted MRI was performed in 16 AD patients and 15 control subjects. All magnetic resonance images were scored qualitatively by visual assessment, and quantitatively by measuring phase shifts in the cortical gray matter and hippocampus. Statistical analysis was performed to assess differences between groups. Patients with AD demonstrated an increased phase shift in the cortex in the temporoparietal, frontal, and parietal regions (P < .005), and this was associated with individual Mini-Mental State Examination scores (r = -0.54, P < .05). Increased cortical phase shift in AD patients demonstrated on 7-tesla T2*-weighted MRI is a potential new biomarker for AD, which may reflect amyloid pathology in the early stages. Copyright © 2014 The Alzheimer's Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning outcomes with visual thinking strategies in nursing education.

PubMed

Moorman, Margaret; Hensel, Desiree; Decker, Kim A; Busby, Katie

2017-04-01

There is a need to develop innovative strategies that cultivate broad cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal skills in nursing curricula. The purpose of this project was to explore transferable skills students gained from Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS). This qualitative descriptive study was conducted with 55 baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in an entry level healthy population course. The students participated in a 1h VTS session led by a trained facilitator. Data came from the group's written responses to a question about how they would use skills learned from VTS in caring for patients and in their nursing practice. Content analysis showed students perceived gaining observational, cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills from the VTS session. VTS is a unique teaching strategy that holds the potential to help nursing students develop a broad range of skills. Studies are needed on optimal exposure needed to develop observational, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. Research is also needed on how skills gained in VTS translate to practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visualization study of flow in axial flow inducer.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lakshminarayana, B.

1972-01-01

A visualization study of the flow through a three ft dia model of a four bladed inducer, which is operated in air at a flow coefficient of 0.065, is reported in this paper. The flow near the blade surfaces, inside the rotating passages, downstream and upstream of the inducer is visualized by means of smoke, tufts, ammonia filament, and lampblack techniques. Flow is found to be highly three dimensional, with appreciable radial velocity throughout the entire passage. The secondary flows observed near the hub and annulus walls agree with qualitative predictions obtained from the inviscid secondary flow theory.

Three dimensional characterization of laser ablation craters using high resolution X-ray computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galmed, A. H.; du Plessis, A.; le Roux, S. G.; Hartnick, E.; Von Bergmann, H.; Maaza, M.

2018-01-01

Laboratory X-ray computed tomography is an emerging technology for the 3D characterization and dimensional analysis of many types of materials. In this work we demonstrate the usefulness of this characterization method for the full three dimensional analysis of laser ablation craters, in the context of a laser induced breakdown spectroscopy setup. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy relies on laser ablation for sampling the material of interest. We demonstrate here qualitatively (in images) and quantitatively (in terms of crater cone angles, depths, diameters and volume) laser ablation crater analysis in 3D for metal (aluminum) and rock (false gold ore). We show the effect of a Gaussian beam profile on the resulting crater geometry, as well as the first visual evidence of undercutting in the rock sample, most likely due to ejection of relatively large grains. The method holds promise for optimization of laser ablation setups especially for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Investigation of Spatial Data with Open Source Social Network Analysis and Geographic Information Systems Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabah, L.; Şimşek, M.

2017-11-01

Social networks are the real social experience of individuals in the online environment. In this environment, people use symbolic gestures and mimics, sharing thoughts and content. Social network analysis is the visualization of complex and large quantities of data to ensure that the overall picture appears. It is the understanding, development, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the relations in the social networks of Graph theory. Social networks are expressed in the form of nodes and edges. Nodes are people/organizations, and edges are relationships between nodes. Relations are directional, non-directional, weighted, and weightless. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social networks on the evaluation of person data with spatial coordinates. For this, the cluster size and the effect on the geographical area of the circle where the placements of the individual are influenced by the frequently used placeholder feature in the social networks have been studied.

Comprehensive Analysis of LC/MS Data Using Pseudocolor Plots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crutchfield, Christopher A.; Olson, Matthew T.; Gourgari, Evgenia; Nesterova, Maria; Stratakis, Constantine A.; Yergey, Alfred L.

2013-02-01

We have developed new applications of the pseudocolor plot for the analysis of LC/MS data. These applications include spectral averaging, analysis of variance, differential comparison of spectra, and qualitative filtering by compound class. These applications have been motivated by the need to better understand LC/MS data generated from analysis of human biofluids. The examples presented use data generated to profile steroid hormones in urine extracts from a Cushing's disease patient relative to a healthy control, but are general to any discovery-based scanning mass spectrometry technique. In addition to new visualization techniques, we introduce a new metric of variance: the relative maximum difference from the mean. We also introduce the concept of substructure-dependent analysis of steroid hormones using precursor ion scans. These new analytical techniques provide an alternative approach to traditional untargeted metabolomics workflow. We present an approach to discovery using MS that essentially eliminates alignment or preprocessing of spectra. Moreover, we demonstrate the concept that untargeted metabolomics can be achieved using low mass resolution instrumentation.

Dynamic visualizations as tools for supporting cosmological literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buck, Zoe Elizabeth

My dissertation research is designed to improve access to STEM content through the development of cosmology visualizations that support all learners as they engage in cosmological sense-making. To better understand how to design visualizations that work toward breaking cycles of power and access in the sciences, I orient my work to following "meta-question": How might educators use visualizations to support diverse ways of knowing and learning in order to expand access to cosmology, and to science? In this dissertation, I address this meta-question from a pragmatic epistemological perspective, through a sociocultural lens, following three lines of inquiry: experimental methods (Creswell, 2003) with a focus on basic visualization design, activity analysis (Wells, 1996; Ash, 2001; Rahm, 2012) with a focus on culturally and linguistically diverse learners, and case study (Creswell, 2000) with a focus on expansive learning at a planetarium (Engestrom, 2001; Ash, 2014). My research questions are as follows, each of which corresponds to a self contained course of inquiry with its own design, data, analysis and results: 1) Can mediational cues like color affect the way learners interpret the content in a cosmology visualization? 2) How do cosmology visualizations support cosmological sense-making for diverse students? 3) What are the shared objects of dynamic networks of activity around visualization production and use in a large, urban planetarium and how do they affect learning? The result is a mixed-methods design (Sweetman, Badiee & Creswell, 2010) where both qualitative and quantitative data are used when appropriate to address my research goals. In the introduction I begin by establishing a theoretical framework for understanding visualizations within cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) and situating the chapters that follow within that framework. I also introduce the concept of cosmological literacy, which I define as the set of conceptual, semiotic and cognitive resources required to understand the scientific Universe on a cosmological scale. In the first chapter I use quantitative methods to investigate how 122 postsecondary learners relied on mediational cues like color to interpret dark matter in a cosmology visualization. My results show that color can have a profound effect on the way that audiences interpret a dynamic cosmology visualization, suggesting a closer look at learning activity. Thus in the second chapter I look at how the visualizations are used by small groups of community college students to make sense of cosmology visualizations. I present evidence that when we look past linguistic fluency, visualizations can scaffold cosmological sense-making, which I define as engaging in object-oriented learning activity mediated by concepts and practices associated with cosmological literacy. In the third chapter I present a case study of an urban planetarium trying to define its goals at a time of transition, during and after the development of a visualization-based planetarium show. My analysis reveals several historical contradictions that appear to impel a shift toward affective goals within the institution, and driving the implementation of visualizations, particularly in the context of immersive planetarium shows. I problematize this result by repositioning the shift toward affective goals in the context of equity and diversity. Finally in my conclusion I present broad recommendations for visualization design and implementation based on my findings.

Early visual language exposure and emergent literacy in preschool deaf children: findings from a national longitudinal study.

PubMed

Allen, Thomas E; Letteri, Amy; Choi, Song Hoa; Dang, Daqian

2014-01-01

Brief review is provided of recent research on the impact of early visual language exposure on a variety of developmental outcomes, including literacy, cognition, and social adjustment. This body of work points to the great importance of giving young deaf children early exposure to a visual language as a critical precursor to the acquisition of literacy. Four analyses of data from the Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2) Early Education Longitudinal Study are summarized. Each confirms findings from previously published laboratory findings and points to the positive effects of early sign language on, respectively, letter knowledge, social adaptability, sustained visual attention, and cognitive-behavioral milestones necessary for academic success. The article concludes with a consideration of the qualitative similarity hypothesis and a finding that the hypothesis is valid, but only if it can be presented as being modality independent.

"We Put on the Glasses and Moon Comes Closer!" Urban Second Graders Exploring the Earth, the Sun and Moon through 3D Technologies in a Science and Literacy Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isik-Ercan, Zeynep; Zeynep Inan, Hatice; Nowak, Jeffrey A.; Kim, Beomjin

2014-01-01

This qualitative case study describes (a) the ways 3D visualization, coupled with other science and literacy experiences, supported young children's first exploration of the Earth-Sun-Moon system and (b) the perspectives of classroom teachers and children on using 3D visualization. We created three interactive 3D software modules that simulate day…

PETS-D (parents education through simulation-diabetes): Parents' qualitative results.

PubMed

Ramchandani, Neesha; Maguire, Laura L; Stern, Kailyn; Quintos, Jose B; Lee, Mary; Sullivan-Bolyai, Susan

2016-08-01

Parents who have a child newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) must quickly learn daily diabetes self-management. An RCT was conducted using human patient simulation (HPS) to enhance parents learning diabetes self-management with children with new-onset T1D. The purpose of this study was to describe parents' perspectives of using HPS to augment diabetes education. A qualitative descriptive design was used with open-ended in-depth interviews of parents (n=49) post-intervention. Qualitative directed content analysis was used. The majority of parents were positive about learning with HPS. Although a few parents said the HPS was "hokey" or "creepy," most reported the visual and hands-on learning was realistic and very beneficial. Seeing a seizure increased their fear although they would have panicked if they had not had that learning experience, and it helped build their diabetes self-management confidence. Recommendations included teaching others with the HPS (grandparents, siblings, babysitters, and school nurses). HPS-enhanced education is an acceptable and viable option that was generally well-received by parents of children with new-onset T1D. The technique should be studied with parents of children with other chronic illnesses to see if the benefits found in this study are applicable to other settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimizing ChIP-seq peak detectors using visual labels and supervised machine learning

PubMed Central

Goerner-Potvin, Patricia; Morin, Andreanne; Shao, Xiaojian; Pastinen, Tomi

2017-01-01

Motivation: Many peak detection algorithms have been proposed for ChIP-seq data analysis, but it is not obvious which algorithm and what parameters are optimal for any given dataset. In contrast, regions with and without obvious peaks can be easily labeled by visual inspection of aligned read counts in a genome browser. We propose a supervised machine learning approach for ChIP-seq data analysis, using labels that encode qualitative judgments about which genomic regions contain or do not contain peaks. The main idea is to manually label a small subset of the genome, and then learn a model that makes consistent peak predictions on the rest of the genome. Results: We created 7 new histone mark datasets with 12 826 visually determined labels, and analyzed 3 existing transcription factor datasets. We observed that default peak detection parameters yield high false positive rates, which can be reduced by learning parameters using a relatively small training set of labeled data from the same experiment type. We also observed that labels from different people are highly consistent. Overall, these data indicate that our supervised labeling method is useful for quantitatively training and testing peak detection algorithms. Availability and Implementation: Labeled histone mark data http://cbio.ensmp.fr/~thocking/chip-seq-chunk-db/, R package to compute the label error of predicted peaks https://github.com/tdhock/PeakError Contacts: toby.hocking@mail.mcgill.ca or guil.bourque@mcgill.ca Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:27797775

Task–Technology Fit of Video Telehealth for Nurses in an Outpatient Clinic Setting

PubMed Central

Finkelstein, Stanley M.

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Incorporating telehealth into outpatient care delivery supports management of consumer health between clinic visits. Task–technology fit is a framework for understanding how technology helps and/or hinders a person during work processes. Evaluating the task–technology fit of video telehealth for personnel working in a pediatric outpatient clinic and providing care between clinic visits ensures the information provided matches the information needed to support work processes. Materials and Methods: The workflow of advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) care coordination provided via telephone and video telehealth was described and measured using a mixed-methods workflow analysis protocol that incorporated cognitive ethnography and time–motion study. Qualitative and quantitative results were merged and analyzed within the task–technology fit framework to determine the workflow fit of video telehealth for APRN care coordination. Results: Incorporating video telehealth into APRN care coordination workflow provided visual information unavailable during telephone interactions. Despite additional tasks and interactions needed to obtain the visual information, APRN workflow efficiency, as measured by time, was not significantly changed. Analyzed within the task–technology fit framework, the increased visual information afforded by video telehealth supported the assessment and diagnostic information needs of the APRN. Conclusions: Telehealth must provide the right information to the right clinician at the right time. Evaluating task–technology fit using a mixed-methods protocol ensured rigorous analysis of fit within work processes and identified workflows that benefit most from the technology. PMID:24841219

Optimizing ChIP-seq peak detectors using visual labels and supervised machine learning.

PubMed

Hocking, Toby Dylan; Goerner-Potvin, Patricia; Morin, Andreanne; Shao, Xiaojian; Pastinen, Tomi; Bourque, Guillaume

2017-02-15

Many peak detection algorithms have been proposed for ChIP-seq data analysis, but it is not obvious which algorithm and what parameters are optimal for any given dataset. In contrast, regions with and without obvious peaks can be easily labeled by visual inspection of aligned read counts in a genome browser. We propose a supervised machine learning approach for ChIP-seq data analysis, using labels that encode qualitative judgments about which genomic regions contain or do not contain peaks. The main idea is to manually label a small subset of the genome, and then learn a model that makes consistent peak predictions on the rest of the genome. We created 7 new histone mark datasets with 12 826 visually determined labels, and analyzed 3 existing transcription factor datasets. We observed that default peak detection parameters yield high false positive rates, which can be reduced by learning parameters using a relatively small training set of labeled data from the same experiment type. We also observed that labels from different people are highly consistent. Overall, these data indicate that our supervised labeling method is useful for quantitatively training and testing peak detection algorithms. Labeled histone mark data http://cbio.ensmp.fr/~thocking/chip-seq-chunk-db/ , R package to compute the label error of predicted peaks https://github.com/tdhock/PeakError. toby.hocking@mail.mcgill.ca or guil.bourque@mcgill.ca. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Evaluating rehabilitation goals of visually impaired children in multidisciplinary care according to ICF-CY guidelines.

PubMed

Rainey, Linda; van Nispen, Ruth; van Rens, Ger

2014-11-01

To gain qualitative insight into the rehabilitation goals of visually impaired children and how these goals relate to the structure of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and patient characteristics. A patient record study was conducted, analysing rehabilitation goals and characteristics of children with a suspected visual impairment in the Netherlands (<18 years) who applied for multidisciplinary services in 2012 (N = 289). Chi-square analyses for trend in rehabilitation content across age bands and additional analyses were performed. The three most common diagnoses were nystagmus (21.2%), cerebral visual impairment (16.2%) and albinism (6.1%). Rehabilitation goals for children aged <7 years were mostly aimed at 'physical (visual) functioning' (36.7%) and 'environmental factors' (36.7%). For children ≥7 years, significantly more goals were identified on activity and participation (A&P) domains (52.2%). Three A and P domains presented a significant linear trend on the number of rehabilitation goals across age bands: (1) 'Learning and applying knowledge' (13.042, p < 0.001), (4) 'Mobility' (31.340, p < 0.001) and (8) 'Major life areas' (5.925, p = 0.015). Regression analysis showed that both age and visual acuity significantly contributed to the number of A and P goals. Although analyses were based on a selection of patient records, the number and nature of rehabilitation goals differ significantly with age. Many A and P goals seem underrepresented at the intake procedure, for example: communication, peer interaction and participating in leisure activities. A systematic, standardized procedure is required to catalogue all existing goals and to be able to evaluate progress and potential new or other important goals. © 2013 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

CheS-Mapper 2.0 for visual validation of (Q)SAR models

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Sound statistical validation is important to evaluate and compare the overall performance of (Q)SAR models. However, classical validation does not support the user in better understanding the properties of the model or the underlying data. Even though, a number of visualization tools for analyzing (Q)SAR information in small molecule datasets exist, integrated visualization methods that allow the investigation of model validation results are still lacking. Results We propose visual validation, as an approach for the graphical inspection of (Q)SAR model validation results. The approach applies the 3D viewer CheS-Mapper, an open-source application for the exploration of small molecules in virtual 3D space. The present work describes the new functionalities in CheS-Mapper 2.0, that facilitate the analysis of (Q)SAR information and allows the visual validation of (Q)SAR models. The tool enables the comparison of model predictions to the actual activity in feature space. The approach is generic: It is model-independent and can handle physico-chemical and structural input features as well as quantitative and qualitative endpoints. Conclusions Visual validation with CheS-Mapper enables analyzing (Q)SAR information in the data and indicates how this information is employed by the (Q)SAR model. It reveals, if the endpoint is modeled too specific or too generic and highlights common properties of misclassified compounds. Moreover, the researcher can use CheS-Mapper to inspect how the (Q)SAR model predicts activity cliffs. The CheS-Mapper software is freely available at http://ches-mapper.org. Graphical abstract Comparing actual and predicted activity values with CheS-Mapper.

Social capital, social relationships and adults with acquired visual impairment: a nigerian perspective.

PubMed

Bassey, Emmanuel; Ellison, Caroline; Walker, Ruth

2018-01-31

This study investigates the social capital implications of vision loss among working-age adults in Nigeria. The study explores the challenges of acquiring and maintaining social relationships post-vision loss, and investigates the extent to which visual rehabilitation services support social goals. A qualitative study using a phenomenological approach was undertaken. Eight adults (18-59 years) were recruited from disability service organizations in Nigeria. Telephone interviews were recorded and transcribed, and thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data gathered in this study. Three broad themes were developed from participants' accounts of their experiences: (1) changes to relationships with friends and others; (2) finding strength in family relationships; and (3) rehabilitation and the confidence to interact. The findings indicate that the relationship between participants and their family members improved post vision impairment, enhancing bonding social capital. However, participants experienced reduced bridging and linking social capital due to diminished or broken relationships with managers, coworkers, friends, and others in the community. As social connectedness and relationships are highly valued in Nigeria's diverse society, we suggest that adults with visual impairment would significantly benefit from visual rehabilitation services placing greater emphasis on addressing the social goals of participants. Implications for Rehabilitation Visual impairment in working-age adults can strengthen family relationships (homogenous groups), creating bonding capital that is associated with access to important resources including emotional and moral support, and some financial and material resources. Visual impairment can negatively impact relationships with managers, coworkers, and others in the community (heterogeneous groups), resulting in diminished bridging and linking capital. Visual impairment can reduce access to resources such as an income, social status, and reduces participation in the wider community. Visual Rehabilitation Services could significantly benefit participants by placing greater emphasis on social goals, such as building and maintaining social networks, particularly with diverse (heterogeneous groups), which are valued in Nigeria's diverse cultural climate.

Qualitative data analysis: conceptual and practical considerations.

PubMed

Liamputtong, Pranee

2009-08-01

Qualitative inquiry requires that collected data is organised in a meaningful way, and this is referred to as data analysis. Through analytic processes, researchers turn what can be voluminous data into understandable and insightful analysis. This paper sets out the different approaches that qualitative researchers can use to make sense of their data including thematic analysis, narrative analysis, discourse analysis and semiotic analysis and discusses the ways that qualitative researchers can analyse their data. I first discuss salient issues in performing qualitative data analysis, and then proceed to provide some suggestions on different methods of data analysis in qualitative research. Finally, I provide some discussion on the use of computer-assisted data analysis.

Qualitative assessment of a Context of Consumption Framework to inform regulation of cigarette pack design in the U.S

PubMed Central

Lee, Joseph G. L.; Averett, Paige E.; Blanchflower, Tiffany; Gregory, Kyle R.

2018-01-01

INTRODUCTION Researchers and regulators need to know how changes to cigarette packages can influence population health. We sought to advance research on the role of cigarette packaging by assessing a theory-informed framework from the fields of design and consumer research. The selected Context of Consumption Framework posits cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to visual design. To assess the Framework’s potential for guiding research on the visual design of cigarette packaging in the U.S., this study seeks to understand to what extent the Context of Consumption Framework converges with how adult smokers think and talk about cigarette pack designs. METHODS Data for this qualitative study came from six telephone-based focus groups conducted in March 2017. Two groups consisted of lesbian, gay, and bisexual participants; two groups of participants with less than four years college education; one group of LGB and straight identity; and one group the general population. All groups were selected for regional, gender, and racial/ethnic diversity. Participants (n=33) represented all nine U.S. Census divisions. We conducted a deductive qualitative analysis. RESULTS Cigarette package designs captured the participants’ attention, suggested the characteristics of the product, and reflected (or could be leveraged to convey) multiple dimensions of consumer identity. Particular to the affective responses to design, our participants shared that cigarette packaging conveyed how the pack could be used to particular ends, created an emotional response to the designs, complied with normative expectations of a cigarette, elicited interest when designs change, and prompted fascination when unique design characteristics are used. CONCLUSIONS Use of the Context of Consumption Framework for cigarette product packaging design can inform regulatory research on tobacco product packaging. Researchers and regulators should consider multiple cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to cigarette pack design. PMID:29593883

Aggressive Bimodal Communication in Domestic Dogs, Canis familiaris.

PubMed

Déaux, Éloïse C; Clarke, Jennifer A; Charrier, Isabelle

2015-01-01

Evidence of animal multimodal signalling is widespread and compelling. Dogs' aggressive vocalisations (growls and barks) have been extensively studied, but without any consideration of the simultaneously produced visual displays. In this study we aimed to categorize dogs' bimodal aggressive signals according to the redundant/non-redundant classification framework. We presented dogs with unimodal (audio or visual) or bimodal (audio-visual) stimuli and measured their gazing and motor behaviours. Responses did not qualitatively differ between the bimodal and two unimodal contexts, indicating that acoustic and visual signals provide redundant information. We could not further classify the signal as 'equivalent' or 'enhancing' as we found evidence for both subcategories. We discuss our findings in relation to the complex signal framework, and propose several hypotheses for this signal's function.

Learning Visualization Strategies: A qualitative investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halpern, Daniel; Oh, Kyong Eun; Tremaine, Marilyn; Chiang, James; Bemis, Karen; Silver, Deborah

2015-12-01

The following study investigates the range of strategies individuals develop to infer and interpret cross-sections of three-dimensional objects. We focus on the identification of mental representations and problem-solving processes made by 11 individuals with the goal of building training applications that integrate the strategies developed by the participants in our study. Our results suggest that although spatial transformation and perspective-taking techniques are useful for visualizing cross-section problems, these visual processes are augmented by analytical thinking. Further, our study shows that participants employ general analytic strategies for extended periods which evolve through practice into a set of progressively more expert strategies. Theoretical implications are discussed and five main findings are recommended for integration into the design of education software that facilitates visual learning and comprehension.

Augmenting Qualitative Text Analysis with Natural Language Processing: Methodological Study.

PubMed

Guetterman, Timothy C; Chang, Tammy; DeJonckheere, Melissa; Basu, Tanmay; Scruggs, Elizabeth; Vydiswaran, V G Vinod

2018-06-29

Qualitative research methods are increasingly being used across disciplines because of their ability to help investigators understand the perspectives of participants in their own words. However, qualitative analysis is a laborious and resource-intensive process. To achieve depth, researchers are limited to smaller sample sizes when analyzing text data. One potential method to address this concern is natural language processing (NLP). Qualitative text analysis involves researchers reading data, assigning code labels, and iteratively developing findings; NLP has the potential to automate part of this process. Unfortunately, little methodological research has been done to compare automatic coding using NLP techniques and qualitative coding, which is critical to establish the viability of NLP as a useful, rigorous analysis procedure. The purpose of this study was to compare the utility of a traditional qualitative text analysis, an NLP analysis, and an augmented approach that combines qualitative and NLP methods. We conducted a 2-arm cross-over experiment to compare qualitative and NLP approaches to analyze data generated through 2 text (short message service) message survey questions, one about prescription drugs and the other about police interactions, sent to youth aged 14-24 years. We randomly assigned a question to each of the 2 experienced qualitative analysis teams for independent coding and analysis before receiving NLP results. A third team separately conducted NLP analysis of the same 2 questions. We examined the results of our analyses to compare (1) the similarity of findings derived, (2) the quality of inferences generated, and (3) the time spent in analysis. The qualitative-only analysis for the drug question (n=58) yielded 4 major findings, whereas the NLP analysis yielded 3 findings that missed contextual elements. The qualitative and NLP-augmented analysis was the most comprehensive. For the police question (n=68), the qualitative-only analysis yielded 4 primary findings and the NLP-only analysis yielded 4 slightly different findings. Again, the augmented qualitative and NLP analysis was the most comprehensive and produced the highest quality inferences, increasing our depth of understanding (ie, details and frequencies). In terms of time, the NLP-only approach was quicker than the qualitative-only approach for the drug (120 vs 270 minutes) and police (40 vs 270 minutes) questions. An approach beginning with qualitative analysis followed by qualitative- or NLP-augmented analysis took longer time than that beginning with NLP for both drug (450 vs 240 minutes) and police (390 vs 220 minutes) questions. NLP provides both a foundation to code qualitatively more quickly and a method to validate qualitative findings. NLP methods were able to identify major themes found with traditional qualitative analysis but were not useful in identifying nuances. Traditional qualitative text analysis added important details and context. ©Timothy C Guetterman, Tammy Chang, Melissa DeJonckheere, Tanmay Basu, Elizabeth Scruggs, VG Vinod Vydiswaran. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 29.06.2018.

Visual-vestibular cue integration for heading perception: applications of optimal cue integration theory.

PubMed

Fetsch, Christopher R; Deangelis, Gregory C; Angelaki, Dora E

2010-05-01

The perception of self-motion is crucial for navigation, spatial orientation and motor control. In particular, estimation of one's direction of translation, or heading, relies heavily on multisensory integration in most natural situations. Visual and nonvisual (e.g., vestibular) information can be used to judge heading, but each modality alone is often insufficient for accurate performance. It is not surprising, then, that visual and vestibular signals converge frequently in the nervous system, and that these signals interact in powerful ways at the level of behavior and perception. Early behavioral studies of visual-vestibular interactions consisted mainly of descriptive accounts of perceptual illusions and qualitative estimation tasks, often with conflicting results. In contrast, cue integration research in other modalities has benefited from the application of rigorous psychophysical techniques, guided by normative models that rest on the foundation of ideal-observer analysis and Bayesian decision theory. Here we review recent experiments that have attempted to harness these so-called optimal cue integration models for the study of self-motion perception. Some of these studies used nonhuman primate subjects, enabling direct comparisons between behavioral performance and simultaneously recorded neuronal activity. The results indicate that humans and monkeys can integrate visual and vestibular heading cues in a manner consistent with optimal integration theory, and that single neurons in the dorsal medial superior temporal area show striking correlates of the behavioral effects. This line of research and other applications of normative cue combination models should continue to shed light on mechanisms of self-motion perception and the neuronal basis of multisensory integration.

Can use of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction reduce radiation dose in unenhanced head CT? An analysis of qualitative and quantitative image quality

PubMed Central

Heggen, Kristin Livelten; Pedersen, Hans Kristian; Andersen, Hilde Kjernlie; Martinsen, Anne Catrine T

2016-01-01

Background Iterative reconstruction can reduce image noise and thereby facilitate dose reduction. Purpose To evaluate qualitative and quantitative image quality for full dose and dose reduced head computed tomography (CT) protocols reconstructed using filtered back projection (FBP) and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR). Material and Methods Fourteen patients undergoing follow-up head CT were included. All patients underwent full dose (FD) exam and subsequent 15% dose reduced (DR) exam, reconstructed using FBP and 30% ASIR. Qualitative image quality was assessed using visual grading characteristics. Quantitative image quality was assessed using ROI measurements in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), white matter, peripheral and central gray matter. Additionally, quantitative image quality was measured in Catphan and vendor’s water phantom. Results There was no significant difference in qualitative image quality between FD FBP and DR ASIR. Comparing same scan FBP versus ASIR, a noise reduction of 28.6% in CSF and between −3.7 and 3.5% in brain parenchyma was observed. Comparing FD FBP versus DR ASIR, a noise reduction of 25.7% in CSF, and −7.5 and 6.3% in brain parenchyma was observed. Image contrast increased in ASIR reconstructions. Contrast-to-noise ratio was improved in DR ASIR compared to FD FBP. In phantoms, noise reduction was in the range of 3 to 28% with image content. Conclusion There was no significant difference in qualitative image quality between full dose FBP and dose reduced ASIR. CNR improved in DR ASIR compared to FD FBP mostly due to increased contrast, not reduced noise. Therefore, we recommend using caution if reducing dose and applying ASIR to maintain image quality. PMID:27583169

Can use of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction reduce radiation dose in unenhanced head CT? An analysis of qualitative and quantitative image quality.

PubMed

Østerås, Bjørn Helge; Heggen, Kristin Livelten; Pedersen, Hans Kristian; Andersen, Hilde Kjernlie; Martinsen, Anne Catrine T

2016-08-01

Iterative reconstruction can reduce image noise and thereby facilitate dose reduction. To evaluate qualitative and quantitative image quality for full dose and dose reduced head computed tomography (CT) protocols reconstructed using filtered back projection (FBP) and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR). Fourteen patients undergoing follow-up head CT were included. All patients underwent full dose (FD) exam and subsequent 15% dose reduced (DR) exam, reconstructed using FBP and 30% ASIR. Qualitative image quality was assessed using visual grading characteristics. Quantitative image quality was assessed using ROI measurements in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), white matter, peripheral and central gray matter. Additionally, quantitative image quality was measured in Catphan and vendor's water phantom. There was no significant difference in qualitative image quality between FD FBP and DR ASIR. Comparing same scan FBP versus ASIR, a noise reduction of 28.6% in CSF and between -3.7 and 3.5% in brain parenchyma was observed. Comparing FD FBP versus DR ASIR, a noise reduction of 25.7% in CSF, and -7.5 and 6.3% in brain parenchyma was observed. Image contrast increased in ASIR reconstructions. Contrast-to-noise ratio was improved in DR ASIR compared to FD FBP. In phantoms, noise reduction was in the range of 3 to 28% with image content. There was no significant difference in qualitative image quality between full dose FBP and dose reduced ASIR. CNR improved in DR ASIR compared to FD FBP mostly due to increased contrast, not reduced noise. Therefore, we recommend using caution if reducing dose and applying ASIR to maintain image quality.

Audiovisual quality estimation of mobile phone video cameras with interpretation-based quality approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radun, Jenni E.; Virtanen, Toni; Olives, Jean-Luc; Vaahteranoksa, Mikko; Vuori, Tero; Nyman, Göte

2007-01-01

We present an effective method for comparing subjective audiovisual quality and the features related to the quality changes of different video cameras. Both quantitative estimation of overall quality and qualitative description of critical quality features are achieved by the method. The aim was to combine two image quality evaluation methods, the quantitative Absolute Category Rating (ACR) method with hidden reference removal and the qualitative Interpretation- Based Quality (IBQ) method in order to see how they complement each other in audiovisual quality estimation tasks. 26 observers estimated the audiovisual quality of six different cameras, mainly mobile phone video cameras. In order to achieve an efficient subjective estimation of audiovisual quality, only two contents with different quality requirements were recorded with each camera. The results show that the subjectively important quality features were more related to the overall estimations of cameras' visual video quality than to the features related to sound. The data demonstrated two significant quality dimensions related to visual quality: darkness and sharpness. We conclude that the qualitative methodology can complement quantitative quality estimations also with audiovisual material. The IBQ approach is valuable especially, when the induced quality changes are multidimensional.

A no-reference image and video visual quality metric based on machine learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frantc, Vladimir; Voronin, Viacheslav; Semenishchev, Evgenii; Minkin, Maxim; Delov, Aliy

2018-04-01

The paper presents a novel visual quality metric for lossy compressed video quality assessment. High degree of correlation with subjective estimations of quality is due to using of a convolutional neural network trained on a large amount of pairs video sequence-subjective quality score. We demonstrate how our predicted no-reference quality metric correlates with qualitative opinion in a human observer study. Results are shown on the EVVQ dataset with comparison existing approaches.

Exploring the Impact of Visual Complexity Levels in 3d City Models on the Accuracy of Individuals' Orientation and Cognitive Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rautenbach, V.; Çöltekin, A.; Coetzee, S.

2015-08-01

In this paper we report results from a qualitative user experiment (n=107) designed to contribute to understanding the impact of various levels of complexity (mainly based on levels of detail, i.e., LoD) in 3D city models, specifically on the participants' orientation and cognitive (mental) maps. The experiment consisted of a number of tasks motivated by spatial cognition theory where participants (among other things) were given orientation tasks, and in one case also produced sketches of a path they `travelled' in a virtual environment. The experiments were conducted in groups, where individuals provided responses on an answer sheet. The preliminary results based on descriptive statistics and qualitative sketch analyses suggest that very little information (i.e., a low LoD model of a smaller area) might have a negative impact on the accuracy of cognitive maps constructed based on a virtual experience. Building an accurate cognitive map is an inherently desired effect of the visualizations in planning tasks, thus the findings are important for understanding how to develop better-suited 3D visualizations such as 3D city models. In this study, we specifically discuss the suitability of different levels of visual complexity for development planning (urban planning), one of the domains where 3D city models are most relevant.

In vitro and in vivo comparison of wrist MR imaging at 3.0 and 7.0 tesla using a gradient echo sequence and identical eight-channel coil array designs.

PubMed

Nordmeyer-Massner, Jurek A; Wyss, Michael; Andreisek, Gustav; Pruessmann, Klaas P; Hodler, Juerg

2011-03-01

To evaluate in vivo MR imaging of the wrist at 3.0 Tesla (T) and 7.0T quantitatively and qualitatively. To enable unbiased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) comparisons, geometrically identical eight-channel receiver arrays were used at both field strengths. First, in vitro images of a phantom bottle were acquired at 3.0T and 7.0T to obtain an estimate of the maximum SNR gain that can be expected. MR images of the dominant wrist of 10 healthy volunteers were acquired at both field strengths. All measurements were done using the same sequence parameters. Quantitative SNR maps were calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis and analyzed in several regions-of-interest. Furthermore, the images were qualitatively evaluated by two independent radiologists. The quantitative analysis showed SNR increases of up to 100% at 7.0T compared with 3.0T, with considerable variation between different anatomical structures. The qualitative analysis revealed no significant difference in the visualization of anatomical structures comparing 3.0T and 7.0T MR images (P>0.05). The presented results establish the SNR benefits of the transition from 3.0T to 7.0T for wrist imaging without bias by different array designs and based on exact, algebraic SNR quantification. The observed SNR increase nearly reaches expected values but varies greatly between different tissues. It does not necessarily improve the visibility of anatomic structures but adds valuable latitude for sequence optimization. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Can state-of-the-art HVS-based objective image quality criteria be used for image reconstruction techniques based on ROI analysis?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dostal, P.; Krasula, L.; Klima, M.

2012-06-01

Various image processing techniques in multimedia technology are optimized using visual attention feature of the human visual system. Spatial non-uniformity causes that different locations in an image are of different importance in terms of perception of the image. In other words, the perceived image quality depends mainly on the quality of important locations known as regions of interest. The performance of such techniques is measured by subjective evaluation or objective image quality criteria. Many state-of-the-art objective metrics are based on HVS properties; SSIM, MS-SSIM based on image structural information, VIF based on the information that human brain can ideally gain from the reference image or FSIM utilizing the low-level features to assign the different importance to each location in the image. But still none of these objective metrics utilize the analysis of regions of interest. We solve the question if these objective metrics can be used for effective evaluation of images reconstructed by processing techniques based on ROI analysis utilizing high-level features. In this paper authors show that the state-of-the-art objective metrics do not correlate well with subjective evaluation while the demosaicing based on ROI analysis is used for reconstruction. The ROI were computed from "ground truth" visual attention data. The algorithm combining two known demosaicing techniques on the basis of ROI location is proposed to reconstruct the ROI in fine quality while the rest of image is reconstructed with low quality. The color image reconstructed by this ROI approach was compared with selected demosaicing techniques by objective criteria and subjective testing. The qualitative comparison of the objective and subjective results indicates that the state-of-the-art objective metrics are still not suitable for evaluation image processing techniques based on ROI analysis and new criteria is demanded.

Visualization of Dietary Patterns and Their Associations With Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

PubMed

Chiu, Chung-Jung; Chang, Min-Lee; Li, Tricia; Gensler, Gary; Taylor, Allen

2017-03-01

We aimed to visualize the relationship of predominant dietary patterns and their associations with AMD. A total of 8103 eyes from 4088 participants in the baseline Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) were classified into three groups: control (n = 2739), early AMD (n = 4599), and advanced AMD (n = 765). Using principle component analysis, two major dietary patterns and eight minor dietary patterns were characterized. Applying logistic regression in our analysis, we related dietary patterns to the prevalence of AMD. Qualitative comparative analysis by operating Boolean algebra and drawing Venn diagrams was used to visualize our findings. In general, the eight minor patterns were subsets or extensions of either one of the two major dietary patterns (Oriental and Western patterns) and consisted of fewer characteristic foods than the two major dietary patterns. Unlike the two major patterns, which were more strongly associated with both early and advanced AMD, none of the eight minors were associated with early AMD and only four minor patterns, including the Steak pattern (odds ratio comparing the highest to lowest quintile of the pattern score = 1.73 [95% confidence interval: 1.24 to 2.41; Ptrend = 0.02]), the Breakfast pattern (0.60 [0.44 to 0.82]; Ptrend = 0.004]), the Caribbean pattern (0.64 [0.47 to 0.89; Ptrend = 0.009]), and the Peanut pattern (0.64 [0.46 to 0.89; Ptrend = 0.03]), were significantly associated with advanced AMD. Our data also suggested several potential beneficial (peanuts, pizza, coffee, and tea) and harmful (salad dressing) foods for AMD. Our data indicate that a diet of various healthy foods may be optimal for reducing AMD risk. The effects of some specific foods in the context of overall diet warrant further study.

Reliability and validity of Edinburgh visual gait score as an evaluation tool for children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Del Pilar Duque Orozco, Maria; Abousamra, Oussama; Church, Chris; Lennon, Nancy; Henley, John; Rogers, Kenneth J; Sees, Julieanne P; Connor, Justin; Miller, Freeman

2016-09-01

Assessment of gait abnormalities in cerebral palsy (CP) is challenging, and access to instrumented gait analysis is not always feasible. Therefore, many observational gait analysis scales have been devised. This study aimed to evaluate the interobserver reliability, intraobserver reliability, and validity of Edinburgh visual gait score (EVGS). Video of 30 children with spastic CP were reviewed by 7 raters (10 children each in GMFCS levels I, II, and III, age 6-12 years). Three observers had high level of experience in gait analysis (10+ years), two had medium level (2-5 years) and two had no previous experience (orthopedic fellows). Interobserver reliability was evaluated using percentage of complete agreement and kappa values. Criterion validity was evaluated by comparing EVGS scores with 3DGA data taken from the same video visit. Interobserver agreement was 60-90% and Kappa values were 0.18-0.85 for the 17 items in EVGS. Reliability was higher for distal segments (foot/ankle/knee 63-90%; trunk/pelvis/hip 60-76%), with greater experience (high 66-91%, medium 62-90%, no-experience 41-87%), with more EVGS practice (1st 10 videos 52-88%, last 10 videos 64-97%) and when used with higher functioning children (GMFCS I 65-96%, II 58-90%, III 35-65%). Intraobserver agreement was 64-92%. Agreement between EVGS and 3DGA was 52-73%. We believe that having EVGS as part of the standardized gait evaluation is helpful in optimizing the visual scoring. EVGS can be a supportive tool that adds quantitative data instead of only qualitative assessment to a video only gait evaluation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of distinct types of aquatic vegetation on the flow field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valyrakis, Manousos; Barcroft, Stephen; Yagci, Oral

2014-05-01

The Sustainable management of fluvial systems dealing with flood prevention, erosion protection and restoration of rivers and estuaries requires implementation of soft/green-engineering methods. In-stream aquatic vegetation can be regarded as one of these as it plays an important role for both river ecology (function) and geomorphology (form). The goal of this research is to offer insight gained from pilot experimental studies on the effects of a number of different elements modeling instream, aquatic vegetation on the local flow field. It is hypothesized that elements of the same effective "blockage" area but of distinct characteristics (structure, porosity and flexibility), will affect both the mean and fluctuating levels of the turbulent flow to a different degree. The above hypothesis is investigated through a set of rigorous set of experimental runs which are appropriately designed to assess the variability between the interaction of aquatic elements and flow, both quantitatively and qualitatively. In this investigation three elements are employed to model aquatic vegetation, namely a rigid cylinder, a porous but rigid structure and a flexible live plant (Cupressus Macrocarpa). Firstly, the flow field downstream each of the mentioned elements was measured under steady uniform flow conditions employing acoustic Doppler velocimetry. Three-dimensional flow velocities downstream the vegetation element are acquired along a measurement grid extending about five-fold the element's diameter. These measurements are analyzed to develop mean velocity and turbulent intensity profiles for all velocity components. A detailed comparison between the obtained results is demonstrative of the validity of the above hypothesis as each of the employed elements affects in a different manner and degree the flow field. Then a flow visualization technique, during which fluorescent dye is injected upstream of the element and images are captured for further analysis and comparison, was employed to visualize the flow structures shed downstream the aquatic elements. This method allows to further observe qualitatively and visually identify the different characteristics of the eddies advected downstream, conclusively confirming the results of the aforementioned experimental campaign.

Principles of qualitative analysis in the chromatographic context.

PubMed

Valcárcel, M; Cárdenas, S; Simonet, B M; Carrillo-Carrión, C

2007-07-27

This article presents the state of the art of qualitative analysis in the framework of the chromatographic analysis. After establishing the differences between two main classes of qualitative analysis (analyte identification and sample classification/qualification) the particularities of instrumental qualitative analysis are commented on. Qualitative chromatographic analysis for sample classification/qualification through the so-called chromatographic fingerprint (for complex samples) or the volatiles profile (through the direct coupling headspace-mass spectrometry using the chromatograph as interface) is discussed. Next, more technical exposition of the qualitative chromatographic information is presented supported by a variety of representative examples.

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

PubMed

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

2007-01-01

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

Structural Image Analysis of the Brain in Neuropsychology Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Techniques.

PubMed

Bigler, Erin D

2015-09-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain provides exceptional image quality for visualization and neuroanatomical classification of brain structure. A variety of image analysis techniques provide both qualitative as well as quantitative methods to relate brain structure with neuropsychological outcome and are reviewed herein. Of particular importance are more automated methods that permit analysis of a broad spectrum of anatomical measures including volume, thickness and shape. The challenge for neuropsychology is which metric to use, for which disorder and the timing of when image analysis methods are applied to assess brain structure and pathology. A basic overview is provided as to the anatomical and pathoanatomical relations of different MRI sequences in assessing normal and abnormal findings. Some interpretive guidelines are offered including factors related to similarity and symmetry of typical brain development along with size-normalcy features of brain anatomy related to function. The review concludes with a detailed example of various quantitative techniques applied to analyzing brain structure for neuropsychological outcome studies in traumatic brain injury.

Spatial pattern recognition of seismic events in South West Colombia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benítez, Hernán D.; Flórez, Juan F.; Duque, Diana P.; Benavides, Alberto; Lucía Baquero, Olga; Quintero, Jiber

2013-09-01

Recognition of seismogenic zones in geographical regions supports seismic hazard studies. This recognition is usually based on visual, qualitative and subjective analysis of data. Spatial pattern recognition provides a well founded means to obtain relevant information from large amounts of data. The purpose of this work is to identify and classify spatial patterns in instrumental data of the South West Colombian seismic database. In this research, clustering tendency analysis validates whether seismic database possesses a clustering structure. A non-supervised fuzzy clustering algorithm creates groups of seismic events. Given the sensitivity of fuzzy clustering algorithms to centroid initial positions, we proposed a methodology to initialize centroids that generates stable partitions with respect to centroid initialization. As a result of this work, a public software tool provides the user with the routines developed for clustering methodology. The analysis of the seismogenic zones obtained reveals meaningful spatial patterns in South-West Colombia. The clustering analysis provides a quantitative location and dispersion of seismogenic zones that facilitates seismological interpretations of seismic activities in South West Colombia.

Analysis of brain activity and response to colour stimuli during learning tasks: an EEG study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folgieri, Raffaella; Lucchiari, Claudio; Marini, Daniele

2013-02-01

The research project intends to demonstrate how EEG detection through BCI device can improve the analysis and the interpretation of colours-driven cognitive processes through the combined approach of cognitive science and information technology methods. To this end, firstly it was decided to design an experiment based on comparing the results of the traditional (qualitative and quantitative) cognitive analysis approach with the EEG signal analysis of the evoked potentials. In our case, the sensorial stimulus is represented by the colours, while the cognitive task consists in remembering the words appearing on the screen, with different combination of foreground (words) and background colours. In this work we analysed data collected from a sample of students involved in a learning process during which they received visual stimuli based on colour variation. The stimuli concerned both the background of the text to learn and the colour of the characters. The experiment indicated some interesting results concerning the use of primary (RGB) and complementary (CMY) colours.

Abscisic acid and other plant hormones: Methods to visualize distribution and signaling

PubMed Central

Waadt, Rainer; Hsu, Po-Kai; Schroeder, Julian I.

2015-01-01

The exploration of plant behavior on a cellular scale in a minimal invasive manner is key to understanding plant adaptations to their environment. Plant hormones regulate multiple aspects of growth and development and mediate environmental responses to ensure a successful life cycle. To monitor the dynamics of plant hormone actions in intact tissue, we need qualitative and quantitative tools with high temporal and spatial resolution. Here, we describe a set of biological instruments (reporters) for the analysis of the distribution and signaling of various plant hormones. Furthermore, we provide examples of their utility for gaining novel insights into plant hormone action with a deeper focus on the drought hormone abscisic acid. PMID:26577078

Qualitative spectroscopic study of magnetic nozzle flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Umeki, T.; Turchi, P. J.

1992-01-01

The physics of the magnetic nozzle flow for a 100-kW-level quasi-steady MPD thruster was studied by photographic spectroscopy focusing on the plasma model in the flow and the acceleration mechanism. Spectroscopic visualization for the flow-species analysis indicates that the plasma-exhaust flow dominated by NII species were confined by the magnetic nozzle effect to collimate the flow for the better thruster performance. Inside the nozzle, the plasma flow was found to be in nonhomogeneous collisional-radiative condition. There appears to be a substantial flow acceleration from the magnetic nozzle inlet to the outlet with slight expansion. This suggests that the flow resembles that of constant area supersonic duct flow with cooling.

A new efficient method for color image compression based on visual attention mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Xiaoguang; Gao, Kun; Lv, Lily; Ni, Guoqiang

2010-11-01

One of the key procedures in color image compression is to extract its region of interests (ROIs) and evaluate different compression ratios. A new non-uniform color image compression algorithm with high efficiency is proposed in this paper by using a biology-motivated selective attention model for the effective extraction of ROIs in natural images. When the ROIs have been extracted and labeled in the image, the subsequent work is to encode the ROIs and other regions with different compression ratios via popular JPEG algorithm. Furthermore, experiment results and quantitative and qualitative analysis in the paper show perfect performance when comparing with other traditional color image compression approaches.

Investigating the Use of 3d Geovisualizations for Urban Design in Informal Settlement Upgrading in South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rautenbach, V.; Coetzee, S.; Çöltekin, A.

2016-06-01

Informal settlements are a common occurrence in South Africa, and to improve in-situ circumstances of communities living in informal settlements, upgrades and urban design processes are necessary. Spatial data and maps are essential throughout these processes to understand the current environment, plan new developments, and communicate the planned developments. All stakeholders need to understand maps to actively participate in the process. However, previous research demonstrated that map literacy was relatively low for many planning professionals in South Africa, which might hinder effective planning. Because 3D visualizations resemble the real environment more than traditional maps, many researchers posited that they would be easier to interpret. Thus, our goal is to investigate the effectiveness of 3D geovisualizations for urban design in informal settlement upgrading in South Africa. We consider all involved processes: 3D modelling, visualization design, and cognitive processes during map reading. We found that procedural modelling is a feasible alternative to time-consuming manual modelling, and can produce high quality models. When investigating the visualization design, the visual characteristics of 3D models and relevance of a subset of visual variables for urban design activities of informal settlement upgrades were qualitatively assessed. The results of three qualitative user experiments contributed to understanding the impact of various levels of complexity in 3D city models and map literacy of future geoinformatics and planning professionals when using 2D maps and 3D models. The research results can assist planners in designing suitable 3D models that can be used throughout all phases of the process.

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

PubMed Central

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

2017-01-01

Objectives Fatigue is an often mentioned symptom by patients with irreversible visual impairment. This study explored the patient perspective of fatigue in visually impaired adults with a focus on symptoms of fatigue, causes, consequences and coping strategies. Setting Two large Dutch low vision multidisciplinary rehabilitation organisations. Participants 16 visually impaired adults with severe symptoms of fatigue selected by purposive sampling. Methods A qualitative study involving semistructured interviews. A total of four first-level codes were top–down predetermined in correspondence with the topics of the research question. Verbatim transcribed interviews were analysed with a combination of a deductive and inductive approach using open and axial coding. Results Participants often described the symptoms of fatigue as a mental, daily and physical experience. The most often mentioned causes of fatigue were a high cognitive load, the intensity and amount of activities, the high effort necessary to establish visual perception, difficulty with light intensity and negative cognitions. Fatigue had the greatest impact on the ability to carry out social roles and participation, emotional functioning and cognitive functioning. The most common coping strategies were relaxation, external support, socialising and physical exercise and the acceptance of fatigue. Conclusions Our results indicate that low vision-related fatigue is mainly caused by population specific determinants that seem different from the fatigue experience described in studies with other patient populations. Fatigue may be central to the way patients react, adapt and compensate to the consequences of vision loss. These findings indicate a need for future research aimed at interventions specifically tailored to the unique aspects of fatigue related to vision loss. PMID:28775181

Visualizing Simulated Electrical Fields from Electroencephalography and Transcranial Electric Brain Stimulation: A Comparative Evaluation

PubMed Central

Eichelbaum, Sebastian; Dannhauer, Moritz; Hlawitschka, Mario; Brooks, Dana; Knösche, Thomas R.; Scheuermann, Gerik

2014-01-01

Electrical activity of neuronal populations is a crucial aspect of brain activity. This activity is not measured directly but recorded as electrical potential changes using head surface electrodes (electroencephalogram - EEG). Head surface electrodes can also be deployed to inject electrical currents in order to modulate brain activity (transcranial electric stimulation techniques) for therapeutic and neuroscientific purposes. In electroencephalography and noninvasive electric brain stimulation, electrical fields mediate between electrical signal sources and regions of interest (ROI). These fields can be very complicated in structure, and are influenced in a complex way by the conductivity profile of the human head. Visualization techniques play a central role to grasp the nature of those fields because such techniques allow for an effective conveyance of complex data and enable quick qualitative and quantitative assessments. The examination of volume conduction effects of particular head model parameterizations (e.g., skull thickness and layering), of brain anomalies (e.g., holes in the skull, tumors), location and extent of active brain areas (e.g., high concentrations of current densities) and around current injecting electrodes can be investigated using visualization. Here, we evaluate a number of widely used visualization techniques, based on either the potential distribution or on the current-flow. In particular, we focus on the extractability of quantitative and qualitative information from the obtained images, their effective integration of anatomical context information, and their interaction. We present illustrative examples from clinically and neuroscientifically relevant cases and discuss the pros and cons of the various visualization techniques. PMID:24821532

Experiences and preferences of care among Swedish immigrants following a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart defect in the fetus: a qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Carlsson, Tommy; Marttala, Ulla Melander; Mattsson, Elisabet; Ringnér, Anders

2016-06-02

Immigrants experience significant challenges when in contact with healthcare and report less satisfaction with maternity care compared to native Swedes. Research that gives voice to pregnant immigrant women and their partners following a prenatal diagnosis of a fetal anomaly is scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore experiences and preferences of care following a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart defect among Swedish immigrants. Pregnant immigrants and their partners were consecutively recruited following a prenatal diagnosis of a congenital heart defect in the fetus. Nine respondents were interviewed in five interviews, four with the aid of a professional interpreter. The material was analyzed using manifest qualitative content analysis. The analysis resulted in five categories: 1) "Trustworthy information", 2) "Language barriers", 3) "Psychosocial situation", 4) "Peer support", and 5) "Religious positions". The potential need for interpreter services, visual information, psychosocial support, coordination with welfare officers, and respect for religious positions about termination of pregnancy are all important aspects for health professionals to consider when consulting immigrants faced with a prenatal diagnosis of fetal anomaly in the fetus. Peer support within this context needs to be further explored in future studies.

A grounded theory model for reducing stigma in health professionals in Canada.

PubMed

Knaak, S; Patten, S

2016-08-01

The Mental Health Commission of Canada was formed as a national catalyst for improving the mental health system. One of its initiatives is Opening Minds (OM), whose mandate is to reduce mental health-related stigma. This article reports findings from a qualitative study on antistigma interventions for healthcare providers, which includes a process model articulating key stages and strategies for implementing successful antistigma programmes. The study employed a grounded theory methodology. Data collection involved in-depth interviews with programme stakeholders, direct observation of programmes, a review of programme documents, and qualitative feedback from programme participants. Analysis proceeded via the constant comparison method. A model was generated to visually present key findings. Twenty-three in-depth interviews were conducted representing 18 different programmes. Eight programmes were observed directly, 48 programme documents were reviewed, and data from 1812 programme participants were reviewed. The analysis led to a four-stage process model for implementing successful antistigma programmes targeting healthcare providers, informed by the basic social process 'targeting the roots of healthcare provider stigma'. The process model developed through this research may function as a tool to help guide the development and implementation of antistigma programmes in healthcare contexts. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hip dysplasia, pelvic obliquity, and scoliosis in cerebral palsy: a qualitative analysis using 3D CT reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russ, Mark D.; Abel, Mark F.

1998-06-01

Five patients with cerebral palsy, hip dysplasia, pelvic obliquity, and scoliosis were evaluated retrospectively using three dimensional computed tomography (3DCT) scans of the proximal femur, pelvis, and lumbar spine to qualitatively evaluate their individual deformities by measuring a number of anatomical landmarks. Three dimensional reconstructions of the data were visualized, analyzed, and then manipulated interactively to perform simulated osteotomies of the proximal femur and pelvis to achieve surgical correction of the hip dysplasia. Severe deformity can occur in spastic cerebral palsy, with serious consequences for the quality of life of the affected individuals and their families. Controversy exists regarding the type, timing and efficacy of surgical intervention for correction of hip dysplasia in this population. Other authors have suggested 3DCT studies are required to accurately analyze acetabular deficiency, and that this data allows for more accurate planning of reconstructive surgery. It is suggested here that interactive manipulation of the data to simulate the proposed surgery is a clinically useful extension of the analysis process and should also be considered as an essential part of the pre-operative planning to assure that the appropriate procedure is chosen. The surgical simulation may reduce operative time and improve surgical correction of the deformity.

Let's drink and be merry: the framing of alcohol in the prime-time American youth series The OC.

PubMed

Van Den Bulck, Hilde; Simons, Nele; Gorp, Baldwin Van

2008-11-01

This study analyzed the framing of alcohol consumption in the American adolescent drama series The OC. All 51 episodes of Seasons 1 and 2 of The OC were coded for visual and verbal references to beverage use on the level of the scene (n = 1,895) and on the level of the drinking act (n = 1,033). Subsequently, all episodes were analyzed qualitatively through an inductive frame analysis. Although the public's perception of The OC is that alcohol was overrepresented in this series, the quantitative results show the opposite. The focus was on active consumption and solitary drinking of alcohol, but in absolute terms there were more nonalcoholic drinking acts. The OC represents a trend break, compared with earlier analyses of alcohol consumption in television fiction: More than half of all alcoholic drinking acts involved women, and almost one third involved adolescents. The qualitative frame analysis revealed two commonly used frames (alcohol consumption as an "obligatory outlet" and alcohol consumption as "escapism") and two less frequently applied frames ("celebrate without the sauce" and alcohol addiction as "sickness"). The findings suggest that the concept of framing might contribute to this field of study by analyzing the underlying cultural frames that suggest how the receiver may interpret the consumption of alcohol in fictional television programs.

Qualitative differences in the guidance of attention during single-color and multiple-color visual search: behavioral and electrophysiological evidence.

PubMed

Grubert, Anna; Eimer, Martin

2013-10-01

To find out whether attentional target selection can be effectively guided by top-down task sets for multiple colors, we measured behavioral and ERP markers of attentional target selection in an experiment where participants had to identify color-defined target digits that were accompanied by a single gray distractor object in the opposite visual field. In the One Color task, target color was constant. In the Two Color task, targets could have one of two equally likely colors. Color-guided target selection was less efficient during multiple-color relative to single-color search, and this was reflected by slower response times and delayed N2pc components. Nontarget-color items that were presented in half of all trials captured attention and gained access to working memory when participants searched for two colors, but were excluded from attentional processing in the One Color task. Results demonstrate qualitative differences in the guidance of attentional target selection between single-color and multiple-color visual search. They suggest that top-down attentional control can be applied much more effectively when it is based on a single feature-specific attentional template. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

A Novel Image Retrieval Based on Visual Words Integration of SIFT and SURF

PubMed Central

Ali, Nouman; Bajwa, Khalid Bashir; Sablatnig, Robert; Chatzichristofis, Savvas A.; Iqbal, Zeshan; Rashid, Muhammad; Habib, Hafiz Adnan

2016-01-01

With the recent evolution of technology, the number of image archives has increased exponentially. In Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR), high-level visual information is represented in the form of low-level features. The semantic gap between the low-level features and the high-level image concepts is an open research problem. In this paper, we present a novel visual words integration of Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF). The two local features representations are selected for image retrieval because SIFT is more robust to the change in scale and rotation, while SURF is robust to changes in illumination. The visual words integration of SIFT and SURF adds the robustness of both features to image retrieval. The qualitative and quantitative comparisons conducted on Corel-1000, Corel-1500, Corel-2000, Oliva and Torralba and Ground Truth image benchmarks demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed visual words integration. PMID:27315101

Modeling Color Difference for Visualization Design.

PubMed

Szafir, Danielle Albers

2018-01-01

Color is frequently used to encode values in visualizations. For color encodings to be effective, the mapping between colors and values must preserve important differences in the data. However, most guidelines for effective color choice in visualization are based on either color perceptions measured using large, uniform fields in optimal viewing environments or on qualitative intuitions. These limitations may cause data misinterpretation in visualizations, which frequently use small, elongated marks. Our goal is to develop quantitative metrics to help people use color more effectively in visualizations. We present a series of crowdsourced studies measuring color difference perceptions for three common mark types: points, bars, and lines. Our results indicate that peoples' abilities to perceive color differences varies significantly across mark types. Probabilistic models constructed from the resulting data can provide objective guidance for designers, allowing them to anticipate viewer perceptions in order to inform effective encoding design.

The economics of motion perception and invariants of visual sensitivity.

PubMed

Gepshtein, Sergei; Tyukin, Ivan; Kubovy, Michael

2007-06-21

Neural systems face the challenge of optimizing their performance with limited resources, just as economic systems do. Here, we use tools of neoclassical economic theory to explore how a frugal visual system should use a limited number of neurons to optimize perception of motion. The theory prescribes that vision should allocate its resources to different conditions of stimulation according to the degree of balance between measurement uncertainties and stimulus uncertainties. We find that human vision approximately follows the optimal prescription. The equilibrium theory explains why human visual sensitivity is distributed the way it is and why qualitatively different regimes of apparent motion are observed at different speeds. The theory offers a new normative framework for understanding the mechanisms of visual sensitivity at the threshold of visibility and above the threshold and predicts large-scale changes in visual sensitivity in response to changes in the statistics of stimulation and system goals.

Conducting Qualitative Data Analysis: Managing Dynamic Tensions within

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chenail, Ronald J.

2012-01-01

In the third of a series of "how-to" essays on conducting qualitative data analysis, Ron Chenail examines the dynamic tensions within the process of qualitative data analysis that qualitative researchers must manage in order to produce credible and creative results. These tensions include (a) the qualities of the data and the qualitative data…

Qualitative Secondary Analysis: A Case Exemplar.

PubMed

Tate, Judith Ann; Happ, Mary Beth

Qualitative secondary analysis (QSA) is the use of qualitative data that was collected by someone else or was collected to answer a different research question. Secondary analysis of qualitative data provides an opportunity to maximize data utility, particularly with difficult-to-reach patient populations. However, qualitative secondary analysis methods require careful consideration and explicit description to best understand, contextualize, and evaluate the research results. In this article, we describe methodologic considerations using a case exemplar to illustrate challenges specific to qualitative secondary analysis and strategies to overcome them. Copyright © 2017 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aggressive Bimodal Communication in Domestic Dogs, Canis familiaris

PubMed Central

Déaux, Éloïse C.; Clarke, Jennifer A.; Charrier, Isabelle

2015-01-01

Evidence of animal multimodal signalling is widespread and compelling. Dogs’ aggressive vocalisations (growls and barks) have been extensively studied, but without any consideration of the simultaneously produced visual displays. In this study we aimed to categorize dogs’ bimodal aggressive signals according to the redundant/non-redundant classification framework. We presented dogs with unimodal (audio or visual) or bimodal (audio-visual) stimuli and measured their gazing and motor behaviours. Responses did not qualitatively differ between the bimodal and two unimodal contexts, indicating that acoustic and visual signals provide redundant information. We could not further classify the signal as ‘equivalent’ or ‘enhancing’ as we found evidence for both subcategories. We discuss our findings in relation to the complex signal framework, and propose several hypotheses for this signal’s function. PMID:26571266

Dynamic visual attention: motion direction versus motion magnitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bur, A.; Wurtz, P.; Müri, R. M.; Hügli, H.

2008-02-01

Defined as an attentive process in the context of visual sequences, dynamic visual attention refers to the selection of the most informative parts of video sequence. This paper investigates the contribution of motion in dynamic visual attention, and specifically compares computer models designed with the motion component expressed either as the speed magnitude or as the speed vector. Several computer models, including static features (color, intensity and orientation) and motion features (magnitude and vector) are considered. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations are performed by comparing the computer model output with human saliency maps obtained experimentally from eye movement recordings. The model suitability is evaluated in various situations (synthetic and real sequences, acquired with fixed and moving camera perspective), showing advantages and inconveniences of each method as well as preferred domain of application.

An innovative approach to near-infrared spectroscopy using a standard mobile device and its clinical application in the real-time visualization of peripheral veins.

PubMed

Juric, Simon; Zalik, Borut

2014-11-25

Excessive venipunctures are a significant problem both in emergency rooms and during hospital stays. Near-infrared (NIR) illumination devices improve venipuncture success rate but their usage is limited by their availability and economic cost. The objectives of this study were to develop a low-cost NIR spectroscopy prototype from a standard mobile device, to evaluate its efficacy and acceptance as an educational tool, and in a clinical setting. Through a user-centric design process a prototype device was developed. Its educational efficacy was evaluated through a non-invasive, observational study (20 student clinicians, 25 subjects) and its acceptance was assessed using quantitative and qualitative analysis. A smaller clinical trial was performed by a group of 4 medical professionals over a period of 6 weeks that involved 64 patients. The prototype enables real-time visualization of peripheral veins on a variety of Android-based devices. The prototype was 35.2% more successful in visualizing and locating veins (n = 500 attempts) than the nursing students. The acceptance assessment revealed high perception of usefulness, satisfaction, and ease of use. In the clinical trial, 1.6 (SD 1.3) additional veins per patient were identified compared with the traditional visualization methods. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study that describes the design, feasibility and application of an NIR spectroscopy prototype developed on a standard mobile device.

[Assessing food acceptance in scholar children; qualitative visual record versus food waste analysis].

PubMed

Rodriguez Tadeo, Alejandra; Patiño Villena, Begoña; Periago Castón, María Jesús; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; González Martínez-Lacuesta, Eduardo

2014-05-01

School canteens have rules of management and supervision of menus, however has not been assessed if they are totally consumed. To assess the acceptance of food by weigh food leftovers and validation of a methodology for visual estimation in school canteens of Murcia. Participated pupils in the second and third cycle of primary education, between 8 and 12 years. The estimate of leftovers was performed by 765 food trays. Visual estimation of 300 trays was based on a categorical scale as follow: 1 (0-25%), 2 (26-50%), 3 (51- 75%), 4 (76-100%) by two dietitians and reliability was assessed with respect to the weighed food. The reliability between both methods was assessed in two samples stratified by presence or absence of school kitchen. The first dishes with leftovers were pasta, rice and vegetable purees and was higher in those schools without kitchen (p < 0.05). Also, the second dishes poultry and fish salads and vegetables garnish. Fruit and the total sum of leftovers was higher in schools without dining menus (p < 0.05). The agreement between evaluators was high in meat dishes and salads, and substantial in vegetables, pre-cooked, omelet, pasta, fish and rice. The leftlovers are high and there are differences in the acceptance of certain foods according to the type of menu offered. The visual scale is a reliable to measure acceptance indirectly, but training to catering staff is needed. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Build a Robust Learning Feature Descriptor by Using a New Image Visualization Method for Indoor Scenario Recognition

PubMed Central

Wang, Xin; Deng, Zhongliang

2017-01-01

In order to recognize indoor scenarios, we extract image features for detecting objects, however, computers can make some unexpected mistakes. After visualizing the histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) features, we find that the world through the eyes of a computer is indeed different from human eyes, which assists researchers to see the reasons that cause a computer to make errors. Additionally, according to the visualization, we notice that the HOG features can obtain rich texture information. However, a large amount of background interference is also introduced. In order to enhance the robustness of the HOG feature, we propose an improved method for suppressing the background interference. On the basis of the original HOG feature, we introduce a principal component analysis (PCA) to extract the principal components of the image colour information. Then, a new hybrid feature descriptor, which is named HOG–PCA (HOGP), is made by deeply fusing these two features. Finally, the HOGP is compared to the state-of-the-art HOG feature descriptor in four scenes under different illumination. In the simulation and experimental tests, the qualitative and quantitative assessments indicate that the visualizing images of the HOGP feature are close to the observation results obtained by human eyes, which is better than the original HOG feature for object detection. Furthermore, the runtime of our proposed algorithm is hardly increased in comparison to the classic HOG feature. PMID:28677635

Fitting Tips and Visual Rehabilitation of Irregular Cornea with a New Design of Corneoscleral Contact Lens: Objective and Subjective Evaluation

PubMed Central

Kishk, Hanem; Elwan, Mohamed M.; Abouelkheir, Hossam Youssef

2018-01-01

Objectives To study the fitting and the visual rehabilitation obtained with a corneoscleral contact lens, namely, Rose K2 XL in patients with irregular cornea. Methods This prospective study included 36 eyes of 36 patients with irregular cornea fitted with Rose K2 XL. Refractive and visual outcomes and mesopic and aberrometric parameters of fitted eyes were assessed at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after the initial lens use. Objective and subjective parameters of patient satisfaction and lens comfort were noted. Causes of lens discontinuation and complications were also recorded. Results Average logMAR VA improved significantly from 0.95 ± 0.09 without correction to 0.04 ± 0.05 six months after lens wear. Similarly, mesopic and aberrometric measures were significantly improved. Statistical analysis of the subjective patients' responses showed a significant acceptance of the lens by most of them. At the end of follow-up, the mean wearing time was 9.9 ± 2.9 hours per day. The most common cause of wearing discontinuation was persistent discomfort (16.7%) and high lens expenses(16.7%). Self-assessed questionnaire showed statistically significant improvement in nearly all measured subjective parameters. Conclusion Rose K2 XL lenses provide patients with irregular cornea with both quantitative and qualitative optimal visual function with high degree of patient comfort and satisfaction. PMID:29484205

Spectral Electroencephalogram Analysis for the Evaluation of Encephalopathy Grade in Children With Acute Liver Failure.

PubMed

Press, Craig A; Morgan, Lindsey; Mills, Michele; Stack, Cynthia V; Goldstein, Joshua L; Alonso, Estella M; Wainwright, Mark S

2017-01-01

Spectral electroencephalogram analysis is a method for automated analysis of electroencephalogram patterns, which can be performed at the bedside. We sought to determine the utility of spectral electroencephalogram for grading hepatic encephalopathy in children with acute liver failure. Retrospective cohort study. Tertiary care pediatric hospital. Patients between 0 and 18 years old who presented with acute liver failure and were admitted to the PICU. None. Electroencephalograms were analyzed by spectral analysis including total power, relative δ, relative θ, relative α, relative β, θ-to-Δ ratio, and α-to-Δ ratio. Normal values and ranges were first derived using normal electroencephalograms from 70 children of 0-18 years old. Age had a significant effect on each variable measured (p < 0.03). Electroencephalograms from 33 patients with acute liver failure were available for spectral analysis. The median age was 4.3 years, 14 of 33 were male, and the majority had an indeterminate etiology of acute liver failure. Neuroimaging was performed in 26 cases and was normal in 20 cases (77%). The majority (64%) survived, and 82% had a good outcome with a score of 1-3 on the Pediatric Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended at the time of discharge. Hepatic encephalopathy grade correlated with the qualitative visual electroencephalogram scores assigned by blinded neurophysiologists (rs = 0.493; p < 0.006). Spectral electroencephalogram characteristics varied significantly with the qualitative electroencephalogram classification (p < 0.05). Spectral electroencephalogram variables including relative Δ, relative θ, relative α, θ-to-Δ ratio, and α-to-Δ ratio all significantly varied with the qualitative electroencephalogram (p < 0.025). Moderate to severe hepatic encephalopathy was correlated with a total power of less than or equal to 50% of normal for children 0-3 years old, and with a relative θ of less than or equal to 50% normal for children more than 3 years old (p > 0.05). Spectral electroencephalogram classification correlated with outcome (p < 0.05). Spectral electroencephalogram analysis can be used to evaluate even young patients for hepatic encephalopathy and correlates with outcome. Spectral electroencephalogram may allow improved quantitative and reproducible assessment of hepatic encephalopathy grade in children with acute liver failure.

Load Model Verification, Validation and Calibration Framework by Statistical Analysis on Field Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Xiangqing; Liao, Yuan; Nguyen, Thai

2017-11-01

Accurate load models are critical for power system analysis and operation. A large amount of research work has been done on load modeling. Most of the existing research focuses on developing load models, while little has been done on developing formal load model verification and validation (V&V) methodologies or procedures. Most of the existing load model validation is based on qualitative rather than quantitative analysis. In addition, not all aspects of model V&V problem have been addressed by the existing approaches. To complement the existing methods, this paper proposes a novel load model verification and validation framework that can systematically and more comprehensively examine load model's effectiveness and accuracy. Statistical analysis, instead of visual check, quantifies the load model's accuracy, and provides a confidence level of the developed load model for model users. The analysis results can also be used to calibrate load models. The proposed framework can be used as a guidance to systematically examine load models for utility engineers and researchers. The proposed method is demonstrated through analysis of field measurements collected from a utility system.

3D visualization and quantification of bone and teeth mineralization for the study of osteo/dentinogenesis in mice models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchadier, A.; Vidal, C.; Ordureau, S.; Lédée, R.; Léger, C.; Young, M.; Goldberg, M.

2011-03-01

Research on bone and teeth mineralization in animal models is critical for understanding human pathologies. Genetically modified mice represent highly valuable models for the study of osteo/dentinogenesis defects and osteoporosis. Current investigations on mice dental and skeletal phenotype use destructive and time consuming methods such as histology and scanning microscopy. Micro-CT imaging is quicker and provides high resolution qualitative phenotypic description. However reliable quantification of mineralization processes in mouse bone and teeth are still lacking. We have established novel CT imaging-based software for accurate qualitative and quantitative analysis of mouse mandibular bone and molars. Data were obtained from mandibles of mice lacking the Fibromodulin gene which is involved in mineralization processes. Mandibles were imaged with a micro-CT originally devoted to industrial applications (Viscom, X8060 NDT). 3D advanced visualization was performed using the VoxBox software (UsefulProgress) with ray casting algorithms. Comparison between control and defective mice mandibles was made by applying the same transfer function for each 3D data, thus allowing to detect shape, colour and density discrepencies. The 2D images of transverse slices of mandible and teeth were similar and even more accurate than those obtained with scanning electron microscopy. Image processing of the molars allowed the 3D reconstruction of the pulp chamber, providing a unique tool for the quantitative evaluation of dentinogenesis. This new method is highly powerful for the study of oro-facial mineralizations defects in mice models, complementary and even competitive to current histological and scanning microscopy appoaches.

Comparison of Multidimensional Decoding of Affect from Audio, Video and Audiovideo Recordings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berman, Harry J.; And Others

1976-01-01

Some encoders showed variations in feelings principally through visually mediated stimuli, others through the tone of the voice. These results are discussed in the context of quantitative versus qualitative differences among the communication channels. (Author/DEP)

Sex Education Representations in Spanish Combined Biology and Geology Textbooks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Cabeza, Belén; Sánchez-Bello, Ana

2013-07-01

Sex education is principally dealt with as part of the combined subject of Biology and Geology in the Spanish school curriculum. Teachers of this subject are not specifically trained to teach sex education, and thus the contents of their assigned textbooks are the main source of information available to them in this field. The main goal of this study was to determine what information Biology and Geology textbooks provide with regard to sex education and the vision of sexuality they give, but above all to reveal which perspectives of sex education they legitimise and which they silence. We analysed the textbooks in question by interpreting both visual and text representations, as a means of enabling us to investigate the nature of the discourse on sex education. With this aim, we have used a qualitative methodology, based on the content analysis. The main analytical tool was an in-house grid constructed to allow us to analyse the visual and textual representations. Our analysis of the combined Biology and Geology textbooks for Secondary Year 3 revealed that there is a tendency to reproduce models of sex education that take place within a framework of the more traditional discourses. Besides, the results suggested that the most of the sample chosen for this study makes a superficial, incomplete, incorrect or biased approach to sex education.

Evaluation of neonatal brain myelination using the T1- and T2-weighted MRI ratio.

PubMed

Soun, Jennifer E; Liu, Michael Z; Cauley, Keith A; Grinband, Jack

2017-09-01

To validate the T1- and T2-weighted (T1w/T2w) MRI ratio technique in evaluating myelin in the neonatal brain. T1w and T2w MR images of 10 term neonates with normal-appearing brain parenchyma were obtained from a single 1.5 Tesla MRI and retrospectively analyzed. T1w/T2w ratio images were created with a postprocessing pipeline and qualitatively compared with standard clinical sequences (T1w, T2w, and apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]). Quantitative assessment was also performed to assess the ratio technique in detecting areas of known myelination (e.g., posterior limb of the internal capsule) and very low myelination (e.g., optic radiations) using linear regression analysis and the Michelson Contrast equation, a measure of luminance contrast intensity. The ratio image provided qualitative improvements in the ability to visualize regional variation in myelin content of neonates. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between the ratio intensity values and ADC values in the posterior limb of the internal capsule and the optic radiations (R 2  = 0.96 and P < 0.001). The Michelson Contrast equation showed that contrast differences between these two regions for the ratio images were 1.6 times higher than T1w, 2.6 times higher than T2w, and 1.8 times higher than ADC (all P < 0.001). Finally, the ratio improved visualization of the corticospinal tract, one of the earliest myelinated pathways. The T1w/T2w ratio accentuates contrast between myelinated and less myelinated structures and may enhance our diagnostic ability to detect myelination patterns in the neonatal brain. 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:690-696. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

How do People Make Sense of Unfamiliar Visualizations?: A Grounded Model of Novice's Information Visualization Sensemaking.

PubMed

Lee, Sukwon; Kim, Sung-Hee; Hung, Ya-Hsin; Lam, Heidi; Kang, Youn-ah; Yi, Ji Soo

2016-01-01

In this paper, we would like to investigate how people make sense of unfamiliar information visualizations. In order to achieve the research goal, we conducted a qualitative study by observing 13 participants when they endeavored to make sense of three unfamiliar visualizations (i.e., a parallel-coordinates plot, a chord diagram, and a treemap) that they encountered for the first time. We collected data including audio/video record of think-aloud sessions and semi-structured interview; and analyzed the data using the grounded theory method. The primary result of this study is a grounded model of NOvice's information Vlsualization Sensemaking (NOVIS model), which consists of the five major cognitive activities: 1 encountering visualization, 2 constructing a frame, 3 exploring visualization, 4 questioning the frame, and 5 floundering on visualization. We introduce the NOVIS model by explaining the five activities with representative quotes from our participants. We also explore the dynamics in the model. Lastly, we compare with other existing models and share further research directions that arose from our observations.

Enhancing genomic laboratory reports from the patients' view: A qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Stuckey, Heather; Williams, Janet L; Fan, Audrey L; Rahm, Alanna Kulchak; Green, Jamie; Feldman, Lynn; Bonhag, Michele; Zallen, Doris T; Segal, Michael M; Williams, Marc S

2015-10-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a family genomic laboratory report designed to communicate genome sequencing results to parents of children who were participating in a whole genome sequencing clinical research study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of children who participated in a whole genome sequencing clinical research study to address the elements, language and format of a sample family-directed genome laboratory report. The qualitative interviews were followed by two focus groups aimed at evaluating example presentations of information about prognosis and next steps related to the whole genome sequencing result. Three themes emerged from the qualitative data: (i) Parents described a continual search for valid information and resources regarding their child's condition, a need that prior reports did not meet for parents; (ii) Parents believed that the Family Report would help facilitate communication with physicians and family members; and (iii) Parents identified specific items they appreciated in a genomics Family Report: simplicity of language, logical flow, visual appeal, information on what to expect in the future and recommended next steps. Parents affirmed their desire for a family genomic results report designed for their use and reference. They articulated the need for clear, easy to understand language that provided information with temporal detail and specific recommendations regarding relevant findings consistent with that available to clinicians. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PETS-D (Parents Education Through Simulation – Diabetes): Parents’ Qualitative Results

PubMed Central

Ramchandani, Neesha; Maguire, Laura L.; Stern, Kailyn; Quintos, Jose B.; Lee, Mary; Sullivan-Bolyai, Susan

2016-01-01

Objective Parents who have a child newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) must quickly learn daily diabetes self-management. An RCT was conducted using human patient simulation (HPS) to enhance parents learning diabetes self-management with children with new-onset T1D. The purpose of this study was to describe parents’ perspectives of using HPS to augment diabetes education. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used with open-ended in-depth interviews of parents (n=49) post-intervention. Qualitative directed content analysis was used. Results The majority of parents were positive about learning with HPS. Although a few parents said the HPS was “hokey” or “creepy,” most reported the visual and hands-on learning was realistic and very beneficial. Seeing a seizure increased their fear although they would have panicked if they had not had that learning experience, and it helped build their diabetes self-management confidence. Recommendations included teaching others with the HPS (grandparents, siblings, babysitters, and school nurses). Conclusion HPS-enhanced education is an acceptable and viable option that was generally well-received by parents of children with new-onset T1D. Practice Implications The technique should be studied with parents of children with other chronic illnesses to see if the benefits found in this study are applicable to other settings. PMID:27021779

Enhancing genomic laboratory reports from the patients' view: A qualitative analysis

PubMed Central

Stuckey, Heather; Fan, Audrey L.; Rahm, Alanna Kulchak; Green, Jamie; Feldman, Lynn; Bonhag, Michele; Zallen, Doris T.; Segal, Michael M.; Williams, Marc S.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a family genomic laboratory report designed to communicate genome sequencing results to parents of children who were participating in a whole genome sequencing clinical research study. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with parents of children who participated in a whole genome sequencing clinical research study to address the elements, language and format of a sample family‐directed genome laboratory report. The qualitative interviews were followed by two focus groups aimed at evaluating example presentations of information about prognosis and next steps related to the whole genome sequencing result. Three themes emerged from the qualitative data: (i) Parents described a continual search for valid information and resources regarding their child's condition, a need that prior reports did not meet for parents; (ii) Parents believed that the Family Report would help facilitate communication with physicians and family members; and (iii) Parents identified specific items they appreciated in a genomics Family Report: simplicity of language, logical flow, visual appeal, information on what to expect in the future and recommended next steps. Parents affirmed their desire for a family genomic results report designed for their use and reference. They articulated the need for clear, easy to understand language that provided information with temporal detail and specific recommendations regarding relevant findings consistent with that available to clinicians. PMID:26086630

Conducting Qualitative Data Analysis: Qualitative Data Analysis as a Metaphoric Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chenail, Ronald J.

2012-01-01

In the second of a series of "how-to" essays on conducting qualitative data analysis, Ron Chenail argues the process can best be understood as a metaphoric process. From this orientation he suggests researchers follow Kenneth Burke's notion of metaphor and see qualitative data analysis as the analyst systematically considering the "this-ness" of…

Discrete-Slots Models of Visual Working-Memory Response Times

PubMed Central

Donkin, Christopher; Nosofsky, Robert M.; Gold, Jason M.; Shiffrin, Richard M.

2014-01-01

Much recent research has aimed to establish whether visual working memory (WM) is better characterized by a limited number of discrete all-or-none slots or by a continuous sharing of memory resources. To date, however, researchers have not considered the response-time (RT) predictions of discrete-slots versus shared-resources models. To complement the past research in this field, we formalize a family of mixed-state, discrete-slots models for explaining choice and RTs in tasks of visual WM change detection. In the tasks under investigation, a small set of visual items is presented, followed by a test item in 1 of the studied positions for which a change judgment must be made. According to the models, if the studied item in that position is retained in 1 of the discrete slots, then a memory-based evidence-accumulation process determines the choice and the RT; if the studied item in that position is missing, then a guessing-based accumulation process operates. Observed RT distributions are therefore theorized to arise as probabilistic mixtures of the memory-based and guessing distributions. We formalize an analogous set of continuous shared-resources models. The model classes are tested on individual subjects with both qualitative contrasts and quantitative fits to RT-distribution data. The discrete-slots models provide much better qualitative and quantitative accounts of the RT and choice data than do the shared-resources models, although there is some evidence for “slots plus resources” when memory set size is very small. PMID:24015956

Toward a hybrid brain-computer interface based on repetitive visual stimuli with missing events.

PubMed

Wu, Yingying; Li, Man; Wang, Jing

2016-07-26

Steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) can be elicited by repetitive stimuli and extracted in the frequency domain with satisfied performance. However, the temporal information of such stimulus is often ignored. In this study, we utilized repetitive visual stimuli with missing events to present a novel hybrid BCI paradigm based on SSVEP and omitted stimulus potential (OSP). Four discs flickering from black to white with missing flickers served as visual stimulators to simultaneously elicit subject's SSVEPs and OSPs. Key parameters in the new paradigm, including flicker frequency, optimal electrodes, missing flicker duration and intervals of missing events were qualitatively discussed with offline data. Two omitted flicker patterns including missing black/white disc were proposed and compared. Averaging times were optimized with Information Transfer Rate (ITR) in online experiments, where SSVEPs and OSPs were identified using Canonical Correlation Analysis in the frequency domain and Support Vector Machine (SVM)-Bayes fusion in the time domain, respectively. The online accuracy and ITR (mean ± standard deviation) over nine healthy subjects were 79.29 ± 18.14 % and 19.45 ± 11.99 bits/min with missing black disc pattern, and 86.82 ± 12.91 % and 24.06 ± 10.95 bits/min with missing white disc pattern, respectively. The proposed BCI paradigm, for the first time, demonstrated that SSVEPs and OSPs can be simultaneously elicited in single visual stimulus pattern and recognized in real-time with satisfied performance. Besides the frequency features such as SSVEP elicited by repetitive stimuli, we found a new feature (OSP) in the time domain to design a novel hybrid BCI paradigm by adding missing events in repetitive stimuli.

Physical activity participation among families of children with visual impairments and blindness.

PubMed

Columna, Luis; Dillon, Suzanna Rocco; Dolphin, Michelle; Streete, Denzil A; Hodge, Samuel R; Myers, Beth; Norris, Michael L; McCabe, Lindsay; Barreira, Tiago V; Heffernan, Kevin S

2017-10-25

Physical activity (PA) provides multiple benefits to children with visual impairments (VI) and their families. However, the empirical literature base is underdeveloped on how family PA experiences impact participation for children with VI. The purpose of this study was two-fold; that is: (a) to explore why families with children with VI seek out and participate in PA, and (b) to describe the strategies and supports needed by families of children with VI to improve PA participation. The research method was descriptive-qualitative positioned in the theoretical framework of the theory of planned behavior. Participants were parents of children with VI (n = 10) who took part in one-on-one semi-structured telephone interviews. Interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed using a thematic line-by-line analysis. Three salient, recurrent, and interrelated themes emerged from the data analyses. These themes were: (a) committed, (b) challenged, and (c) access. Findings revealed that parents valued PA, but they lacked the skills to teach and advocate for their children regarding PA. As a consequence, parents voiced the need for a support system that would allow their families to be more physically active. Implications for Rehabilitation Results of this study demonstrated that parents valued physical activity, but they lacked the skills necessary to confidently engage their children in physical activity. Physical activity interventions are needed to enhance the quality of life of children with visual impairments and their families. Physical activity programs and interventions are most likely to enhance intentions to engage in physical activity among children with visual impairments and their parents. Results demonstrated that parents of children with visual impairments were interested to work side-by-side with physical activity professionals to enhance recreational physical activity opportunities available to their children.

Specialized Computer Systems for Environment Visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-06-01

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

Comparison of clinical and physics scoring of PET images when image reconstruction parameters are varied.

PubMed

Walsh, C; Johnston, C; Sheehy, N; O' Reilly, G

2013-02-01

In this study the quantitative and qualitative image quality (IQ) measurements with clinical judgement of IQ in positron emission tomography (PET) were compared. The limitations of IQ metrics and the proposed criteria of acceptability for PET scanners are discussed. Phantom and patient images were reconstructed using seven different iterative reconstruction protocols. For each reconstructed set of images, IQ was scored based both on the visual analysis and on the quantitative metrics. The quantitative physics metrics did not rank the reconstruction protocols in the same order as the clinicians' scoring of perceived IQ (R(s)=-0.54). Better agreement was achieved when comparing the clinical perception of IQ to the physicist's visual assessment of IQ in the phantom images (R(s)=+0.59). The closest agreement was seen between the quantitative physics metrics and the measurement of the standard uptake values (SUVs) in small tumours (R(s)=+0.92). Given the disparity between the clinical perception of IQ and the physics metrics a cautious approach to use of IQ measurements for determining suspension levels is warranted.

Students’ mathematical representations on secondary school in solving trigonometric problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Istadi; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Sujadi, I.

2017-06-01

This research aimed to analyse students’ mathematical representations on secondary school in solving trigonometric problems. This research used qualitative method. The participants were 4 students who had high competence of knowledge taken from 20 students of 12th natural-science grade SMAN-1 Kota Besi, Central Kalimantan. Data validation was carried out using time triangulation. Data analysis used Huberman and Miles stages. The results showed that their answers were not only based on the given figure, but also used the definition of trigonometric ratio on verbal representations. On the other hand, they were able to determine the object positions to be observed. However, they failed to determine the position of the angle of depression at the sketches made on visual representations. Failure in determining the position of the angle of depression to cause an error in using the mathematical equation. Finally, they were unsuccessful to use the mathematical equation properly on symbolic representations. From this research, we could recommend the importance of translations between mathematical problems and mathematical representations as well as translations among mathematical representaions (verbal, visual, and symbolic) in learning mathematics in the classroom.

The Cognitive Visualization System with the Dynamic Projection of Multidimensional Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorohov, V.; Vitkovskiy, V.

2008-08-01

The phenomenon of cognitive machine drawing consists in the generation on the screen the special graphic representations, which create in the brain of human operator entertainment means. These means seem man by aesthetically attractive and, thus, they stimulate its descriptive imagination, closely related to the intuitive mechanisms of thinking. The essence of cognitive effect lies in the fact that man receives the moving projection as pseudo-three-dimensional object characterizing multidimensional means in the multidimensional space. After the thorough qualitative study of the visual aspects of multidimensional means with the aid of the enumerated algorithms appears the possibility, using algorithms of standard machine drawing to paint the interesting user separate objects or the groups of objects. Then it is possible to again return to the dynamic behavior of the rotation of means for the purpose of checking the intuitive ideas of user about the clusters and the connections in multidimensional data. Is possible the development of the methods of cognitive machine drawing in combination with other information technologies, first of all with the packets of digital processing of images and multidimensional statistical analysis.

Conducting qualitative research in audiology: a tutorial.

PubMed

Knudsen, Line V; Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane; Jones, Lesley; Preminger, Jill E; Nielsen, Claus; Lunner, Thomas; Hickson, Louise; Naylor, Graham; Kramer, Sophia E

2012-02-01

Qualitative research methodologies are being used more frequently in audiology as it allows for a better understanding of the perspectives of people with hearing impairment. This article describes why and how international interdisciplinary qualitative research can be conducted. This paper is based on a literature review and our recent experience with the conduction of an international interdisciplinary qualitative study in audiology. We describe some available qualitative methods for sampling, data collection, and analysis and we discuss the rationale for choosing particular methods. The focus is on four approaches which have all previously been applied to audiologic research: grounded theory, interpretative phenomenological analysis, conversational analysis, and qualitative content analysis. This article provides a review of methodological issues useful for those designing qualitative research projects in audiology or needing assistance in the interpretation of qualitative literature.

Using a cross section to train veterinary students to visualize anatomical structures in three dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provo, Judy; Lamar, Carlton; Newby, Timothy

2002-01-01

A cross section was used to enhance three-dimensional knowledge of anatomy of the canine head. All veterinary students in two successive classes (n = 124) dissected the head; experimental groups also identified structures on a cross section of the head. A test assessing spatial knowledge of the head generated 10 dependent variables from two administrations. The test had content validity and statistically significant interrater and test-retest reliability. A live-dog examination generated one additional dependent variable. Analysis of covariance controlling for performance on course examinations and quizzes revealed no treatment effect. Including spatial skill as a third covariate revealed a statistically significant effect of spatial skill on three dependent variables. Men initially had greater spatial skill than women, but spatial skills were equal after 8 months. A qualitative analysis showed the positive impact of this experience on participants. Suggestions for improvement and future research are discussed.

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

PubMed

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

2017-08-03

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

Using Gemba Boards to Facilitate Evidence-Based Practice in Critical Care.

PubMed

Bourgault, Annette M; Upvall, Michele J; Graham, Alison

2018-06-01

Tradition-based practices lack supporting research evidence and may be harmful or ineffective. Engagement of key stakeholders is a critical step toward facilitating evidence-based practice change. Gemba , derived from Japanese, refers to the real place where work is done. Gemba boards (visual management tools) appear to be an innovative method to engage stakeholders and facilitate evidence-based practice. To explore the use of gemba boards and gemba huddles to facilitate practice change. Twenty-two critical care nurses participated in interviews in this qualitative, descriptive study. Thematic analysis was used to code and categorize interview data. Two researchers reached consensus on coding and derived themes. Data were managed with qualitative analysis software. The code gemba occurred most frequently; a secondary analysis was performed to explore its impact on practice change. Four themes were derived from the gemba code: (1) facilitation of staff, leadership, and interdisciplinary communication, (2) transparency of outcome data, (3) solicitation of staff ideas and feedback, and (4) dissemination of practice changes. Gemba boards and gemba huddles became part of the organizational culture for promoting and disseminating evidence-based practices. Unit-based, publicly located gemba boards and huddles have become key components of evidence-based practice culture. Gemba is both a tool and a process to engage team members and the public to generate clinical questions and to plan, implement, and evaluate practice changes. Future research on the effectiveness of gemba boards to facilitate evidence-based practice is warranted. ©2018 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Original Research: How to Create a Poster That Attracts an Audience.

PubMed

Siedlecki, Sandra L

2017-03-01

: Background: Nurses developing a poster presentation for the first time who look for guidance in the literature will find many articles offering recommendations on format and style, but these are based on opinion rather than evidence. The purpose of this study was to identify the attributes of a poster that improved the chance that nursing conference attendees would read it. A mixed-methods descriptive study employing survey methodology was used to assess the perceptions of nurses attending poster sessions at a two-day nursing conference. The survey consisted of basic demographic questions, 25 items asking respondents to identify and rate the importance of variables that influenced their decision to read a poster, and several open-ended questions. Both a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the responses was performed. The two major themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis were that poster-viewing decisions were based first on aesthetics and then on relevance. The quantitative analysis identified aesthetic characteristics that were most important to nurse viewers, including overall visual appeal, color, organization, and layout; viewers determined the relevance of a poster primarily by reading its title. To develop a poster that will attract an audience, nurse researchers should keep in mind the attributes that are important to their peers and colleagues. Conference attendees are more likely to read a poster if it's on a topic that interests them, is pleasing to the eye, and has a title that's easy to read.

Using computer-based video analysis in the study of fidgety movements.

PubMed

Adde, Lars; Helbostad, Jorunn L; Jensenius, Alexander Refsum; Taraldsen, Gunnar; Støen, Ragnhild

2009-09-01

Absence of fidgety movements (FM) in high-risk infants is a strong marker for later cerebral palsy (CP). FMs can be classified by the General Movement Assessment (GMA), based on Gestalt perception of the infant's movement pattern. More objective movement analysis may be provided by computer-based technology. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of a computer-based video analysis of infants' spontaneous movements in classifying non-fidgety versus fidgety movements. GMA was performed from video material of the fidgety period in 82 term and preterm infants at low and high risks of developing CP. The same videos were analysed using the developed software called General Movement Toolbox (GMT) with visualisation of the infant's movements for qualitative analyses. Variables derived from the calculation of displacement of pixels from one video frame to the next were used for quantitative analyses. Visual representations from GMT showed easily recognisable patterns of FMs. Of the eight quantitative variables derived, the variability in displacement of a spatial centre of active pixels in the image had the highest sensitivity (81.5) and specificity (70.0) in classifying FMs. By setting triage thresholds at 90% sensitivity and specificity for FM, the need for further referral was reduced by 70%. Video recordings can be used for qualitative and quantitative analyses of FMs provided by GMT. GMT is easy to implement in clinical practice, and may provide assistance in detecting infants without FMs.

Specification and estimation of sources of bias affecting neurological studies in PET/MR with an anatomical brain phantom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teuho, J.; Johansson, J.; Linden, J.; Saunavaara, V.; Tolvanen, T.; Teräs, M.

2014-01-01

Selection of reconstruction parameters has an effect on the image quantification in PET, with an additional contribution from a scanner-specific attenuation correction method. For achieving comparable results in inter- and intra-center comparisons, any existing quantitative differences should be identified and compensated for. In this study, a comparison between PET, PET/CT and PET/MR is performed by using an anatomical brain phantom, to identify and measure the amount of bias caused due to differences in reconstruction and attenuation correction methods especially in PET/MR. Differences were estimated by using visual, qualitative and quantitative analysis. The qualitative analysis consisted of a line profile analysis for measuring the reproduction of anatomical structures and the contribution of the amount of iterations to image contrast. The quantitative analysis consisted of measurement and comparison of 10 anatomical VOIs, where the HRRT was considered as the reference. All scanners reproduced the main anatomical structures of the phantom adequately, although the image contrast on the PET/MR was inferior when using a default clinical brain protocol. Image contrast was improved by increasing the amount of iterations from 2 to 5 while using 33 subsets. Furthermore, a PET/MR-specific bias was detected, which resulted in underestimation of the activity values in anatomical structures closest to the skull, due to the MR-derived attenuation map that ignores the bone. Thus, further improvements for the PET/MR reconstruction and attenuation correction could be achieved by optimization of RAMLA-specific reconstruction parameters and implementation of bone to the attenuation template.

Rotavirus - Global research density equalizing mapping and gender analysis.

PubMed

Köster, Corinna; Klingelhöfer, Doris; Groneberg, David A; Schwarzer, Mario

2016-01-02

Rotaviruses are the leading reason for dehydration and severe diarrheal disease and in infants and young children worldwide. An increasing number of related publications cause a crucial challenge to determine the relevant scientific output. Therefore, scientometric analyses are helpful to evaluate quantity as well as quality of the worldwide research activities on Rotavirus. Up to now, no in-depth global scientometric analysis relating to Rotavirus publications has been carried out. This study used scientometric tools and the method of density equalizing mapping to visualize the differences of the worldwide research effort referring to Rotavirus. The aim of the study was to compare scientific output geographically and over time by using an in-depth data analysis and New quality and quantity indices in science (NewQIS) tools. Furthermore, a gender analysis was part of the data interpretation. We retrieved all Rotavirus-related articles, which were published on "Rotavirus" during the time period from 1900 to 2013, from the Web of Science by a defined search term. These items were analyzed regarding quantitative and qualitative aspects, and visualized with the help of bibliometric methods and the technique of density equalizing mapping to show the differences of the worldwide research efforts. This work aimed to extend the current NewQIS platform. The 5906 Rotavirus associated articles were published in 138 countries from 1900 to 2013. The USA authored 2037 articles that equaled 34.5% of all published items followed by Japan with 576 articles and the United Kingdom - as the most productive representative of the European countries - with 495 articles. Furthermore, the USA established the most cooperations with other countries and was found to be in the center of an international collaborative network. We performed a gender analysis of authors per country (threshold was set at a publishing output of more than 100 articles by more than 50 authors whose names could be identified in more than 50% of cases) showed a domination of female scientists in Brazil, while in all other countries, male scientists predominate. Relating the number of publications to the population of a country (Q1) and compared to the GPD (Q2), we found that European and African countries as well as Australia and New Zealand - not the USA - were among the top ranked nations. Regarding rotavirus-related scientific output, the USA was the overall leading nation when qualitative and qualitative aspects were taken into account. In contrast to these classical scientometric variables, indices such as Q1 and Q2 enable comparability between countries with unequal conditions and scientific infrastructures helping to differentiate publishing quality and quantity in a more relevant way. Also, it was deduced that counties with a high rotavirus-associated child mortality, like the Democratic Republic of Congo, should be integrated into the collaborative efforts more intensively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

5-Aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX fluorescence in meningioma: qualitative and quantitative measurements in vivo.

PubMed

Valdes, Pablo A; Bekelis, Kimon; Harris, Brent T; Wilson, Brian C; Leblond, Frederic; Kim, Anthony; Simmons, Nathan E; Erkmen, Kadir; Paulsen, Keith D; Roberts, David W

2014-03-01

The use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence has shown promise as a surgical adjunct for maximizing the extent of surgical resection in gliomas. To date, the clinical utility of 5-ALA in meningiomas is not fully understood, with most descriptive studies using qualitative approaches to 5-ALA-PpIX. To assess the diagnostic performance of 5-ALA-PpIX fluorescence during surgical resection of meningioma. ALA was administered to 15 patients with meningioma undergoing PpIX fluorescence-guided surgery at our institution. At various points during the procedure, the surgeon performed qualitative, visual assessments of fluorescence by using the surgical microscope, followed by a quantitative fluorescence measurement by using an intraoperative probe. Specimens were collected at each point for subsequent neuropathological analysis. Clustered data analysis of variance was used to ascertain a difference between groups, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed to assess diagnostic capabilities. Red-pink fluorescence was observed in 80% (12/15) of patients, with visible fluorescence generally demonstrating a strong, homogenous character. Quantitative fluorescence measured diagnostically significant PpIX concentrations (cPpIx) in both visibly and nonvisibly fluorescent tissues, with significantly higher cPpIx in both visibly fluorescent (P < .001) and tumor tissue (P = .002). Receiver operating characteristic analyses also showed diagnostic accuracies up to 90% for differentiating tumor from normal dura. ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence guidance is a potential and promising adjunct in accurately detecting neoplastic tissue during meningioma resective surgery. These results suggest a broader reach for PpIX as a biomarker for meningiomas than was previously noted in the literature.

5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Induced Protoporphyrin IX Fluorescence in Meningioma: Qualitative and Quantitative Measurements In Vivo

PubMed Central

Valdes, Pablo A.; Bekelis, Kimon; Harris, Brent T.; Wilson, Brian C.; Leblond, Frederic; Kim, Anthony; Simmons, Nathan E.; Erkmen, Kadir; Paulsen, Keith D.; Roberts, David W.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND The use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence has shown promise as a surgical adjunct for maximizing the extent of surgical resection in gliomas. To date, the clinical utility of 5-ALA in meningiomas is not fully understood, with most descriptive studies using qualitative approaches to 5-ALA-PpIX. OBJECTIVE To assess the diagnostic performance of 5-ALA-PpIX fluorescence during surgical resection of meningioma. METHODS ALA was administered to 15 patients with meningioma undergoing PpIX fluorescence-guided surgery at our institution. At various points during the procedure, the surgeon performed qualitative, visual assessments of fluorescence by using the surgical microscope, followed by a quantitative fluorescence measurement by using an intra-operative probe. Specimens were collected at each point for subsequent neuropathological analysis. Clustered data analysis of variance was used to ascertain a difference between groups, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed to assess diagnostic capabilities. RESULTS Red-pink fluorescence was observed in 80% (12/15) of patients, with visible fluorescence generally demonstrating a strong, homogenous character. Quantitative fluorescence measured diagnostically significant PpIX concentrations (CPpIx) in both visibly and nonvisibly fluorescent tissues, with significantly higher CPpIx in both visibly fluorescent (P < .001) and tumor tissue (P = .002). Receiver operating characteristic analyses also showed diagnostic accuracies up to 90% for differentiating tumor from normal dura. CONCLUSION ALA-induced PpIX fluorescence guidance is a potential and promising adjunct in accurately detecting neoplastic tissue during meningioma resective surgery. These results suggest a broader reach for PpIX as a biomarker for meningiomas than was previously noted in the literature. PMID:23887194

The embryonic mouse hindbrain as a qualitative and quantitative model for studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of angiogenesis.

PubMed

Fantin, Alessandro; Vieira, Joaquim M; Plein, Alice; Maden, Charlotte H; Ruhrberg, Christiana

2013-02-01

The mouse embryo hindbrain is a robust and adaptable model for studying sprouting angiogenesis. It permits the spatiotemporal analysis of organ vascularization in normal mice and in mouse strains with genetic mutations that result in late embryonic or perinatal lethality. Unlike postnatal models such as retinal angiogenesis or Matrigel implants, there is no requirement for the breeding of conditional knockout mice. The unique architecture of the hindbrain vasculature allows whole-mount immunolabeling of blood vessels and high-resolution imaging, as well as easy quantification of angiogenic sprouting, network density and vessel caliber. The hindbrain model also permits the visualization of ligand binding to blood vessels in situ and the analysis of blood vessel growth within a natural multicellular microenvironment in which endothelial cells (ECs) interact with non-ECs to refine the 3D organ architecture. The entire procedure, from embryo isolation to imaging and through to results analysis, takes approximately 4 d.

Transana Qualitative Video and Audio Analysis Software as a Tool for Teaching Intellectual Assessment Skills to Graduate Psychology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rush, S. Craig

2014-01-01

This article draws on the author's experience using qualitative video and audio analysis, most notably through use of the Transana qualitative video and audio analysis software program, as an alternative method for teaching IQ administration skills to students in a graduate psychology program. Qualitative video and audio analysis may be useful for…

Astronomy, Visual Literacy, and Liberal Arts Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crider, Anthony

2016-01-01

With the exponentially growing amount of visual content that twenty-first century students will face throughout their lives, teaching them to respond to it with visual and information literacy skills should be a clear priority for liberal arts education. While visual literacy is more commonly covered within humanities curricula, I will argue that because astronomy is inherently a visual science, it is a fertile academic discipline for the teaching and learning of visual literacy. Astronomers, like many scientists, rely on three basic types of visuals to convey information: images, qualitative diagrams, and quantitative plots. In this talk, I will highlight classroom methods that can be used to teach students to "read" and "write" these three separate visuals. Examples of "reading" exercises include questioning the authorship and veracity of images, confronting the distorted scales of many diagrams published in astronomy textbooks, and extracting quantitative information from published plots. Examples of "writing" exercises include capturing astronomical images with smartphones, re-sketching textbook diagrams on whiteboards, and plotting data with Google Motion Charts or iPython notebooks. Students can be further pushed to synthesize these skills with end-of-semester slide presentations that incorporate relevant images, diagrams, and plots rather than relying solely on bulleted lists.

A Theory of Control for a Class of Electronic Power Processing Systems: Energy-Storage DC-To-DC Converters. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, W. W., III

1977-01-01

An analytically derived approach to the control of energy-storage dc-to-dc converters, which enables improved system performance and an extensive understanding of the manner in which this improved performance is accomplished, is presented. The control approach is derived from a state-plane analysis of dc-to-dc converter power stages which enables a graphical visualization of the movement of the system state during both steady state and transient operation. This graphical representation of the behavior of dc-to-dc converter systems yields considerable qualitative insight into the cause and effect relationships which exist between various commonly used converter control functions and the system performance which results from them.

Texture for script identification.

PubMed

Busch, Andrew; Boles, Wageeh W; Sridharan, Sridha

2005-11-01

The problem of determining the script and language of a document image has a number of important applications in the field of document analysis, such as indexing and sorting of large collections of such images, or as a precursor to optical character recognition (OCR). In this paper, we investigate the use of texture as a tool for determining the script of a document image, based on the observation that text has a distinct visual texture. An experimental evaluation of a number of commonly used texture features is conducted on a newly created script database, providing a qualitative measure of which features are most appropriate for this task. Strategies for improving classification results in situations with limited training data and multiple font types are also proposed.

Observation of airplane flow fields by natural condensation effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, James F.; Chambers, Joseph R.; Rumsey, Christopher L.

1988-01-01

In-flight condensation patterns can illustrate a variety of airplane flow fields, such as attached and separated flows, vortex flows, and expansion and shock waves. These patterns are a unique source of flow visualization that has not been utilized previously. Condensation patterns at full-scale Reynolds number can provide useful information for researchers experimenting in subscale tunnels. It is also shown that computed values of relative humidity in the local flow field provide an inexpensive way to analyze the qualitative features of the condensation pattern, although a more complete theoretical modeling is necessary to obtain details of the condensation process. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that relative humidity is more sensitive to changes in local static temperature than to changes in pressure.

Hyperspectral Raman imaging of bone growth and regrowth chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pezzuti, Jerilyn A.; Morris, Michael D.; Bonadio, Jeffrey F.; Goldstein, Steven A.

1998-06-01

Hyperspectral Raman microscopic imaging of carbonated hydroxyapatite (HAP) is used to follow the chemistry of bone growth and regrowth. Deep red excitation is employed to minimize protein fluorescence interference. A passive line generator based on Powell lens optics and a motorized translation stage provide the imaging capabilities. Raman image contrast is generated from several lines of the HAP Raman spectrum, primarily the PO4-3. Factor analysis is used to minimize the integration time needed for acceptable contrast and to explore the chemical species within the bone. Bone age is visualized as variations in image intensity. High definition, high resolution images of newly formed bone and mature bone are compared qualitatively. The technique is currently under evaluation for study of experimental therapies for fracture repair.

Thermal radiation and mass transfer effects on unsteady MHD free convection flow past a vertical oscillating plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rana, B. M. Jewel; Ahmed, Rubel; Ahmmed, S. F.

2017-06-01

Unsteady MHD free convection flow past a vertical porous plate in porous medium with radiation, diffusion thermo, thermal diffusion and heat source are analyzed. The governing non-linear, partial differential equations are transformed into dimensionless by using non-dimensional quantities. Then the resultant dimensionless equations are solved numerically by applying an efficient, accurate and conditionally stable finite difference scheme of explicit type with the help of a computer programming language Compaq Visual Fortran. The stability and convergence analysis has been carried out to establish the effect of velocity, temperature, concentration, skin friction, Nusselt number, Sherwood number, stream lines and isotherms line. Finally, the effects of various parameters are presented graphically and discussed qualitatively.

Workflows and the Role of Images for Virtual 3d Reconstruction of no Longer Extant Historic Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Münster, S.

2013-07-01

3D reconstruction technologies have gained importance as tools for the research and visualization of no longer extant historic objects during the last decade. Within such reconstruction processes, visual media assumes several important roles: as the most important sources especially for a reconstruction of no longer extant objects, as a tool for communication and cooperation within the production process, as well as for a communication and visualization of results. While there are many discourses about theoretical issues of depiction as sources and as visualization outcomes of such projects, there is no systematic research about the importance of depiction during a 3D reconstruction process and based on empirical findings. Moreover, from a methodological perspective, it would be necessary to understand which role visual media plays during the production process and how it is affected by disciplinary boundaries and challenges specific to historic topics. Research includes an analysis of published work and case studies investigating reconstruction projects. This study uses methods taken from social sciences to gain a grounded view of how production processes would take place in practice and which functions and roles images would play within them. For the investigation of these topics, a content analysis of 452 conference proceedings and journal articles related to 3D reconstruction modeling in the field of humanities has been completed. Most of the projects described in those publications dealt with data acquisition and model building for existing objects. Only a small number of projects focused on structures that no longer or never existed physically. Especially that type of project seems to be interesting for a study of the importance of pictures as sources and as tools for interdisciplinary cooperation during the production process. In the course of the examination the authors of this paper applied a qualitative content analysis for a sample of 26 previously published project reports to depict strategies and types and three case studies of 3D reconstruction projects to evaluate evolutionary processes during such projects. The research showed that reconstructions of no longer existing historic structures are most commonly used for presentation or research purposes of large buildings or city models. Additionally, they are often realized by interdisciplinary workgroups using images as the most important source for reconstruction as far as important media for communication and quality control during the reconstruction process.

Optimal visualization of focal nodular hyperplasia: quantitative and qualitative evaluation of single and multiphasic arterial phase acquisition at 1.5 T MR imaging.

PubMed

Rousseau, Caroline; Ronot, Maxime; Vilgrain, Valérie; Zins, Marc

2016-05-01

To evaluate the qualitative and quantitative benefit of multiple arterial phase acquisitions for the depiction of hypervascularity in FNH explored MR imaging using an extracellular contrast agent. Between 2007 and 2014, all patients who underwent MR imaging for the exploration of FNH were included. The protocol included a single or a triple arterial phase ("single" and "triple" group, respectively). Arterial phases were visually divided into four types: (1) angiographic, (2) early, (3) late, and (4) portal. Signal intensity on arterial phase images was visually recorded as intense, moderate, or low for each lesion. Lesion-to-liver contrast (LLC) and relative lesion enhancement (RE) were calculated and compared between the two groups using the Mann-Whitney test. Thirty-five women were included (mean 45-year old, range 20-66), with 50 FNH (mean size 30 mm). Single and triple groups included 20 patients (30 FNH) and 15 patients (20 FNH), respectively. Signal intensity was intense in all lesions in the triple group and in 22/30 (73%) in the single group (p = 0.041). Intense signals were more frequently found in the early arterial phase (p < 0.001). RE was not significantly different (1.78 ± 0.84 vs. 1.98 ± 1.81 p = 0.430, in the single and triple groups, respectively) but LLC was significantly higher in the triple group (0.32 ± 0.10 vs. 0.22 ± 0.10, p = 0.005). LLC was significantly higher in the first two arterial phases in the triple group (p < 0.001). Acquisition of three arterial phases improves the visualization of hypervascularity of FNH, as lesions show high visual signal intensity and contrast. Optimal visualization is obtained in the early arterial phase.

Retinal Prosthesis System for Advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa: A Health Technology Assessment

PubMed Central

Lee, Christine; Tu, Hong Anh; Weir, Mark; Holubowich, Corinne

2016-01-01

Background Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of genetic disorders that involves the breakdown and loss of photoreceptors in the retina, resulting in progressive retinal degeneration and eventual blindness. The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System is the only currently available surgical implantable device approved by Health Canada. It has been shown to improve visual function in patients with severe visual loss from advanced retinitis pigmentosa. The objective of this analysis was to examine the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, budget impact, and safety of the Argus II system in improving visual function, as well as exploring patient experiences with the system. Methods We performed a systematic search of the literature for studies examining the effects of the Argus II retinal prosthesis system in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa, and appraised the evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group criteria, focusing on visual function, functional outcomes, quality of life, and adverse events. We developed a Markov decision-analytic model to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Argus II system compared with standard care over a 10-year time horizon. We also conducted a 5-year budget impact analysis. We used a qualitative design and an interview methodology to examine patients’ lived experience, and we used a modified grounded theory methodology to analyze information from interviews. Transcripts were coded, and themes were compared against one another. Results One multicentre international study and one single-centre study were included in the clinical review. In both studies, patients showed improved visual function with the Argus II system. However, the sight-threatening surgical complication rate was substantial. In the base-case analysis, the Argus II system was cost-effective compared with standard care only if willingness-to-pay was more than $207,616 per quality-adjusted life-year. The 5-year budget impact of funding the Argus II system ranged from $800,404 to $837,596. Retinitis pigmentosa significantly affects people's ability to navigate physical and virtual environments. Argus II was described as enabling the fundamental elements of sight. As such, it had a positive impact on quality of life for people with retinitis pigmentosa. Conclusions Based on evidence of moderate quality, patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa who were implanted with the Argus II retinal prosthesis system showed significant improvement in visual function, real-life functional outcomes, and quality of life, but there were complications associated with the surgery that could be managed through standard ophthalmologic treatments. The costs for the technology are high. PMID:27468325

Retinal Prosthesis System for Advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa: A Health Technology Assessment.

PubMed

2016-01-01

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of genetic disorders that involves the breakdown and loss of photoreceptors in the retina, resulting in progressive retinal degeneration and eventual blindness. The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System is the only currently available surgical implantable device approved by Health Canada. It has been shown to improve visual function in patients with severe visual loss from advanced retinitis pigmentosa. The objective of this analysis was to examine the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, budget impact, and safety of the Argus II system in improving visual function, as well as exploring patient experiences with the system. We performed a systematic search of the literature for studies examining the effects of the Argus II retinal prosthesis system in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa, and appraised the evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group criteria, focusing on visual function, functional outcomes, quality of life, and adverse events. We developed a Markov decision-analytic model to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Argus II system compared with standard care over a 10-year time horizon. We also conducted a 5-year budget impact analysis. We used a qualitative design and an interview methodology to examine patients' lived experience, and we used a modified grounded theory methodology to analyze information from interviews. Transcripts were coded, and themes were compared against one another. One multicentre international study and one single-centre study were included in the clinical review. In both studies, patients showed improved visual function with the Argus II system. However, the sight-threatening surgical complication rate was substantial. In the base-case analysis, the Argus II system was cost-effective compared with standard care only if willingness-to-pay was more than $207,616 per quality-adjusted life-year. The 5-year budget impact of funding the Argus II system ranged from $800,404 to $837,596. Retinitis pigmentosa significantly affects people's ability to navigate physical and virtual environments. Argus II was described as enabling the fundamental elements of sight. As such, it had a positive impact on quality of life for people with retinitis pigmentosa. Based on evidence of moderate quality, patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa who were implanted with the Argus II retinal prosthesis system showed significant improvement in visual function, real-life functional outcomes, and quality of life, but there were complications associated with the surgery that could be managed through standard ophthalmologic treatments. The costs for the technology are high.

Feasibility of Automatic Extraction of Electronic Health Data to Evaluate a Status Epilepticus Clinical Protocol.

PubMed

Hafeez, Baria; Paolicchi, Juliann; Pon, Steven; Howell, Joy D; Grinspan, Zachary M

2016-05-01

Status epilepticus is a common neurologic emergency in children. Pediatric medical centers often develop protocols to standardize care. Widespread adoption of electronic health records by hospitals affords the opportunity for clinicians to rapidly, and electronically evaluate protocol adherence. We reviewed the clinical data of a small sample of 7 children with status epilepticus, in order to (1) qualitatively determine the feasibility of automated data extraction and (2) demonstrate a timeline-style visualization of each patient's first 24 hours of care. Qualitatively, our observations indicate that most clinical data are well labeled in structured fields within the electronic health record, though some important information, particularly electroencephalography (EEG) data, may require manual abstraction. We conclude that a visualization that clarifies a patient's clinical course can be automatically created using the patient's electronic clinical data, supplemented with some manually abstracted data. Future work could use this timeline to evaluate adherence to status epilepticus clinical protocols. © The Author(s) 2015.

Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services Research: Developing Taxonomy, Themes, and Theory

PubMed Central

Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A; Devers, Kelly J

2007-01-01

Objective To provide practical strategies for conducting and evaluating analyses of qualitative data applicable for health services researchers. Data Sources and Design We draw on extant qualitative methodological literature to describe practical approaches to qualitative data analysis. Approaches to data analysis vary by discipline and analytic tradition; however, we focus on qualitative data analysis that has as a goal the generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory germane to health services research. Principle Findings We describe an approach to qualitative data analysis that applies the principles of inductive reasoning while also employing predetermined code types to guide data analysis and interpretation. These code types (conceptual, relationship, perspective, participant characteristics, and setting codes) define a structure that is appropriate for generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory. Conceptual codes and subcodes facilitate the development of taxonomies. Relationship and perspective codes facilitate the development of themes and theory. Intersectional analyses with data coded for participant characteristics and setting codes can facilitate comparative analyses. Conclusions Qualitative inquiry can improve the description and explanation of complex, real-world phenomena pertinent to health services research. Greater understanding of the processes of qualitative data analysis can be helpful for health services researchers as they use these methods themselves or collaborate with qualitative researchers from a wide range of disciplines. PMID:17286625

Qualitative data analysis for health services research: developing taxonomy, themes, and theory.

PubMed

Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A; Devers, Kelly J

2007-08-01

To provide practical strategies for conducting and evaluating analyses of qualitative data applicable for health services researchers. DATA SOURCES AND DESIGN: We draw on extant qualitative methodological literature to describe practical approaches to qualitative data analysis. Approaches to data analysis vary by discipline and analytic tradition; however, we focus on qualitative data analysis that has as a goal the generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory germane to health services research. We describe an approach to qualitative data analysis that applies the principles of inductive reasoning while also employing predetermined code types to guide data analysis and interpretation. These code types (conceptual, relationship, perspective, participant characteristics, and setting codes) define a structure that is appropriate for generation of taxonomy, themes, and theory. Conceptual codes and subcodes facilitate the development of taxonomies. Relationship and perspective codes facilitate the development of themes and theory. Intersectional analyses with data coded for participant characteristics and setting codes can facilitate comparative analyses. Qualitative inquiry can improve the description and explanation of complex, real-world phenomena pertinent to health services research. Greater understanding of the processes of qualitative data analysis can be helpful for health services researchers as they use these methods themselves or collaborate with qualitative researchers from a wide range of disciplines.

Visual and Experiential Learning Opportunities through Geospatial Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardiner, N.; Bulletins, S.

2007-12-01

Global observation data from satellites are essential for both research and education about Earth's climate because they help convey the temporal and spatial scales inherent to the subject, which are beyond most people's experience. Experts in the development of visualizations using spatial data distinguish the process of learning through data exploration from the process of learning by absorbing a story told from beginning to end. The former requires the viewer to absorb complex spatial and temporal dynamics inherent to visualized data and therefore is a process best undertaken by those familiar with the data and processes represented. The latter requires that the viewer understand the intended presentation of concepts, so story telling can be employed to educate viewers with varying backgrounds and familiarity with a given subject. Three examples of climate science education, drawn from the current science program Science Bulletins (American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA), demonstrate the power of visualized global earth observations for climate science education. The first example seeks to explain the potential for sea level rise on a global basis. A short feature film includes the visualized, projected effects of sea level rise at local to global scales; this visualization complements laboratory and field observations of glacier retreat and paleoclimatic reconstructions based on fossilized coral reef analysis, each of which is also depicted in the film. The narrative structure keeps learners focused on discrete scientific concepts. The second example utilizes half-hourly cloud observations to demonstrate weather and climate patterns to audiences on a global basis. Here, the scientific messages are qualitatively simpler, but the viewer must deduce his own complex visual understanding of the visualized data. Finally, we present plans for distributing climate science education products via mediated public events whereby participants learn from climate and geovisualization experts working collaboratively. This last example provides an opportunity for deep exploration of patterns and processes in a live setting and makes full use of complementary talents, including computer science, internet-enabled data sharing, remote sensing image processing, and meteorology. These innovative examples from informal educators serve as powerful pedagogical models to consider for the classroom of the future.

External and internal macromorphology in 3D-reconstructed maxillary molars using computerized X-ray microtomography.

PubMed

Bjørndal, L; Carlsen, O; Thuesen, G; Darvann, T; Kreiborg, S

1999-01-01

The aim of this study was to perform a qualitative analysis of the relationship between the external and internal macromorphology of the root complex and to use fractal dimension analysis to determine the correlation between the shape of the outer surface of the root and the shape of the root canal. On the basis of X-ray computed transaxial microtomography, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the external and internal macromorphology of the root complex in permanent maxillary molars was performed using well-defined macromorphological variables and fractal dimension analysis. Five maxillary molars were placed between a microfocus X-ray tube with a focal spot size of 0.07 mm, a Thomson-SCF image intensifier, and a CCD camera compromising a detector for the tomograph. Between 100 and 240 tomographic 2D slices were made of each tooth. Assembling slices for 3D volume was carried out with subsequent median noise filtering. Segmentation into enamel, dentine and pulp space was achieved through thresholding followed by morphological filtering. Surface representations were then constructed. A useful visualization of the tooth was created by making the dental hard tissues transparent and the pulp chamber and root-canal system opaque. On this basis it became possible to assess the relationship between the external and internal macromorphology of the crown and root complex. There was strong agreement between the number, position and cross-section of the root canals and the number, position and degree of manifestation of the root complex macrostructures. Data from a fractal dimension analysis also showed a high correlation between the shape of the root canals and the corresponding roots. It is suggested that these types of 3D volumes constitute a platform for preclinical training in fundamental endodontic procedures.

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

Alekseev, I. S.; Ivanov, I. E.; Strelkov, P. S., E-mail: strelkov@fpl.gpi.ru

A method based on the detection of emission of a dielectric screen with metal microinclusions in open air is applied to visualize the transverse structure of a high-power microwave beam. In contrast to other visualization techniques, the results obtained in this work provide qualitative information not only on the electric field strength, but also on the structure of electric field lines in the microwave beam cross section. The interpretation of the results obtained with this method is confirmed by numerical simulations of the structure of electric field lines in the microwave beam cross section by means of the CARAT code.

African Primary Care Research: Qualitative data analysis and writing results

PubMed Central

Govender, Indiran; Ogunbanjo, Gboyega A.; Mash, Bob

2014-01-01

Abstract This article is part of a series on African primary care research and gives practical guidance on qualitative data analysis and the presentation of qualitative findings. After an overview of qualitative methods and analytical approaches, the article focuses particularly on content analysis, using the framework method as an example. The steps of familiarisation, creating a thematic index, indexing, charting, interpretation and confirmation are described. Key concepts with regard to establishing the quality and trustworthiness of data analysis are described. Finally, an approach to the presentation of qualitative findings is given. PMID:26245437

African Primary Care Research: qualitative data analysis and writing results.

PubMed

Mabuza, Langalibalele H; Govender, Indiran; Ogunbanjo, Gboyega A; Mash, Bob

2014-06-05

This article is part of a series on African primary care research and gives practical guidance on qualitative data analysis and the presentation of qualitative findings. After an overview of qualitative methods and analytical approaches, the article focuses particularly on content analysis, using the framework method as an example. The steps of familiarisation, creating a thematic index, indexing, charting, interpretation and confirmation are described. Key concepts with regard to establishing the quality and trustworthiness of data analysis are described. Finally, an approach to the presentation of qualitative findings is given.

Effects of direct instruction of visual literacy skills on science achievement when integrated into inquiry learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galyas, Lesley Crowell

Understanding of visual representations is a pivotal skill necessary in science. These visual, verbal, and numeric representations are the crux of science discourses "by scientists, with students and the general public" (Pauwels, 2006, p.viii). Those who lack the understanding of these representations see it as a foreign language, one that they have never been taught to interpret. Roth, Bowen and Masciotra (2002) assert that students lack the necessary preparation to interpret scientific representational practices thoughtfully and skillfully and are not equipped to decipher the combinations of "divergent representational systems (graphs, images, equations) in a meaningful and edifying whole" (Pauwels, 2006, p.x). Several studies confirm that when students are unable to retrieve and apply knowledge, they will have difficulties with problem solving, critical thinking, and learning new material; moreover this has been demonstrated among all ability levels (O'Reilly & McNamara, 2007). The purpose of this mixed method case study was to explore the use of deliberate instruction of visual literacy skills embedded within inquiry science learning, utilizing the TLC method, for middle school students in a single classroom. Pre- and post-testing, teacher interviews and classroom observations were utilized. The study had three phases pre-implementation, implementation of TLC, and post implementation. The analysis was based on the Embedded Experimental Model. "This model is defined by having qualitative data embedded within an experimental design" (Creswell, 2007, Loc 806 of 3545). The 7th grade science classes studied are dual language immersion with 93% Hispanic and 100% economically disadvantaged students. These classes were taught by a single teacher where native Spanish speakers were taught in Spanish and English speakers were taught in English. The data for final test scores for students taught in English (English speakers, and EL exited) resulted in t (21)=5.42, * p≤.05; and for students taught in Spanish (EL) resulted in t (43)=10.29, *p≤.05. For these findings the following conclusions were made: Evidence from the t-test analysis suggests that increasing the focus of visual literacy skills increases student achievement on pre- and post-tests with both native English speakers as well as English learners.

Real-time synchronization of kinematic and video data for the comprehensive assessment of surgical skills.

PubMed

Dosis, Aristotelis; Bello, Fernando; Moorthy, Krishna; Munz, Yaron; Gillies, Duncan; Darzi, Ara

2004-01-01

Surgical dexterity in operating theatres has traditionally been assessed subjectively. Electromagnetic (EM) motion tracking systems such as the Imperial College Surgical Assessment Device (ICSAD) have been shown to produce valid and accurate objective measures of surgical skill. To allow for video integration we have modified the data acquisition and built it within the ROVIMAS analysis software. We then used ActiveX 9.0 DirectShow video capturing and the system clock as a time stamp for the synchronized concurrent acquisition of kinematic data and video frames. Interactive video/motion data browsing was implemented to allow the user to concentrate on frames exhibiting certain kinematic properties that could result in operative errors. We exploited video-data synchronization to calculate the camera visual hull by identifying all 3D vertices using the ICSAD electromagnetic sensors. We also concentrated on high velocity peaks as a means of identifying potential erroneous movements to be confirmed by studying the corresponding video frames. The outcome of the study clearly shows that the kinematic data are precisely synchronized with the video frames and that the velocity peaks correspond to large and sudden excursions of the instrument tip. We validated the camera visual hull by both video and geometrical kinematic analysis and we observed that graphs containing fewer sudden velocity peaks are less likely to have erroneous movements. This work presented further developments to the well-established ICSAD dexterity analysis system. Synchronized real-time motion and video acquisition provides a comprehensive assessment solution by combining quantitative motion analysis tools and qualitative targeted video scoring.

Qualitative Research in Palliative Care: Applications to Clinical Trials Work.

PubMed

Lim, Christopher T; Tadmor, Avia; Fujisawa, Daisuke; MacDonald, James J; Gallagher, Emily R; Eusebio, Justin; Jackson, Vicki A; Temel, Jennifer S; Greer, Joseph A; Hagan, Teresa; Park, Elyse R

2017-08-01

While vast opportunities for using qualitative methods exist within palliative care research, few studies provide practical advice for researchers and clinicians as a roadmap to identify and utilize such opportunities. To provide palliative care clinicians and researchers descriptions of qualitative methodology applied to innovative research questions relative to palliative care research and define basic concepts in qualitative research. Body: We describe three qualitative projects as exemplars to describe major concepts in qualitative analysis of early palliative care: (1) a descriptive analysis of clinician documentation in the electronic health record, (2) a thematic content analysis of palliative care clinician focus groups, and (3) a framework analysis of audio-recorded encounters between patients and clinicians as part of a clinical trial. This study provides a foundation for undertaking qualitative research within palliative care and serves as a framework for use by other palliative care researchers interested in qualitative methodologies.

A qualitative, interprofessional analysis of barriers to and facilitators of implementation of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Clostridium difficile prevention bundle using a human factors engineering approach.

PubMed

Yanke, Eric; Moriarty, Helene; Carayon, Pascale; Safdar, Nasia

2018-03-01

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasingly prevalent, severe, and costly. Adherence to infection prevention practices remains suboptimal. More effective strategies to implement guidelines and evidence are needed. Interprofessional focus groups consisting of physicians, resident physicians, nurses, and health technicians were conducted for a quality improvement project evaluating adherence to the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) nationally mandated C difficile prevention bundle. Qualitative analysis with a visual matrix display identified barrier and facilitator themes guided by the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety model, a human factors engineering approach. Several themes, encompassing both barriers and facilitators to bundle adherence, emerged. Rapid turnaround time of C difficile polymerase chain reaction testing was a facilitator of timely diagnosis. Too few, poorly located, and cluttered sinks were barriers to appropriate hand hygiene. Patient care workload and the time-consuming process of contact isolation precautions were also barriers to adherence. Multiple work system components serve as barriers to and facilitators of adherence to the VA CDI prevention bundle among an interprofessional group of health care workers. Organizational factors appear to significantly influence bundle adherence. Interprofessional perspectives are needed to identify barriers to and facilitators of bundle implementation, which is a necessary first step to address adherence to bundled infection prevention practices. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Comparison of two methods to explore consumer preferences for cottage cheese.

PubMed

Drake, S L; Lopetcharat, K; Drake, M A

2009-12-01

In the past 2 decades, total sales of cottage cheese have declined 17% despite increases in sales for low-fat cottage cheese. There are no recent published studies investigating consumer preferences for cottage cheese. This study was conducted to identify and define sensory characteristics of commercial cottage cheese and to compare 2 approaches for characterizing consumer preferences: traditional preference mapping and a new composite qualitative approach, qualitative multivariate analysis (QMA). A sensory language was identified to document the sensory properties (visual, flavor, and texture) of cottage cheeses. Twenty-six commercial cottage cheeses with variable fat contents (4, 2, 1, and 0% fat) were evaluated by trained panelists using the sensory language. Eight representative cottage cheeses were selected for consumer acceptance testing (n = 110) and QMA with consumer home usage testing (n = 12), followed by internal and external preference mapping to identify key drivers. Principal component analysis of descriptive data indicated that cottage cheeses were primarily differentiated by cooked, milkfat, diacetyl, and acetaldehyde flavors and salty taste, and by firmness, smoothness, tackiness, curd size, and adhesiveness texture attributes. Similar drivers of liking (diacetyl and milkfat flavors, smooth texture, and mouthcoating) were identified by both consumer research techniques. However, the QMA technique identified controversial distinctions among the cottage cheeses and the influence of brand and pricing. These results can be used by processors to promote cottage cheese sales.

Exploring social inclusion strategies for public health research and practice: The use of participatory visual methods to counter stigmas surrounding street-based substance abuse in Colombia.

PubMed

Ritterbusch, Amy E

2016-01-01

This paper presents the participatory visual research design and findings from a qualitative assessment of the social impact of bazuco and inhalant/glue consumption among street youth in Bogotá, Colombia. The paper presents the visual methodologies our participatory action research (PAR) team employed in order to identify and overcome the stigmas and discrimination that street youth experience in society and within state-sponsored drug rehabilitation programmes. I call for critical reflection regarding the broad application of the terms 'participation' and 'participatory' in visual research and urge scholars and public health practitioners to consider the transformative potential of PAR for both the research and practice of global public health in general and rehabilitation programmes for street-based substance abuse in Colombia in particular. The paper concludes with recommendations as to how participatory visual methods can be used to promote social inclusion practices and to work against stigma and discrimination in health-related research and within health institutions.

ESTEEM: A Novel Framework for Qualitatively Evaluating and Visualizing Spatiotemporal Embeddings in Social Media

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

Arendt, Dustin L.; Volkova, Svitlana

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

Visual analysis of immiscible displacement processes in porous media under ultrasound effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naderi, Khosrow; Babadagli, Tayfun

2011-05-01

The effect of sonic waves, in particular, ultrasonic radiation, on immiscible displacement in porous media and enhanced oil recovery has been of interest for more than five decades. Attempts were made to investigate the effect through core scale experimental or theoretical models. Visual experiments are useful to scrutinize the reason for improved oil recovery under acoustic waves of different frequency but are not abundant in literature. In this paper, we report observations and analyses as to the effects of ultrasonic energy on immiscible displacement and interaction of the fluid matrix visually in porous media through two-dimensional (2D) sand pack experiments. 2D glass bead models with different wettabilities were saturated with different viscosity oils and water was injected into the models. The experiments were conducted with and without ultrasound. Dynamic water injection experiments were preferred as they had both viscous and capillary forces in effect. The displacement patterns were evaluated both in terms of their shape, size, and the interface characteristics quantitatively and qualitatively to account for the effects of ultrasonic waves on the displacement and the reason for increased oil production under this type of sonic wave. More compact clusters were observed when ultrasonic energy was present in water-wet systems. In the oil-wet cases, more oil was produced after breakthrough when ultrasound was applied and no compact clusters were formed in contrast to the water-wet cases.

Exploring Black College Females’ Perceptions Regarding HIV Prevention Message Content

PubMed Central

Chandler, Rasheeta; Ross, Henry; Ozoya, Oluwatobi; Lescano, Celia; Flannigan, Timothy

2017-01-01

Media messages can facilitate delivery of accurate HIV/STI-related information. This study’s purpose was to examine pre-existing media campaigns from the iMPPACS study to assess age, gender, and culturally appropriate components identified by African American females who attend HBCUs. In three separate focus group sessions, 31 Black female college students (M age=20) viewed four vignettes and heard three audio-only clips, then ranked and commented on them based on perceived satisfaction of HIV prevention content and appropriateness of delivery. Conventional qualitative analysis, using NVivo software, was employed until saturation of content was achieved and themes derived. Six major themes emerged and were designated as: 1) Social media; 2) Mirror Image; 3) Visually dynamic Advertisements; 4) The Real World; 5) People, Place, Things; and 6) HIV Knowledge. Visually-stimulating content (i.e. graphics) was found to be most appealing in marketing HIV prevention, with brief monologue/dialogue from scenarios that resemble daily life. Socially and culturally relevant HIV prevention messages are important to Black college female students. Participants recommended creating short audio-visual messages that encompass familiar contexts like dorm rooms and appealing graphics for HIV health promotion messages, such as emojis. Future audio-only prevention advertisements for this population should employ recognizable voices (e.g. celebrity). Finally, messaging should be promoted on open and close circuited social media platforms. PMID:28098500

Quantifying the visual-sensory landscape qualities that contribute to cultural ecosystem services using social media and LiDAR

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Berkel, Derek B.; Tabrizian, Payam; Dorning, Monica; Smart, Lindsey S.; Newcomb, Doug; Mehaffey, Megan; Neale, Anne; Meentemeyer, Ross K.

2018-01-01

Landscapes are increasingly recognized for providing valuable cultural ecosystem services with numer- ous non-material benefits by serving as places of rest, relaxation, and inspiration that ultimately improve overall mental health and physical well-being. Maintaining and enhancing these valuable benefits through targeted management and conservation measures requires understanding the spatial and tem- poral determinants of perceived landscape values. Content contributed through mobile technologies and the web are emerging globally, providing a promising data source for localizing and assessing these land- scape benefits. These georeferenced data offer rich in situ qualitative information through photos and comments that capture valued and special locations across large geographic areas. We present a novel method for mapping and modeling landscape values and perceptions that leverages viewshed analysis of georeferenced social media data. Using a high resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) derived digital surface model, we are able to evaluate landscape characteristics associated with the visual- sensory qualities of outdoor recreationalists. Our results show the importance of historical monuments and attractions in addition to specific environmental features which are appreciated by the public. Evaluation of photo-image content highlights the opportunity of including temporally and spatially vari- able visual-sensory qualities in cultural ecosystem services (CES) evaluation like the sights, sounds and smells of wildlife and weather phenomena.

QUANTITATIVE GENETIC ACTIVITY GRAPHICAL PROFILES FOR USE IN CHEMICAL EVALUATION

EPA Science Inventory

A graphic approach termed a Genetic Activity Profile (GAP) has been developed to display a matrix of data on the genetic and related effects of selected chemical agents. he profiles provide a visual overview of the quantitative (doses) and qualitative (test results) data for each...

Visual Reinforcement in the Female Siamese Fighting Fish, "Betta Splendens"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elcoro, Mirari; da Silva, Stephanie P.; Lattal, Kennon A.

2008-01-01

Operant conditioning with "Betta splendens" ("Bettas") has been investigated extensively using males of the species. Ethological studies of female "Bettas" have revealed aggressive interactions that qualitatively parallel those between male "Bettas". Given these similarities, four experiments were conducted with female "Bettas" to examine the…

Focus on Fine Arts: Visual Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brigham, Don L.

Basic arts education must give students the essence of their civilization, the civilizations that contributed to it, and the more distant civilizations that enriched world civilizations as a whole. All students are potentially capable of experiencing and analyzing the fundamental qualitativeness of art; therefore, it is realistic to propose…

Real-time, label-free, intraoperative visualization of peripheral nerves and micro-vasculatures using multimodal optical imaging techniques

PubMed Central

Cha, Jaepyeong; Broch, Aline; Mudge, Scott; Kim, Kihoon; Namgoong, Jung-Man; Oh, Eugene; Kim, Peter

2018-01-01

Accurate, real-time identification and display of critical anatomic structures, such as the nerve and vasculature structures, are critical for reducing complications and improving surgical outcomes. Human vision is frequently limited in clearly distinguishing and contrasting these structures. We present a novel imaging system, which enables noninvasive visualization of critical anatomic structures during surgical dissection. Peripheral nerves are visualized by a snapshot polarimetry that calculates the anisotropic optical properties. Vascular structures, both venous and arterial, are identified and monitored in real-time using a near-infrared laser-speckle-contrast imaging. We evaluate the system by performing in vivo animal studies with qualitative comparison by contrast-agent-aided fluorescence imaging. PMID:29541506

Hearing Math: Algebra Supported eText for Students With Visual Impairments.

PubMed

Bouck, Emily C; Weng, Pei-Lin

2014-01-01

Supported eText for students with visual impairments in mathematics has a promising, emerging literature base, although little of the existing research focuses on implementation within a classroom setting. This qualitative study sought to understand the use of supported eText to deliver algebra to students with visual impairments enrolled in algebra mathematics courses. The study also sought to explore supported eText in contrast to students' traditional means of accessing an algebra text. The main results suggest supported eText holds potential in terms of delivering mathematics content; however, more research and more reflection on the field is needed regarding this approach as a sole means of presenting text. Implications for teacher professional development and implementation practices are discussed.

Making sense of personal health information: challenges for information visualization.

PubMed

Faisal, Sarah; Blandford, Ann; Potts, Henry W W

2013-09-01

This article presents a systematic review of the literature on information visualization for making sense of personal health information. Based on this review, five application themes were identified: treatment planning, examination of patients' medical records, representation of pedigrees and family history, communication and shared decision making, and life management and health monitoring. While there are recognized design challenges associated with each of these themes, such as how best to represent data visually and integrate qualitative and quantitative information, other challenges and opportunities have received little attention to date. In this article, we highlight, in particular, the opportunities for supporting people in better understanding their own illnesses and making sense of their health conditions in order to manage them more effectively.

Is there a bias against telephone interviews in qualitative research?

PubMed

Novick, Gina

2008-08-01

Telephone interviews are largely neglected in the qualitative research literature and, when discussed, they are often depicted as a less attractive alternative to face-to-face interviewing. The absence of visual cues via telephone is thought to result in loss of contextual and nonverbal data and to compromise rapport, probing, and interpretation of responses. Yet, telephones may allow respondents to feel relaxed and able to disclose sensitive information, and evidence is lacking that they produce lower quality data. This apparent bias against telephone interviews contrasts with a growing interest in electronic qualitative interviews. Research is needed comparing these modalities, and examining their impact on data quality and their use for studying varying topics and populations. Such studies could contribute evidence-based guidelines for optimizing interview data. 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Is There a Bias Against Telephone Interviews In Qualitative Research?

PubMed Central

Novick, Gina

2011-01-01

Telephone interviews are largely neglected in the qualitative research literature and, when discussed, they are often depicted as a less attractive alternative to face-to-face interviewing. The absence of visual cues via telephone is thought to result in loss of contextual and nonverbal data and to compromise rapport, probing, and interpretation of responses. Yet, telephones may allow respondents to feel relaxed and able to disclose sensitive information, and evidence is lacking that they produce lower quality data. This apparent bias against telephone interviews contrasts with a growing interest in electronic qualitative interviews. Research is needed comparing these modalities, and examining their impact on data quality and their use for studying varying topics and populations. Such studies could contribute evidence-based guidelines for optimizing interview data. PMID:18203128

An Array of Qualitative Data Analysis Tools: A Call for Data Analysis Triangulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leech, Nancy L.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

2007-01-01

One of the most important steps in the qualitative research process is analysis of data. The purpose of this article is to provide elements for understanding multiple types of qualitative data analysis techniques available and the importance of utilizing more than one type of analysis, thus utilizing data analysis triangulation, in order to…

The Neocortex of Indian River Dolphins (Genus Platanista): Comparative, Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis.

PubMed

Knopf, Julian P; Hof, Patrick R; Oelschläger, Helmut H A

2016-01-01

We investigated the morphology of four primary neocortical projection areas (somatomotor, somatosensory, auditory, visual) qualitatively and quantitatively in the Indian river dolphins (Platanista gangetica gangetica, P. gangetica minor) with histological and stereological methods. For comparison, we included brains of other toothed whale species. Design-based stereology was applied to the primary neocortical areas (M1, S1, A1, V1) of the Indian river dolphins and compared to those of the bottlenose dolphin with respect to layers III and V. These neocortical fields were identified using existing electrophysiological and morphological data from marine dolphins as to their topography and histological structure, including the characteristics of the neuron populations concerned. In contrast to other toothed whales, the visual area (V1) of the 'blind' river dolphins seems to be rather small. M1 is displaced laterally and the auditory area (A1) is larger than in marine species with respect to total brain size. The layering is similar in the cortices of all the toothed whale brains investigated; a layer IV could not be identified. Cell density in layer III is always higher than in layer V. The maximal neuron density in P. gangetica gangetica is found in layer III of A1, followed by layers III in V1, S1, and M1. The cell density in layer V is at a similar level in all primary areas. There are, however, some differences in neuron density between the two subspecies of Indian river dolphins. Taken as a whole, it appears that the neocortex of platanistids exhibits a considerable expansion of the auditory field. Even more than other toothed whales, they seem to depend on their biosonar abilities for navigation, hunting, and communication in their riverine habitat. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Visual processing affects the neural basis of auditory discrimination.

PubMed

Kislyuk, Daniel S; Möttönen, Riikka; Sams, Mikko

2008-12-01

The interaction between auditory and visual speech streams is a seamless and surprisingly effective process. An intriguing example is the "McGurk effect": The acoustic syllable /ba/ presented simultaneously with a mouth articulating /ga/ is typically heard as /da/ [McGurk, H., & MacDonald, J. Hearing lips and seeing voices. Nature, 264, 746-748, 1976]. Previous studies have demonstrated the interaction of auditory and visual streams at the auditory cortex level, but the importance of these interactions for the qualitative perception change remained unclear because the change could result from interactions at higher processing levels as well. In our electroencephalogram experiment, we combined the McGurk effect with mismatch negativity (MMN), a response that is elicited in the auditory cortex at a latency of 100-250 msec by any above-threshold change in a sequence of repetitive sounds. An "odd-ball" sequence of acoustic stimuli consisting of frequent /va/ syllables (standards) and infrequent /ba/ syllables (deviants) was presented to 11 participants. Deviant stimuli in the unisensory acoustic stimulus sequence elicited a typical MMN, reflecting discrimination of acoustic features in the auditory cortex. When the acoustic stimuli were dubbed onto a video of a mouth constantly articulating /va/, the deviant acoustic /ba/ was heard as /va/ due to the McGurk effect and was indistinguishable from the standards. Importantly, such deviants did not elicit MMN, indicating that the auditory cortex failed to discriminate between the acoustic stimuli. Our findings show that visual stream can qualitatively change the auditory percept at the auditory cortex level, profoundly influencing the auditory cortex mechanisms underlying early sound discrimination.

Qualitative Data Analysis: A Compendium of Techniques and a Framework for Selection for School Psychology Research and Beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leech, Nancy L.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

2008-01-01

Qualitative researchers in school psychology have a multitude of analyses available for data. The purpose of this article is to present several of the most common methods for analyzing qualitative data. Specifically, the authors describe the following 18 qualitative analysis techniques: method of constant comparison analysis, keywords-in-context,…

More than what the eye can see: the emotional journey and experience of powerlessness of integrated care service users and their carers

PubMed Central

Boudioni, Markella; Hallett, Nina; Lora, Cristina; Couchman, Wendy

2015-01-01

Purpose This article presents the emotional journey and experience of powerlessness of integrated care service users and carers. Materials and methods The experiences of seven integrated care service users and carers affected by complex conditions in a London borough were captured as video stories. The integrated care service coordinated a system of health and social care: primary care, community matrons, social workers, and the voluntary sector. The service was designed to respond to identified cases of high-risk individuals with long-term, multiple, and age-related conditions needing preventive interventions. The video stories were analyzed by researchers in collaboration with service users using a visual thematic qualitative approach. This report is part of an independent analysis of the integrated care service evaluation that used the experience-based codesign model. Results The findings are presented in the respective contexts of people with complex conditions and their carers. The overwhelming feelings and emotions of both were loss of control and power throughout their emotional journey, with family carers adopting a protective attitude toward the patients. Their experience of powerlessness was variable throughout their emotional journey. They were affected more strongly when in need of extra help and support and while they were undergoing the process of receiving extra services. When they were receiving help and support outside and within hospitals, some participants were empowered, gaining skills and knowledge by being provided with the mechanisms to cope with their condition at present and in the future. Conclusion Feelings of powerlessness were very common among integrated care service users and their carers. Powerless/empowerment has been poorly investigated to date. Visual methods and collaborative visual analysis with service users have proved to be powerful methods too, but have been rarely reported. PMID:25848232

Single-step transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy in myopia and astigmatism: 18-month follow-up.

PubMed

Adib-Moghaddam, Soheil; Soleyman-Jahi, Saeed; Salmanian, Bahram; Omidvari, Amir-Houshang; Adili-Aghdam, Fatemeh; Noorizadeh, Farsad; Eslani, Medi

2016-11-01

To evaluate the long-term quantitative and qualitative optical outcomes of 1-step transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) to correct myopia and astigmatism. Bina Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Prospective interventional case series. Eyes with myopia with or without astigmatism were evaluated. One-step transepithelial PRK was performed with an aberration-free aspheric optimized profile and the Amaris 500 laser. Eighteen-month follow-up results for refraction, visual acuities, vector analysis, higher-order aberrations, contrast sensitivity, postoperative pain, and haze grade were assessed. The study enrolled 146 eyes (74 patients). At the end of follow-up, 93.84% of eyes had an uncorrected distance visual acuity of 20/20 or better and 97.94% of eyes were within ±0.5 diopter of the targeted spherical refraction. On vector analysis, the mean correction index value was close to 1 and the mean index of success and magnitude of error values were close to 0. The achieved correction vector was on an axis counterclockwise to the axis of the intended correction. Photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivities and ocular and corneal spherical, cylindrical, and corneal coma aberrations significantly improved (all P < .001). A slight amount of trefoil aberration was induced (P < .001, ocular aberration; P < .01, corneal aberration). No eye lost more than 1 line of corrected distance visual acuity. No eye had a haze grade of 2+ degrees or higher throughout the follow-up. Eighteen-month results indicate the efficacy and safety of transepithelial PRK to correct myopia and astigmatism. It improved refraction and quality of vision. None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Copyright © 2016 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of visual aids for risk evaluation by hospitalized patients with coronary artery disease: results from face-to-face interviews.

PubMed

Magliano, Carlos Alberto da Silva; Monteiro, Andrea Liborio; Tura, Bernardo Rangel; Oliveira, Claudia Silvia Rocha; Rebelo, Amanda Rebeca de Oliveira; Pereira, Claudia Cristina de Aguiar

2018-01-01

Communicating information about risk and probability to patients is considered a difficult task. In this study, we aim to evaluate the use of visual aids representing perioperative mortality and long-term survival in the communication process for patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease at the National Institute of Cardiology, a Brazilian public hospital specializing in cardiology. One-on-one interviews were conducted between August 1 and November 20, 2017. Patients were asked to imagine that their doctor was seeking their input in the decision regarding which treatment represented the best option for them. Patients were required to choose between alternatives by considering only the different benefits and risks shown in each scenario, described as the proportion of patients who had died during the perioperative period and within 5 years. Each participant evaluated the same eight scenarios. We evaluated their answers in a qualitative and quantitative analysis. The main findings were that all patients verbally expressed concern about perioperative mortality and that 25% did not express concern about long-term mortality. Twelve percent considered the probabilities irrelevant on the grounds that their prognosis would depend on "God's will." Ten percent of the patients disregarded the reported likelihood of perioperative mortality, deciding to focus solely on the "chance of being cured." In the quantitative analysis, the vast majority of respondents chose the "correct" alternatives, meaning that they made consistent and rational choices. The use of visual aids to present risk attributes appeared feasible in our sample. The impact of heuristics and religious beliefs on shared health decision making needs to be explored better in future studies.

QUAGOL: a guide for qualitative data analysis.

PubMed

Dierckx de Casterlé, Bernadette; Gastmans, Chris; Bryon, Els; Denier, Yvonne

2012-03-01

Data analysis is a complex and contested part of the qualitative research process, which has received limited theoretical attention. Researchers are often in need of useful instructions or guidelines on how to analyze the mass of qualitative data, but face the lack of clear guidance for using particular analytic methods. The aim of this paper is to propose and discuss the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL), a guide that was developed in order to be able to truly capture the rich insights of qualitative interview data. The article describes six major problems researchers are often struggling with during the process of qualitative data analysis. Consequently, the QUAGOL is proposed as a guide to facilitate the process of analysis. Challenges emerged and lessons learned from own extensive experiences with qualitative data analysis within the Grounded Theory Approach, as well as from those of other researchers (as described in the literature), were discussed and recommendations were presented. Strengths and pitfalls of the proposed method were discussed in detail. The Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL) offers a comprehensive method to guide the process of qualitative data analysis. The process consists of two parts, each consisting of five stages. The method is systematic but not rigid. It is characterized by iterative processes of digging deeper, constantly moving between the various stages of the process. As such, it aims to stimulate the researcher's intuition and creativity as optimal as possible. The QUAGOL guide is a theory and practice-based guide that supports and facilitates the process of analysis of qualitative interview data. Although the method can facilitate the process of analysis, it cannot guarantee automatic quality. The skills of the researcher and the quality of the research team remain the most crucial components of a successful process of analysis. Additionally, the importance of constantly moving between the various stages throughout the research process cannot be overstated. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct Visualization of Mechanical Beats by Means of an Oscillating Smartphone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giménez, Marcos H.; Salinas, Isabel; Monsoriu, Juan A.; Castro-Palacio, Juan C.

2017-01-01

The resonance phenomenon is widely known in physics courses. Qualitatively speaking, resonance takes place in a driven oscillating system whenever the frequency approaches the natural frequency, resulting in maximal oscillatory amplitude. Very closely related to resonance is the phenomenon of mechanical beating, which occurs when the driving and…

Adaptive Visualization for Focused Personalized Information Retrieval

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahn, Jae-wook

2010-01-01

The new trend on the Web has totally changed today's information access environment. The traditional information overload problem has evolved into the qualitative level beyond the quantitative growth. The mode of producing and consuming information is changing and we need a new paradigm for accessing information. Personalized search is one of…

Infrared Thermal Imaging as a Tool in University Physics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mollmann, Klaus-Peter; Vollmer, Michael

2007-01-01

Infrared thermal imaging is a valuable tool in physics education at the university level. It can help to visualize and thereby enhance understanding of physical phenomena from mechanics, thermal physics, electromagnetism, optics and radiation physics, qualitatively as well as quantitatively. We report on its use as lecture demonstrations, student…

Collecting, Transcribing, Analyzing and Presenting Plurilingual Interactional Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Emilee; Llompart, Júlia

2017-01-01

Interactional data is often central to research in plurilingual learning environments. However, getting a grip on the processes of collecting, organizing, transcribing, analyzing and presenting audio and/or visual data is possibly the most exciting, but also one of the most challenging things about learning to do qualitative research. Although the…

Confronting "Difficult Knowledge": Critical Aesthetics and War in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heybach Vivirito, Jessica A.

2012-01-01

This qualitative multi-site case study explores critical aesthetic experiences in teacher education classrooms, and advocates for the inclusion of theoretical and practical knowledge of "difficult knowledge," visual culture, and critical aesthetics in the classroom. Social reality consists of a perpetual stream of tragic and horrific…

Learning Visualization Strategies: A Qualitative Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halpern, Daniel; Oh, Kyong Eun; Tremaine, Marilyn; Chiang, James; Bemis, Karen; Silver, Deborah

2015-01-01

The following study investigates the range of strategies individuals develop to infer and interpret cross-sections of three-dimensional objects. We focus on the identification of mental representations and problem-solving processes made by 11 individuals with the goal of building training applications that integrate the strategies developed by the…

Practicing Multilingual Identities: Online Interactions in a Korean Dramas Forum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Grace MyHyun

2016-01-01

This article presents the language practices of global youth who populate an online discussion forum devoted to Korea-produced dramas. Qualitative data included the writing, visual images, and interactions created within the forum. Findings revealed youth from geographically disparate places using new media affordances to engage with a minority…

Emotional Responses to the Linguistic Landscape in Memphis, Tennessee: Visual Perceptions of Public Spaces in Transition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garvin, Rebecca Todd

2011-01-01

This qualitative ethnographic Linguistic Landscape (LL) study collected and analyzed ten individual "walking tour" interviews with residents of Memphis, Tennessee, exploring the personal thoughts and feelings about linguistic changes in the communities triggered by the LL. The researcher focused the participants' attention on…

A Qualitative Analogy for Respiratory Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baptista, Vander

2010-01-01

The geometric configuration and mechanical properties of the integral elements of the respiratory system, as well as the modus operandi of the interacting parts in the ventilation process, comprise a hard-to-visualize system, making the mechanics of pulmonary ventilation a confusing topic for students and a difficult task for the teacher. To…

APPLICATION OF 3D COMPUTER-AIDED TOMOGRAPHY TO THE QUANTIFICATION OF MARINE SEDIMENT COMMUNITIES IN POLLUTION GRADIENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Computer-Aided Tomography (CT) has been demonstrated to be a cost efficient tool for the qualitative and quantitative study of estuarine benthic communities along pollution gradients.
Now we have advanced this technology to successfully visualize and discriminate three dimen...

Pathways in Interactive Media Practices among Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van den Beemt, Antoine; Akkerman, Sanne; Simons, P. Robert-Jan

2010-01-01

This qualitative study examines how 11 Dutch students aged 14-15 develop an interest in specific types of interactive media practices and how they perceive these practices in relation to others. The methods included semi-structured interviewing, autodriving visual elicitation and photo elicitation using moodboards. Our results show the importance…

Using Framework Analysis in nursing research: a worked example.

PubMed

Ward, Deborah J; Furber, Christine; Tierney, Stephanie; Swallow, Veronica

2013-11-01

To demonstrate Framework Analysis using a worked example and to illustrate how criticisms of qualitative data analysis including issues of clarity and transparency can be addressed. Critics of the analysis of qualitative data sometimes cite lack of clarity and transparency about analytical procedures; this can deter nurse researchers from undertaking qualitative studies. Framework Analysis is flexible, systematic, and rigorous, offering clarity, transparency, an audit trail, an option for theme-based and case-based analysis and for readily retrievable data. This paper offers further explanation of the process undertaken which is illustrated with a worked example. Data were collected from 31 nursing students in 2009 using semi-structured interviews. The data collected are not reported directly here but used as a worked example for the five steps of Framework Analysis. Suggestions are provided to guide researchers through essential steps in undertaking Framework Analysis. The benefits and limitations of Framework Analysis are discussed. Nurses increasingly use qualitative research methods and need to use an analysis approach that offers transparency and rigour which Framework Analysis can provide. Nurse researchers may find the detailed critique of Framework Analysis presented in this paper a useful resource when designing and conducting qualitative studies. Qualitative data analysis presents challenges in relation to the volume and complexity of data obtained and the need to present an 'audit trail' for those using the research findings. Framework Analysis is an appropriate, rigorous and systematic method for undertaking qualitative analysis. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Learn by Yourself: The Self-Learning Tools for Qualitative Analysis Software Packages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freitas, Fábio; Ribeiro, Jaime; Brandão, Catarina; Reis, Luís Paulo; de Souza, Francislê Neri; Costa, António Pedro

2017-01-01

Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) are tools that help researchers to develop qualitative research projects. These software packages help the users with tasks such as transcription analysis, coding and text interpretation, writing and annotation, content search and analysis, recursive abstraction, grounded theory…

Counseling Immigrant Parents about Food and Feeding Practices: Public Health Nurses' Experiences.

PubMed

Holmberg Fagerlund, Bettina; Pettersen, Kjell Sverre; Terragni, Laura; Glavin, Kari

2016-07-01

To describe the experiences of public health nurses (PHNs) in counseling immigrant parents on food and feeding practices at child health centers (CHCs). In this study employing a qualitative description (QD) approach, the participants (n = 26) were PHNs from five CHCs in the greater Oslo region of Norway. Data were collected through five focus group interviews and examined using qualitative content analysis. Counseling on food and feeding practices was an important topic in most consultations with immigrant parents. The PHNs were concerned that the child should eat ordinary, healthy food regularly. Immigrant families were often experienced as a "generic group" and the PHNs disclosed that they rarely adjusted their counseling strategy based on enquiries about families' food culture or parents' level of education or knowledge. Time constraints and language and cultural barriers were common challenges. The PHNs suggested that culturally adapted information materials and visual aids from health authorities could improve communication. Counseling immigrant parents on food and feeding at CHCs is often challenging for PHNs. The study findings could be used in the development of guidelines to assist PHNs in delivering culturally competent counseling about food and feeding practices. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Beyond access: a case study on the intersection between accessibility, sustainability, and universal design.

PubMed

Gossett, Andrea; Mirza, Mansha; Barnds, Ann Kathleen; Feidt, Daisy

2009-11-01

A growing emphasis has been placed on providing equal opportunities for all people, particularly people with disabilities, to support participation. Barriers to participation are represented in part by physical space restrictions. This article explores the decision-making process during the construction of a new office building housing a disability-rights organization. The building project featured in this study was developed on the principles of universal design, maximal accessibility, and sustainability to support access and participation. A qualitative case study approach was used involving collection of data through in-depth interviews with key decision-makers; non-participant observations at design meetings; and on-site tours. Qualitative thematic analysis along with the development of a classification system was used to understand specific building elements and the relevant decision processes from which they resulted. Recording and analyzing the design process revealed several key issues including grassroots involvement of stakeholders; interaction between universal design and sustainable design; addressing diversity through flexibility and universality; and segregationist accessibility versus universal design. This case study revealed complex interactions between accessibility, universal design, and sustainability. Two visual models were proposed to understand and analyze these complexities.

A study of the accuracy of neutrally buoyant bubbles used as flow tracers in air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerho, Michael F.

1993-01-01

Research has been performed to determine the accuracy of neutrally buoyant and near neutrally buoyant bubbles used as flow tracers in air. Theoretical, computational, and experimental results are presented to evaluate the dynamics of bubble trajectories and factors affecting their ability to trace flow-field streamlines. The equation of motion for a single bubble was obtained and evaluated using a computational scheme to determine the factors which affect a bubble's trajectory. A two-dimensional experiment was also conducted to experimentally determine bubble trajectories in the stagnation region of NACA 0012 airfoil at 0 deg angle of attack using a commercially available helium bubble generation system. Physical properties of the experimental bubble trajectories were estimated using the computational scheme. These properties included the density ratio and diameter of the individual bubbles. the helium bubble system was then used to visualize and document the flow field about a 30 deg swept semispan wing with simulated glaze ice. Results were compared to Navier-Stokes calculations and surface oil flow visualization. The theoretical and computational analysis have shown that neutrally buoyant bubbles will trace even the most complex flow patterns. Experimental analysis revealed that the use of bubbles to trace flow patterns should be limited to qualitative measurements unless care is taken to ensure neutral buoyancy. This is due to the difficulty in the production of neutrally buoyant bubbles.

Web-based visual analysis for high-throughput genomics

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Visualization plays an essential role in genomics research by making it possible to observe correlations and trends in large datasets as well as communicate findings to others. Visual analysis, which combines visualization with analysis tools to enable seamless use of both approaches for scientific investigation, offers a powerful method for performing complex genomic analyses. However, there are numerous challenges that arise when creating rich, interactive Web-based visualizations/visual analysis applications for high-throughput genomics. These challenges include managing data flow from Web server to Web browser, integrating analysis tools and visualizations, and sharing visualizations with colleagues. Results We have created a platform simplifies the creation of Web-based visualization/visual analysis applications for high-throughput genomics. This platform provides components that make it simple to efficiently query very large datasets, draw common representations of genomic data, integrate with analysis tools, and share or publish fully interactive visualizations. Using this platform, we have created a Circos-style genome-wide viewer, a generic scatter plot for correlation analysis, an interactive phylogenetic tree, a scalable genome browser for next-generation sequencing data, and an application for systematically exploring tool parameter spaces to find good parameter values. All visualizations are interactive and fully customizable. The platform is integrated with the Galaxy (http://galaxyproject.org) genomics workbench, making it easy to integrate new visual applications into Galaxy. Conclusions Visualization and visual analysis play an important role in high-throughput genomics experiments, and approaches are needed to make it easier to create applications for these activities. Our framework provides a foundation for creating Web-based visualizations and integrating them into Galaxy. Finally, the visualizations we have created using the framework are useful tools for high-throughput genomics experiments. PMID:23758618

SU-F-R-18: Updates to the Computational Environment for Radiological Research for Image Analysis

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

Apte, Aditya P.; Deasy, Joseph O.

2016-06-15

Purpose: To present new tools in CERR for Texture Analysis and Visualization. Method: (1) Quantitative Image Analysis: We added the ability to compute Haralick texture features based on local neighbourhood. The Texture features depend on many parameters used in their derivation. For example: (a) directionality, (b) quantization of image, (c) patch-size for the neighborhood, (d) handling of the edge voxels within the region of interest, (e) Averaging co-occurance matrix vs texture features for different directions etc. A graphical user interface was built to set these parameters and then visualize their impact on the resulting texture maps. The entire functionality wasmore » written in Matlab. Array indexing was used to speed up the texture calculation. The computation speed is very competitive with the ITK library. Moreover, our implementation works with multiple CPUs and the computation time can be further reduced by using multiple processor threads. In order to reduce the Haralick texture maps into scalar features, we propose the use of Texture Volume Histograms. This lets users make use of the entire distribution of texture values within the region of interest rather than using just the mean and the standard deviations. (2) Qualitative/Visualization tools: The derived texture maps are stored as a new scan (derived) within CERR’s planC data structure. A display that compares various scans was built to show the raw image and the derived texture maps side-by-side. These images are positionally linked and can be navigated together. CERR’s graphics handling was updated and sped-up to be compatible with the newer Matlab versions. As a result, the users can use (a) different window levels and colormaps for different viewports, (b) click-and-drag or use mouse scroll-wheel to navigate slices. Results: The new features and updates are available via https://www.github.com/adityaapte/cerr . Conclusion: Features added to CERR increase its utility in Radiomics and Outcomes modeling.« less

Data, Analysis, and Visualization | Computational Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Data, Analysis, and Visualization Data, Analysis, and Visualization Data management, data analysis . At NREL, our data management, data analysis, and scientific visualization capabilities help move the approaches to image analysis and computer vision. Data Management and Big Data Systems, software, and tools

Recurrence Plots: a New Tool for Quantification of Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System Recovery after Transplant.

PubMed

Takakura, Isabela Thomaz; Hoshi, Rosangela Akemi; Santos, Márcio Antonio; Pivatelli, Flávio Correa; Nóbrega, João Honorato; Guedes, Débora Linhares; Nogueira, Victor Freire; Frota, Tuane Queiroz; Castelo, Gabriel Castro; Godoy, Moacir Fernandes de

2017-01-01

To evaluate a possible evolutionary post-heart transplant return of autonomic function using quantitative and qualitative information from recurrence plots. Using electrocardiography, 102 RR tachograms of 45 patients (64.4% male) who underwent heart transplantation and that were available in the database were analyzed at different follow-up periods. The RR tachograms were collected from patients in the supine position for about 20 minutes. A time series with 1000 RR intervals was analyzed, a recurrence plot was created, and the following quantitative variables were evaluated: percentage of determinism, percentage of recurrence, average diagonal length, Shannon entropy, and sample entropy, as well as the visual qualitative aspect. Quantitative and qualitative signs of heart rate variability recovery were observed after transplantation. There is evidence that autonomic innervation of the heart begins to happen gradually after transplantation. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of recurrence can be useful tools for monitoring cardiac transplant patients and detecting the gradual return of heart rate variability.

[Qualitative research in health services research - discussion paper, Part 2: Qualitative research in health services research in Germany - an overview].

PubMed

Karbach, U; Stamer, M; Holmberg, C; Güthlin, C; Patzelt, C; Meyer, T

2012-08-01

This is the second part of a 3-part discussion paper by the working group on "Qualitative Methods" in the German network of health services research (DNVF) that shall contribute to the development of a memorandum concerning qualitative health services research. It aims to depict the different types of qualitative research that are conducted in health services research in Germany. In addition, the authors present a specific set of qualitative data collection and analysis tools to demonstrate the potential of qualitative research for health services research. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH - AN OVERVIEW: To give an overview of the types of qualitative research conducted in German health services research, the abstracts of the 8th German Conference on Health Services Research were filtered to identify qualitative or mixed-methods studies. These were then analysed by looking at the context which was studied, who was studied, the aims of the studies, and what type of methods were used. Those methods that were mentioned most often for data collection and analysis are described in detail. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AT THE CONFERENCE FOR HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH 2009: Approximately a fifth of all abstracts (n=74) had a qualitative (n=47) or a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods (n=27). Research aims included needs assessment (41%), survey development (36%), evaluation (22%), and theorizing (1%). Data collection mostly consisted of one-on-one interviews (n=45) and group discussions (n=29). Qualitative content analysis was named in 35 abstracts, 30 abstracts did not reference their method of analysis. In addition to a quantitative summary of the abstract findings, the diversity of fields addressed by qualitative methods is highlighted. Although drawing conclusions on the use of qualitative methods in German health services research from the analysis of conference abstracts is not possible, the overview we present demonstrates the diversity of methods used for data collection and analysis and showed that a few select methods are extensively used. One of the tasks a memorandum of qualitative health services research should accomplish is to highlight underutilized research methods, which may help to develop the potential of qualitative methodology in German health services research. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Dynamic 18F-FET PET in newly diagnosed astrocytic low-grade glioma identifies high-risk patients.

PubMed

Jansen, Nathalie L; Suchorska, Bogdana; Wenter, Vera; Eigenbrod, Sabina; Schmid-Tannwald, Christine; Zwergal, Andreas; Niyazi, Maximilian; Drexler, Mark; Bartenstein, Peter; Schnell, Oliver; Tonn, Jörg-Christian; Thon, Niklas; Kreth, Friedrich-Wilhelm; la Fougère, Christian

2014-02-01

Because the clinical course of low-grade gliomas in the individual adult patient varies considerably and is unpredictable, we investigated the prognostic value of dynamic (18)F-fluorethyltyrosine ((18)F-FET) PET in the early diagnosis of astrocytic low-grade glioma (World Health Organization grade II). Fifty-nine patients with newly diagnosed low-grade glioma and dynamic (18)F-FET PET before histopathologic assessment were retrospectively investigated. (18)F-FET PET analysis comprised a qualitative visual classification of lesions; assessment of the semiquantitative parameters maximal, mean, and total standardized uptake value as ratio to background and biologic tumor volume; and dynamic analysis of intratumoral (18)F-FET uptake over time (increasing vs. decreasing time-activity curves). The correlation between PET parameters and progression-free survival, overall survival, and time to malignant transformation was investigated. (18)F-FET uptake greater than the background level was found in 34 of 59 tumors. Dynamic (18)F-FET uptake analysis was available for 30 of these 34 patients. Increasing and decreasing time-activity curves were found in 18 and 12 patients, respectively. Neither the qualitative factor presence or absence of (18)F-FET uptake nor any of the semiquantitative uptake parameters significantly influenced clinical outcome. In contrast, decreasing time-activity curves in the kinetic analysis were highly prognostic for shorter progression-free survival and time to malignant transformation (P < 0.001). Absence of (18)F-FET uptake in newly diagnosed astrocytic low-grade glioma does not generally indicate an indolent disease course. Among the (18)F-FET-positive gliomas, decreasing time-activity curves in dynamic (18)F-FET PET constitute an unfavorable prognostic factor in astrocytic low-grade glioma and, by identifying high-risk patients, may ease treatment decisions.

Comparison analysis between filtered back projection and algebraic reconstruction technique on microwave imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramadhan, Rifqi; Prabowo, Rian Gilang; Aprilliyani, Ria; Basari

2018-02-01

Victims of acute cancer and tumor are growing each year and cancer becomes one of the causes of human deaths in the world. Cancers or tumor tissue cells are cells that grow abnormally and turn to take over and damage the surrounding tissues. At the beginning, cancers or tumors do not have definite symptoms in its early stages, and can even attack the tissues inside of the body. This phenomena is not identifiable under visual human observation. Therefore, an early detection system which is cheap, quick, simple, and portable is essensially required to anticipate the further development of cancer or tumor. Among all of the modalities, microwave imaging is considered to be a cheaper, simple, and portable system method. There are at least two simple image reconstruction algorithms i.e. Filtered Back Projection (FBP) and Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (ART), which have been adopted in some common modalities. In this paper, both algorithms will be compared by reconstructing the image from an artificial tissue model (i.e. phantom), which has two different dielectric distributions. We addressed two performance comparisons, namely quantitative and qualitative analysis. Qualitative analysis includes the smoothness of the image and also the success in distinguishing dielectric differences by observing the image with human eyesight. In addition, quantitative analysis includes Histogram, Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), Mean Squared Error (MSE), and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) calculation were also performed. As a result, quantitative parameters of FBP might show better values than the ART. However, ART is likely more capable to distinguish two different dielectric value than FBP, due to higher contrast in ART and wide distribution grayscale level.

Describing the Situational Contexts of Sweetened Product Consumption in a Middle Eastern Canadian Community: Application of a Mixed Method Design

PubMed Central

Moubarac, Jean-Claude; Cargo, Margaret; Receveur, Olivier; Daniel, Mark

2012-01-01

Little is known about the situational contexts in which individuals consume processed sources of dietary sugars. This study aimed to describe the situational contexts associated with the consumption of sweetened food and drink products in a Catholic Middle Eastern Canadian community. A two-stage exploratory sequential mixed-method design was employed with a rationale of triangulation. In stage 1 (n = 62), items and themes describing the situational contexts of sweetened food and drink product consumption were identified from semi-structured interviews and were used to develop the content for the Situational Context Instrument for Sweetened Product Consumption (SCISPC). Face validity, readability and cultural relevance of the instrument were assessed. In stage 2 (n = 192), a cross-sectional study was conducted and exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the structure of themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis as a means of furthering construct validation. The SCISPC reliability and predictive validity on the daily consumption of sweetened products were also assessed. In stage 1, six themes and 40-items describing the situational contexts of sweetened product consumption emerged from the qualitative analysis and were used to construct the first draft of the SCISPC. In stage 2, factor analysis enabled the clarification and/or expansion of the instrument's initial thematic structure. The revised SCISPC has seven factors and 31 items describing the situational contexts of sweetened product consumption. Initial validation of the instrument indicated it has excellent internal consistency and adequate test-retest reliability. Two factors of the SCISPC had predictive validity for the daily consumption of total sugar from sweetened products (Snacking and Energy demands) while the other factors (Socialization, Indulgence, Constraints, Visual Stimuli and Emotional needs) were rather associated to occasional consumption of these products. PMID:23028597

Beyond Constant Comparison Qualitative Data Analysis: Using NVivo

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leech, Nancy L.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

2011-01-01

The purposes of this paper are to outline seven types of qualitative data analysis techniques, to present step-by-step guidance for conducting these analyses via a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software program (i.e., NVivo9), and to present screenshots of the data analysis process. Specifically, the following seven analyses are…

Ultrasound-guided injection for MR arthrography of the hip: comparison of two different techniques.

PubMed

Kantarci, Fatih; Ozbayrak, Mustafa; Gulsen, Fatih; Gencturk, Mert; Botanlioglu, Huseyin; Mihmanli, Ismail

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the two different ultrasound-guided injection techniques for MR arthrography of the hip. Fifty-nine consecutive patients (21 men, 38 women) referred for MR arthrographies of the hip were prospectively included in the study. Three patients underwent bilateral MR arthrography. The two injection techniques were quantitatively and qualitatively compared. Quantitative analysis was performed by the comparison of injected contrast material volume into the hip joint. Qualitative analysis was performed with regard to extraarticular leakage of contrast material into the soft tissues. Extraarticular leakage of contrast material was graded as none, minimal, moderate, or severe according to the MR images. Each patient rated discomfort after the procedure using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The injected contrast material volume was less in femoral head puncture technique (mean 8.9 ± 3.4 ml) when compared to femoral neck puncture technique (mean 11.2 ± 2.9 ml) (p < 0.05). The chi-squared test showed significantly more contrast leakage by femoral head puncture technique (p < 0.05). Statistical analysis showed no difference between the head and neck puncture groups in terms of feeling of pain (p = 0.744) or in the body mass index (p = 0.658) of the patients. The femoral neck injection technique provides high intraarticular contrast volume and produces less extraarticular contrast leakage than the femoral head injection technique when US guidance is used for MR arthrography of the hip.

Visual search among items of different salience: removal of visual attention mimics a lesion in extrastriate area V4.

PubMed

Braun, J

1994-02-01

In more than one respect, visual search for the most salient or the least salient item in a display are different kinds of visual tasks. The present work investigated whether this difference is primarily one of perceptual difficulty, or whether it is more fundamental and relates to visual attention. Display items of different salience were produced by varying either size, contrast, color saturation, or pattern. Perceptual masking was employed and, on average, mask onset was delayed longer in search for the least salient item than in search for the most salient item. As a result, the two types of visual search presented comparable perceptual difficulty, as judged by psychophysical measures of performance, effective stimulus contrast, and stability of decision criterion. To investigate the role of attention in the two types of search, observers attempted to carry out a letter discrimination and a search task concurrently. To discriminate the letters, observers had to direct visual attention at the center of the display and, thus, leave unattended the periphery, which contained target and distractors of the search task. In this situation, visual search for the least salient item was severely impaired while visual search for the most salient item was only moderately affected, demonstrating a fundamental difference with respect to visual attention. A qualitatively identical pattern of results was encountered by Schiller and Lee (1991), who used similar visual search tasks to assess the effect of a lesion in extrastriate area V4 of the macaque.

Query-Driven Visualization and Analysis

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

Ruebel, Oliver; Bethel, E. Wes; Prabhat, Mr.

2012-11-01

This report focuses on an approach to high performance visualization and analysis, termed query-driven visualization and analysis (QDV). QDV aims to reduce the amount of data that needs to be processed by the visualization, analysis, and rendering pipelines. The goal of the data reduction process is to separate out data that is "scientifically interesting'' and to focus visualization, analysis, and rendering on that interesting subset. The premise is that for any given visualization or analysis task, the data subset of interest is much smaller than the larger, complete data set. This strategy---extracting smaller data subsets of interest and focusing ofmore » the visualization processing on these subsets---is complementary to the approach of increasing the capacity of the visualization, analysis, and rendering pipelines through parallelism. This report discusses the fundamental concepts in QDV, their relationship to different stages in the visualization and analysis pipelines, and presents QDV's application to problems in diverse areas, ranging from forensic cybersecurity to high energy physics.« less

Emotional anchoring and objectification in the media reporting on climate change.

PubMed

Höijer, Birgitta

2010-11-01

Using the framework of social representations theory--more precisely the concepts of anchoring and objectification--this article analyses the emotions on which the media reporting on climate change draws. Emotions are thereby regarded as discursive phenomena. A qualitative analysis of two series in Swedish media on climate change, one in a tabloid newspaper and one in public service television news, is presented showing how the verbal and visual representations are attached to emotions of fear, hope, guilt, compassion and nostalgia. It is further argued that emotional representations of climate change may on the one hand enhance public engagement in the issue, but on the other hand may draw attention away from climate change as the abstract, long-term phenomenon of a statistical character that it is.

Recurrence Quantification of Fractal Structures

PubMed Central

Webber, Charles L.

2012-01-01

By definition, fractal structures possess recurrent patterns. At different levels repeating patterns can be visualized at higher magnifications. The purpose of this chapter is threefold. First, general characteristics of dynamical systems are addressed from a theoretical mathematical perspective. Second, qualitative and quantitative recurrence analyses are reviewed in brief, but the reader is directed to other sources for explicit details. Third, example mathematical systems that generate strange attractors are explicitly defined, giving the reader the ability to reproduce the rich dynamics of continuous chaotic flows or discrete chaotic iterations. The challenge is then posited for the reader to study for themselves the recurrent structuring of these different dynamics. With a firm appreciation of the power of recurrence analysis, the reader will be prepared to turn their sights on real-world systems (physiological, psychological, mechanical, etc.). PMID:23060808

Two Strategies for Qualitative Content Analysis: An Intramethod Approach to Triangulation.

PubMed

Renz, Susan M; Carrington, Jane M; Badger, Terry A

2018-04-01

The overarching aim of qualitative research is to gain an understanding of certain social phenomena. Qualitative research involves the studied use and collection of empirical materials, all to describe moments and meanings in individuals' lives. Data derived from these various materials require a form of analysis of the content, focusing on written or spoken language as communication, to provide context and understanding of the message. Qualitative research often involves the collection of data through extensive interviews, note taking, and tape recording. These methods are time- and labor-intensive. With the advances in computerized text analysis software, the practice of combining methods to analyze qualitative data can assist the researcher in making large data sets more manageable and enhance the trustworthiness of the results. This article will describe a novel process of combining two methods of qualitative data analysis, or Intramethod triangulation, as a means to provide a deeper analysis of text.

Incremental value of three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography over two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of Lambl's excrescences and nodules of Arantius on the aortic valve.

PubMed

Dumaswala, Bhavin; Dumaswala, Komal; Hsiung, Ming Chon; Quiroz, Luis David Meggo; Sungur, Aylin; Escanuela, Maximilliano German Amado; Mehta, Kruti; Oz, Tugba Kemaloglu; Bhagatwala, Kunal; Karia, Nidhi M; Nanda, Navin C

2013-09-01

In this retrospective study, we identified 7 cases where Lambl's excrescences were identified by two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (2DTEE) and also had live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) studies available for comparison. We subsequently assessed them for the presence of Lambl's excrescences (LE) and nodules of Arantius (NA) on the aortic valve. After their identification, we qualitatively and quantitatively organized our findings by number, cusp location, measurements, and orientation if applicable. A greater number of LE was found by 3DTEE than 2DTEE (19 vs. 11, respectively). In all 3DTEE studies, their cusp attachment site, their x-, y-, and z-axis measurements, and orientation were clearly visualized and described. Only 3DTEE studies provided confident visualization of the cusp attachment sites. Similarly, a greater number of NA was found by 3DTEE than 2DTEE (21 vs. 5, respectively). The triad of NA was visualized in all 3DTEE studies and each was described using its x-, y-, and z- axis measurements. Only three 2DTEE studies provided reliable identification of the NA. In conclusion, we present further evidence of the incremental value of 3DTEE over 2DTEE in the qualitative and quantitative assessment of cardiac structures including LE and NA on the aortic valve. © 2013, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Computer-Assisted Analysis of Qualitative Gerontological Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiemstra, Roger; And Others

1987-01-01

Asserts that qualitative research has great potential for use in gerontological research. Describes QUALOG, a computer-assisted, qualitative data analysis scheme using logic programming developed at Syracuse University. Reviews development of QUALOG and discusses how QUALOG was used to analyze data from a qualitative study of older adult learners.…

Getting the picture: A mixed-methods inquiry into how visual representations are interpreted by students, incorporated within textbooks, and integrated into middle-school science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Victor Raymond

Modern-day middle school science textbooks are heavily populated with colorful images, technical diagrams, and other forms of visual representations. These representations are commonly perceived by educators to be useful aids to support student learning of unfamiliar scientific ideas. However, as the number of representations in science textbooks has seemingly increased in recent decades, concerns have been voiced that many current of these representations are actually undermining instructional goals; they may be introducing substantial conceptual and interpretive difficulties for students. To date, very little empirical work has been done to examine how the representations used in instructional materials have changed, and what influences these changes exert on student understanding. Furthermore, there has also been limited attention given to the extent to which current representational-use routines in science classrooms may mitigate or limit interpretive difficulties. This dissertation seeks to do three things: First, it examines the nature of the relationship between published representations and students' reasoning about the natural world. Second, it considers the ways in which representations are used in textbooks and how that has changed over a span of five decades. Third, this dissertation provides an in-depth look into how middle school science classrooms naturally use these visual representations and what kinds of support are being provided. With respect to the three goals of this dissertation, three pools of data were collected and analyzed for this study. First, interview data was collected in which 32 middle school students interpreted and reasoned with a set of more and less problematic published textbook representations. Quantitative analyses of the interview data suggest that, counter to what has been anticipated in the literature, there were no significant differences in the conceptualizations of students in the different groups. An accompanying qualitative analysis probes further into why this was the case. In addition to the interview data, a corpus of graphic representations from 34 science textbooks (published between 1943-2005) was catalogued and examined for compositional trends and changes. This historical textbook analysis of images and illustrations reveals that, consistent with expectations, there has indeed been an overall increase in the number of representations in a given instructional unit. Yet, despite the increase, there is very little shift in the instructional functions that those representations serve. Where the most dramatic changes appear are with the individual representations themselves and how they are used to relate scientific ideas to middle school students. Finally, a set of video-recorded classroom observations with three different teachers was collected in order to study representational-use routines. A numerical analysis of classroom episodes suggests that it is fairly common for the majority of representations that are used to appear fleetingly and not be discussed again. When representations are reused or reintroduced, a qualitative analysis reveals that they are often accompanied by interpretive support from the teacher, which may steer students away from misinterpretations.

An egalitarian network model for the emergence of simple and complex cells in visual cortex

PubMed Central

Tao, Louis; Shelley, Michael; McLaughlin, David; Shapley, Robert

2004-01-01

We explain how simple and complex cells arise in a large-scale neuronal network model of the primary visual cortex of the macaque. Our model consists of ≈4,000 integrate-and-fire, conductance-based point neurons, representing the cells in a small, 1-mm2 patch of an input layer of the primary visual cortex. In the model the local connections are isotropic and nonspecific, and convergent input from the lateral geniculate nucleus confers cortical cells with orientation and spatial phase preference. The balance between lateral connections and lateral geniculate nucleus drive determines whether individual neurons in this recurrent circuit are simple or complex. The model reproduces qualitatively the experimentally observed distributions of both extracellular and intracellular measures of simple and complex response. PMID:14695891

The limitations of language: male participants, stoicism, and the qualitative research interview.

PubMed

Affleck, William; Glass, Kc; Macdonald, Mary Ellen

2013-03-01

The semistructured, open-ended interview has become the gold standard for qualitative health research. Despite its strengths, the long interview is not well suited for studying topics that participants find difficult to discuss, or for working with those who have limited verbal communication skills. A lack of emotional expression among male research participants has repeatedly been described as a significant and pervasive challenge by health researchers in a variety of different fields. This article explores several prominent theories for men's emotional inexpression and relates them to qualitative health research. The authors argue that investigators studying emotionally sensitive topics with men should look beyond the long interview to methods that incorporate other modes of emotional expression. This article concludes with a discussion of several such photo-based methods, namely, Photovoice, Photo Elicitation, and Visual Storytelling.

Methodology Series Module 10: Qualitative Health Research

PubMed Central

Setia, Maninder Singh

2017-01-01

Although quantitative designs are commonly used in clinical research, some studies require qualitative methods. These designs are different from quantitative methods; thus, researchers should be aware of data collection methods and analyses for qualitative research. Qualitative methods are particularly useful to understand patient experiences with the treatment or new methods of management or to explore issues in detail. These methods are useful in social and behavioral research. In qualitative research, often, the main focus is to understand the issue in detail rather than generalizability; thus, the sampling methods commonly used are purposive sampling; quota sampling; and snowball sampling (for hard to reach groups). Data can be collected using in-depth interviews (IDIs) or focus group discussions (FGDs). IDI is a one-to-one interview with the participant. FGD is a method of group interview or discussion, in which more than one participant is interviewed at the same time and is usually led by a facilitator. The commonly used methods for data analysis are: thematic analysis; grounded theory analysis; and framework analysis. Qualitative data collection and analysis require special expertise. Hence, if the reader plans to conduct qualitative research, they should team up with a qualitative researcher. PMID:28794545

Methodology Series Module 10: Qualitative Health Research.

PubMed

Setia, Maninder Singh

2017-01-01

Although quantitative designs are commonly used in clinical research, some studies require qualitative methods. These designs are different from quantitative methods; thus, researchers should be aware of data collection methods and analyses for qualitative research. Qualitative methods are particularly useful to understand patient experiences with the treatment or new methods of management or to explore issues in detail. These methods are useful in social and behavioral research. In qualitative research, often, the main focus is to understand the issue in detail rather than generalizability; thus, the sampling methods commonly used are purposive sampling; quota sampling; and snowball sampling (for hard to reach groups). Data can be collected using in-depth interviews (IDIs) or focus group discussions (FGDs). IDI is a one-to-one interview with the participant. FGD is a method of group interview or discussion, in which more than one participant is interviewed at the same time and is usually led by a facilitator. The commonly used methods for data analysis are: thematic analysis; grounded theory analysis; and framework analysis. Qualitative data collection and analysis require special expertise. Hence, if the reader plans to conduct qualitative research, they should team up with a qualitative researcher.

Conducting qualitative research in mental health: Thematic and content analyses.

PubMed

Crowe, Marie; Inder, Maree; Porter, Richard

2015-07-01

The objective of this paper is to describe two methods of qualitative analysis - thematic analysis and content analysis - and to examine their use in a mental health context. A description of the processes of thematic analysis and content analysis is provided. These processes are then illustrated by conducting two analyses of the same qualitative data. Transcripts of qualitative interviews are analysed using each method to illustrate these processes. The illustration of the processes highlights the different outcomes from the same set of data. Thematic and content analyses are qualitative methods that serve different research purposes. Thematic analysis provides an interpretation of participants' meanings, while content analysis is a direct representation of participants' responses. These methods provide two ways of understanding meanings and experiences and provide important knowledge in a mental health context. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Analysis of students geometry skills viewed from spatial intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riastuti, Nova; Mardiyana, Pramudya, Ikrar

2017-12-01

Geometry is one of the difficult materials for students because students must have the ability to visualize, describe the picture, draw a figure, and know the kinds of figures. This study aimisto describe the students geometry skills in resolving geometry problems viewed from spatial intelligence. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method has aim to identify students geometry skills by 6 students in eight grade of Ngawi regency, Indonesia. The subjects were 2 students with high spatial intelligence, 2 students with medium spatial intelligence, and 2 students with low spatial intelligence. Datas were collected based on written test and interview. The result of this research showed that the students geometry skills viewed from spatial intelligence includes. The results of this study indicate that there was a correlation between students' spatial intelligence with geometric skills. Students had different geometric skills in each category of spatial intelligence, although there were similarities in some geometry skill indicators. Students with low spatial intelligence had less geometry skills, thus requiring special attention from teachers. Mathematics teachers are expected to provide more practice questions that reinforce students' geometry skills including visual skills, descriptive skills, drawing skills, logical skills, applied skills.

3D cardiac wall thickening assessment for acute myocardial infarction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalid, A.; Chan, B. T.; Lim, E.; Liew, Y. M.

2017-06-01

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most severe form of coronary artery disease leading to localized myocardial injury and therefore irregularities in the cardiac wall contractility. Studies have found very limited differences in global indices (such as ejection fraction, myocardial mass and volume) between healthy subjects and AMI patients, and therefore suggested regional assessment. Regional index, specifically cardiac wall thickness (WT) and thickening is closely related to cardiac function and could reveal regional abnormality due to AMI. In this study, we developed a 3D wall thickening assessment method to identify regional wall contractility dysfunction due to localized myocardial injury from infarction. Wall thickness and thickening were assessed from 3D personalized cardiac models reconstructed from cine MRI images by fitting inscribed sphere between endocardial and epicardial wall. The thickening analysis was performed in 5 patients and 3 healthy subjects and the results were compared against the gold standard 2D late-gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) images for infarct localization. The notable finding of this study is the highly accurate estimation and visual representation of the infarct size and location in 3D. This study provides clinicians with an intuitive way to visually and qualitatively assess regional cardiac wall dysfunction due to infarction in AMI patients.

Interactive Volumetry Of Liver Ablation Zones.

PubMed

Egger, Jan; Busse, Harald; Brandmaier, Philipp; Seider, Daniel; Gawlitza, Matthias; Strocka, Steffen; Voglreiter, Philip; Dokter, Mark; Hofmann, Michael; Kainz, Bernhard; Hann, Alexander; Chen, Xiaojun; Alhonnoro, Tuomas; Pollari, Mika; Schmalstieg, Dieter; Moche, Michael

2015-10-20

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive technique that destroys cancer cells by heat. The heat results from focusing energy in the radiofrequency spectrum through a needle. Amongst others, this can enable the treatment of patients who are not eligible for an open surgery. However, the possibility of recurrent liver cancer due to incomplete ablation of the tumor makes post-interventional monitoring via regular follow-up scans mandatory. These scans have to be carefully inspected for any conspicuousness. Within this study, the RF ablation zones from twelve post-interventional CT acquisitions have been segmented semi-automatically to support the visual inspection. An interactive, graph-based contouring approach, which prefers spherically shaped regions, has been applied. For the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the algorithm's results, manual slice-by-slice segmentations produced by clinical experts have been used as the gold standard (which have also been compared among each other). As evaluation metric for the statistical validation, the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) has been calculated. The results show that the proposed tool provides lesion segmentation with sufficient accuracy much faster than manual segmentation. The visual feedback and interactivity make the proposed tool well suitable for the clinical workflow.

Interactive Volumetry Of Liver Ablation Zones

PubMed Central

Egger, Jan; Busse, Harald; Brandmaier, Philipp; Seider, Daniel; Gawlitza, Matthias; Strocka, Steffen; Voglreiter, Philip; Dokter, Mark; Hofmann, Michael; Kainz, Bernhard; Hann, Alexander; Chen, Xiaojun; Alhonnoro, Tuomas; Pollari, Mika; Schmalstieg, Dieter; Moche, Michael

2015-01-01

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive technique that destroys cancer cells by heat. The heat results from focusing energy in the radiofrequency spectrum through a needle. Amongst others, this can enable the treatment of patients who are not eligible for an open surgery. However, the possibility of recurrent liver cancer due to incomplete ablation of the tumor makes post-interventional monitoring via regular follow-up scans mandatory. These scans have to be carefully inspected for any conspicuousness. Within this study, the RF ablation zones from twelve post-interventional CT acquisitions have been segmented semi-automatically to support the visual inspection. An interactive, graph-based contouring approach, which prefers spherically shaped regions, has been applied. For the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the algorithm’s results, manual slice-by-slice segmentations produced by clinical experts have been used as the gold standard (which have also been compared among each other). As evaluation metric for the statistical validation, the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) has been calculated. The results show that the proposed tool provides lesion segmentation with sufficient accuracy much faster than manual segmentation. The visual feedback and interactivity make the proposed tool well suitable for the clinical workflow. PMID:26482818

X-ray micro computed tomography for the visualization of an atherosclerotic human coronary artery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matviykiv, Sofiya; Buscema, Marzia; Deyhle, Hans; Pfohl, Thomas; Zumbuehl, Andreas; Saxer, Till; Müller, Bert

2017-06-01

Atherosclerosis refers to narrowing or blocking of blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain or stroke. Constricted segments of diseased arteries exhibit considerably increased wall shear stress, compared to the healthy ones. One of the possibilities to improve patient’s treatment is the application of nano-therapeutic approaches, based on shear stress sensitive nano-containers. In order to tailor the chemical composition and subsequent physical properties of such liposomes, one has to know precisely the morphology of critically stenosed arteries at micrometre resolution. It is often obtained by means of histology, which has the drawback of offering only two-dimensional information. Additionally, it requires the artery to be decalcified before sectioning, which might lead to deformations within the tissue. Micro computed tomography (μCT) enables the three-dimensional (3D) visualization of soft and hard tissues at micrometre level. μCT allows lumen segmentation that is crucial for subsequent flow simulation analysis. In this communication, tomographic images of a human coronary artery before and after decalcification are qualitatively and quantitatively compared. We analyse the cross section of the diseased human coronary artery before and after decalcification, and calculate the lumen area of both samples.

Interactive Volumetry Of Liver Ablation Zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egger, Jan; Busse, Harald; Brandmaier, Philipp; Seider, Daniel; Gawlitza, Matthias; Strocka, Steffen; Voglreiter, Philip; Dokter, Mark; Hofmann, Michael; Kainz, Bernhard; Hann, Alexander; Chen, Xiaojun; Alhonnoro, Tuomas; Pollari, Mika; Schmalstieg, Dieter; Moche, Michael

2015-10-01

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive technique that destroys cancer cells by heat. The heat results from focusing energy in the radiofrequency spectrum through a needle. Amongst others, this can enable the treatment of patients who are not eligible for an open surgery. However, the possibility of recurrent liver cancer due to incomplete ablation of the tumor makes post-interventional monitoring via regular follow-up scans mandatory. These scans have to be carefully inspected for any conspicuousness. Within this study, the RF ablation zones from twelve post-interventional CT acquisitions have been segmented semi-automatically to support the visual inspection. An interactive, graph-based contouring approach, which prefers spherically shaped regions, has been applied. For the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the algorithm’s results, manual slice-by-slice segmentations produced by clinical experts have been used as the gold standard (which have also been compared among each other). As evaluation metric for the statistical validation, the Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) has been calculated. The results show that the proposed tool provides lesion segmentation with sufficient accuracy much faster than manual segmentation. The visual feedback and interactivity make the proposed tool well suitable for the clinical workflow.

Qualitative research methods in renal medicine: an introduction.

PubMed

Bristowe, Katherine; Selman, Lucy; Murtagh, Fliss E M

2015-09-01

Qualitative methodologies are becoming increasingly widely used in health research. However, within some specialties, including renal medicine, qualitative approaches remain under-represented in the high-impact factor journals. Qualitative research can be undertaken: (i) as a stand-alone research method, addressing specific research questions; (ii) as part of a mixed methods approach alongside quantitative approaches or (iii) embedded in clinical trials, or during the development of complex interventions. The aim of this paper is to introduce qualitative research, including the rationale for choosing qualitative approaches, and guidance for ensuring quality when undertaking and reporting qualitative research. In addition, we introduce types of qualitative data (observation, interviews and focus groups) as well as some of the most commonly encountered methodological approaches (case studies, ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, thematic analysis, framework analysis and content analysis). © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

Constructing Image-Based Culture Definitions Using Metaphors: Impact of a Cross-Cultural Immersive Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuleja, Elizabeth A.

2017-01-01

This study provides an approach to teaching and learning in the international business (IB) classroom about cultural values, beliefs, attitudes, and norms through the study of cultural metaphor. The methodology is based on established qualitative methods by using participants' visual pictures and written explanations--representative of their…

The Visual Arts and Qualitative Research: Diverse and Emerging Voices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephen, Veronica P.

The arts are basic educational processes that involve students with different abilities and from differing age groups in sensory perception. This perception, augmented by the use of art compositions, establishes a critical dialogue between the medium and the viewer. What one views, sees, and observes in an art piece serves to create a…

Applying Infant Massage Practices: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lappin, Grace; Kretschmer, Robert E.

2005-01-01

This study explored the dynamic interaction between a mother and her 11-month-old visually impaired infant before and after the mother was taught infant massage. After the mother learned infant massage, she had more appropriate physical contact with her infant, engaged with him within his field of vision, directly vocalized to him, and had a…

Exploring 21st Century Literacy through Writing: Urban Educators' Use of Digital Storytelling with Struggling Writers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Sarah A.

2017-01-01

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of urban educators' integration of digital storytelling into supporting instruction, developing students' writing potential, and engaging students that struggle with writing literacy. Interviews, focus group interviews, review of documents, and audio-visual resources were the sources of data…

Visualizing the Intersection of the Personal and the Social Context--The Use of Multi-Layered Chronological Charts in Biographical Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiller, Patrick T.

2011-01-01

This paper outlines the theoretical reasoning and technical implementation of a particular approach to creating multi-layered chronological charts in qualitative biographical studies. The discussed method elucidates the interpretation of traditional life chronologies where the individual's "objective" life facts are reconstructed free from…

The Influence of Textbook Format on Postsecondary Proficient and Remedial Readers: Designing Information Using Visual Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tetlan, W. Lou

2009-01-01

This study examined whether the design of textbook material affects comprehension and memory of textbook material under certain cognitive conditions for proficient and remedial readers. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods, format was found to significantly affect comprehension and memory. Proficient Male scored significantly…

A Qualitative Exploration of Self-Learning to Improve Alcoholic Beverage Server Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willingham, Mark

2016-01-01

Waiters who serve alcoholic beverages at the majority of bars and restaurants in the United States are apt to serve alcohol to patrons who are visually intoxicated, notwithstanding laws prohibiting such service. Adverse effects of this practice include patron injuries, deaths, and law violations resulting in fines, incarceration, and lawsuits.…

Effective Teaching Strategies: Case Studies from the Alphabetic Braille and Contracted Braille Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barclay, Lizbeth; Herlich, Stephanie A.; Sacks, Sharon Zell

2010-01-01

This article discusses some of the qualitative data that were documented during the Alphabetic Braille and Contracted Braille Study. Two case studies of students are described, highlighting many effective teaching strategies used by their teachers of students with visual impairments that resulted in the students' successful academic progress.…

Education about Hallucinations Using an Internet Virtual Reality System: A Qualitative Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yellowlees, Peter M.; Cook, James N.

2006-01-01

Objective: The authors evaluate an Internet virtual reality technology as an education tool about the hallucinations of psychosis. Method: This is a pilot project using Second Life, an Internet-based virtual reality system, in which a virtual reality environment was constructed to simulate the auditory and visual hallucinations of two patients…

A Haptic Glove as a Tactile-Vision Sensory Substitution for Wayfinding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zelek, John S.; Bromley, Sam; Asmar, Daniel; Thompson, David

2003-01-01

A device that relays navigational information using a portable tactile glove and a wearable computer and camera system was tested with nine adults with visual impairments. Paths traversed by subjects negotiating an obstacle course were not qualitatively different from paths produced with existing wayfinding devices and hitting probabilities were…

Computer retina that models the primate retina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Samir; Levine, Martin D.

1994-06-01

At the retinal level, the strategies utilized by biological visual systems allow them to outperform machine vision systems, serving to motivate the design of electronic or `smart' sensors based on similar principles. Design of such sensors in silicon first requires a model of retinal information processing which captures the essential features exhibited by biological retinas. In this paper, a simple retinal model is presented, which qualitatively accounts for the achromatic information processing in the primate cone system. The model exhibits many of the properties found in biological retina such as data reduction through nonuniform sampling, adaptation to a large dynamic range of illumination levels, variation of visual acuity with illumination level, and enhancement of spatio temporal contrast information. The model is validated by replicating experiments commonly performed by electrophysiologists on biological retinas and comparing the response of the computer retina to data from experiments in monkeys. In addition, the response of the model to synthetic images is shown. The experiments demonstrate that the model behaves in a manner qualitatively similar to biological retinas and thus may serve as a basis for the development of an `artificial retina.'

Food experiences and eating patterns of visually impaired and blind people.

PubMed

Bilyk, Marie Claire; Sontrop, Jessica M; Chapman, Gwen E; Barr, Susan I; Mamer, Linda

2009-01-01

The number of visually impaired and blind Canadians will rise dramatically as our population ages, and yet little is known about the impact of blindness on the experience of food and eating. In this qualitative study, the food experiences and eating patterns of visually impaired and blind people were examined. Influencing factors were also explored. In 2000, nine blind or severely visually impaired subjects were recruited through blindness-related organizations in British Columbia. Participants completed individual semi-structured, in-depth interviews. These were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed to explicate participants' experiences. Participants experienced blindness-related obstacles when shopping for food, preparing food, and eating in restaurants. Inaccessible materials and environments left participants with a diet lacking in variety and limited access to physical activity. Seven participants were overweight or obese, a finding that may be related to limited physical activity and higher-than-average restaurant use. This is the first study in which the experience of food and eating is described from the perspective of visually impaired Canadians. Nutrition and blindness professionals must work together to reduce the food-related obstacles faced by visually impaired and blind people. Professionals must address both individual skill development and social and structural inequities.

Postural time-to-contact as a precursor of visually induced motion sickness.

PubMed

Li, Ruixuan; Walter, Hannah; Curry, Christopher; Rath, Ruth; Peterson, Nicolette; Stoffregen, Thomas A

2018-06-01

The postural instability theory of motion sickness predicts that subjective symptoms of motion sickness will be preceded by unstable control of posture. In previous studies, this prediction has been confirmed with measures of the spatial magnitude and the temporal dynamics of postural activity. In the present study, we examine whether precursors of visually induced motion sickness might exist in postural time-to-contact, a measure of postural activity that is related to the risk of falling. Standing participants were exposed to oscillating visual motion stimuli in a standard laboratory protocol. Both before and during exposure to visual motion stimuli, we monitored the kinematics of the body's center of pressure. We predicted that postural activity would differ between participants who reported motion sickness and those who did not, and that these differences would exist before participants experienced subjective symptoms of motion sickness. During exposure to visual motion stimuli, the multifractality of sway differed between the Well and Sick groups. Postural time-to-contact differed between the Well and Sick groups during exposure to visual motion stimuli, but also before exposure to any motion stimuli. The results provide a qualitatively new type of support for the postural instability theory of motion sickness.

Motor-cognitive dual-task performance: effects of a concurrent motor task on distinct components of visual processing capacity.

PubMed

Künstler, E C S; Finke, K; Günther, A; Klingner, C; Witte, O; Bublak, P

2018-01-01

Dual tasking, or the simultaneous execution of two continuous tasks, is frequently associated with a performance decline that can be explained within a capacity sharing framework. In this study, we assessed the effects of a concurrent motor task on the efficiency of visual information uptake based on the 'theory of visual attention' (TVA). TVA provides parameter estimates reflecting distinct components of visual processing capacity: perceptual threshold, visual processing speed, and visual short-term memory (VSTM) storage capacity. Moreover, goodness-of-fit values and bootstrapping estimates were derived to test whether the TVA-model is validly applicable also under dual task conditions, and whether the robustness of parameter estimates is comparable in single- and dual-task conditions. 24 subjects of middle to higher age performed a continuous tapping task, and a visual processing task (whole report of briefly presented letter arrays) under both single- and dual-task conditions. Results suggest a decline of both visual processing capacity and VSTM storage capacity under dual-task conditions, while the perceptual threshold remained unaffected by a concurrent motor task. In addition, goodness-of-fit values and bootstrapping estimates support the notion that participants processed the visual task in a qualitatively comparable, although quantitatively less efficient way under dual-task conditions. The results support a capacity sharing account of motor-cognitive dual tasking and suggest that even performing a relatively simple motor task relies on central attentional capacity that is necessary for efficient visual information uptake.

In Vivo Voltage-Sensitive Dye Study of Lateral Spreading of Cortical Activity in Mouse Primary Visual Cortex Induced by a Current Impulse

PubMed Central

Fehérvári, Tamás Dávid; Sawai, Hajime; Yagi, Tetsuya

2015-01-01

In the mammalian primary visual cortex (V1), lateral spreading of excitatory potentials is believed to be involved in spatial integrative functions, but the underlying cortical mechanism is not well understood. Visually-evoked population-level responses have been shown to propagate beyond the V1 initial activation site in mouse, similar to higher mammals. Visually-evoked responses are, however, affected by neuronal circuits prior to V1 (retina, LGN), making the separate analysis of V1 difficult. Intracortical stimulation eliminates these initial processing steps. We used in vivo RH1691 voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging and intracortical microstimulation in adult C57BL/6 mice to elucidate the spatiotemporal properties of population-level signal spreading in V1 cortical circuits. The evoked response was qualitatively similar to that measured in single-cell electrophysiological experiments in rodents: a fast transient fluorescence peak followed by a fast and a slow decrease or hyperpolarization, similar to EPSP and fast and slow IPSPs in single cells. The early cortical response expanded at speeds commensurate with long horizontal projections (at 5% of the peak maximum, 0.08–0.15 m/s) however, the bulk of the VSD signal propagated slowly (at half-peak maximum, 0.05–0.08 m/s) suggesting an important role of regenerative multisynaptic transmission through short horizontal connections in V1 spatial integrative functions. We also found a tendency for a widespread and fast cortical response suppression in V1, which was eliminated by GABAA-antagonists gabazine and bicuculline methiodide. Our results help understand the neuronal circuitry involved in lateral spreading in V1. PMID:26230520

Simultaneous PET-MRI Studies of the Concordance of Atrophy and Hypometabolism in Syndromic Variants of Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia: An Extended Case Series.

PubMed

Moodley, Kuven K; Perani, Daniela; Minati, Ludovico; Della Rosa, Pasquale Anthony; Pennycook, Frank; Dickson, John C; Barnes, Anna; Contarino, Valeria Elisa; Michopoulou, Sofia; D'Incerti, Ludovico; Good, Catriona; Fallanca, Federico; Vanoli, Emilia Giovanna; Ell, Peter J; Chan, Dennis

2015-01-01

Simultaneous PET-MRI is used to compare patterns of cerebral hypometabolism and atrophy in six different dementia syndromes. The primary objective was to conduct an initial exploratory study regarding the concordance of atrophy and hypometabolism in syndromic variants of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The secondary objective was to determine the effect of image analysis methods on determination of atrophy and hypometabolism. PET and MRI data were acquired simultaneously on 24 subjects with six variants of AD and FTD (n = 4 per group). Atrophy was rated visually and also quantified with measures of cortical thickness. Hypometabolism was rated visually and also quantified using atlas- and SPM-based approaches. Concordance was measured using weighted Cohen's kappa. Atrophy-hypometabolism concordance differed markedly between patient groups; kappa scores ranged from 0.13 (nonfluent/agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia, nfvPPA) to 0.49 (posterior cortical variant of AD, PCA). Heterogeneity was also observed within groups; the confidence intervals of kappa scores ranging from 0-0.25 for PCA to 0.29-0.61 for nfvPPA. More widespread MRI and PET changes were identified using quantitative methods than on visual rating. The marked differences in concordance identified in this initial study may reflect differences in the molecular pathologies underlying AD and FTD syndromic variants but also operational differences in the methods used to diagnose these syndromes. The superior ability of quantitative methodologies to detect changes on PET and MRI, if confirmed on larger cohorts, may favor their usage over qualitative visual inspection in future clinical diagnostic practice.

SPECT in patients with cortical visual loss.

PubMed

Silverman, I E; Galetta, S L; Gray, L G; Moster, M; Atlas, S W; Maurer, A H; Alavi, A

1993-09-01

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) was used to investigate changes in cerebral blood flow in seven patients with cortical visual impairment. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was the cause of cortical damage in two patients, cerebral ischemia in two patients and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, status epilepticus and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) each in three separate patients. The SPECT scans of the seven patients were compared to T2-weighted magnetic resonance image (MRI) scans of the brain to determine the correlation between functional and anatomical findings. In six of the seven patients, the qualitative interpretation of the SPECT studies supported the clinical findings (i.e., the visual field defect) by revealing altered regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the appropriate regions of the visual pathway. MR scans in all of the patients, on the other hand, were either normal or disclosed smaller lesions than those detected by SPECT. We conclude that SPECT may reveal altered rCBF in patients with cortical visual impairment of various etiologies, even when MRI studies are normal or nondiagnostic.

Using Fault Trees to Advance Understanding of Diagnostic Errors.

PubMed

Rogith, Deevakar; Iyengar, M Sriram; Singh, Hardeep

2017-11-01

Diagnostic errors annually affect at least 5% of adults in the outpatient setting in the United States. Formal analytic techniques are only infrequently used to understand them, in part because of the complexity of diagnostic processes and clinical work flows involved. In this article, diagnostic errors were modeled using fault tree analysis (FTA), a form of root cause analysis that has been successfully used in other high-complexity, high-risk contexts. How factors contributing to diagnostic errors can be systematically modeled by FTA to inform error understanding and error prevention is demonstrated. A team of three experts reviewed 10 published cases of diagnostic error and constructed fault trees. The fault trees were modeled according to currently available conceptual frameworks characterizing diagnostic error. The 10 trees were then synthesized into a single fault tree to identify common contributing factors and pathways leading to diagnostic error. FTA is a visual, structured, deductive approach that depicts the temporal sequence of events and their interactions in a formal logical hierarchy. The visual FTA enables easier understanding of causative processes and cognitive and system factors, as well as rapid identification of common pathways and interactions in a unified fashion. In addition, it enables calculation of empirical estimates for causative pathways. Thus, fault trees might provide a useful framework for both quantitative and qualitative analysis of diagnostic errors. Future directions include establishing validity and reliability by modeling a wider range of error cases, conducting quantitative evaluations, and undertaking deeper exploration of other FTA capabilities. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brain SPECT scans in students with specific learning disability: Preliminary results.

PubMed

Karande, S; Deshmukh, N; Rangarajan, V; Agrawal, A; Sholapurwala, R

2018-06-08

Brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) assesses brain function through measurement of regional cerebral blood flow. This study was conducted to assess whether students with newly diagnosed specific learning disability (SpLD) show any abnormalities in cerebral cortex perfusion. Cross-sectional single-arm pilot study in two tertiary care hospitals. Nine students with SpLD were enrolled. Brain SPECT scan was done twice in each student. For the first or "baseline" scan, the student was first made to sit with eyes open in a quiet, dimly lit room for a period of 30-40 min and then injected intravenously with 20 mCi of 99mTc-ECD. An hour later, "baseline scan" was conducted. After a minimum gap of 4 days, a second or "test scan" was conducted, wherein the student performed an age-appropriate curriculum-based test for a period of 30-40 min to activate the areas in central nervous system related to learning before being injected with 20 mCi of 99mTc-ECD. Cerebral cortex perfusion at rest and after activation in each student was compared qualitatively by visual analysis and quantitatively using NeuroGam TM software. Visual analysis showed reduction in regional blood flow in temporoparietal areas in both "baseline" and "test" scans. However, when normalization was attempted and comparison done by Talairach analysis using NeuroGam software, no statistically significant change in regional perfusion in temporoparietal areas was appreciated. Brain SPECT scan may serve as a robust tool to identify changes in regional brain perfusion in students with SpLD.

NVivo 8 and consistency in data analysis: reflecting on the use of a qualitative data analysis program.

PubMed

Bergin, Michael

2011-01-01

Qualitative data analysis is a complex process and demands clear thinking on the part of the analyst. However, a number of deficiencies may obstruct the research analyst during the process, leading to inconsistencies occurring. This paper is a reflection on the use of a qualitative data analysis program, NVivo 8, and its usefulness in identifying consistency and inconsistency during the coding process. The author was conducting a large-scale study of providers and users of mental health services in Ireland. He used NVivo 8 to store, code and analyse the data and this paper reflects some of his observations during the study. The demands placed on the analyst in trying to balance the mechanics of working through a qualitative data analysis program, while simultaneously remaining conscious of the value of all sources are highlighted. NVivo 8 as a qualitative data analysis program is a challenging but valuable means for advancing the robustness of qualitative research. Pitfalls can be avoided during analysis by running queries as the analyst progresses from tree node to tree node rather than leaving it to a stage whereby data analysis is well advanced.

Motion perception tasks as potential correlates to driving difficulty in the elderly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raghuram, A.; Lakshminarayanan, V.

2006-09-01

Changes in the demographics indicates that the population older than 65 is on the rise because of the aging of the ‘baby boom’ generation. This aging trend and driving related accident statistics reveal the need for procedures and tests that would assess the driving ability of older adults and predict whether they would be safe or unsafe drivers. Literature shows that an attention based test called the useful field of view (UFOV) was a significant predictor of accident rates compared to any other visual function tests. The present study evaluates a qualitative trend on using motion perception tasks as a potential visual perceptual correlates in screening elderly drivers who might have difficulty in driving. Data was collected from 15 older subjects with a mean age of 71. Motion perception tasks included—speed discrimination with radial and lamellar motion, time to collision using prediction motion and estimating direction of heading. A motion index score was calculated which was indicative of performance on all of the above-mentioned motion tasks. Scores on visual attention was assessed using UFOV. A driving habit questionnaire was also administered for a self report on the driving difficulties and accident rates. A qualitative trend based on frequency distributions show that thresholds on the motion perception tasks are successful in identifying subjects who reported to have had difficulty in certain aspects of driving and had accidents. Correlation between UFOV and motion index scores was not significant indicating that probably different aspects of visual information processing that are crucial to driving behaviour are being tapped by these two paradigms. UFOV and motion perception tasks together can be a better predictor for identifying at risk or safe drivers than just using either one of them.

Interventional magnetic resonance angiography with no strings attached: wireless active catheter visualization.

PubMed

Quick, Harald H; Zenge, Michael O; Kuehl, Hilmar; Kaiser, Gernot; Aker, Stephanie; Massing, Sandra; Bosk, Silke; Ladd, Mark E

2005-02-01

Active instrument visualization strategies for interventional MR angiography (MRA) require vascular instruments to be equipped with some type of radiofrequency (RF) coil or dipole RF antenna for MR signal detection. Such visualization strategies traditionally necessitate a connection to the scanner with either coaxial cable or laser fibers. In order to eliminate any wire connection, RF resonators that inductively couple their signal to MR surface coils were implemented into catheters to enable wireless active instrument visualization. Instrument background to contrast-to-noise ratio was systematically investigated as a function of the excitation flip angle. Signal coupling between the catheter RF coil and surface RF coils was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively as a function of the catheter position and orientation with regard to the static magnetic field B0 and to the surface coils. In vivo evaluation of the instruments was performed in interventional MRA procedures on five pigs under MR guidance. Cartesian and projection reconstruction TrueFISP imaging enabled simultaneous visualization of the instruments and vascular morphology in real time. The implementation of RF resonators enabled robust visualization of the catheter curvature to the very tip. Additionally, the active visualization strategy does not require any wire connection to the scanner and thus does not hamper the interventionalist during the course of an intervention.

The Utility of Template Analysis in Qualitative Psychology Research.

PubMed

Brooks, Joanna; McCluskey, Serena; Turley, Emma; King, Nigel

2015-04-03

Thematic analysis is widely used in qualitative psychology research, and in this article, we present a particular style of thematic analysis known as Template Analysis. We outline the technique and consider its epistemological position, then describe three case studies of research projects which employed Template Analysis to illustrate the diverse ways it can be used. Our first case study illustrates how the technique was employed in data analysis undertaken by a team of researchers in a large-scale qualitative research project. Our second example demonstrates how a qualitative study that set out to build on mainstream theory made use of the a priori themes (themes determined in advance of coding) permitted in Template Analysis. Our final case study shows how Template Analysis can be used from an interpretative phenomenological stance. We highlight the distinctive features of this style of thematic analysis, discuss the kind of research where it may be particularly appropriate, and consider possible limitations of the technique. We conclude that Template Analysis is a flexible form of thematic analysis with real utility in qualitative psychology research.

Blackboard architecture for medical image interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Darryl N.; Taylor, Christopher J.

1991-06-01

There is a growing interest in using sophisticated knowledge-based systems for biomedical image interpretation. We present a principled attempt to use artificial intelligence methodologies in interpreting lateral skull x-ray images. Such radiographs are routinely used in cephalometric analysis to provide quantitative measurements useful to clinical orthodontists. Manual and interactive methods of analysis are known to be error prone and previous attempts to automate this analysis typically fail to capture the expertise and adaptability required to cope with the variability in biological structure and image quality. An integrated model-based system has been developed which makes use of a blackboard architecture and multiple knowledge sources. A model definition interface allows quantitative models, of feature appearance and location, to be built from examples as well as more qualitative modelling constructs. Visual task definition and blackboard control modules allow task-specific knowledge sources to act on information available to the blackboard in a hypothesise and test reasoning cycle. Further knowledge-based modules include object selection, location hypothesis, intelligent segmentation, and constraint propagation systems. Alternative solutions to given tasks are permitted.

Multipurpose contrast enhancement on epiphyseal plates and ossification centers for bone age assessment

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The high variations of background luminance, low contrast and excessively enhanced contrast of hand bone radiograph often impede the bone age assessment rating system in evaluating the degree of epiphyseal plates and ossification centers development. The Global Histogram equalization (GHE) has been the most frequently adopted image contrast enhancement technique but the performance is not satisfying. A brightness and detail preserving histogram equalization method with good contrast enhancement effect has been a goal of much recent research in histogram equalization. Nevertheless, producing a well-balanced histogram equalized radiograph in terms of its brightness preservation, detail preservation and contrast enhancement is deemed to be a daunting task. Method In this paper, we propose a novel framework of histogram equalization with the aim of taking several desirable properties into account, namely the Multipurpose Beta Optimized Bi-Histogram Equalization (MBOBHE). This method performs the histogram optimization separately in both sub-histograms after the segmentation of histogram using an optimized separating point determined based on the regularization function constituted by three components. The result is then assessed by the qualitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate the essential aspects of histogram equalized image using a total of 160 hand radiographs that are implemented in testing and analyses which are acquired from hand bone online database. Result From the qualitative analysis, we found that basic bi-histogram equalizations are not capable of displaying the small features in image due to incorrect selection of separating point by focusing on only certain metric without considering the contrast enhancement and detail preservation. From the quantitative analysis, we found that MBOBHE correlates well with human visual perception, and this improvement shortens the evaluation time taken by inspector in assessing the bone age. Conclusions The proposed MBOBHE outperforms other existing methods regarding comprehensive performance of histogram equalization. All the features which are pertinent to bone age assessment are more protruding relative to other methods; this has shorten the required evaluation time in manual bone age assessment using TW method. While the accuracy remains unaffected or slightly better than using unprocessed original image. The holistic properties in terms of brightness preservation, detail preservation and contrast enhancement are simultaneous taken into consideration and thus the visual effect is contributive to manual inspection. PMID:23565999

Parent and child interactions with two contrasting anti-obesity advertising campaigns: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Thomas, Samantha L; Olds, Timothy; Pettigrew, Simone; Yeatman, Heather; Hyde, Jim; Dragovic, Christine

2014-02-11

Social marketing has been proposed as a framework that may be effectively used to encourage behaviour change relating to obesity. Social advertising (or mass media campaigning) is the most commonly used social marketing strategy to address the issue of obesity. While social advertising has the potential to effectively communicate information about obesity, some argue that the current framing and delivery of these campaigns are ineffective, and may cause more harm than good. We used a qualitative advertising reception study. 150 family groups (comprised of 159 parents and 184 children) were shown two Australian government anti-obesity advertisements: Measure Up (focused on problems associated with obesity) and Swap It (focused on solutions for obesity). Families were engaged in a discussion about the visual appeals, verbal messages and their perceptions about the impact of the advertisements on behavioural change. Open coding techniques and a constant comparative method of analysis was used to interpret the data. Many parents had strong personal resonance with the visual imagery within the campaigns. While Swap It had strong 'likeability' with children, many children believed that the messages about overweight and obesity were less personally relevant because they did not perceive themselves to be overweight. The content and delivery style of the verbal messages (the serious risk focused message in Measure Up compared to the upbeat, fun practical message in Swap It) influenced how different audiences (parents and children) interpreted the information that was presented. Parents assimilated practical and instructive messages, while children assimilated messages about weight loss and weight gain. Parents and children recognised that the campaigns were asking individuals to take personal responsibility for their weight status, and were at times critical that the campaigns did not tackle the broader issues associated with the causes and consequences of obesity. The lack of practical tools to encourage behavioural change was a key barrier for obese parents. Well-funded, targeted social marketing campaigns will play an important role in the prevention and management of obesity. It is important that these campaigns are comprehensively evaluated and are backed up with structural supports to enable and encourage population subgroups to act upon messages.

[Acceptance and understandability of various methods of health valuations for the chronically ill: willingness to pay, visual analogue scale and rating scale].

PubMed

Meder, M; Farin, E

2009-11-01

Health valuations are one way of measuring patient preferences with respect to the results of their treatment. The study examines three different methods of health valuations--willingness to pay (WTP), visual analogue scale (VAS), and a rating question for evaluating the subjective significance. The goal is to test the understandability and acceptance of these methods for implementation in questionnaires. In various rehabilitation centres, a total of six focus groups were conducted with 5-9 patients each with a mean age of 57.1 years. The illnesses considered were chronic-ischaemic heart disease, chronic back pain, and breast cancer. Patients filled out a questionnaire that was then discussed in the group. In addition to the quantitative evaluation of the data in the questionnaire, a qualitative analysis of the contents of the group discussion protocols was made. We have results from a total of 42 patients. 14.6% of the patients had "great difficulties" understanding the WTP or rated it as "completely incomprehensible"; this value was 7.3% for VAS and 0% for the rating scale. With respect to acceptance, 31.0% of the patients indicated that they were "not really" or "not at all" willing to answer such a WTP question in a questionnaire; this was 6.6% for the VAS, and again 0% for the rating scale. The qualitative analysis provided an indication as to why some patients view the WTP question in particular in a negative light. Many difficulties in understanding it were related to the formulation of the question and the structure of the questionnaire. However, the patients' statements also made it apparent that the hypothetical nature of the WTP questionnaire was not always recognised. The most frequent reason for the lack of acceptance of the WTP was the patients' fear of negative financial consequences of their responses. With respect to understandability and acceptance, VAS questions appear to be better suited for reflecting patient preferences than WTP questions. The rating scale for assessing the personally estimated importance was understandable, but had poor distribution properties and was considered by patients to be superfluous.

Implementing a social network intervention designed to enhance and diversify support for people with long-term conditions. A qualitative study.

PubMed

Kennedy, Anne; Vassilev, Ivaylo; James, Elizabeth; Rogers, Anne

2016-02-29

For people with long-term conditions, social networks provide a potentially central means of mobilising, mediating and accessing support for health and well-being. Few interventions address the implementation of improving engagement with and through social networks. This paper describes the development and implementation of a web-based tool which comprises: network mapping, user-centred preference elicitation and need assessment and facilitated engagement with resources. The study aimed to determine whether the intervention was acceptable, implementable and acted to enhance support and to add to theory concerning social networks and engagement with resources and activities. A longitudinal design with 15 case studies used ethnographic methods comprising video, non-participant observation of intervention delivery and qualitative interviews (baseline, 6 and 12 months). Participants were people with type 2 diabetes living in a marginalised island community. Facilitators were local health trainers and care navigators. Analysis applied concepts concerning implementation of technology for self-management support to explain how new practices of work were operationalised and how the technology impacted on relationships fit with everyday life and allowed for visual feedback. Most participants reported identifying and taking up new activities as a result of using the tool. Thematic analysis suggested that workability of the tool was predicated on disruption and reconstruction of networks, challenging/supportive facilitation and change and reflection over time concerning network support. Visualisation of the network enabled people to mobilise support and engage in new activities. The tool aligned synergistically with the facilitators' role of linking people to local resources. The social network tool works through a process of initiating positive disruption of established self-management practice through mapping and reflection on personal network membership and support. This opens up possibilities for reconstructing self-management differently from current practice. Key facets of successful implementation were: the visual maps of networks and support options; facilitation characterised by a perceived lack of status difference which assisted engagement and constructive discussion of support and preferences for activities; and background work (a reliable database, tailored preferences, option reduction) for facilitator and user ease of use.

Parent and child interactions with two contrasting anti-obesity advertising campaigns: a qualitative analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Social marketing has been proposed as a framework that may be effectively used to encourage behaviour change relating to obesity. Social advertising (or mass media campaigning) is the most commonly used social marketing strategy to address the issue of obesity. While social advertising has the potential to effectively communicate information about obesity, some argue that the current framing and delivery of these campaigns are ineffective, and may cause more harm than good. Methods We used a qualitative advertising reception study. 150 family groups (comprised of 159 parents and 184 children) were shown two Australian government anti-obesity advertisements: Measure Up (focused on problems associated with obesity) and Swap It (focused on solutions for obesity). Families were engaged in a discussion about the visual appeals, verbal messages and their perceptions about the impact of the advertisements on behavioural change. Open coding techniques and a constant comparative method of analysis was used to interpret the data. Results Many parents had strong personal resonance with the visual imagery within the campaigns. While Swap It had strong ‘likeability’ with children, many children believed that the messages about overweight and obesity were less personally relevant because they did not perceive themselves to be overweight. The content and delivery style of the verbal messages (the serious risk focused message in Measure Up compared to the upbeat, fun practical message in Swap It) influenced how different audiences (parents and children) interpreted the information that was presented. Parents assimilated practical and instructive messages, while children assimilated messages about weight loss and weight gain. Parents and children recognised that the campaigns were asking individuals to take personal responsibility for their weight status, and were at times critical that the campaigns did not tackle the broader issues associated with the causes and consequences of obesity. The lack of practical tools to encourage behavioural change was a key barrier for obese parents. Conclusions Well-funded, targeted social marketing campaigns will play an important role in the prevention and management of obesity. It is important that these campaigns are comprehensively evaluated and are backed up with structural supports to enable and encourage population subgroups to act upon messages. PMID:24517101

Study of the effect of gamma irradiation on a commercial polycyclooctene I. Thermal and mechanical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Huete, N.; Laza, J. M.; Cuevas, J. M.; Vilas, J. L.; Bilbao, E.; León, L. M.

2014-09-01

A gamma radiation process for modification of commercial polymers is a widely applied technique to promote new physical, chemical and mechanical properties. Gamma irradiation originates free radicals able to induce chain scission or recombination of radicals, which induces annihilation, branching or crosslinking processes. The aim of this work is to research the structural, thermal and mechanical changes induced on a commercial polycyclooctene (PCO) when it is irradiated with a gamma source of 60Co at different doses (25-200 kGy). After gamma irradiation, gel content was determined by Soxhlet extraction in cyclohexane. Furthermore, thermal properties were evaluated before and after Soxhlet extraction by means of Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), as well as mechanical properties were measured by Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA). The results showed the variations of the properties depending on the irradiation dose. Finally, a first approach to evaluate qualitatively the shape memory behaviour of all irradiated PCO samples was performed by a visually monitoring shape recovery process.