Neuropsychological assessment of memory in child and adolescent first episode psychosis: cannabis and «the paradox effect».

PubMed

Moreno-Granados, Josefa María; Ferrín, Maite; Salcedo-Marín, Dolores M; Ruiz-Veguilla, Miguel

2014-01-01

The importance of neuropsychological functioning in First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) has led to the publication of a growing number of studies in this area of research. The present study pursued three goals: First, to examine verbal and visual memory in a sample of Child and Adolescent FEP, second, to evaluate the effect of other cognitive domains on verbal and visual memory, and finally, to examine the relationship between performance in this cognitive dimension and the use of cannabis at this age. A sample of 41 FEPs and 39 healthy subjects were evaluated. The variables assessed were verbal and visual memory, attention, working memory, processing speed, mental flexibility, verbal fluency, motor coordination, planning ability and intelligence. Our results found impairment of short and long-term recall of verbal memory, and short-term visual memory in early psychosis. They also found relationships between cognitive dimensions, such as visual memory and intelligence and motor coordination. Finally, a «paradoxical» effect was found in patients who used cannabis, as the FEP consumers performed the visual memory test better than those who had not used it. Patients showed impairment of short and long-term recall of verbal information and short-term visual reproduction. In the second place, motor coordination and intelligence influenced short-term visual memory in patients in the early stages of the illness. Third, use of cannabis in patients with FEP was associated with better performance in the test that evaluated the short-term visual memory, as measured by task completion time, that is, efficiency in performing the test. However, when measured by task execution accuracy, their visual memory was no better than the controls. Copyright © 2012 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Visual display aid for orbital maneuvering - Design considerations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grunwald, Arthur J.; Ellis, Stephen R.

1993-01-01

This paper describes the development of an interactive proximity operations planning system that allows on-site planning of fuel-efficient multiburn maneuvers in a potential multispacecraft environment. Although this display system most directly assists planning by providing visual feedback to aid visualization of the trajectories and constraints, its most significant features include: (1) the use of an 'inverse dynamics' algorithm that removes control nonlinearities facing the operator, and (2) a trajectory planning technique that separates, through a 'geometric spreadsheet', the normally coupled complex problems of planning orbital maneuvers and allows solution by an iterative sequence of simple independent actions. The visual feedback of trajectory shapes and operational constraints, provided by user-transparent and continuously active background computations, allows the operator to make fast, iterative design changes that rapidly converge to fuel-efficient solutions. The planning tool provides an example of operator-assisted optimization of nonlinear cost functions.

Visual quality evaluation of urban commercial streetscape for the development of landscape visual planning system in provincial street corridors in Malang, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-03-01

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

A novel computational model to probe visual search deficits during motor performance

PubMed Central

Singh, Tarkeshwar; Fridriksson, Julius; Perry, Christopher M.; Tryon, Sarah C.; Ross, Angela; Fritz, Stacy

2016-01-01

Successful execution of many motor skills relies on well-organized visual search (voluntary eye movements that actively scan the environment for task-relevant information). Although impairments of visual search that result from brain injuries are linked to diminished motor performance, the neural processes that guide visual search within this context remain largely unknown. The first objective of this study was to examine how visual search in healthy adults and stroke survivors is used to guide hand movements during the Trail Making Test (TMT), a neuropsychological task that is a strong predictor of visuomotor and cognitive deficits. Our second objective was to develop a novel computational model to investigate combinatorial interactions between three underlying processes of visual search (spatial planning, working memory, and peripheral visual processing). We predicted that stroke survivors would exhibit deficits in integrating the three underlying processes, resulting in deteriorated overall task performance. We found that normal TMT performance is associated with patterns of visual search that primarily rely on spatial planning and/or working memory (but not peripheral visual processing). Our computational model suggested that abnormal TMT performance following stroke is associated with impairments of visual search that are characterized by deficits integrating spatial planning and working memory. This innovative methodology provides a novel framework for studying how the neural processes underlying visual search interact combinatorially to guide motor performance. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Visual search has traditionally been studied in cognitive and perceptual paradigms, but little is known about how it contributes to visuomotor performance. We have developed a novel computational model to examine how three underlying processes of visual search (spatial planning, working memory, and peripheral visual processing) contribute to visual search during a visuomotor task. We show that deficits integrating spatial planning and working memory underlie abnormal performance in stroke survivors with frontoparietal damage. PMID:27733596

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; forest structure and fire hazard fact sheet 03: visualizing forest structure and fuels

Treesearch

Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service

2004-01-01

The software described in this fact sheet provides managers with tools for visualizing forest and fuels information. Computer-based landscape simulations can help visualize stand and landscape conditions and the effects of different management treatments and fuel changes over time. These visualizations can assist forest planning by considering a range of management...

Visual Grouping in Accordance With Utterance Planning Facilitates Speech Production.

PubMed

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

2018-01-01

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

Physical and Visual Accessibilities in Intensive Care Units: A Comparative Study of Open-Plan and Racetrack Units.

PubMed

Rashid, Mahbub; Khan, Nayma; Jones, Belinda

2016-01-01

This study compared physical and visual accessibilities and their associations with staff perception and interaction behaviors in 2 intensive care units (ICUs) with open-plan and racetrack layouts. For the study, physical and visual accessibilities were measured using the spatial analysis techniques of Space Syntax. Data on staff perception were collected from 81 clinicians using a questionnaire survey. The locations of 2233 interactions, and the location and length of another 339 interactions in these units were collected using systematic field observation techniques. According to the study, physical and visual accessibilities were different in the 2 ICUs, and clinicians' primary workspaces were physically and visually more accessible in the open-plan ICU. Physical and visual accessibilities affected how well clinicians' knew their peers and where their peers were located in these units. Physical and visual accessibilities also affected clinicians' perception of interaction and communication and of teamwork and collaboration in these units. Additionally, physical and visual accessibilities showed significant positive associations with interaction behaviors in these units, with the open-plan ICU showing stronger associations. However, physical accessibilities were less important than visual accessibilities in relation to interaction behaviors in these ICUs. The implications of these findings for ICU design are discussed.

Visual Knowledge in Tactical Planning: Preliminary Knowledge Acquisition Phase 1 Technical Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-05

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION , COMMUNICATIONS, AND COMPUTER SCIENCES Visual Knowledge in Tactical Planning: Preliminary Knowledge Acquisition Phase I Technical...perceived provides information in multiple modalities and, in fact, we may rely on a non-verbal mode for much of our understanding of the situation...some tasks, almost all the pertinent information is provided via diagrams, maps, znd other illustrations. Visual Knowledge Visual experience forms a

[Computer-assisted operational planning for pediatric abdominal surgery. 3D-visualized MRI with volume rendering].

PubMed

Günther, P; Tröger, J; Holland-Cunz, S; Waag, K L; Schenk, J P

2006-08-01

Exact surgical planning is necessary for complex operations of pathological changes in anatomical structures of the pediatric abdomen. 3D visualization and computer-assisted operational planning based on CT data are being increasingly used for difficult operations in adults. To minimize radiation exposure and for better soft tissue contrast, sonography and MRI are the preferred diagnostic methods in pediatric patients. Because of manifold difficulties 3D visualization of these MRI data has not been realized so far, even though the field of embryonal malformations and tumors could benefit from this.A newly developed and modified raycasting-based powerful 3D volume rendering software (VG Studio Max 1.2) for the planning of pediatric abdominal surgery is presented. With the help of specifically developed algorithms, a useful surgical planning system is demonstrated. Thanks to the easy handling and high-quality visualization with enormous gain of information, the presented system is now an established part of routine surgical planning.

Targeting "Plan Colombia": A Critical Analysis of Ideological and Political Visual Narratives by the Beehive Collective and the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erler, Carolyn

2008-01-01

This article compares the Beehive Collective's "Plan Colombia" to a museum exhibition representing the official U.S. position on Plan Colombia. Through a dialectical (Kellner & Share, 2007; Greene, 1988) reading of "Plan Colombia" and "Target America," I examine how each uses visual narrative to promote a…

Data Lakes and Data Visualization: An Innovative Approach to Address the Challenges of Access to Health Care in Mississippi.

PubMed

Krause, Denise D

2015-01-01

There are a variety of challenges to developing strategies to improve access to health care, but access to data is critical for effective evidence-based decision-making. Many agencies and organizations throughout Mississippi have been collecting quality health data for many years. However, those data have historically resided in data silos and have not been readily shared. A strategy was developed to build and coordinate infrastructure, capacity, tools, and resources to facilitate health workforce and population health planning throughout the state. Realizing data as the foundation upon which to build, the primary objective was to develop the capacity to collect, store, maintain, visualize, and analyze data from a variety of disparate sources -- with the ultimate goal of improving access to health care. Specific aims were to: 1) build a centralized data repository and scalable informatics platform, 2) develop a data management solution for this platform and then, 3) derive value from this platform by facilitating data visualization and analysis. A managed data lake was designed and constructed for health data from disparate sources throughout the state of Mississippi. A data management application was developed to log and track all data sources, maps and geographies, and data marts. With this informatics platform as a foundation, a variety of tools are used to visualize and analyze data. To illustrate, a web mapping application was developed to examine the health workforce geographically and attractive data visualizations and dynamic dashboards were created to facilitate health planning and research. Samples of data visualizations that aim to inform health planners and policymakers are presented. Many agencies and organizations throughout the state benefit from this platform. The overarching goal is that by providing timely, reliable information to stakeholders, Mississippians in general will experience improved access to quality care.

The Mission Planning Lab: A Visualization and Analysis Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daugherty, Sarah C.; Cervantes, Benjamin W.

2009-01-01

Simulation and visualization are powerful decision making tools that are time-saving and cost-effective. Space missions pose testing and e valuation challenges that can be overcome through modeling, simulatio n, and visualization of mission parameters. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration?s (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) capi talizes on the benefits of modeling, simulation, and visualization to ols through a project initiative called The Mission Planning Lab (MPL ).

30 Years of Planning: An Artist-Teacher's Visual Lesson Plan Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szekely, George

2006-01-01

The art room is the canvas, and all furnishings and objects are the art supplies. All art room surfaces and spaces can be used to communicate an art lesson. Artists in all media plan visually, and art lessons should be planned and preserved as are other works of art. As a young art teacher, the author felt it was important for his students to…

Integrating 3D Visualization and GIS in Planning Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yin, Li

2010-01-01

Most GIS-related planning practices and education are currently limited to two-dimensional mapping and analysis although 3D GIS is a powerful tool to study the complex urban environment in its full spatial extent. This paper reviews current GIS and 3D visualization uses and development in planning practice and education. Current literature…

Unit Planning Grids for Visual Arts--Grade 9-12 Advanced.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delaware State Dept. of Education, Dover.

This planning grid for teaching visual arts (advanced) in grades 9-12 in Delaware outlines the following six standards for students to complete: (1) students will select and use form, media, techniques, and processes to create works of art and communicate meaning; (2) students will create ways to use visual, spatial, and temporal concepts in…

The role of the landscape architect in applied forest landscape management: a case study on process

Treesearch

Wayne Tlusty

1979-01-01

Land planning allocations are often multi-resource concepts, with visual quality objectives addressing the appropriate level of visual resource management. Current legislation and/or regulations often require interdisciplinary teams to implement planning decisions. A considerable amount of information is currently avail-able on visual assessment techniques both for...

Planning, implementation and optimization of future space missions using an immersive visualization environment (IVE) machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nathan Harris, E.; Morgenthaler, George W.

2004-07-01

Beginning in 1995, a team of 3-D engineering visualization experts assembled at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company and began to develop innovative virtual prototyping simulation tools for performing ground processing and real-time visualization of design and planning of aerospace missions. At the University of Colorado, a team of 3-D visualization experts also began developing the science of 3-D visualization and immersive visualization at the newly founded British Petroleum (BP) Center for visualization, which began operations in October, 2001. BP acquired ARCO in the year 2000 and awarded the 3-D flexible IVE developed by ARCO (beginning in 1990) to the University of Colorado, CU, the winner in a competition among 6 Universities. CU then hired Dr. G. Dorn, the leader of the ARCO team as Center Director, and the other experts to apply 3-D immersive visualization to aerospace and to other University Research fields, while continuing research on surface interpretation of seismic data and 3-D volumes. This paper recounts further progress and outlines plans in Aerospace applications at Lockheed Martin and CU.

Family-Centered Early Intervention Visual Impairment Services through Matrix Session Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ely, Mindy S.; Gullifor, Kateri; Hollinshead, Tara

2017-01-01

Early intervention visual impairment services are built on a model that values family. Matrix session planning pulls together parent priorities, family routines, and identified strategies in a way that helps families and early intervention professionals outline a plan that can both highlight long-term goals and focus on what can be done today.…

CasCADe: A Novel 4D Visualization System for Virtual Construction Planning.

PubMed

Ivson, Paulo; Nascimento, Daniel; Celes, Waldemar; Barbosa, Simone Dj

2018-01-01

Building Information Modeling (BIM) provides an integrated 3D environment to manage large-scale engineering projects. The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry explores 4D visualizations over these datasets for virtual construction planning. However, existing solutions lack adequate visual mechanisms to inspect the underlying schedule and make inconsistencies readily apparent. The goal of this paper is to apply best practices of information visualization to improve 4D analysis of construction plans. We first present a review of previous work that identifies common use cases and limitations. We then consulted with AEC professionals to specify the main design requirements for such applications. These guided the development of CasCADe, a novel 4D visualization system where task sequencing and spatio-temporal simultaneity are immediately apparent. This unique framework enables the combination of diverse analytical features to create an information-rich analysis environment. We also describe how engineering collaborators used CasCADe to review the real-world construction plans of an Oil & Gas process plant. The system made evident schedule uncertainties, identified work-space conflicts and helped analyze other constructability issues. The results and contributions of this paper suggest new avenues for future research in information visualization for the AEC industry.

VIPER: Virtual Intelligent Planetary Exploration Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Laurence; Flueckiger, Lorenzo; Nguyen, Laurent; Washington, Richard

2001-01-01

Simulation and visualization of rover behavior are critical capabilities for scientists and rover operators to construct, test, and validate plans for commanding a remote rover. The VIPER system links these capabilities. using a high-fidelity virtual-reality (VR) environment. a kinematically accurate simulator, and a flexible plan executive to allow users to simulate and visualize possible execution outcomes of a plan under development. This work is part of a larger vision of a science-centered rover control environment, where a scientist may inspect and explore the environment via VR tools, specify science goals, and visualize the expected and actual behavior of the remote rover. The VIPER system is constructed from three generic systems, linked together via a minimal amount of customization into the integrated system. The complete system points out the power of combining plan execution, simulation, and visualization for envisioning rover behavior; it also demonstrates the utility of developing generic technologies. which can be combined in novel and useful ways.

An Inventory of International Clearing House Services in Population/Family Planning With Special Reference to Audio-Visual Aids and Educational Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radel, David

This paper provides an inventory and summary of current and planned international information clearing house services in the field of population/family planning, worldwide. Special emphasis is placed on services relating to audio-visual aids, educational materials, and information/education/communication support, as these items and activities have…

Visual degradation in Leonardo da Vinci's iconic self-portrait: A nanoscale study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conte, A. Mosca; Pulci, O.; Misiti, M. C.; Lojewska, J.; Teodonio, L.; Violante, C.; Missori, M.

2014-06-01

The discoloration of ancient paper, due to the development of oxidized groups acting as chromophores in its chief component, cellulose, is responsible for severe visual degradation in ancient artifacts. By adopting a non-destructive approach based on the combination of optical reflectance measurements and time-dependent density functional theory ab-initio calculations, we describe and quantify the chromophores affecting Leonardo da Vinci's iconic self-portrait. Their relative concentrations are very similar to those measured in modern and ancient samples aged in humid environments. This analysis quantifies the present level of optical degradation of the Leonardo da Vinci's self-portrait which, compared with future measurements, will assess its degradation rate. This is a fundamental information in order to plan appropriate conservation strategies.

Operational flow visualization techniques in the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corlett, W. A.

1982-01-01

The unitary plan wind tunnel (UPWT) uses in daily operation are shown. New ideas for improving the quality of established flow visualization methods are developed and programs on promising new flow visualization techniques are pursued. The unitary plan wind tunnel is a supersonic facility, referred to as a production facility, although the majority of tests are inhouse basic research investigations. The facility has two 4 ft. by 4 ft. test sections which span a Mach range from 1.5 to 4.6. The cost of operation is about $10 per minute. Problems are the time required for a flow visualization test setup and investigation costs and the ability to obtain consistently repeatable results. Examples of sublimation, vapor screen, oil flow, minitufts, schlieren, and shadowgraphs taken in UPWT are presented. All tests in UPWT employ one or more of the flow visualization techniques.

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

Tanny, S; Bogue, J; Parsai, E

Purpose: Potential collisions between the gantry head and the patient or table assembly are difficult to detect in most treatment planning systems. We have developed and implemented a novel software package for the representation of potential gantry collisions with the couch assembly at the time of treatment planning. Methods: Physical dimensions of the Varian Edge linear accelerator treatment head were measured and reproduced using the Visual Python display package. A script was developed for the Pinnacle treatment planning system to generate a file with the relevant couch, gantry, and isocenter positions for each beam in a planning trial. A pythonmore » program was developed to parse the information from the TPS and produce a representative model of the couch/gantry system. Using the model and the Visual Python libraries, a rendering window is generated for each beam that allows the planner to evaluate the possibility of a collision. Results: Comparison against heuristic methods and direct verification on the machine validated the collision model generated by the software. Encounters of <1 cm between the gantry treatment head and table were visualized as collisions in our virtual model. Visual windows were created depicting the angle of collision for each beam, including the anticipated table coordinates. Visual rendering of a 6 arc trial with multiple couch positions was completed in under 1 minute, with network bandwidth being the primary bottleneck. Conclusion: The developed software allows for quick examination of possible collisions during the treatment planning process and helps to prevent major collisions prior to plan approval. The software can easily be implemented on future planning systems due to the versatility and platform independence of the Python programming language. Further integration of the software with the treatment planning system will allow the possibility of patient-gantry collision detection for a range of treatment machines.« less

Development and Demonstration of a Method to Evaluate Bio-Sampling Strategies Using Building Simulation and Sample Planning Software

PubMed Central

Dols, W. Stuart; Persily, Andrew K.; Morrow, Jayne B.; Matzke, Brett D.; Sego, Landon H.; Nuffer, Lisa L.; Pulsipher, Brent A.

2010-01-01

In an effort to validate and demonstrate response and recovery sampling approaches and technologies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), along with several other agencies, have simulated a biothreat agent release within a facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on two separate occasions in the fall of 2007 and the fall of 2008. Because these events constitute only two realizations of many possible scenarios, increased understanding of sampling strategies can be obtained by virtually examining a wide variety of release and dispersion scenarios using computer simulations. This research effort demonstrates the use of two software tools, CONTAM, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Visual Sample Plan (VSP), developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The CONTAM modeling software was used to virtually contaminate a model of the INL test building under various release and dissemination scenarios as well as a range of building design and operation parameters. The results of these CONTAM simulations were then used to investigate the relevance and performance of various sampling strategies using VSP. One of the fundamental outcomes of this project was the demonstration of how CONTAM and VSP can be used together to effectively develop sampling plans to support the various stages of response to an airborne chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear event. Following such an event (or prior to an event), incident details and the conceptual site model could be used to create an ensemble of CONTAM simulations which model contaminant dispersion within a building. These predictions could then be used to identify priority area zones within the building and then sampling designs and strategies could be developed based on those zones. PMID:27134782

Development and Demonstration of a Method to Evaluate Bio-Sampling Strategies Using Building Simulation and Sample Planning Software.

PubMed

Dols, W Stuart; Persily, Andrew K; Morrow, Jayne B; Matzke, Brett D; Sego, Landon H; Nuffer, Lisa L; Pulsipher, Brent A

2010-01-01

In an effort to validate and demonstrate response and recovery sampling approaches and technologies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), along with several other agencies, have simulated a biothreat agent release within a facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on two separate occasions in the fall of 2007 and the fall of 2008. Because these events constitute only two realizations of many possible scenarios, increased understanding of sampling strategies can be obtained by virtually examining a wide variety of release and dispersion scenarios using computer simulations. This research effort demonstrates the use of two software tools, CONTAM, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Visual Sample Plan (VSP), developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The CONTAM modeling software was used to virtually contaminate a model of the INL test building under various release and dissemination scenarios as well as a range of building design and operation parameters. The results of these CONTAM simulations were then used to investigate the relevance and performance of various sampling strategies using VSP. One of the fundamental outcomes of this project was the demonstration of how CONTAM and VSP can be used together to effectively develop sampling plans to support the various stages of response to an airborne chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear event. Following such an event (or prior to an event), incident details and the conceptual site model could be used to create an ensemble of CONTAM simulations which model contaminant dispersion within a building. These predictions could then be used to identify priority area zones within the building and then sampling designs and strategies could be developed based on those zones.

The first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) in Thailand.

PubMed

Isipradit, Saichin; Sirimaharaj, Maytinee; Charukamnoetkanok, Puwat; Thonginnetra, Oraorn; Wongsawad, Warapat; Sathornsumetee, Busaba; Somboonthanakij, Sudawadee; Soomsawasdi, Piriya; Jitawatanarat, Umapond; Taweebanjongsin, Wongsiri; Arayangkoon, Eakkachai; Arame, Punyawee; Kobkoonthon, Chinsuchee; Pangputhipong, Pannet

2014-01-01

The majority of vision loss is preventable or treatable. Population surveys are crucial for planning, implementation, and monitoring policies and interventions to eliminate avoidable blindness and visual impairments. This is the first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) study in Thailand. A cross-sectional study of a population in Thailand age 50 years old or over aimed to assess the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairments. Using the Thailand National Census 2010 as the sampling frame, a stratified four-stage cluster sampling based on a probability proportional to size was conducted in 176 enumeration areas from 11 provinces. Participants received comprehensive eye examination by ophthalmologists. The age and sex adjusted prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity (VA) <20/400), severe visual impairment (VA <20/200 but ≥20/400), and moderate visual impairment (VA <20/70 but ≥20/200) were 0.6% (95% CI: 0.5-0.8), 1.3% (95% CI: 1.0-1.6), 12.6% (95% CI: 10.8-14.5). There was no significant difference among the four regions of Thailand. Cataract was the main cause of vision loss accounted for 69.7% of blindness. Cataract surgical coverage in persons was 95.1% for cut off VA of 20/400. Refractive errors, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and corneal opacities were responsible for 6.0%, 5.1%, 4.0%, and 2.0% of blindness respectively. Thailand is on track to achieve the goal of VISION 2020. However, there is still much room for improvement. Policy refinements and innovative interventions are recommended to alleviate blindness and visual impairments especially regarding the backlog of blinding cataract, management of non-communicative, chronic, age-related eye diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, prevention of childhood blindness, and establishment of a robust eye health information system.

Designed to deter. Community barriers to physical activity for people with visual or motor impairments.

PubMed

Kirchner, Corinne E; Gerber, Elaine G; Smith, Brooke C

2008-04-01

People with disabilities are more likely to be obese, in poor health, and get less physical activity than the general population. However, research on community factors for physical activity has generally either excluded most people with disabilities, or overlooked relevant factors of community accessibility. This exploratory study investigated environmental factors affecting people with motor impairments and people with visual impairments in urban neighborhoods. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used with a nonrandom sample (n=134) of users of four types of assistive mobility technologies: guide dogs, long canes, and motorized and manual wheelchairs. From July 2005 to August 2006, the sample participated in two telephone surveys. Between the surveys, a stratified random subsample (n =32) engaged in an ethnographic phase of observation and interviews. Most participants in all groups using assistive mobility technologies rated their neighborhoods as accessible, although they also reported many specific barriers. Users of assistive mobility technologies differed in the amount of reported physical activity and on specific barriers. Problems with sidewalk pavement and puddles/poor drainage were the most frequently mentioned environmental barriers, by 90% and 80%, respectively. Users of assistive mobility technologies were more similar on main strategies for dealing with barriers. All groups reported having to plan routes for outings, to alter planned routes, to go more slowly than planned, or to wait for a different time. Despite legislative requirements for accommodation, people with disabilities face barriers to physical activity, both in the built and social environments. Determined people with disabilities were able to overcome barriers, but required additional expenditure of resources to do so. Community design that can include people with disabilities requires detailed understanding of barriers specific both to types of impairments and to different types of assistive mobility technologies.

The effect of sensory uncertainty due to amblyopia (lazy eye) on the planning and execution of visually-guided 3D reaching movements.

PubMed

Niechwiej-Szwedo, Ewa; Goltz, Herbert C; Chandrakumar, Manokaraananthan; Wong, Agnes M F

2012-01-01

Impairment of spatiotemporal visual processing in amblyopia has been studied extensively, but its effects on visuomotor tasks have rarely been examined. Here, we investigate how visual deficits in amblyopia affect motor planning and online control of visually-guided, unconstrained reaching movements. Thirteen patients with mild amblyopia, 13 with severe amblyopia and 13 visually-normal participants were recruited. Participants reached and touched a visual target during binocular and monocular viewing. Motor planning was assessed by examining spatial variability of the trajectory at 50-100 ms after movement onset. Online control was assessed by examining the endpoint variability and by calculating the coefficient of determination (R(2)) which correlates the spatial position of the limb during the movement to endpoint position. Patients with amblyopia had reduced precision of the motor plan in all viewing conditions as evidenced by increased variability of the reach early in the trajectory. Endpoint precision was comparable between patients with mild amblyopia and control participants. Patients with severe amblyopia had reduced endpoint precision along azimuth and elevation during amblyopic eye viewing only, and along the depth axis in all viewing conditions. In addition, they had significantly higher R(2) values at 70% of movement time along the elevation and depth axes during amblyopic eye viewing. Sensory uncertainty due to amblyopia leads to reduced precision of the motor plan. The ability to implement online corrections depends on the severity of the visual deficit, viewing condition, and the axis of the reaching movement. Patients with mild amblyopia used online control effectively to compensate for the reduced precision of the motor plan. In contrast, patients with severe amblyopia were not able to use online control as effectively to amend the limb trajectory especially along the depth axis, which could be due to their abnormal stereopsis.

The Effect of Sensory Uncertainty Due to Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) on the Planning and Execution of Visually-Guided 3D Reaching Movements

PubMed Central

Niechwiej-Szwedo, Ewa; Goltz, Herbert C.; Chandrakumar, Manokaraananthan; Wong, Agnes M. F.

2012-01-01

Background Impairment of spatiotemporal visual processing in amblyopia has been studied extensively, but its effects on visuomotor tasks have rarely been examined. Here, we investigate how visual deficits in amblyopia affect motor planning and online control of visually-guided, unconstrained reaching movements. Methods Thirteen patients with mild amblyopia, 13 with severe amblyopia and 13 visually-normal participants were recruited. Participants reached and touched a visual target during binocular and monocular viewing. Motor planning was assessed by examining spatial variability of the trajectory at 50–100 ms after movement onset. Online control was assessed by examining the endpoint variability and by calculating the coefficient of determination (R2) which correlates the spatial position of the limb during the movement to endpoint position. Results Patients with amblyopia had reduced precision of the motor plan in all viewing conditions as evidenced by increased variability of the reach early in the trajectory. Endpoint precision was comparable between patients with mild amblyopia and control participants. Patients with severe amblyopia had reduced endpoint precision along azimuth and elevation during amblyopic eye viewing only, and along the depth axis in all viewing conditions. In addition, they had significantly higher R2 values at 70% of movement time along the elevation and depth axes during amblyopic eye viewing. Conclusion Sensory uncertainty due to amblyopia leads to reduced precision of the motor plan. The ability to implement online corrections depends on the severity of the visual deficit, viewing condition, and the axis of the reaching movement. Patients with mild amblyopia used online control effectively to compensate for the reduced precision of the motor plan. In contrast, patients with severe amblyopia were not able to use online control as effectively to amend the limb trajectory especially along the depth axis, which could be due to their abnormal stereopsis. PMID:22363549

[To promote universal eye health to push forward sustaining development of the prevention of blindness in China].

PubMed

Zhao, Jialiang

2014-03-01

Action plan for the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment for 2014-2019 endorsed by 66(th) World Health Assembly is an important document for promoting the global prevention of blindness. This action plan summarized the experiences and lessons in the global prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment from 2009 to 2013, raised the global goal for the prevention of blindness-the reduction in prevalence of avoidable visual impairment by 25% by 2019 from the baseline of 2010, set up the monitoring indicators for realizing the global goal. This document can be served as a roadmap to consolidate joint efforts aimed at working towards universal eye health in the world. This action plan must give a deep and important impact on the prevention of blindness in China.We should implement the action plan for the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment for 2014-2019 to push forward sustaining development of the prevention of blindness in China.

NASA Lunar and Planetary Mapping and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Brian; Law, Emily

2016-10-01

NASA's Lunar and Planetary Mapping and Modeling Portals provide web-based suites of interactive visualization and analysis tools to enable mission planners, planetary scientists, students, and the general public to access mapped lunar data products from past and current missions for the Moon, Mars, and Vesta. New portals for additional planetary bodies are being planned. This presentation will recap some of the enhancements to these products during the past year and preview work currently being undertaken.New data products added to the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal (LMMP) include both generalized products as well as polar data products specifically targeting potential sites for the Resource Prospector mission. New tools being developed include traverse planning and surface potential analysis. Current development work on LMMP also includes facilitating mission planning and data management for lunar CubeSat missions. Looking ahead, LMMP is working with the NASA Astromaterials Office to integrate with their Lunar Apollo Sample database to help better visualize the geographic contexts of retrieved samples. All of this will be done within the framework of a new user interface which, among other improvements, will provide significantly enhanced 3D visualizations and navigation.Mars Trek, the project's Mars portal, has now been assigned by NASA's Planetary Science Division to support site selection and analysis for the Mars 2020 Rover mission as well as for the Mars Human Landing Exploration Zone Sites, and is being enhanced with data products and analysis tools specifically requested by the proposing teams for the various sites. NASA Headquarters is giving high priority to Mars Trek's use as a means to directly involve the public in these upcoming missions, letting them explore the areas the agency is focusing upon, understand what makes these sites so fascinating, follow the selection process, and get caught up in the excitement of exploring Mars.The portals also serve as outstanding resources for education and outreach. As such, they have been designated by NASA's Science Mission Directorate as key supporting infrastructure for the new education programs selected through the division's recent CAN.

Data Lakes and Data Visualization: An Innovative Approach to Address the Challenges of Access to Health Care in Mississippi

PubMed Central

Krause, Denise D.

2015-01-01

Background: There are a variety of challenges to developing strategies to improve access to health care, but access to data is critical for effective evidence-based decision-making. Many agencies and organizations throughout Mississippi have been collecting quality health data for many years. However, those data have historically resided in data silos and have not been readily shared. A strategy was developed to build and coordinate infrastructure, capacity, tools, and resources to facilitate health workforce and population health planning throughout the state. Objective: Realizing data as the foundation upon which to build, the primary objective was to develop the capacity to collect, store, maintain, visualize, and analyze data from a variety of disparate sources -- with the ultimate goal of improving access to health care. Specific aims were to: 1) build a centralized data repository and scalable informatics platform, 2) develop a data management solution for this platform and then, 3) derive value from this platform by facilitating data visualization and analysis. Methods: A managed data lake was designed and constructed for health data from disparate sources throughout the state of Mississippi. A data management application was developed to log and track all data sources, maps and geographies, and data marts. With this informatics platform as a foundation, a variety of tools are used to visualize and analyze data. To illustrate, a web mapping application was developed to examine the health workforce geographically and attractive data visualizations and dynamic dashboards were created to facilitate health planning and research. Results: Samples of data visualizations that aim to inform health planners and policymakers are presented. Many agencies and organizations throughout the state benefit from this platform. Conclusion: The overarching goal is that by providing timely, reliable information to stakeholders, Mississippians in general will experience improved access to quality care. PMID:26834938

Proceedings of our national landscape: a conference on applied techniques for analysis and management of the visual resource [Incline Village, Nev., April 23-25, 1979

Treesearch

Gary H. Elsner; Richard C. Smardon; technical coordinators

1979-01-01

These 104 papers were presented at "Our National Landscape: A Conference on Applied Techniques for Analysis and Management of the Visual Resource," Incline Village, Nevada, April 23-25, 1979. Included in this proceedings are state-of-the-art papers on landscape planning. Emphasis is upon planning the visual aspects of the large and wildland areas of the...

Problem solving of student with visual impairment related to mathematical literacy problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratama, A. R.; Saputro, D. R. S.; Riyadi

2018-04-01

The student with visual impairment, total blind category depends on the sense of touch and hearing in obtaining information. In fact, the two senses can receive information less than 20%. Thus, students with visual impairment of the total blind categories in the learning process must have difficulty, including learning mathematics. This study aims to describe the problem-solving process of the student with visual impairment, total blind category on mathematical literacy issues based on Polya phase. This research using test method similar problems mathematical literacy in PISA and in-depth interviews. The subject of this study was a student with visual impairment, total blind category. Based on the result of the research, problem-solving related to mathematical literacy based on Polya phase is quite good. In the phase of understanding the problem, the student read about twice by brushing the text and assisted with information through hearing three times. The student with visual impairment in problem-solving based on the Polya phase, devising a plan by summoning knowledge and experience gained previously. At the phase of carrying out the plan, students with visual impairment implement the plan in accordance with pre-made. In the looking back phase, students with visual impairment need to check the answers three times but have not been able to find a way.

A Proposal to Plan and Develop a Sample Set of Drill and Testing Materials, Based on Audio and Visual Environmental and Situational Stimuli, Aimed at Training and Testing in the Creation of Original Utterances by Foreign Language Students at the Secondary and College Levels.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obrecht, Dean H.

This report contrasts the results of a rigidly specified, pattern-oriented approach to learning Spanish with an approach that emphasizes the origination of sentences by the learner in direct response to stimuli. Pretesting and posttesting statistics are presented and conclusions are discussed. The experimental method, which required the student to…

Blindness and cataract surgical services in Atsinanana region, Madagascar.

PubMed

Randrianaivo, Jean-Baptiste; Anholt, R Michele; Tendrisoa, Diarimirindra Lazaharivony; Margiano, Nestor Jean; Courtright, Paul; Lewallen, Susan

2014-01-01

To assess the prevalence and causes of avoidable blindness in Atsinanana Region, Madagascar, with the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey. We analyzed the hospital records to supplement the findings for public health care planning. Only villages within a two-hour walk from a road, about half of the population of Atsinanana was included. Seventy-two villages were selected by population-proportional-to-size sampling. In each village, compact segment sampling was used to select 50 people over age 50 for eye examination using standard RAAB methods. Records at the two hospitals providing cataract surgery in the region were analyzed for information on patients who underwent cataract surgery in 2010. Cataract incidence rate and target cataract surgery rate (CSR) was modeled from age-specific prevalence of cataract. The participation rate was 87% and the sample prevalence of blindness was 1.96%. Cataract was responsible for 64% and 85.7% of blindness and severe visual impairment, respectively. Visual impairment was due to cataract (69.4%) and refractive error (14.1%). There was a strong positive correlation between cataract surgical rate by district and the proportion of people living within 2 hours of a road. There were marked differences in the profiles of the cataract patients at the two facilities. The estimated incidence of cataract at the 6/18 level was 2.4 eyes per 100 people over age 50 per year. Although the survey included only people with reasonable access, the main cause of visual impairment was still cataract. The incidence of cataract is such that it ought to be possible to eliminate it as a cause of visual impairment, but changes in service delivery at hospitals and strategies to improve access will be necessary for this change.

Intraoperative adaptation and visualization of preoperative risk analyses for oncologic liver surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Christian; Schlichting, Stefan; Zidowitz, Stephan; Köhn, Alexander; Hindennach, Milo; Kleemann, Markus; Peitgen, Heinz-Otto

2008-03-01

Tumor resections from the liver are complex surgical interventions. With recent planning software, risk analyses based on individual liver anatomy can be carried out preoperatively. However, additional tumors within the liver are frequently detected during oncological interventions using intraoperative ultrasound. These tumors are not visible in preoperative data and their existence may require changes to the resection strategy. We propose a novel method that allows an intraoperative risk analysis adaptation by merging newly detected tumors with a preoperative risk analysis. To determine the exact positions and sizes of these tumors we make use of a navigated ultrasound-system. A fast communication protocol enables our application to exchange crucial data with this navigation system during an intervention. A further motivation for our work is to improve the visual presentation of a moving ultrasound plane within a complex 3D planning model including vascular systems, tumors, and organ surfaces. In case the ultrasound plane is located inside the liver, occlusion of the ultrasound plane by the planning model is an inevitable problem for the applied visualization technique. Our system allows the surgeon to focus on the ultrasound image while perceiving context-relevant planning information. To improve orientation ability and distance perception, we include additional depth cues by applying new illustrative visualization algorithms. Preliminary evaluations confirm that in case of intraoperatively detected tumors a risk analysis adaptation is beneficial for precise liver surgery. Our new GPU-based visualization approach provides the surgeon with a simultaneous visualization of planning models and navigated 2D ultrasound data while minimizing occlusion problems.

An evaluation of end-point trajectory planning during skilled kicking.

PubMed

Ford, Paul; Hodges, Nicola J; Mark Williams, A

2009-01-01

There is evidence that actions are planned by anticipation of their external effects, with the strength of this effect being dependent on the amount of prior practice. In Experiment 1, skilled soccer players performed a kicking task under four conditions: planning in terms of an external action effect (i.e., ball trajectory) or in terms of body movements, either with or without visual error feedback. When feedback was withheld, a ball focus resulted in more accurate outcomes than a body focus. When visual feedback was allowed, there was no difference between these two conditions. In Experiment 2, both skilled and novice soccer players were tested with the addition of a control condition and in the absence of visual feedback. For both groups there was evidence that a ball focus was more beneficial for performance than a body focus, particularly in terms of movement kinematics where correlations across the joints were generally higher for body rather than ball planning. Most skilled participants reported that ball planning felt more normal than body planning. These experiments provide some evidence that actions are planned in terms of their external action effects, supporting the common-coding hypothesis of action planning.

Planning a New School for Visually Handicapped Children in Nigeria.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shown, D. G.

The paper addresses considerations in planning a new school for visually impaired students in Nigeria. Site considerations touch upon safety, maximum educational achievement, adequate space for practicing mobility and future expansion, catchment area, and financial involvement. Curriculum considerations include use of a braille production machine,…

Prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment among school children in south-western Nigeria.

PubMed

Ajaiyeoba, A I; Isawumi, M A; Adeoye, A O; Oluleye, T S

2005-01-01

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and identify the causes of blindness and visual impairment in school children of Ilesa-East Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. A total of 1144 school children in primary and secondary schools were selected using a 2-stage random sampling method and examined to determine the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment. A total of 17 (1.48%) children were blind or visually impaired. These comprised of 11 (0.96%) children who were visually impaired and 4 (0.3%) who were severely visually impaired. Only 2 (0.15%) school children were blind. The causes of visual impairment were refractive error 10 (0.87%) and immature cataract 1 (0.08%), causes of severe visual impairment included corneal opacities 2 (0.2%), amblyopia leading to squint 1 (0.08%) and 1 cataract 1 (0.08%). The causes of blindness in school children were corneal scars presumed to be due to vitamin A deficiency 1 (0.08%) and keratoconus 1 (0.08%). Causes of blindness and visual impairment in children attending regular schools in Nigeria were treatable. Prevention, early recognition and prompt treatment of these diseases by regular screening of school children would definitely reduce unnecessary visual handicap in Nigerian school children so that they can attain their full potential in the course of their education. Also, information from this study is relevant for the purpose of planning eye care programmes for the prevention of blindness in Nigerian school children. This will go a long way in the prevention of unnecessary blindness and visual impairment in school children.

Development of visual programming techniques to integrate theoretical modeling into the scientific planning and instrument operations environment of ISTP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodrich, Charles C.

1993-01-01

The goal of this project is to investigate the use of visualization software based on the visual programming and data-flow paradigms to meet the needs of the SPOF and through it the International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) science community. Specific needs we address include science planning, data interpretation, comparisons of data with simulation and model results, and data acquisition. Our accomplishments during the twelve month grant period are discussed below.

Children's Visual Processing of Egocentric Cues in Action Planning for Reach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cordova, Alberto; Gabbard, Carl

2011-01-01

In this study the authors examined children's ability to code visual information into an egocentric frame of reference for planning reach movements. Children and adults estimated reach distance via motor imagery in immediate and response-delay conditions. Actual maximum reach was compared to estimates in multiple locations in peripersonal and…

A collaborative interaction and visualization multi-modal environment for surgical planning.

PubMed

Foo, Jung Leng; Martinez-Escobar, Marisol; Peloquin, Catherine; Lobe, Thom; Winer, Eliot

2009-01-01

The proliferation of virtual reality visualization and interaction technologies has changed the way medical image data is analyzed and processed. This paper presents a multi-modal environment that combines a virtual reality application with a desktop application for collaborative surgical planning. Both visualization applications can function independently but can also be synced over a network connection for collaborative work. Any changes to either application is immediately synced and updated to the other. This is an efficient collaboration tool that allows multiple teams of doctors with only an internet connection to visualize and interact with the same patient data simultaneously. With this multi-modal environment framework, one team working in the VR environment and another team from a remote location working on a desktop machine can both collaborate in the examination and discussion for procedures such as diagnosis, surgical planning, teaching and tele-mentoring.

Action Planning Mediates Guidance of Visual Attention from Working Memory.

PubMed

Feldmann-Wüstefeld, Tobias; Schubö, Anna

2015-01-01

Visual search is impaired when a salient task-irrelevant stimulus is presented together with the target. Recent research has shown that this attentional capture effect is enhanced when the salient stimulus matches working memory (WM) content, arguing in favor of attention guidance from WM. Visual attention was also shown to be closely coupled with action planning. Preparing a movement renders action-relevant perceptual dimensions more salient and thus increases search efficiency for stimuli sharing that dimension. The present study aimed at revealing common underlying mechanisms for selective attention, WM, and action planning. Participants both prepared a specific movement (grasping or pointing) and memorized a color hue. Before the movement was executed towards an object of the memorized color, a visual search task (additional singleton) was performed. Results showed that distraction from target was more pronounced when the additional singleton had a memorized color. This WM-guided attention deployment was more pronounced when participants prepared a grasping movement. We argue that preparing a grasping movement mediates attention guidance from WM content by enhancing representations of memory content that matches the distractor shape (i.e., circles), thus encouraging attentional capture by circle distractors of the memorized color. We conclude that templates for visual search, action planning, and WM compete for resources and thus cause interferences.

Action Planning Mediates Guidance of Visual Attention from Working Memory

PubMed Central

Schubö, Anna

2015-01-01

Visual search is impaired when a salient task-irrelevant stimulus is presented together with the target. Recent research has shown that this attentional capture effect is enhanced when the salient stimulus matches working memory (WM) content, arguing in favor of attention guidance from WM. Visual attention was also shown to be closely coupled with action planning. Preparing a movement renders action-relevant perceptual dimensions more salient and thus increases search efficiency for stimuli sharing that dimension. The present study aimed at revealing common underlying mechanisms for selective attention, WM, and action planning. Participants both prepared a specific movement (grasping or pointing) and memorized a color hue. Before the movement was executed towards an object of the memorized color, a visual search task (additional singleton) was performed. Results showed that distraction from target was more pronounced when the additional singleton had a memorized color. This WM-guided attention deployment was more pronounced when participants prepared a grasping movement. We argue that preparing a grasping movement mediates attention guidance from WM content by enhancing representations of memory content that matches the distractor shape (i.e., circles), thus encouraging attentional capture by circle distractors of the memorized color. We conclude that templates for visual search, action planning, and WM compete for resources and thus cause interferences. PMID:26171241

Surgical planning for radical prostatectomies using three-dimensional visualization and a virtual reality display system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kay, Paul A.; Robb, Richard A.; King, Bernard F.; Myers, R. P.; Camp, Jon J.

1995-04-01

Thousands of radical prostatectomies for prostate cancer are performed each year. Radical prostatectomy is a challenging procedure due to anatomical variability and the adjacency of critical structures, including the external urinary sphincter and neurovascular bundles that subserve erectile function. Because of this, there are significant risks of urinary incontinence and impotence following this procedure. Preoperative interaction with three-dimensional visualization of the important anatomical structures might allow the surgeon to understand important individual anatomical relationships of patients. Such understanding might decrease the rate of morbidities, especially for surgeons in training. Patient specific anatomic data can be obtained from preoperative 3D MRI diagnostic imaging examinations of the prostate gland utilizing endorectal coils and phased array multicoils. The volumes of the important structures can then be segmented using interactive image editing tools and then displayed using 3-D surface rendering algorithms on standard work stations. Anatomic relationships can be visualized using surface displays and 3-D colorwash and transparency to allow internal visualization of hidden structures. Preoperatively a surgeon and radiologist can interactively manipulate the 3-D visualizations. Important anatomical relationships can better be visualized and used to plan the surgery. Postoperatively the 3-D displays can be compared to actual surgical experience and pathologic data. Patients can then be followed to assess the incidence of morbidities. More advanced approaches to visualize these anatomical structures in support of surgical planning will be implemented on virtual reality (VR) display systems. Such realistic displays are `immersive,' and allow surgeons to simultaneously see and manipulate the anatomy, to plan the procedure and to rehearse it in a realistic way. Ultimately the VR systems will be implemented in the operating room (OR) to assist the surgeon in conducting the surgery. Such an implementation will bring to the OR all of the pre-surgical planning data and rehearsal experience in synchrony with the actual patient and operation to optimize the effectiveness and outcome of the procedure.

Research on the Intensity Analysis and Result Visualization of Construction Land in Urban Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, J.; Dong, B.; Li, J.; Li, L.

2017-09-01

As a fundamental work of urban planning, the intensity analysis of construction land involves many repetitive data processing works that are prone to cause errors or data precision loss, and the lack of efficient methods and tools to visualizing the analysis results in current urban planning. In the research a portable tool is developed by using the Model Builder technique embedded in ArcGIS to provide automatic data processing and rapid result visualization for the works. A series of basic modules provided by ArcGIS are linked together to shape a whole data processing chain in the tool. Once the required data is imported, the analysis results and related maps and graphs including the intensity values and zoning map, the skyline analysis map etc. are produced automatically. Finally the tool is installation-free and can be dispatched quickly between planning teams.

Public health nurse perceptions of Omaha System data visualization.

PubMed

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

2015-10-01

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

Brain networks for visual creativity: a functional connectivity study of planning a visual artwork.

PubMed

De Pisapia, Nicola; Bacci, Francesca; Parrott, Danielle; Melcher, David

2016-12-19

Throughout recorded history, and across cultures, humans have made visual art. In recent years, the neural bases of creativity, including artistic creativity, have become a topic of interest. In this study we investigated the neural bases of the visual creative process with both professional artists and a group of control participants. We tested the idea that creativity (planning an artwork) would influence the functional connectivity between regions involved in the default mode network (DMN), implicated in divergent thinking and generating novel ideas, and the executive control network (EN), implicated in evaluating and selecting ideas. We measured functional connectivity with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during three different conditions: rest, visual imagery of the alphabet and planning an artwork to be executed immediately after the scanning session. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found stronger connectivity between areas of the DMN and EN during the creative task, and this difference was enhanced in professional artists. These findings suggest that creativity involves an expert balance of two brain networks typically viewed as being in opposition.

Brain networks for visual creativity: a functional connectivity study of planning a visual artwork

PubMed Central

De Pisapia, Nicola; Bacci, Francesca; Parrott, Danielle; Melcher, David

2016-01-01

Throughout recorded history, and across cultures, humans have made visual art. In recent years, the neural bases of creativity, including artistic creativity, have become a topic of interest. In this study we investigated the neural bases of the visual creative process with both professional artists and a group of control participants. We tested the idea that creativity (planning an artwork) would influence the functional connectivity between regions involved in the default mode network (DMN), implicated in divergent thinking and generating novel ideas, and the executive control network (EN), implicated in evaluating and selecting ideas. We measured functional connectivity with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during three different conditions: rest, visual imagery of the alphabet and planning an artwork to be executed immediately after the scanning session. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found stronger connectivity between areas of the DMN and EN during the creative task, and this difference was enhanced in professional artists. These findings suggest that creativity involves an expert balance of two brain networks typically viewed as being in opposition. PMID:27991592

Geology of the Apollo 17 site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muehlberger, W. R.

1992-01-01

The Apollo 17 landing site was unique in several aspects: (1) it was the only site that was not selected from telescopic-based geologic interpretation--interest in the site was generated by the visual observations of Al Worden, Apollo 15 Command Module pilot, who interpreted dark-haloed craters as possible cinder cones; (2) instead of 20-m-resolution photographs, as was the norm for all earlier missions, this site had Apollo 15 panoramic camera photography coverage that had 2-m resolution; and (3) it had a geologist-astronaut aboard who was intimately involved in all stages of planning and mission operation, and was also instrumental in the design of a long-handled sample bag holder that eliminated the need for crew to dismount before collecting a sample, which then permitted sampling between major stations. Details of site geology, sample description, and geologic synthesis of the site as viewed from studies through 1976 are summarized.

Set as an Instance of a Real-World Visual-Cognitive Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyamsuren, Enkhbold; Taatgen, Niels A.

2013-01-01

Complex problem solving is often an integration of perceptual processing and deliberate planning. But what balances these two processes, and how do novices differ from experts? We investigate the interplay between these two in the game of SET. This article investigates how people combine bottom-up visual processes and top-down planning to succeed…

Computer-aided visual assessment in mine planning and design

Treesearch

Michael Hatfield; A. J. LeRoy Balzer; Roger E. Nelson

1979-01-01

A computer modeling technique is described for evaluating the visual impact of a proposed surface mine located within the viewshed of a national park. A computer algorithm analyzes digitized USGS baseline topography and identifies areas subject to surface disturbance visible from the park. Preliminary mine and reclamation plan information is used to describe how the...

Viewing Objects and Planning Actions: On the Potentiation of Grasping Behaviours by Visual Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makris, Stergios; Hadar, Aviad A.; Yarrow, Kielan

2011-01-01

How do humans interact with tools? Gibson (1979) suggested that humans perceive directly what tools afford in terms of meaningful actions. This "affordances" hypothesis implies that visual objects can potentiate motor responses even in the absence of an intention to act. Here we explore the temporal evolution of motor plans afforded by common…

A Visual Tool for Computer Supported Learning: The Robot Motion Planning Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elnagar, Ashraf; Lulu, Leena

2007-01-01

We introduce an effective computer aided learning visual tool (CALVT) to teach graph-based applications. We present the robot motion planning problem as an example of such applications. The proposed tool can be used to simulate and/or further to implement practical systems in different areas of computer science such as graphics, computational…

Audio-visual interactions in environment assessment.

PubMed

Preis, Anna; Kociński, Jędrzej; Hafke-Dys, Honorata; Wrzosek, Małgorzata

2015-08-01

The aim of the study was to examine how visual and audio information influences audio-visual environment assessment. Original audio-visual recordings were made at seven different places in the city of Poznań. Participants of the psychophysical experiments were asked to rate, on a numerical standardized scale, the degree of comfort they would feel if they were in such an environment. The assessments of audio-visual comfort were carried out in a laboratory in four different conditions: (a) audio samples only, (b) original audio-visual samples, (c) video samples only, and (d) mixed audio-visual samples. The general results of this experiment showed a significant difference between the investigated conditions, but not for all the investigated samples. There was a significant improvement in comfort assessment when visual information was added (in only three out of 7 cases), when conditions (a) and (b) were compared. On the other hand, the results show that the comfort assessment of audio-visual samples could be changed by manipulating the audio rather than the video part of the audio-visual sample. Finally, it seems, that people could differentiate audio-visual representations of a given place in the environment based rather of on the sound sources' compositions than on the sound level. Object identification is responsible for both landscape and soundscape grouping. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Accessible engineering drawings for visually impaired machine operators.

PubMed

Ramteke, Deepak; Kansal, Gayatri; Madhab, Benu

2014-01-01

An engineering drawing provides manufacturing information to a machine operator. An operator plans and executes machining operations based on this information. A visually impaired (VI) operator does not have direct access to the drawings. Drawing information is provided to them verbally or by using sample parts. Both methods have limitations that affect the quality of output. Use of engineering drawings is a standard practice for every industry; this hampers employment of a VI operator. Accessible engineering drawings are required to increase both independence, as well as, employability of VI operators. Today, Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is used for making engineering drawings, which are saved in CAD files. Required information is extracted from the CAD files and converted into Braille or voice. The authors of this article propose a method to make engineering drawings information directly accessible to a VI operator.

An image-guided planning system for endosseous oral implants.

PubMed

Verstreken, K; Van Cleynenbreugel, J; Martens, K; Marchal, G; van Steenberghe, D; Suetens, P

1998-10-01

A preoperative planning system for oral implant surgery was developed which takes as input computed tomographies (CT's) of the jaws. Two-dimensional (2-D) reslices of these axial CT slices orthogonal to a curve following the jaw arch are computed and shown together with three-dimensional (3-D) surface rendered models of the bone and computer-aided design (CAD)-like implant models. A technique is developed for scanning and visualizing an eventual existing removable prosthesis together with the bone structures. Evaluation of the planning done with the system shows a difference between 2-D and 3-D planning methods. Validation studies measure the benefits of the 3-D approach by comparing plans made in 2-D mode only with those further adjusted using the full 3-D visualization capabilities of the system. The benefits of a 3-D approach are then evident where a prosthesis is involved in the planning. For the majority of the patients, clinically important adjustments and optimizations to the 2-D plans are made once the 3-D visualization is enabled, effectively resulting in a better plan. The alterations are related to bone quality and quantity (p < 0.05), biomechanics (p < 0.005), and esthetics (p < 0.005), and are so obvious that the 3-D plan stands out clearly (p < 0.005). The improvements often avoid complications such as mandibular nerve damage, sinus perforations, fenestrations, or dehiscences.

Analysis of landscape character for visual resource management

Treesearch

Paul F. Anderson

1979-01-01

Description, classification and delineation of visual landscape character are initial steps in developing visual resource management plans. Landscape characteristics identified as key factors in visual landscape analysis include land cover/land use and landform. Landscape types, which are combinations of landform and surface features, were delineated for management...

Clothing Construction: An Instructional Package with Adaptations for Visually Impaired Individuals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Glinda B.; And Others

Developed for the home economics teacher of mainstreamed visually impaired students, this guide provides clothing instruction lesson plans for the junior high level. First, teacher guidelines are given, including characteristics of the visually impaired, orienting such students to the classroom, orienting class members to the visually impaired,…

Geographic analysis of species richness and community attributes of forest birds from survey data in the mid-Atlantic integrated assessment region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cam, E.; Sauer, J.R.; Nichols, J.D.; Hines, J.E.; Flather, C.H.

2000-01-01

Species richness of local communities is a state variable commonly used in community ecology and conservation biology. Investigation of spatial and temporal variations in richness and identification of factors associated with these variations form a basis for specifying management plans, evaluating these plans, and for testing hypotheses of theoretical interest. However, estimation of species richness is not trivial: species can be missed by investigators during sampling sessions. Sampling artifacts can lead to erroneous conclusions on spatial and temporal variation in species richness. Here we use data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey to estimate parameters describing the state of bird communities in the Mid-Atlantic Assessment (MAIA) region: species richness, extinction probability, turnover and relative species richness. We use a recently developed approach to estimation of species richness and related parameters that does not require the assumption that all the species are detected during sampling efforts. The information presented here is intended to visualize the state of bird communities in the MAIA region. We provide information on 1975 and 1990. We also quantified the changes between these years. We summarized and mapped the community attributes at a scale of management interest (watershed units).

Blindness and eye diseases in Tibet: findings from a randomised, population based survey

PubMed Central

Dunzhu, S; Wang, F S; Courtright, P; Liu, L; Tenzing, C; Noertjojo, K; Wilkie, A; Santangelo, M; Bassett, K L

2003-01-01

Background: Public health officials of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China requested a survey of blindness, eye diseases, and eye care service utilisation to assist the development of a 10 year blindness prevention and treatment plan. The objective of the survey was to determine the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment, as well as cataract surgical coverage and surgical outcome in the TAR. Methods: The Tibet Eye Care Assessment was a cross sectional prevalence study of three of the seven prefectures (provinces) of the TAR (Lhoka, Nakchu, and Lingzhr) selected to represent its three main environmental regions. The survey sample was selected using a random multistage cluster method. Two teams conducted the survey in a standardised fashion in each prefecture, Lhoka during May and Nakchu during June 1999, and Lingzhr during May 2000. Visual acuity, cause of vision loss, trachoma, and vitamin A deficiency were included in the clinical examination. Results: Among the 15 900 people enumerated, 12 644 were examined for an overall response rate of 79.6%. The crude prevalence of blindness (presenting better eye visual acuity of less than 6/60) was 2.3%; age and sex adjusted blindness prevalence was 1.4% (95% CI 1.3 to 1.5). Visual impairment (better eye presenting visual acuity of 6/24 to 6/60) was found in 10.9% (95% CI 10.5 to 11.2) of the population (age and sex adjusted). Cataract was the primary cause of blindness (50.7%), followed by macular degeneration (12.7%) and corneal opacity (9.7%). Conclusion: Blindness is a serious public health problem in Tibet, with prevalence higher than in similar studies in eastern China. As elsewhere in the world, women have an excess burden of blindness compared to men. About 75% of blindness in Tibet can be either prevented or treated. Eye care planning for Tibet must focus on cataract, particularly among women. PMID:14660448

NASA Lunar and Planetary Mapping and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, B. H.; Law, E.

2016-12-01

NASA's Lunar and Planetary Mapping and Modeling Portals provide web-based suites of interactive visualization and analysis tools to enable mission planners, planetary scientists, students, and the general public to access mapped lunar data products from past and current missions for the Moon, Mars, and Vesta. New portals for additional planetary bodies are being planned. This presentation will recap significant enhancements to these toolsets during the past year and look forward to the results of the exciting work currently being undertaken. Additional data products and tools continue to be added to the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal (LMMP). These include both generalized products as well as polar data products specifically targeting potential sites for the Resource Prospector mission. Current development work on LMMP also includes facilitating mission planning and data management for lunar CubeSat missions, and working with the NASA Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office's Lunar Apollo Sample database in order to help better visualize the geographic contexts from which samples were retrieved. A new user interface provides, among other improvements, significantly enhanced 3D visualizations and navigation. Mars Trek, the project's Mars portal, has now been assigned by NASA's Planetary Science Division to support site selection and analysis for the Mars 2020 Rover mission as well as for the Mars Human Landing Exploration Zone Sites. This effort is concentrating on enhancing Mars Trek with data products and analysis tools specifically requested by the proposing teams for the various sites. Also being given very high priority by NASA Headquarters is Mars Trek's use as a means to directly involve the public in these upcoming missions, letting them explore the areas the agency is focusing upon, understand what makes these sites so fascinating, follow the selection process, and get caught up in the excitement of exploring Mars. The portals also serve as outstanding resources for education and outreach. As such, they have been designated by NASA's Science Mission Directorate as key supporting infrastructure for the new education programs selected through the division's recent CAN.

Visualization of risk of radiogenic second cancer in the organs and tissues of the human body.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Mirkovic, Dragan; Newhauser, Wayne D

2015-04-28

Radiogenic second cancer is a common late effect in long term cancer survivors. Currently there are few methods or tools available to visually evaluate the spatial distribution of risks of radiogenic late effects in the human body. We developed a risk visualization method and demonstrated it for radiogenic second cancers in tissues and organs of one patient treated with photon volumetric modulated arc therapy and one patient treated with proton craniospinal irradiation. Treatment plans were generated using radiotherapy treatment planning systems (TPS) and dose information was obtained from TPS. Linear non-threshold risk coefficients for organs at risk of second cancer incidence were taken from the Biological Effects of Ionization Radiation VII report. Alternative risk models including linear exponential model and linear plateau model were also examined. The predicted absolute lifetime risk distributions were visualized together with images of the patient anatomy. The risk distributions of second cancer for the two patients were visually presented. The risk distributions varied with tissue, dose, dose-risk model used, and the risk distribution could be similar to or very different from the dose distribution. Our method provides a convenient way to directly visualize and evaluate the risks of radiogenic second cancer in organs and tissues of the human body. In the future, visual assessment of risk distribution could be an influential determinant for treatment plan scoring.

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.

The First Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) in Thailand

PubMed Central

Isipradit, Saichin; Sirimaharaj, Maytinee; Charukamnoetkanok, Puwat; Thonginnetra, Oraorn; Wongsawad, Warapat; Sathornsumetee, Busaba; Somboonthanakij, Sudawadee; Soomsawasdi, Piriya; Jitawatanarat, Umapond; Taweebanjongsin, Wongsiri; Arayangkoon, Eakkachai; Arame, Punyawee; Kobkoonthon, Chinsuchee; Pangputhipong, Pannet

2014-01-01

Background The majority of vision loss is preventable or treatable. Population surveys are crucial for planning, implementation, and monitoring policies and interventions to eliminate avoidable blindness and visual impairments. This is the first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) study in Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional study of a population in Thailand age 50 years old or over aimed to assess the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairments. Using the Thailand National Census 2010 as the sampling frame, a stratified four-stage cluster sampling based on a probability proportional to size was conducted in 176 enumeration areas from 11 provinces. Participants received comprehensive eye examination by ophthalmologists. Results The age and sex adjusted prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity (VA) <20/400), severe visual impairment (VA <20/200 but ≥20/400), and moderate visual impairment (VA <20/70 but ≥20/200) were 0.6% (95% CI: 0.5–0.8), 1.3% (95% CI: 1.0–1.6), 12.6% (95% CI: 10.8–14.5). There was no significant difference among the four regions of Thailand. Cataract was the main cause of vision loss accounted for 69.7% of blindness. Cataract surgical coverage in persons was 95.1% for cut off VA of 20/400. Refractive errors, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and corneal opacities were responsible for 6.0%, 5.1%, 4.0%, and 2.0% of blindness respectively. Conclusion Thailand is on track to achieve the goal of VISION 2020. However, there is still much room for improvement. Policy refinements and innovative interventions are recommended to alleviate blindness and visual impairments especially regarding the backlog of blinding cataract, management of non-communicative, chronic, age-related eye diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, prevention of childhood blindness, and establishment of a robust eye health information system. PMID:25502762

Atlas and feature based 3D pathway visualization enhancement for skull base pre-operative fast planning from head CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghdasi, Nava; Li, Yangming; Berens, Angelique; Moe, Kris S.; Bly, Randall A.; Hannaford, Blake

2015-03-01

Minimally invasive neuroendoscopic surgery provides an alternative to open craniotomy for many skull base lesions. These techniques provides a great benefit to the patient through shorter ICU stays, decreased post-operative pain and quicker return to baseline function. However, density of critical neurovascular structures at the skull base makes planning for these procedures highly complex. Furthermore, additional surgical portals are often used to improve visualization and instrument access, which adds to the complexity of pre-operative planning. Surgical approach planning is currently limited and typically involves review of 2D axial, coronal, and sagittal CT and MRI images. In addition, skull base surgeons manually change the visualization effect to review all possible approaches to the target lesion and achieve an optimal surgical plan. This cumbersome process relies heavily on surgeon experience and it does not allow for 3D visualization. In this paper, we describe a rapid pre-operative planning system for skull base surgery using the following two novel concepts: importance-based highlight and mobile portal. With this innovation, critical areas in the 3D CT model are highlighted based on segmentation results. Mobile portals allow surgeons to review multiple potential entry portals in real-time with improved visualization of critical structures located inside the pathway. To achieve this we used the following methods: (1) novel bone-only atlases were manually generated, (2) orbits and the center of the skull serve as features to quickly pre-align the patient's scan with the atlas, (3) deformable registration technique was used for fine alignment, (4) surgical importance was assigned to each voxel according to a surgical dictionary, and (5) pre-defined transfer function was applied to the processed data to highlight important structures. The proposed idea was fully implemented as independent planning software and additional data are used for verification and validation. The experimental results show: (1) the proposed methods provided greatly improved planning efficiency while optimal surgical plans were successfully achieved, (2) the proposed methods successfully highlighted important structures and facilitated planning, (3) the proposed methods require shorter processing time than classical segmentation algorithms, and (4) these methods can be used to improve surgical safety for surgical robots.

Visual resource inventory and Imnaha Valley study: Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Treesearch

David H. Blau; Michael C. Bowie; Frank Hunsaker

1979-01-01

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area was established by an Act of Congress in December 1975. At that time, the U.S. Forest Service, which administers most of the land included, was given the responsibility of developing a Comprehensive Management Plan for the NRA within five years. In order to minimize future visual degradation, the Forest Service planning team for...

Coastal Surveillance Baseline Model Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-27

In the current STK model, a set of areas was defined for two reasons: To provide visual assistance during ship and aircraft route planning; and To...RF), electro-optic (EO), infrared (IR), and visual Partially Met The free version of STK can only generate simple generic sensors RQ-04 The model...25 APPENDIX A PLATFORM OBJECT ROUTE PLANNING PROCEDURE ............. A-1 APPENDIX B STK INSTALLATION

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 13: Strategies for managing fuels and visual quality

Treesearch

Christine Esposito

2006-01-01

The public's acceptance of forest management practices, including fuels reduction, is heavily based on how forests look. Fuels managers can improve their chances of success by considering aesthetics when making management decisions. This fact sheet reviews a three-part general strategy for managing fuels and visual quality: planning, implementation, and monitoring...

Evaluation of non-rigid registration parameters for atlas-based segmentation of CT images of human cochlea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elfarnawany, Mai; Alam, S. Riyahi; Agrawal, Sumit K.; Ladak, Hanif M.

2017-02-01

Cochlear implant surgery is a hearing restoration procedure for patients with profound hearing loss. In this surgery, an electrode is inserted into the cochlea to stimulate the auditory nerve and restore the patient's hearing. Clinical computed tomography (CT) images are used for planning and evaluation of electrode placement, but their low resolution limits the visualization of internal cochlear structures. Therefore, high resolution micro-CT images are used to develop atlas-based segmentation methods to extract these nonvisible anatomical features in clinical CT images. Accurate registration of the high and low resolution CT images is a prerequisite for reliable atlas-based segmentation. In this study, we evaluate and compare different non-rigid B-spline registration parameters using micro-CT and clinical CT images of five cadaveric human cochleae. The varying registration parameters are cost function (normalized correlation (NC), mutual information and mean square error), interpolation method (linear, windowed-sinc and B-spline) and sampling percentage (1%, 10% and 100%). We compare the registration results visually and quantitatively using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Hausdorff distance (HD) and absolute percentage error in cochlear volume. Using MI or MSE cost functions and linear or windowed-sinc interpolation resulted in visually undesirable deformation of internal cochlear structures. Quantitatively, the transforms using 100% sampling percentage yielded the highest DSC and smallest HD (0.828+/-0.021 and 0.25+/-0.09mm respectively). Therefore, B-spline registration with cost function: NC, interpolation: B-spline and sampling percentage: moments 100% can be the foundation of developing an optimized atlas-based segmentation algorithm of intracochlear structures in clinical CT images.

Planning the Breast Boost: Comparison of Three Techniques and Evolution of Tumor Bed During Treatment

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

Hepel, Jaroslaw T.; Department of Radiation Oncology, Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; Evans, Suzanne B.

2009-06-01

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of two clinical techniques for electron boost planning compared with computed tomography (CT)-based planning. Additionally, we evaluated the tumor bed characteristics at whole breast planning and boost planning. Methods and Materials: A total of 30 women underwent tumor bed boost planning within 2 weeks of completing whole breast radiotherapy using three planning techniques: scar-based planning, palpation/clinical-based planning, and CT-based planning. The plans were analyzed for dosimetric coverage of the CT-delineated tumor bed. The cavity visualization score was used to define the CT-delineated tumor bed as well or poorly defined. Results: Scar-based planning resulted in inferiormore » tumor bed coverage compared with CT-based planning, with the minimal dose received by 90% of the target volume >90% in 53% and a geographic miss in 53%. The results of palpation/clinical-based planning were significantly better: 87% and 10% for the minimal dose received by 90% of the target volume >90% and geographic miss, respectively. Of the 30 tumor beds, 16 were poorly defined by the cavity visualization score. Of these 16, 8 were well demarcated by the surgical clips. The evaluation of the 22 well-defined tumor beds revealed similar results. A comparison of the tumor bed volume from the initial planning CT scan to the boost planning CT scan revealed a decrease in size in 77% of cases. The mean decrease in volume was 52%. Conclusion: The results of our study have shown that CT-based planning allows for optimal tumor bed coverage compared with clinical and scar-based approaches. However, in the setting of a poorly visualized cavity on CT without surgical clips, palpation/clinical-based planning can help delineate the appropriate target volumes and is superior to scar-based planning. CT simulation at boost planning could allow for a reduction in the boost volumes.« less

Visualization of logistic algorithm in Wilson model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glushchenko, A. S.; Rodin, V. A.; Sinegubov, S. V.

2018-05-01

Economic order quantity (EOQ), defined by the Wilson's model, is widely used at different stages of production and distribution of different products. It is useful for making decisions in the management of inventories, providing a more efficient business operation and thus bringing more economic benefits. There is a large amount of reference material and extensive computer shells that help solving various logistics problems. However, the use of large computer environments is not always justified and requires special user training. A tense supply schedule in a logistics model is optimal, if, and only if, the planning horizon coincides with the beginning of the next possible delivery. For all other possible planning horizons, this plan is not optimal. It is significant that when the planning horizon changes, the plan changes immediately throughout the entire supply chain. In this paper, an algorithm and a program for visualizing models of the optimal value of supplies and their number, depending on the magnitude of the planned horizon, have been obtained. The program allows one to trace (visually and quickly) all main parameters of the optimal plan on the charts. The results of the paper represent a part of the authors’ research work in the field of optimization of protection and support services of ports in the Russian North.

Assistive technology applied to education of students with visual impairment.

PubMed

Alves, Cássia Cristiane de Freitas; Monteiro, Gelse Beatriz Martins; Rabello, Suzana; Gasparetto, Maria Elisabete Rodrigues Freire; de Carvalho, Keila Monteiro

2009-08-01

Verify the application of assistive technology, especially information technology in the education of blind and low-vision students from the perceptions of their teachers. Descriptive survey study in public schools in three municipalities of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The sample comprised 134 teachers. According to the teachers' opinions, there are differences in the specificities and applicability of assistive technology for blind and low-vision students, for whom specific computer programs are important. Information technology enhances reading and writing skills, as well as communication with the world on an equal basis, thereby improving quality of life and facilitating the learning process. The main reason for not using information technology is the lack of planning courses. The main requirements for the use of information technology in schools are enough computers for all students, advisers to help teachers, and pedagogical support. Assistive technology is applied to education of students with visual impairment; however, teachers indicate the need for infrastructure and pedagogical support. Information technology is an important tool in the inclusion process and can promote independence and autonomy of students with visual impairment.

Vision and the representation of the surroundings in spatial memory

PubMed Central

Tatler, Benjamin W.; Land, Michael F.

2011-01-01

One of the paradoxes of vision is that the world as it appears to us and the image on the retina at any moment are not much like each other. The visual world seems to be extensive and continuous across time. However, the manner in which we sample the visual environment is neither extensive nor continuous. How does the brain reconcile these differences? Here, we consider existing evidence from both static and dynamic viewing paradigms together with the logical requirements of any representational scheme that would be able to support active behaviour. While static scene viewing paradigms favour extensive, but perhaps abstracted, memory representations, dynamic settings suggest sparser and task-selective representation. We suggest that in dynamic settings where movement within extended environments is required to complete a task, the combination of visual input, egocentric and allocentric representations work together to allow efficient behaviour. The egocentric model serves as a coding scheme in which actions can be planned, but also offers a potential means of providing the perceptual stability that we experience. PMID:21242146

Evaluation of perception performance in neck dissection planning using eye tracking and attention landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgert, Oliver; Örn, Veronika; Velichkovsky, Boris M.; Gessat, Michael; Joos, Markus; Strauß, Gero; Tietjen, Christian; Preim, Bernhard; Hertel, Ilka

2007-03-01

Neck dissection is a surgical intervention at which cervical lymph node metastases are removed. Accurate surgical planning is of high importance because wrong judgment of the situation causes severe harm for the patient. Diagnostic perception of radiological images by a surgeon is an acquired skill that can be enhanced by training and experience. To improve accuracy in detecting pathological lymph nodes by newcomers and less experienced professionals, it is essential to understand how surgical experts solve relevant visual and recognition tasks. By using eye tracking and especially the newly-developed attention landscapes visualizations, it could be determined whether visualization options, for example 3D models instead of CT data, help in increasing accuracy and speed of neck dissection planning. Thirteen ORL surgeons with different levels of expertise participated in this study. They inspected different visualizations of 3D models and original CT datasets of patients. Among others, we used scanpath analysis and attention landscapes to interpret the inspection strategies. It was possible to distinguish different patterns of visual exploratory activity. The experienced surgeons exhibited a higher concentration of attention on the limited number of areas of interest and demonstrated less saccadic eye movements indicating a better orientation.

Software components for medical image visualization and surgical planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starreveld, Yves P.; Gobbi, David G.; Finnis, Kirk; Peters, Terence M.

2001-05-01

Purpose: The development of new applications in medical image visualization and surgical planning requires the completion of many common tasks such as image reading and re-sampling, segmentation, volume rendering, and surface display. Intra-operative use requires an interface to a tracking system and image registration, and the application requires basic, easy to understand user interface components. Rapid changes in computer and end-application hardware, as well as in operating systems and network environments make it desirable to have a hardware and operating system as an independent collection of reusable software components that can be assembled rapidly to prototype new applications. Methods: Using the OpenGL based Visualization Toolkit as a base, we have developed a set of components that implement the above mentioned tasks. The components are written in both C++ and Python, but all are accessible from Python, a byte compiled scripting language. The components have been used on the Red Hat Linux, Silicon Graphics Iris, Microsoft Windows, and Apple OS X platforms. Rigorous object-oriented software design methods have been applied to ensure hardware independence and a standard application programming interface (API). There are components to acquire, display, and register images from MRI, MRA, CT, Computed Rotational Angiography (CRA), Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA), 2D and 3D ultrasound, video and physiological recordings. Interfaces to various tracking systems for intra-operative use have also been implemented. Results: The described components have been implemented and tested. To date they have been used to create image manipulation and viewing tools, a deep brain functional atlas, a 3D ultrasound acquisition and display platform, a prototype minimally invasive robotic coronary artery bypass graft planning system, a tracked neuro-endoscope guidance system and a frame-based stereotaxy neurosurgery planning tool. The frame-based stereotaxy module has been licensed and certified for use in a commercial image guidance system. Conclusions: It is feasible to encapsulate image manipulation and surgical guidance tasks in individual, reusable software modules. These modules allow for faster development of new applications. The strict application of object oriented software design methods allows individual components of such a system to make the transition from the research environment to a commercial one.

Using RSVP for analyzing state and previous activities for the Mars Exploration Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Brian K.; Hartman, Frank; Maxwell, Scott; Wright, John; Yen, Jeng

2004-01-01

Current developments in immersive environments for mission planning include several tools which make up a system for performing and rehearsing missions. This system, known as the Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP), includes tools for planning long range sorties for highly autonomous rovers, tools for planning operations with robotic arms, and advanced tools for visualizing telemetry from remote spacecraft and landers. One of the keys to successful planning of rover activities is knowing what the rover has accomplished to date and understanding the current rover state. RSVP builds on the lessons learned and the heritage of the Mars Pathfinder mission This paper will discuss the tools and methodologies present in the RSVP suite for examining rover state, reviewing previous activities, visually comparing telemetered results to rehearsed results, and reviewing science and engineering imagery. In addition we will present how this tool suite was used on the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) project to explore the surface of Mars.

Radio Frequency Ablation Registration, Segmentation, and Fusion Tool

PubMed Central

McCreedy, Evan S.; Cheng, Ruida; Hemler, Paul F.; Viswanathan, Anand; Wood, Bradford J.; McAuliffe, Matthew J.

2008-01-01

The Radio Frequency Ablation Segmentation Tool (RFAST) is a software application developed using NIH's Medical Image Processing Analysis and Visualization (MIPAV) API for the specific purpose of assisting physicians in the planning of radio frequency ablation (RFA) procedures. The RFAST application sequentially leads the physician through the steps necessary to register, fuse, segment, visualize and plan the RFA treatment. Three-dimensional volume visualization of the CT dataset with segmented 3D surface models enables the physician to interactively position the ablation probe to simulate burns and to semi-manually simulate sphere packing in an attempt to optimize probe placement. PMID:16871716

Interactive access and management for four-dimensional environmental data sets using McIDAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hibbard, William L.; Tripoli, Gregory J.

1991-01-01

Significant accomplishments in the following areas are presented: (1) enhancements to the visualization of 5-D data sets (VIS-5D); (2) development of the visualization of global images (VIS-GI) application; (3) design of the Visualization for Algorithm Development (VIS-AD) System; and (4) numerical modeling applications. The focus of current research and future research plans is presented and the following topics are addressed: (1) further enhancements to VIS-5D; (2) generalization and enhancement of the VIS-GI application; (3) the implementation of the VIS-AD System; and (4) plans for modeling applications.

Selecting islands and shoals for conservation based on biological and aesthetic criteria

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knutson, M.G.; Leopold, D.J.; Smardon, R.C.

1993-01-01

Consideration of biological quality has long been an important component of rating areas for conservation. Often these same areas are highly valued by people for aesthetic reasons, creating demands for housing and recreation that may conflict with protection plans for these habitats. Most methods of selecting land for conservation purposes use biological factors alone. For some land areas, analysis of aesthetic qualities is also important in describing the scenic value of undisturbed land. A method for prioritizing small islands and shoals based on both biological and visual quality factors is presented here. The study included 169 undeveloped islands and shoals a??0.8 ha in the Thousand Islands Region of the St. Lawrence River, New York. Criteria such as critical habitat for uncommon plant and animal species were considered together with visual quality and incorporated into a rating system that ranked the islands and shoals according to their priority for conservation management and protection from development. Biological factors were determined based on previous research and a field survey. Visual quality was determined by visual diagnostic criteria developed from public responses to photographs of a sample of islands. Variables such as elevation, soil depth, and type of plant community can be used to classify islands into different categories of visual quality but are unsuccessful in classifying islands into categories of overall biological quality.

Planning Tool for Strategic Evaluation of Facility Plans - 13570

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

Magoulas, Virginia; Cercy, Michael; Hall, Irin

2013-07-01

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has developed a strategic planning tool for the evaluation of the utilization of its unique resources for processing and research and development of nuclear materials. The Planning Tool is a strategic level tool for assessing multiple missions that could be conducted utilizing the SRNL facilities and showcasing the plan. Traditional approaches using standard scheduling tools and laying out a strategy on paper tended to be labor intensive and offered either a limited or cluttered view for visualizing and communicating results. A tool that can assess the process throughput, duration, and utilization of the facility wasmore » needed. SRNL teamed with Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, to create the next generation Planning Tool. The goal of this collaboration was to create a simulation based tool that allows for quick evaluation of strategies with respect to new or changing missions, and clearly communicates results to the decision makers. This tool has been built upon a mature modeling and simulation software previously developed by NNS. The Planning Tool provides a forum for capturing dependencies, constraints, activity flows, and variable factors. It is also a platform for quickly evaluating multiple mission scenarios, dynamically adding/updating scenarios, generating multiple views for evaluating/communicating results, and understanding where there are areas of risks and opportunities with respect to capacity. The Planning Tool that has been developed is useful in that it presents a clear visual plan for the missions at the Savannah River Site (SRS). It not only assists in communicating the plans to SRS corporate management, but also allows the area stakeholders a visual look at the future plans for SRS. The design of this tool makes it easily deployable to other facility and mission planning endeavors. (authors)« less

Visualization of risk structures for interactive planning of image guided radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieder, Christian; Schwier, Michael; Weihusen, Andreas; Zidowitz, Stephan; Peitgen, Heinz-Otto

2009-02-01

Image guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is becoming a standard procedure as a minimally invasive method for tumor treatment in the clinical routine. The visualization of pathological tissue and potential risk structures like vessels or important organs gives essential support in image guided pre-interventional RFA planning. In this work our aim is to present novel visualization techniques for interactive RFA planning to support the physician with spatial information of pathological structures as well as the finding of trajectories without harming vitally important tissue. Furthermore, we illustrate three-dimensional applicator models of different manufactures combined with corresponding ablation areas in homogenous tissue, as specified by the manufacturers, to enhance the estimated amount of cell destruction caused by ablation. The visualization techniques are embedded in a workflow oriented application, designed for the use in the clinical routine. To allow a high-quality volume rendering we integrated a visualization method using the fuzzy c-means algorithm. This method automatically defines a transfer function for volume visualization of vessels without the need of a segmentation mask. However, insufficient visualization results of the displayed vessels caused by low data quality can be improved using local vessel segmentation in the vicinity of the lesion. We also provide an interactive segmentation technique of liver tumors for the volumetric measurement and for the visualization of pathological tissue combined with anatomical structures. In order to support coagulation estimation with respect to the heat-sink effect of the cooling blood flow which decreases thermal ablation, a numerical simulation of the heat distribution is provided.

Assessing the visual resource and visual development suitability values in metropolitanizing landscapes

Treesearch

Charles B. Yuill; Spencer A. Joyner Jr.

1979-01-01

In response to urbanization pressures on the New England landscape, researchers at the University of Massachusetts have developed and tested two visual landscape assessment procedures as part of a comprehensive research project in landscape planning. The first procedure identifies those visually significant and unique areas within a town or region that warrant public...

Accounting for direction and speed of eye motion in planning visually guided manual tracking.

PubMed

Leclercq, Guillaume; Blohm, Gunnar; Lefèvre, Philippe

2013-10-01

Accurate motor planning in a dynamic environment is a critical skill for humans because we are often required to react quickly and adequately to the visual motion of objects. Moreover, we are often in motion ourselves, and this complicates motor planning. Indeed, the retinal and spatial motions of an object are different because of the retinal motion component induced by self-motion. Many studies have investigated motion perception during smooth pursuit and concluded that eye velocity is partially taken into account by the brain. Here we investigate whether the eye velocity during ongoing smooth pursuit is taken into account for the planning of visually guided manual tracking. We had 10 human participants manually track a target while in steady-state smooth pursuit toward another target such that the difference between the retinal and spatial target motion directions could be large, depending on both the direction and the speed of the eye. We used a measure of initial arm movement direction to quantify whether motor planning occurred in retinal coordinates (not accounting for eye motion) or was spatially correct (incorporating eye velocity). Results showed that the eye velocity was nearly fully taken into account by the neuronal areas involved in the visuomotor velocity transformation (between 75% and 102%). In particular, these neuronal pathways accounted for the nonlinear effects due to the relative velocity between the target and the eye. In conclusion, the brain network transforming visual motion into a motor plan for manual tracking adequately uses extraretinal signals about eye velocity.

Health risk assessment along the wastewater and faecal sludge management and reuse chain of Kampala, Uganda: a visualization.

PubMed

Fuhrimann, Samuel; Winkler, Mirko S; Schneeberger, Pierre H H; Niwagaba, Charles B; Buwule, Joseph; Babu, Mohammed; Medlicott, Kate; Utzinger, Jürg; Cissé, Guéladio

2014-11-01

Reuse of wastewater in agriculture is a common feature in the developing world. While this strategy might contribute to the livelihood of farming communities, there are health risks associated with the management and reuse of wastewater and faecal sludge. We visualise here an assessment of health risks along the major wastewater channel in Kampala, Uganda. The visualization brings to bear the context of wastewater reuse activities in the Nakivubo wetlands and emphasises interconnections to disease transmission pathways. The contextual features are complemented with findings from environmental sampling and a cross-sectional epidemiological survey in selected exposure groups. Our documentation can serve as a case study for a step-by-step implementation of risk assessment and management as described in the World Health Organization's 2006 guidelines for the safe use of wastewater, greywater and excreta in light of the forthcoming sanitation safety planning approach.

Depicting surgical anatomy of the porta hepatis in living donor liver transplantation.

PubMed

Kelly, Paul; Fung, Albert; Qu, Joy; Greig, Paul; Tait, Gordon; Jenkinson, Jodie; McGilvray, Ian; Agur, Anne

2017-01-01

Visualizing the complex anatomy of vascular and biliary structures of the liver on a case-by-case basis has been challenging. A living donor liver transplant (LDLT) right hepatectomy case, with focus on the porta hepatis, was used to demonstrate an innovative method to visualize anatomy with the purpose of refining preoperative planning and teaching of complex surgical procedures. The production of an animation-enhanced video consisted of many stages including the integration of pre-surgical planning; case-specific footage and 3D models of the liver and associated vasculature, reconstructed from contrast-enhanced CTs. Reconstructions of the biliary system were modeled from intraoperative cholangiograms. The distribution of the donor portal veins, hepatic arteries and bile ducts was defined from the porta hepatis intrahepatically to the point of surgical division. Each step of the surgery was enhanced with 3D animation to provide sequential and seamless visualization from pre-surgical planning to outcome. Use of visualization techniques such as transparency and overlays allows viewers not only to see the operative field, but also the origin and course of segmental branches and their spatial relationships. This novel educational approach enables integrating case-based operative footage with advanced editing techniques for visualizing not only the surgical procedure, but also complex anatomy such as vascular and biliary structures. The surgical team has found this approach to be beneficial for preoperative planning and clinical teaching, especially for complex cases. Each animation-enhanced video case is posted to the open-access Toronto Video Atlas of Surgery (TVASurg), an education resource with a global clinical and patient user base. The novel educational system described in this paper enables integrating operative footage with 3D animation and cinematic editing techniques for seamless sequential organization from pre-surgical planning to outcome.

Depicting surgical anatomy of the porta hepatis in living donor liver transplantation

PubMed Central

Fung, Albert; Qu, Joy; Greig, Paul; Tait, Gordon; Jenkinson, Jodie; McGilvray, Ian; Agur, Anne

2017-01-01

Visualizing the complex anatomy of vascular and biliary structures of the liver on a case-by-case basis has been challenging. A living donor liver transplant (LDLT) right hepatectomy case, with focus on the porta hepatis, was used to demonstrate an innovative method to visualize anatomy with the purpose of refining preoperative planning and teaching of complex surgical procedures. The production of an animation-enhanced video consisted of many stages including the integration of pre-surgical planning; case-specific footage and 3D models of the liver and associated vasculature, reconstructed from contrast-enhanced CTs. Reconstructions of the biliary system were modeled from intraoperative cholangiograms. The distribution of the donor portal veins, hepatic arteries and bile ducts was defined from the porta hepatis intrahepatically to the point of surgical division. Each step of the surgery was enhanced with 3D animation to provide sequential and seamless visualization from pre-surgical planning to outcome. Use of visualization techniques such as transparency and overlays allows viewers not only to see the operative field, but also the origin and course of segmental branches and their spatial relationships. This novel educational approach enables integrating case-based operative footage with advanced editing techniques for visualizing not only the surgical procedure, but also complex anatomy such as vascular and biliary structures. The surgical team has found this approach to be beneficial for preoperative planning and clinical teaching, especially for complex cases. Each animation-enhanced video case is posted to the open-access Toronto Video Atlas of Surgery (TVASurg), an education resource with a global clinical and patient user base. The novel educational system described in this paper enables integrating operative footage with 3D animation and cinematic editing techniques for seamless sequential organization from pre-surgical planning to outcome. PMID:29078606

Planning applications in East Central Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hannah, J. W. (Principal Investigator); Thomas, G. L.; Esparza, F.; Millard, J. J.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. This is a study of applications of ERTS data to planning problems, especially as applicable to East Central Florida. The primary method has been computer analysis of digital data, with visual analysis of images serving to supplement the digital analysis. The principal method of analysis was supervised maximum likelihood classification, supplemented by density slicing and mapping of ratios of band intensities. Land-use maps have been prepared for several urban and non-urban sectors. Thematic maps have been found to be a useful form of the land-use maps. Change-monitoring has been found to be an appropriate and useful application. Mapping of marsh regions has been found effective and useful in this region. Local planners have participated in selecting training samples and in the checking and interpretation of results.

Central Fetal Monitoring With and Without Computer Analysis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Nunes, Inês; Ayres-de-Campos, Diogo; Ugwumadu, Austin; Amin, Pina; Banfield, Philip; Nicoll, Antony; Cunningham, Simon; Sousa, Paulo; Costa-Santos, Cristina; Bernardes, João

2017-01-01

To evaluate whether intrapartum fetal monitoring with computer analysis and real-time alerts decreases the rate of newborn metabolic acidosis or obstetric intervention when compared with visual analysis. A randomized clinical trial carried out in five hospitals in the United Kingdom evaluated women with singleton, vertex fetuses of 36 weeks of gestation or greater during labor. Continuous central fetal monitoring by computer analysis and online alerts (experimental arm) was compared with visual analysis (control arm). Fetal blood sampling and electrocardiographic ST waveform analysis were available in both arms. The primary outcome was incidence of newborn metabolic acidosis (pH less than 7.05 and base deficit greater than 12 mmol/L). Prespecified secondary outcomes included operative delivery, use of fetal blood sampling, low 5-minute Apgar score, neonatal intensive care unit admission, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and perinatal death. A sample size of 3,660 per group (N=7,320) was planned to be able to detect a reduction in the rate of metabolic acidosis from 2.8% to 1.8% (two-tailed α of 0.05 with 80% power). From August 2011 through July 2014, 32,306 women were assessed for eligibility and 7,730 were randomized: 3,961 to computer analysis and online alerts, and 3,769 to visual analysis. Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. Metabolic acidosis occurred in 16 participants (0.40%) in the experimental arm and 22 participants (0.58%) in the control arm (relative risk 0.69 [0.36-1.31]). No statistically significant differences were found in the incidence of secondary outcomes. Compared with visual analysis, computer analysis of fetal monitoring signals with real-time alerts did not significantly reduce the rate of metabolic acidosis or obstetric intervention. A lower-than-expected rate of newborn metabolic acidosis was observed in both arms of the trial. ISRCTN Registry, http://www.isrctn.com, ISRCTN42314164.

Informing Hospital Change Processes through Visualization and Simulation: A Case Study at a Children's Emergency Clinic.

PubMed

Persson, Johanna; Dalholm, Elisabeth Hornyánszky; Johansson, Gerd

2014-01-01

To demonstrate the use of visualization and simulation tools in order to involve stakeholders and inform the process in hospital change processes, illustrated by an empirical study from a children's emergency clinic. Reorganization and redevelopment of a hospital is a complex activity that involves many stakeholders and demands. Visualization and simulation tools have proven useful for involving practitioners and eliciting relevant knowledge. More knowledge is desired about how these tools can be implemented in practice for hospital planning processes. A participatory planning process including practitioners and researchers was executed over a 3-year period to evaluate a combination of visualization and simulation tools to involve stakeholders in the planning process and to elicit knowledge about needs and requirements. The initial clinic proposal from the architect was discarded as a result of the empirical study. Much general knowledge about the needs of the organization was extracted by means of the adopted tools. Some of the tools proved to be more accessible than others for the practitioners participating in the study. The combination of tools added value to the process by presenting information in alternative ways and eliciting questions from different angles. Visualization and simulation tools inform a planning process (or other types of change processes) by providing the means to see beyond present demands and current work structures. Long-term involvement in combination with accessible tools is central for creating a participatory setting where the practitioners' knowledge guides the process. © 2014 Vendome Group, LLC.

Comparison of tablet-based strategies for incision planning in laser microsurgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoob, Andreas; Lekon, Stefan; Kundrat, Dennis; Kahrs, Lüder A.; Mattos, Leonardo S.; Ortmaier, Tobias

2015-03-01

Recent research has revealed that incision planning in laser surgery deploying stylus and tablet outperforms state-of-the-art micro-manipulator-based laser control. Providing more detailed quantitation regarding that approach, a comparative study of six tablet-based strategies for laser path planning is presented. Reference strategy is defined by monoscopic visualization and continuous path drawing on a graphics tablet. Further concepts deploying stereoscopic or a synthesized laser view, point-based path definition, real-time teleoperation or a pen display are compared with the reference scenario. Volunteers were asked to redraw and ablate stamped lines on a sample. Performance is assessed by measuring planning accuracy, completion time and ease of use. Results demonstrate that significant differences exist between proposed concepts. The reference strategy provides more accurate incision planning than the stereo or laser view scenario. Real-time teleoperation performs best with respect to completion time without indicating any significant deviation in accuracy and usability. Point-based planning as well as the pen display provide most accurate planning and increased ease of use compared to the reference strategy. As a result, combining the pen display approach with point-based planning has potential to become a powerful strategy because of benefiting from improved hand-eye-coordination on the one hand and from a simple but accurate technique for path definition on the other hand. These findings as well as the overall usability scale indicating high acceptance and consistence of proposed strategies motivate further advanced tablet-based planning in laser microsurgery.

Differential verbal, visual, and spatial working memory in written language production.

PubMed

Raulerson, Bascom A; Donovan, Michael J; Whiteford, Alison P; Kellogg, Ronald T

2010-02-01

The contributions of verbal, visual, and spatial working memory to written language production were investigated. Participants composed definitions for nouns while concurrently performing a task which required updating, storing, and retrieving information coded either verbally, visually, or spatially. The present study extended past findings by showing the linguistic encoding of planned conceptual content makes its largest demand on verbal working memory for both low and high frequency nouns. Kellogg, Olive, and Piolat in 2007 found that concrete nouns place substantial demands on visual working memory when imaging the nouns' referents during planning, whereas abstract nouns make no demand. The current study further showed that this pattern was not an artifact of visual working memory being sensitive to manipulation of just any lexical property of the noun prompts. In contrast to past results, writing made a small but detectible demand on spatial working memory.

The role of peripheral vision in saccade planning: learning from people with tunnel vision.

PubMed

Luo, Gang; Vargas-Martin, Fernando; Peli, Eli

2008-12-22

Both visually salient and top-down information are important in eye movement control, but their relative roles in the planning of daily saccades are unclear. We investigated the effect of peripheral vision loss on saccadic behaviors in patients with tunnel vision (visual field diameters 7 degrees-16 degrees) in visual search and real-world walking experiments. The patients made up to two saccades per second to their pre-saccadic blind areas, about half of which had no overlap between the post- and pre-saccadic views. In the visual search experiment, visual field size and the background (blank or picture) did not affect the saccade sizes and direction of patients (n = 9). In the walking experiment, the patients (n = 5) and normal controls (n = 3) had similar distributions of saccade sizes and directions. These findings might provide a clue about the large extent of the top-down mechanism influence on eye movement control.

Role of peripheral vision in saccade planning: Learning from people with tunnel vision

PubMed Central

Luo, Gang; Vargas-Martin, Fernando; Peli, Eli

2008-01-01

Both visually salient and top-down information are important in eye movement control, but their relative roles in the planning of daily saccades are unclear. We investigated the effect of peripheral vision loss on saccadic behaviors in patients with tunnel vision (visual field diameters 7°–16°) in visual search and real-world walking experiments. The patients made up to two saccades per second to their pre-saccadic blind areas, about half of which had no overlap between the post- and pre-saccadic views. In the visual search experiment, visual field size and the background (blank or picture) did not affect the saccade sizes and direction of patients (n=9). In the walking experiment, the patients (n=5) and normal controls (n=3) had similar distributions of saccade sizes and directions. These findings might provide a clue about the extent of the top-down mechanism influence on eye movement control. PMID:19146326

Decision theory, motor planning, and visual memory: deciding where to reach when memory errors are costly.

PubMed

Lerch, Rachel A; Sims, Chris R

2016-06-01

Limitations in visual working memory (VWM) have been extensively studied in psychophysical tasks, but not well understood in terms of how these memory limits translate to performance in more natural domains. For example, in reaching to grasp an object based on a spatial memory representation, overshooting the intended target may be more costly than undershooting, such as when reaching for a cup of hot coffee. The current body of literature lacks a detailed account of how the costs or consequences of memory error influence what we encode in visual memory and how we act on the basis of remembered information. Here, we study how externally imposed monetary costs influence behavior in a motor decision task that involves reach planning based on recalled information from VWM. We approach this from a decision theoretic perspective, viewing decisions of where to aim in relation to the utility of their outcomes given the uncertainty of memory representations. Our results indicate that subjects accounted for the uncertainty in their visual memory, showing a significant difference in their reach planning when monetary costs were imposed for memory errors. However, our findings indicate that subjects memory representations per se were not biased by the imposed costs, but rather subjects adopted a near-optimal post-mnemonic decision strategy in their motor planning.

32 CFR 813.6 - Planning and requesting combat documentation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Joint Operation Planning and Execution System, that in turn, requests support from HQ AMC. HQ USAF can... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Planning and requesting combat documentation... SALES AND SERVICES VISUAL INFORMATION DOCUMENTATION PROGRAM § 813.6 Planning and requesting combat...

Remote Handled WIPP Canisters at Los Alamos National Laboratory Characterized for Retrieval

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

Griffin, J.; Gonzales, W.

2007-07-01

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is pursuing retrieval, transportation, and disposal of 16 remote handled transuranic waste canisters stored below ground in shafts since 1994. These canisters were retrievably stored in the shafts to await Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification of the Model Number RH-TRU 72B transportation cask and authorization of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) to accept the canisters for disposal. Retrieval planning included radiological characterization and visual inspection of the canisters to confirm historical records, verify container integrity, determine proper personnel protection for the retrieval operations, provide radiological dose and exposure rate data for retrieval operations, andmore » to provide exterior radiological contamination data. The radiological characterization and visual inspection of the canisters was performed in May 2006. The effort required the development of remote techniques and equipment due to the potential for personnel exposure to radiological doses approaching 300 R/hr. Innovations included the use of two nested 1.5 meter (m) (5-feet [ft]) long concrete culvert pipes (1.1-m [42 inch (in.)] and 1.5-m [60-in] diameter, respectively) as radiological shielding and collapsible electrostatic dusting wands to collect radiological swipe samples from the annular space between the canister and shaft wall. Visual inspection indicated that the canisters are in good condition with little or no rust, the welded seams are intact, and ten of the canisters include hydrogen gas sampling equipment on the pintle that will have to be removed prior to retrieval. The visual inspection also provided six canister identification numbers that matched historical storage records. The exterior radiological data indicated alpha and beta contamination below LANL release criteria and radiological dose and exposure rates lower than expected based upon historical data and modeling of the canister contents. (authors)« less

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 16: Prescribed fire and visual quality

Treesearch

Christine Esposito

2006-01-01

Research shows that, while prescribed burning and other fuels treatments can lower visual quality in some situations, they can also improve it in others. This fact sheet reviews the visual aspects of different levels of prescribed burning.Other publications in this series...

Food Preparation: An Instructional Package with Adaptations for Visually Impaired Individuals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Glinda B.; And Others

This instructional package, developed for the home economics teacher of mainstreamed visually impaired students, provides food preparation lesson plans appropriate for the junior high level. First, teacher guidelines are given, including characteristics of the visually impaired, orienting such students to the classroom, orienting class members to…

Managing Construction Operations Visually: 3-D Techniques for Complex Topography and Restricted Visibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Walter; Opdenbosh, Augusto; Santamaria, Juan Carlos

2006-01-01

Visual information is vital in planning and managing construction operations, particularly, where there is complex terrain topography and salvage operations with limited accessibility and visibility. From visually-assessing site operations and preventing equipment collisions to simulating material handling activities to supervising remotes sites…

The Physical Environment and the Visually Impaired.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braf, Per-Gunnar

Reported are results of a project carried out at the Swedish Institute for the Handicapped to determine needs of the visually impaired in the planning and adaptation of buildings and other forms of physical environment. Chapter 1 considers implications of impaired vision and includes definitions, statistics, and problems of the visually impaired…

Measuring the Quality of Life of Visually Impaired Children: First Stage Psychometric Evaluation of the Novel VQoL_CYP Instrument.

PubMed

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

2016-01-01

To report piloting and initial validation of the VQoL_CYP, a novel age-appropriate vision-related quality of life (VQoL) instrument for self-reporting by children with visual impairment (VI). Participants were a random patient sample of children with VI aged 10-15 years. 69 patients, drawn from patient databases at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital, United Kingdom, participated in piloting of the draft 47-item VQoL instrument, which enabled preliminary item reduction. Subsequent administration of the instrument, alongside functional vision (FV) and generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) self-report measures, to 101 children with VI comprising a nationally representative sample enabled further item reduction and evaluation of psychometric properties using Rasch analysis. Construct validity was assessed through Pearson correlation coefficients. Item reduction through piloting (8 items removed for skewness and individual item response pattern) and validation (1 item removed for skewness and 3 for misfit in Rasch) produced a 35-item scale, with fit values within acceptable limits, no notable differential item functioning, good measurement precision, ordered response categories and acceptable targeting in Rasch. The VQoL_CYP showed good construct validity, correlating strongly with HRQoL scores, moderately with FV scores but not with acuity. Robust child-appropriate self-report VQoL measures for children with VI are necessary for understanding the broader impacts of living with a visual disability, distinguishing these from limited functioning per se. Future planned use in larger patient samples will allow further psychometric development of the VQoL_CYP as an adjunct to objective outcomes assessment.

Urban Space Explorer: A Visual Analytics System for Urban Planning.

PubMed

Karduni, Alireza; Cho, Isaac; Wessel, Ginette; Ribarsky, William; Sauda, Eric; Dou, Wenwen

2017-01-01

Understanding people's behavior is fundamental to many planning professions (including transportation, community development, economic development, and urban design) that rely on data about frequently traveled routes, places, and social and cultural practices. Based on the results of a practitioner survey, the authors designed Urban Space Explorer, a visual analytics system that utilizes mobile social media to enable interactive exploration of public-space-related activity along spatial, temporal, and semantic dimensions.

Visualization support for risk-informed decision making when planning and managing software developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, Martin S.; Kiper, James D.; Menzies, Tim

2005-01-01

Key decisions are made in the early stages of planning and management of software developments. The information basis for these decisions is often a mix of analogy with past developments, and the best judgments of domain experts. Visualization of this information can support to such decision making by clarifying the status of the information and yielding insights into the ramifications of that information vis-a-vis decision alternatives.

VERS: a virtual environment for reconstructive surgery planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montgomery, Kevin N.

1997-05-01

The virtual environment for reconstructive surgery (VERS) project at the NASA Ames Biocomputation Center is applying virtual reality technology to aid surgeons in planning surgeries. We are working with a craniofacial surgeon at Stanford to assemble and visualize the bone structure of patients requiring reconstructive surgery either through developmental abnormalities or trauma. This project is an extension of our previous work in 3D reconstruction, mesh generation, and immersive visualization. The current VR system, consisting of an SGI Onyx RE2, FakeSpace BOOM and ImmersiveWorkbench, Virtual Technologies CyberGlove and Ascension Technologies tracker, is currently in development and has already been used to visualize defects preoperatively. In the near future it will be used to more fully plan the surgery and compute the projected result to soft tissue structure. This paper presents the work in progress and details the production of a high-performance, collaborative, and networked virtual environment.

The Effect of Gender and Level of Vision on the Physical Activity Level of Children and Adolescents with Visual Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aslan, Ummuhan Bas; Calik, Bilge Basakci; Kitis, Ali

2012-01-01

This study was planned in order to determine physical activity levels of visually impaired children and adolescents and to investigate the effect of gender and level of vision on physical activity level in visually impaired children and adolescents. A total of 30 visually impaired children and adolescents (16 low vision and 14 blind) aged between…

Airport Surface Traffic Control Visual Ground Aids Engineering and Development Plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-01-01

The plan described in this document supports the overall program at the Transportation Systems Center to define, design, develop, and evaluate systems that meet the requirements of airport surface traffic control. This plan is part of documentation s...

Grid Visualization Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chouinard, Caroline; Fisher, Forest; Estlin, Tara; Gaines, Daniel; Schaffer, Steven

2005-01-01

The Grid Visualization Tool (GVT) is a computer program for displaying the path of a mobile robotic explorer (rover) on a terrain map. The GVT reads a map-data file in either portable graymap (PGM) or portable pixmap (PPM) format, representing a gray-scale or color map image, respectively. The GVT also accepts input from path-planning and activity-planning software. From these inputs, the GVT generates a map overlaid with one or more rover path(s), waypoints, locations of targets to be explored, and/or target-status information (indicating success or failure in exploring each target). The display can also indicate different types of paths or path segments, such as the path actually traveled versus a planned path or the path traveled to the present position versus planned future movement along a path. The program provides for updating of the display in real time to facilitate visualization of progress. The size of the display and the map scale can be changed as desired by the user. The GVT was written in the C++ language using the Open Graphics Library (OpenGL) software. It has been compiled for both Sun Solaris and Linux operating systems.

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

PubMed

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

2017-01-01

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

Search for life on Mars in surface samples: Lessons from the 1999 Marsokhod rover field experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newsom, Horton E.; Bishop, J.L.; Cockell, C.; Roush, T.L.; Johnson, J. R.

2001-01-01

The Marsokhod 1999 field experiment in the Mojave Desert included a simulation of a rover-based sample selection mission. As part of this mission, a test was made of strategies and analytical techniques for identifying past or present life in environments expected to be present on Mars. A combination of visual clues from high-resolution images and the detection of an important biomolecule (chlorophyll) with visible/near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy led to the successful identification of a rock with evidence of cryptoendolithic organisms. The sample was identified in high-resolution images (3 times the resolution of the Imager for Mars Pathfinder camera) on the basis of a green tinge and textural information suggesting the presence of a thin, partially missing exfoliating layer revealing the organisms. The presence of chlorophyll bands in similar samples was observed in visible/NIR spectra of samples in the field and later confirmed in the laboratory using the same spectrometer. Raman spectroscopy in the laboratory, simulating a remote measurement technique, also detected evidence of carotenoids in samples from the same area. Laboratory analysis confirmed that the subsurface layer of the rock is inhabited by a community of coccoid Chroococcidioposis cyanobacteria. The identification of minerals in the field, including carbonates and serpentine, that are associated with aqueous processes was also demonstrated using the visible/NIR spectrometer. Other lessons learned that are applicable to future rover missions include the benefits of web-based programs for target selection and for daily mission planning and the need for involvement of the science team in optimizing image compression schemes based on the retention of visual signature characteristics. Copyright 2000 by the American Geophysical Union.

78 FR 42970 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan for the Bering Sea-Western Interior...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-18

...] Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan for the Bering Sea-Western Interior Planning Area... Management (BLM) Anchorage Field Office, Anchorage, Alaska, intends to prepare a Resource Management Plan... properties, visual resources, wildland fire management, lands with wilderness characteristics, forestry...

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....

Rhythmic Oscillations of Visual Contrast Sensitivity Synchronized with Action

PubMed Central

Tomassini, Alice; Spinelli, Donatella; Jacono, Marco; Sandini, Giulio; Morrone, Maria Concetta

2016-01-01

It is well known that the motor and the sensory systems structure sensory data collection and cooperate to achieve an efficient integration and exchange of information. Increasing evidence suggests that both motor and sensory functions are regulated by rhythmic processes reflecting alternating states of neuronal excitability, and these may be involved in mediating sensory-motor interactions. Here we show an oscillatory fluctuation in early visual processing time locked with the execution of voluntary action, and, crucially, even for visual stimuli irrelevant to the motor task. Human participants were asked to perform a reaching movement toward a display and judge the orientation of a Gabor patch, near contrast threshold, briefly presented at random times before and during the reaching movement. When the data are temporally aligned to the onset of movement, visual contrast sensitivity oscillates with periodicity within the theta band. Importantly, the oscillations emerge during the motor planning stage, ~500 ms before movement onset. We suggest that brain oscillatory dynamics may mediate an automatic coupling between early motor planning and early visual processing, possibly instrumental in linking and closing up the visual-motor control loop. PMID:25948254

Effect of androgen deprivation therapy on intraprostatic tumour volume identified on 18F choline PET/CT for prostate dose painting radiotherapy.

PubMed

Chan, Joachim; Carver, Antony; Brunt, John N H; Vinjamuri, Sobhan; Syndikus, Isabel

2017-03-01

Prostate dose painting radiotherapy requires the accurate identification of dominant intraprostatic lesions (DILs) to be used as boost volumes; these can be identified on multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) or choline positron emission tomography (PET)/CT. Planning scans are usually performed after 2-3 months of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). We examine the effect of ADT on choline tracer uptake and boost volumes identified on choline PET/CT. Fluoroethylcholine ( 18 F choline) PET/CT was performed for dose painting radiotherapy planning in patients with intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer. Initially, they were performed at planning. Owing to low visual tracer uptake, PET/CT for subsequent patients was performed at staging. We compared these two approaches on intraprostatic lesions obtained on PET using both visual and automatic threshold methods [prostate maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) 60%] when compared with mpMRI. PET/CT was performed during ADT in 11 patients (median duration of 85 days) and before ADT in 29 patients. ADT significantly reduced overall prostate volume by 17%. During ADT, prostate SUV max was lower although it did not reach statistical significance (4.2 vs 6.6, p = 0.06); three patients had no visually identifiable PET DIL; and visually defined PET DILs were significantly smaller than corresponding mpMRI DILs (p = 0.03). However, all patients scanned before ADT had at least one visually identifiable PET DIL, with no significant size difference between MRI and visually defined PET DILs. In both groups, threshold PET produced larger DILs than visual PET. Both PET methods have moderate sensitivity (0.50-0.68) and high specificity (0.85-0.98) for identifying MRI-defined disease. For visual contouring of boost volumes in prostate dose painting radiotherapy, 18 F choline PET/CT should be performed before ADT. For threshold contouring of boost volumes using our PET/CT scanning protocol, threshold levels of above 60% prostate SUV max may be more suitable. Additional use of PET with MRI for radiotherapy planning can significantly change the overall boost volumes compared with using MRI alone. Advances in knowledge: For prostate dose painting radiotherapy, the additional use of 18 F choline PET with MRI can significantly change the overall boost volumes, and PET should be performed before hormone therapy, especially if boost volumes are visually identified.

Clinical outcomes of laser in situ keratomileusis with an aberration-neutral profile centered on the corneal vertex comparing vector planning with manifest refraction planning for the treatment of myopic astigmatism.

PubMed

Arbelaez, Maria Clara; Alpins, Noel; Verma, Shwetabh; Stamatelatos, George; Arbelaez, Juan Guillermo; Arba-Mosquera, Samuel

2017-12-01

To evaluate clinical outcomes of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with an aberration-neutral profile centered on the estimated visual axis (considering 70% of the pupil offset toward the corneal vertex) comparing vector planning with manifest refraction planning for the treatment of myopic astigmatism. Muscat Eye Laser Center, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Muscat, Oman. Retrospective case series. The outcomes were evaluated at a 6-month follow-up in eyes showing ocular residual astigmatism (ORA) over 0.75 diopters (D) preoperatively. Eighty-five treatments were based on manifest astigmatism (preoperative sphere -2.11 D ± 1.3 [SD], cylinder -0.90 ± 1.0 D), and 79 treatments were based on vector planning (preoperative sphere -2.46 ± 1.5 D, cylinder -0.78 ± 0.79 D). At a 6-month follow-up, 128 patients (164 eyes) were evaluated and no significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of difference between corrected distance visual acuity and uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) (P = .1, t test and Fisher exact test Snellen lines 1 or better, P = .4) and postoperative UDVA (P = .05, t test and Fisher exact test for UDVA 20/16 or better, P = .3). Significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of achieved spherical equivalent (P = .04), corneal toricity, and ORA (P < .001, t test and Fisher exact test for ORA ≤0.75 D, P < .001). Performing LASIK for myopic astigmatism with the vector planning approach resulted in comparable visual outcomes to manifest refraction planning. Copyright © 2017 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SOVEREIGN: An autonomous neural system for incrementally learning planned action sequences to navigate towards a rewarded goal.

PubMed

Gnadt, William; Grossberg, Stephen

2008-06-01

How do reactive and planned behaviors interact in real time? How are sequences of such behaviors released at appropriate times during autonomous navigation to realize valued goals? Controllers for both animals and mobile robots, or animats, need reactive mechanisms for exploration, and learned plans to reach goal objects once an environment becomes familiar. The SOVEREIGN (Self-Organizing, Vision, Expectation, Recognition, Emotion, Intelligent, Goal-oriented Navigation) animat model embodies these capabilities, and is tested in a 3D virtual reality environment. SOVEREIGN includes several interacting subsystems which model complementary properties of cortical What and Where processing streams and which clarify similarities between mechanisms for navigation and arm movement control. As the animat explores an environment, visual inputs are processed by networks that are sensitive to visual form and motion in the What and Where streams, respectively. Position-invariant and size-invariant recognition categories are learned by real-time incremental learning in the What stream. Estimates of target position relative to the animat are computed in the Where stream, and can activate approach movements toward the target. Motion cues from animat locomotion can elicit head-orienting movements to bring a new target into view. Approach and orienting movements are alternately performed during animat navigation. Cumulative estimates of each movement are derived from interacting proprioceptive and visual cues. Movement sequences are stored within a motor working memory. Sequences of visual categories are stored in a sensory working memory. These working memories trigger learning of sensory and motor sequence categories, or plans, which together control planned movements. Predictively effective chunk combinations are selectively enhanced via reinforcement learning when the animat is rewarded. Selected planning chunks effect a gradual transition from variable reactive exploratory movements to efficient goal-oriented planned movement sequences. Volitional signals gate interactions between model subsystems and the release of overt behaviors. The model can control different motor sequences under different motivational states and learns more efficient sequences to rewarded goals as exploration proceeds.

A haptics-assisted cranio-maxillofacial surgery planning system for restoring skeletal anatomy in complex trauma cases.

PubMed

Olsson, Pontus; Nysjö, Fredrik; Hirsch, Jan-Michaél; Carlbom, Ingrid B

2013-11-01

   Cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) surgery to restore normal skeletal anatomy in patients with serious trauma to the face can be both complex and time-consuming. But it is generally accepted that careful pre-operative planning leads to a better outcome with a higher degree of function and reduced morbidity in addition to reduced time in the operating room. However, today's surgery planning systems are primitive, relying mostly on the user's ability to plan complex tasks with a two-dimensional graphical interface.    A system for planning the restoration of skeletal anatomy in facial trauma patients using a virtual model derived from patient-specific CT data. The system combines stereo visualization with six degrees-of-freedom, high-fidelity haptic feedback that enables analysis, planning, and preoperative testing of alternative solutions for restoring bone fragments to their proper positions. The stereo display provides accurate visual spatial perception, and the haptics system provides intuitive haptic feedback when bone fragments are in contact as well as six degrees-of-freedom attraction forces for precise bone fragment alignment.    A senior surgeon without prior experience of the system received 45 min of system training. Following the training session, he completed a virtual reconstruction in 22 min of a complex mandibular fracture with an adequately reduced result.    Preliminary testing with one surgeon indicates that our surgery planning system, which combines stereo visualization with sophisticated haptics, has the potential to become a powerful tool for CMF surgery planning. With little training, it allows a surgeon to complete a complex plan in a short amount of time.

Visual resources of the New Jersey Pine Barrens: integrating visual resources into the planning process

Treesearch

John W. Sinton

1979-01-01

The first purpose of this study was to deter-mine the visual quality of New Jersey Pine Barrens forests according to residents of the area. The goal of the study was to determine how to manage Pine Barrens forests to obtain high visual quality within the framework of residents' preferences, available by the Federal Omnibus Parks Acts of 1978 and proposed New...

Interactive visualization of numerical simulation results: A tool for mission planning and data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berchem, J.; Raeder, J.; Walker, R. J.; Ashour-Abdalla, M.

1995-01-01

We report on the development of an interactive system for visualizing and analyzing numerical simulation results. This system is based on visualization modules which use the Application Visualization System (AVS) and the NCAR graphics packages. Examples from recent simulations are presented to illustrate how these modules can be used for displaying and manipulating simulation results to facilitate their comparison with phenomenological model results and observations.

Hypermedia and visual technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Lloyd

1990-01-01

Applications of a codified professional practice that uses visual representations of the thoughts and ideas of a working group are reported in order to improve productivity, problem solving, and innovation. This visual technology process was developed under the auspices of General Foods as part of a multi-year study. The study resulted in the validation of this professional service as a way to use art and design to facilitate productivity and innovation and to define new opportunities. It was also used by NASA for planning Lunar/Mars exploration and by other companies for general business and advanced strategic planning, developing new product concepts, and litigation support. General Foods has continued to use the service for packaging innovation studies.

Services Available to Visually Impaired Persons in New Zealand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaGrow, S.; And Others

1990-01-01

The Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind is primarily responsible for services to visually impaired people in New Zealand. The article describes its history, structure, services, and plans for the future. (Author/JDD)

Facilities Guidelines for Fine Arts Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

This manual of facility guidelines examines the planning process and design features and considerations for public school fine arts programs in Maryland. Planning concepts and trends are highlighted followed by planning guidelines for dance, music, theater, visual arts, general education, and performance spaces. General design considerations…

SU-D-BRF-04: Digital Tomosynthesis for Improved Daily Setup in Treatment of Liver Lesions

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

Armstrong, H; Jones, B; Miften, M

Purpose: Daily localization of liver lesions with cone-beam CT (CBCT) is difficult due to poor image quality caused by scatter, respiratory motion, and the lack of radiographic contrast between the liver parenchyma and the lesion(s). Digital tomosynthesis (DTS) is investigated as a modality to improve liver visualization and lesion/parenchyma contrast for daily setup. Methods: An in-house tool was developed to generate DTS images using a point-by-point filtered back-projection method from on-board CBCT projection data. DTS image planes are generated in a user defined orientation to visualize the anatomy at various depths. Reference DTS images are obtained from forward projection ofmore » the planning CT dataset at each projection angle. The CBCT DTS image set can then be registered to the reference DTS image set as a means for localization. Contour data from the planning CT's associate RT Structure file and forward projected similarly to the planning CT data. DTS images are created for each contoured structure, which can then be overlaid onto the DTS images for organ volume visualization. Results: High resolution DTS images generated from CBCT projections show fine anatomical detail, including small blood vessels, within the patient. However, the reference DTS images generated from forward projection of the planning CT lacks this level of detail due to the low resolution of the CT voxels as compared to the pixel size in the projection images; typically 1mm-by-1mm-by-3mm (lat, vrt, lng) for the planning CT vs. 0.4mm-by-0.4mm for CBCT projections. Overlaying of the contours onto the DTS image allows for visualization of structures of interest. Conclusion: The ability to generate DTS images over a limited range of projection angles allows for reduction in the amount of respiratory motion within each acquisition. DTS may provide improved visualization of structures and lesions as compared to CBCT for highly mobile tumors.« less

Eleventh Annual Report of Accomplishments Under the Airport Improvement Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

552,860 INSTALL SECURITY SYSTEM PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL JETPORT (PRIMARY) 25 $255, 195 CONSTRUCT ACCESS ROAD PRESQUE ISLE 09 $988,548 CONSTRUCT AIRCRAFT...TAXIWAYS; INSTALL VISUAL APPROACH AIDS PENNSYLVANIA COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA S7 $89,050 CONDUCT STATE SYSTEM PLAN UPDATE (SYSTEM PLAN) DELAWARE...VALLEY REGION RA $195,030 CONDUCT STATE SYSTEM PLAN UPDATE (SYSTEM PLAN) SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA REGION RA $310,950 CONDUCT REGIONAL SYSTEM PLAN

Protocol for monitoring standing crop in grasslands using visual obstruction

Treesearch

Lakhdar Benkobi; Daniel W. Uresk; Greg Schenbeck; Rudy M. King

2000-01-01

Assessment of standing crop on grasslands using a visual obstruction technique provides valuable information to help plan livestock grazing management and indicate the status of wildlife habitat. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a simple regression model using easily measured visual obstruction to estimate standing crop on sandy lowland range sites in...

Community Mentors: The Perspectives of Working Adults with Visual Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Sunggye; Erin, Jane N.

2017-01-01

Although most teachers of students with visual impairments spend time in internships prior to teaching, they often begin teaching without firsthand contact with capable adults who have visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision). As a result, they may be unfamiliar with the daily planning and adaptation undertaken by those…

Lighthouse Guild

MedlinePlus

... Contact Us About Us Programs & Services Health Plans eLearning Vision + Health Donate Need Help? Show Menu Hide ... Find a health plan Coping with vision loss eLearning Support for parents of children with visual impairments ...

7 CFR 3560.154 - Tenant selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., ethnicity, and sex of individual applicants on the basis of visual observation or surname,” and (10) Social... documented in the housing project's management plan and Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan. (d...

Global Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) from Space Based AIS Ship Tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwehr, K. D.; Foulkes, J. A.; Lorenzini, D.; Kanawati, M.

2011-12-01

All nations need to be developing long term integrated strategies for how to use and preserve our natural resources. As a part of these strategies, we must evalutate how communities of users react to changes in rules and regulations of ocean use. Global characterization of the vessel traffic on our Earth's oceans is essential to understanding the existing uses to develop international Coast and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP). Ship traffic within 100-200km is beginning to be effectively covered in low latitudes by ground based receivers collecting position reports from the maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS). Unfortunately, remote islands, high latitudes, and open ocean Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are not covered by these ground systems. Deploying enough autonomous airborne (UAV) and surface (USV) vessels and buoys to provide adequate coverage is a difficult task. While the individual device costs are plummeting, a large fleet of AIS receivers is expensive to maintain. The global AIS coverage from SpaceQuest's low Earth orbit satellite receivers combined with the visualization and data storage infrastructure of Google (e.g. Maps, Earth, and Fusion Tables) provide a platform that enables researchers and resource managers to begin answer the question of how ocean resources are being utilized. Near real-time vessel traffic data will allow managers of marine resources to understand how changes to education, enforcement, rules, and regulations alter usage and compliance patterns. We will demonstrate the potential for this system using a sample SpaceQuest data set processed with libais which stores the results in a Fusion Table. From there, the data is imported to PyKML and visualized in Google Earth with a custom gx:Track visualization utilizing KML's extended data functionality to facilitate ship track interrogation. Analysts can then annotate and discuss vessel tracks in Fusion Tables.

Attention, Intention, and Priority in the Parietal Lobe

PubMed Central

Bisley, James W.; Goldberg, Michael E.

2013-01-01

For many years there has been a debate about the role of the parietal lobe in the generation of behavior. Does it generate movement plans (intention) or choose objects in the environment for further processing? To answer this, we focus on the lateral intraparietal area (LIP), an area that has been shown to play independent roles in target selection for saccades and the generation of visual attention. Based on results from a variety of tasks, we propose that LIP acts as a priority map in which objects are represented by activity proportional to their behavioral priority. We present evidence to show that the priority map combines bottom-up inputs like a rapid visual response with an array of top-down signals like a saccade plan. The spatial location representing the peak of the map is used by the oculomotor system to target saccades and by the visual system to guide visual attention. PMID:20192813

Robot Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Brian K.; Maxwell,Scott A.; Hartman, Frank R.; Wright, John R.; Yen, Jeng; Toole, Nicholas T.; Gorjian, Zareh; Morrison, Jack C

2013-01-01

The Robot Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP) is being used in the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission for downlink data visualization and command sequence generation. RSVP reads and writes downlink data products from the operations data server (ODS) and writes uplink data products to the ODS. The primary users of RSVP are members of the Rover Planner team (part of the Integrated Planning and Execution Team (IPE)), who use it to perform traversability/articulation analyses, take activity plan input from the Science and Mission Planning teams, and create a set of rover sequences to be sent to the rover every sol. The primary inputs to RSVP are downlink data products and activity plans in the ODS database. The primary outputs are command sequences to be placed in the ODS for further processing prior to uplink to each rover. RSVP is composed of two main subsystems. The first, called the Robot Sequence Editor (RoSE), understands the MSL activity and command dictionaries and takes care of converting incoming activity level inputs into command sequences. The Rover Planners use the RoSE component of RSVP to put together command sequences and to view and manage command level resources like time, power, temperature, etc. (via a transparent realtime connection to SEQGEN). The second component of RSVP is called HyperDrive, a set of high-fidelity computer graphics displays of the Martian surface in 3D and in stereo. The Rover Planners can explore the environment around the rover, create commands related to motion of all kinds, and see the simulated result of those commands via its underlying tight coupling with flight navigation, motor, and arm software. This software is the evolutionary replacement for the Rover Sequencing and Visualization software used to create command sequences (and visualize the Martian surface) for the Mars Exploration Rover mission.

NASA GES DISC Level 2 Aerosol Analysis and Visualization Services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wei, Jennifer; Petrenko, Maksym; Ichoku, Charles; Yang, Wenli; Johnson, James; Zhao, Peisheng; Kempler, Steve

2015-01-01

Overview of NASA GES DISC Level 2 aerosol analysis and visualization services: DQViz (Data Quality Visualization)MAPSS (Multi-sensor Aerosol Products Sampling System), and MAPSS_Explorer (Multi-sensor Aerosol Products Sampling System Explorer).

Using complex auditory-visual samples to produce emergent relations in children with autism.

PubMed

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

2010-03-01

Six participants with autism learned conditional relations between complex auditory-visual sample stimuli (dictated words and pictures) and simple visual comparisons (printed words) using matching-to-sample training procedures. Pre- and posttests examined potential stimulus control by each element of the complex sample when presented individually and emergence of additional conditional relations and oral labeling. Tests revealed class-consistent performance for all participants following training.

Recce mission planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

York, Andrew M.

2000-11-01

The ever increasing sophistication of reconnaissance sensors reinforces the importance of timely, accurate, and equally sophisticated mission planning capabilities. Precision targeting and zero-tolerance for collateral damage and civilian casualties, stress the need for accuracy and timeliness. Recent events have highlighted the need for improvement in current planning procedures and systems. Annotating printed maps takes time and does not allow flexibility for rapid changes required in today's conflicts. We must give aircrew the ability to accurately navigate their aircraft to an area of interest, correctly position the sensor to obtain the required sensor coverage, adapt missions as required, and ensure mission success. The growth in automated mission planning system capability and the expansion of those systems to include dedicated and integrated reconnaissance modules, helps to overcome current limitations. Mission planning systems, coupled with extensive integrated visualization capabilities, allow aircrew to not only plan accurately and quickly, but know precisely when they will locate the target and visualize what the sensor will see during its operation. This paper will provide a broad overview of the current capabilities and describe how automated mission planning and visualization systems can improve and enhance the reconnaissance planning process and contribute to mission success. Think about the ultimate objective of the reconnaissance mission as we consider areas that technology can offer improvement. As we briefly review the fundamentals, remember where and how TAC RECCE systems will be used. Try to put yourself in the mindset of those who are on the front lines, working long hours at increasingly demanding tasks, trying to become familiar with new operating areas and equipment, while striving to minimize risk and optimize mission success. Technical advancements that can reduce the TAC RECCE timeline, simplify operations and instill Warfighter confidence, ultimately improve the desired outcome.

Prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment and their associated risk factors, in three tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Singh, Nakul; Eeda, Shiva Shankar; Gudapati, Bala Krishna; Reddy, Srinivasa; Kanade, Pushkar; Shantha, Ghanshyam Palamaner Subash; Rani, Padmaja Kumari; Chakrabarti, Subhabrata; Khanna, Rohit C

2014-01-01

To assess the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment (VI), their associated causes and underlying risk factors in three tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh, India and compare this data in conjunction with data from other countries with low and middle income settings. Using a validated Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness methodology, a two stage sampling survey was performed in these areas involving probability proportionate to size sampling and compact segment sampling methods. Blindness, VI and severe visual impairment (SVI) were defined as per the WHO guidelines and Indian definitions. Based on a prior enumeration, 7281 (97.1%) subjects were enrolled (mean age = 61.0+/-7.9 years). Based on the presenting visual acuity (PVA), the prevalences of VI, SVI and blindness were 16.9% (95% CI: 15.7-18.1), 2.9% (95% CI: 2.5-3.4), and 2.3% (95% CI: 1.9-2.7), respectively. When based on the Pinhole corrected visual acuity (PCVA), the prevalences were lower in VI (6.2%, 95% CI: 5.4-6.9), SVI (1.5%, 95% CI: 1.2-1.9) and blindness (2.1%, 95% CI: 1.7-2.5). Refractive error was the major cause of VI (71.4%), whereas, cataract was the major cause of SVI and blindness (70.3%). Based on the PVA, the odds ratio (OR) of blindness increased in the age groups of 60-69 years (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.8, 5.1), 70-79 years (OR = 10.6, 95% CI: 7.2, 15.5) and 80 years and above (OR = 30.7, 95% CI: 19.2, 49). The ORs were relatively higher in females (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.6) and illiterate subjects (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.2, 8.5), but lower in those wearing glasses (OR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.4). This is perhaps the first study to assess the prevalence of blindness and VI in these tribal regions and the majority of the causes of blindness and SVI were avoidable (88.5%). These findings may be useful for planning eye care services in these underserved regions.

Prevalence and Causes of Blindness and Visual Impairment and Their Associated Risk Factors, in Three Tribal Areas of Andhra Pradesh, India

PubMed Central

Singh, Nakul; Eeda, Shiva Shankar; Gudapati, Bala Krishna; Reddy, Srinivasa; Kanade, Pushkar; Shantha, Ghanshyam Palamaner Subash; Rani, Padmaja Kumari; Chakrabarti, Subhabrata; Khanna, Rohit C

2014-01-01

Objective To assess the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment (VI), their associated causes and underlying risk factors in three tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh, India and compare this data in conjunction with data from other countries with low and middle income settings. Methods Using a validated Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness methodology, a two stage sampling survey was performed in these areas involving probability proportionate to size sampling and compact segment sampling methods. Blindness, VI and severe visual impairment (SVI) were defined as per the WHO guidelines and Indian definitions. Results Based on a prior enumeration, 7281 (97.1%) subjects were enrolled (mean age  = 61.0+/−7.9 years). Based on the presenting visual acuity (PVA), the prevalences of VI, SVI and blindness were 16.9% (95% CI: 15.7–18.1), 2.9% (95% CI: 2.5–3.4), and 2.3% (95% CI: 1.9–2.7), respectively. When based on the Pinhole corrected visual acuity (PCVA), the prevalences were lower in VI (6.2%, 95% CI: 5.4–6.9), SVI (1.5%, 95% CI: 1.2–1.9) and blindness (2.1%, 95% CI: 1.7–2.5). Refractive error was the major cause of VI (71.4%), whereas, cataract was the major cause of SVI and blindness (70.3%). Based on the PVA, the odds ratio (OR) of blindness increased in the age groups of 60–69 years (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.8, 5.1), 70–79 years (OR = 10.6, 95% CI: 7.2, 15.5) and 80 years and above (OR = 30.7, 95% CI: 19.2, 49). The ORs were relatively higher in females (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.6) and illiterate subjects (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.2, 8.5), but lower in those wearing glasses (OR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.4). Conclusions This is perhaps the first study to assess the prevalence of blindness and VI in these tribal regions and the majority of the causes of blindness and SVI were avoidable (88.5%). These findings may be useful for planning eye care services in these underserved regions. PMID:25007075

Visually based path-planning by Japanese monkeys.

PubMed

Mushiake, H; Saito, N; Sakamoto, K; Sato, Y; Tanji, J

2001-03-01

To construct an animal model of strategy formation, we designed a maze path-finding task. First, we asked monkeys to capture a goal in the maze by moving a cursor on the screen. Cursor movement was linked to movements of each wrist. When the animals learned the association between cursor movement and wrist movement, we established a start and a goal in the maze, and asked them to find a path between them. We found that the animals took the shortest pathway, rather than approaching the goal randomly. We further found that the animals adopted a strategy of selecting a fixed intermediate point in the visually presented maze to select one of the shortest pathways, suggesting a visually based path planning. To examine their capacity to use that strategy flexibly, we transformed the task by blocking pathways in the maze, providing a problem to solve. The animals then developed a strategy of solving the problem by planning a novel shortest path from the start to the goal and rerouting the path to bypass the obstacle.

Using a virtual world for robot planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benjamin, D. Paul; Monaco, John V.; Lin, Yixia; Funk, Christopher; Lyons, Damian

2012-06-01

We are building a robot cognitive architecture that constructs a real-time virtual copy of itself and its environment, including people, and uses the model to process perceptual information and to plan its movements. This paper describes the structure of this architecture. The software components of this architecture include PhysX for the virtual world, OpenCV and the Point Cloud Library for visual processing, and the Soar cognitive architecture that controls the perceptual processing and task planning. The RS (Robot Schemas) language is implemented in Soar, providing the ability to reason about concurrency and time. This Soar/RS component controls visual processing, deciding which objects and dynamics to render into PhysX, and the degree of detail required for the task. As the robot runs, its virtual model diverges from physical reality, and errors grow. The Match-Mediated Difference component monitors these errors by comparing the visual data with corresponding data from virtual cameras, and notifies Soar/RS of significant differences, e.g. a new object that appears, or an object that changes direction unexpectedly. Soar/RS can then run PhysX much faster than real-time and search among possible future world paths to plan the robot's actions. We report experimental results in indoor environments.

76 FR 45606 - Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, Habitat Conservation Plan and Possible Land Use Plan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-29

... than would a project-by-project, species-by-species review; and Identify and incorporate climate change... environmental justice, outdoor recreation, visual resources, induced growth, climate change and greenhouse gases... biological resource conservation across the Mojave and Colorado Desert regions of southern California. The...

78 FR 61373 - Animal Center Master Plan Record of Decision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-03

... propose any land use changes outside NIHAC. Therefore, the NIHAC campus is anticipated to remain... analysis, Environmental Justice will not be discussed. Visual Quality The Master Plan's land use plan provides a framework to help organize future development at NIHAC so that similar land use types are...

Vis-A-Plan /visualize a plan/ management technique provides performance-time scale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranck, N. H.

1967-01-01

Vis-A-Plan is a bar-charting technique for representing and evaluating project activities on a performance-time basis. This rectilinear method presents the logic diagram of a project as a series of horizontal time bars. It may be used supplementary to PERT or independently.

[3D-visualization by MRI for surgical planning of Wilms tumors].

PubMed

Schenk, J P; Waag, K-L; Graf, N; Wunsch, R; Jourdan, C; Behnisch, W; Tröger, J; Günther, P

2004-10-01

To improve surgical planning of kidney tumors in childhood (Wilms tumor, mesoblastic nephroma) after radiologic verification of the presumptive diagnosis with interactive colored 3D-animation in MRI. In 7 children (1 boy, 6 girls) with a mean age of 3 years (1 month to 11 years), the MRI database (DICOM) was processed with a raycasting-based 3D-volume-rendering software (VG Studio Max 1.1/Volume Graphics). The abdominal MRI-sequences (coronal STIR, coronal T1 TSE, transverse T1/T2 TSE, sagittal T2 TSE, transverse and coronal T1 TSE post contrast) were obtained with a 0.5T unit in 4 - 6 mm slices. Additionally, a phase-contrast-MR-angiography was applied to delineate the large abdominal and retroperitoneal vessels. A notebook was used to demonstrate the 3D-visualization for surgical planning before surgery and during the surgical procedure. In all 7 cases, the surgical approach was influenced by interactive 3D-animation and the information found useful for surgical planning. Above all, the 3D-visualization demonstrates the mass effect of the Wilms tumor and its anatomical relationship to the renal hilum and to the rest of the kidney as well as the topographic relationship of the tumor to the critical vessels. One rupture of the tumor capsule occurred as a surgical complication. For the surgeon, the transformation of the anatomical situation from MRI to the surgical situs has become much easier. For surgical planning of Wilms tumors, the 3D-visualization with 3D-animation of the situs helps to transfer important information from the pediatric radiologist to the pediatric surgeon and optimizes the surgical preparation. A reduction of complications is to be expected.

Visualizing railroad operations : a tool for planning and monitoring railroad traffic

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

This report provides an overview of the development and technology transfer of the Railroad Traffic Planner application, a visualization tool with string line diagrams that show train positions over time. The Railroad Traffic Planner provides support...

The Nigerian national blindness and visual impairment survey: Rationale, objectives and detailed methodology

PubMed Central

Dineen, Brendan; Gilbert, Clare E; Rabiu, Mansur; Kyari, Fatima; Mahdi, Abdull M; Abubakar, Tafida; Ezelum, Christian C; Gabriel, Entekume; Elhassan , Elizabeth; Abiose, Adenike; Faal, Hannah; Jiya, Jonathan Y; Ozemela, Chinenyem P; Lee, Pak Sang; Gudlavalleti, Murthy VS

2008-01-01

Background Despite having the largest population in Africa, Nigeria has no accurate population based data to plan and evaluate eye care services. A national survey was undertaken to estimate the prevalence and determine the major causes of blindness and low vision. This paper presents the detailed methodology used during the survey. Methods A nationally representative sample of persons aged 40 years and above was selected. Children aged 10–15 years and individuals aged <10 or 16–39 years with visual impairment were also included if they lived in households with an eligible adult. All participants had their height, weight, and blood pressure measured followed by assessment of presenting visual acuity, refractokeratomery, A-scan ultrasonography, visual fields and best corrected visual acuity. Anterior and posterior segments of each eye were examined with a torch and direct ophthalmoscope. Participants with visual acuity of < = 6/12 in one or both eyes underwent detailed examination including applanation tonometry, dilated slit lamp biomicroscopy, lens grading and fundus photography. All those who had undergone cataract surgery were refracted and best corrected vision recorded. Causes of visual impairment by eye and for the individual were determined using a clinical algorithm recommended by the World Health Organization. In addition, 1 in 7 adults also underwent a complete work up as described for those with vision < = 6/12 for constructing a normative data base for Nigerians. Discussion The field work for the study was completed in 30 months over the period 2005–2007 and covered 305 clusters across the entire country. Concurrently persons 40+ years were examined to form a normative data base. Analysis of the data is currently underway. Conclusion The methodology used was robust and adequate to provide estimates on the prevalence and causes of blindness in Nigeria. The survey would also provide information on barriers to accessing services, quality of life of visually impaired individuals and also provide normative data for Nigerian eyes. PMID:18808712

Techniques To Enhance Instructors' Teaching Effectiveness with Chemistry Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Supalo, Cary

2005-10-01

This paper describes techniques developed as solutions to problems encountered while teaching blind or visually impaired students in chemistry courses at high school and postsecondary levels. Establishing and maintaining a sound student instructor relationship is critical to the success and implementation of a plan of action for blind or visually impaired students enrolled in chemistry courses.

Scenic Vistas and the Changing Policy Landscape: Visualizing and Testing the Role of Visual Resources in Ecosystem Management

Treesearch

Robert G. Ribe; Edward T. Armstrong; Paul H. Gobster

2002-01-01

The Northwest Forest Plan applies a shift in policy to national forests in the Pacific Northwest, with implications for other public landscapes. This shift offers potentially strong scenic implications for areas that have historically emphasized clearcutting with little visual impact mitigation. These areas will now emphasize biocentric concerns and harvests formed...

Effect of Visual Field Presentation on Action Planning (Estimating Reach) in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabbard, Carl; Cordova, Alberto

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors examined the effects of target information presented in different visual fields (lower, upper, central) on estimates of reach via use of motor imagery in children (5-11 years old) and young adults. Results indicated an advantage for estimating reach movements for targets placed in lower visual field (LoVF), with all…

Developing Students' Critical Thinking Skills through Visual Literacy in the New Secondary School Curriculum in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Chi-Kim; Jhaveri, Aditi Dubey

2016-01-01

This paper argues that the planned introduction of visual literacy into the New Secondary School Curriculum can play a crucial role in enabling students to think critically and creatively in Hong Kong's highly visual landscape. As Hong Kong's educational system remains entrenched in long-established and conventional pedagogies, the primacy given…

3D Visualization for Phoenix Mars Lander Science Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Laurence; Keely, Leslie; Lees, David; Stoker, Carol

2012-01-01

Planetary surface exploration missions present considerable operational challenges in the form of substantial communication delays, limited communication windows, and limited communication bandwidth. A 3D visualization software was developed and delivered to the 2008 Phoenix Mars Lander (PML) mission. The components of the system include an interactive 3D visualization environment called Mercator, terrain reconstruction software called the Ames Stereo Pipeline, and a server providing distributed access to terrain models. The software was successfully utilized during the mission for science analysis, site understanding, and science operations activity planning. A terrain server was implemented that provided distribution of terrain models from a central repository to clients running the Mercator software. The Ames Stereo Pipeline generates accurate, high-resolution, texture-mapped, 3D terrain models from stereo image pairs. These terrain models can then be visualized within the Mercator environment. The central cross-cutting goal for these tools is to provide an easy-to-use, high-quality, full-featured visualization environment that enhances the mission science team s ability to develop low-risk productive science activity plans. In addition, for the Mercator and Viz visualization environments, extensibility and adaptability to different missions and application areas are key design goals.

Prevalence of eye disease and visual impairment in Île de la Gonave, Haïti.

PubMed

Tousignant, B; Brûlé, J

2017-08-01

Epidemiological data describing the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in Haiti are sparse. The Haitian National Committee for the Prevention of Blindness (CNPC) estimates the prevalence of blindness at 1 %. Other regional data estimate moderate and severe visual impairment at 5% and 22%, respectively. IRIS Mundial (IM) is a non-governmental organization collaborating with the CNPC to develop eye care infrastructure in Haiti. To estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment on the Haitian island of Gonâve, to assist in planning of relevant eye care infrastructure. Results from eye exams carried out by a team from IM in January 2013 have been compiled and analyzed. In all, 1724 patients were examined (38% men, 62% women). In the best eye, 87% of patients had visual acuity, 6% had moderate visual impairment, and 7% had severe visual impairment. Moreover, 1% of patients had high myopia, 1% high hyperopia, 1% high astigmatism, and 32% were presbyopic. Clinically significant binocular cataracts were found in 1.5 % of patients, while 2 % were diagnosed with probable glaucoma. Our data give a glimpse of the prevalence of visual impairment and ocular disease on Gonâve Island in Haiti. Uncorrected refractive error, cataracts, and glaucoma are confirmed as prevalent conditions in this population and their presence should guide the planning of relevant eye care interventions.

Using a Multibeam Echosounder to Monitor AN Artificial Reef

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tassetti, A. N.; Malaspina, S.; Fabi, G.

2015-04-01

Artificial reefs (ARs) have become popular technological interventions in shallow water environments characterized by soft seabed for a wide number of purposes, from fisheries/environmental protection and enhancement to research and tourism. AR deployment has the potential for causing significant hydrographical and biological changes in the receiving environments and, in turn, ARs are strongly affected by the surrounding area in terms of spatial arrangement and structural integrity as well as colonization by benthic communities and finfish. In this context, ARs require a systematic monitoring program that a multibeam echosounder (MBES) can provide better than other sampling methods such as visual dives and ROV inspections that are not quantitative and often influenced by water visibility and diver experience/skills. In this paper, some subsequent MBES surveys of the Senigallia scientifically-planned AR (Northern Adriatic Sea) are presented and state-of-the art data processing and visualization techniques are used to draw post-reef deployment comparisons and quantify the evolution of the reef in terms of spatial arrangement and bulk volume. These multibeam surveys play a leading part in a general multi-year program, started simultaneously with the AR design and deployment and aimed to map how the reef structure quantitatively changes over time, as well as it affects the sea-bottom morphology and the fishery resource. All the data, surveyed over years making use of different sampling methods such as visual and instrumental echosounding observations and catch rate surveys, gain a mechanistic and predictive understanding of how the Senigallia AR functions ecologically and physically across spatial and temporal scales during its design life

7 CFR 43.104 - Master table of single and double sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Master table of single and double sampling plans. 43... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.104 Master table of single and double sampling plans. (a) In the master table, a sampling plan is selected by first determining...

7 CFR 43.104 - Master table of single and double sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Master table of single and double sampling plans. 43... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.104 Master table of single and double sampling plans. (a) In the master table, a sampling plan is selected by first determining...

7 CFR 43.104 - Master table of single and double sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Master table of single and double sampling plans. 43... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.104 Master table of single and double sampling plans. (a) In the master table, a sampling plan is selected by first determining...

7 CFR 43.104 - Master table of single and double sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Master table of single and double sampling plans. 43... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.104 Master table of single and double sampling plans. (a) In the master table, a sampling plan is selected by first determining...

Proof of concept : examining characteristics of roadway infrastructure in various 3D visualization modes.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-02-01

Utilizing enhanced visualization in transportation planning and design gained popularity in the last decade. This work aimed at : demonstrating the concept of utilizing a highly immersive, virtual reality simulation engine for creating dynamic, inter...

Real-time dose calculation and visualization for the proton therapy of ocular tumours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfeiffer, Karsten; Bendl, Rolf

2001-03-01

A new real-time dose calculation and visualization was developed as part of the new 3D treatment planning tool OCTOPUS for proton therapy of ocular tumours within a national research project together with the Hahn-Meitner Institut Berlin. The implementation resolves the common separation between parameter definition, dose calculation and evaluation and allows a direct examination of the expected dose distribution while adjusting the treatment parameters. The new tool allows the therapist to move the desired dose distribution under visual control in 3D to the appropriate place. The visualization of the resulting dose distribution as a 3D surface model, on any 2D slice or on the surface of specified ocular structures is done automatically when adapting parameters during the planning process. In addition, approximate dose volume histograms may be calculated with little extra time. The dose distribution is calculated and visualized in 200 ms with an accuracy of 6% for the 3D isodose surfaces and 8% for other objects. This paper discusses the advantages and limitations of this new approach.

Technical aspects of virtual liver resection planning.

PubMed

Glombitza, G; Lamadé, W; Demiris, A M; Göpfert, M R; Mayer, A; Bahner, M L; Meinzer, H P; Richter, G; Lehnert, T; Herfarth, C

1998-01-01

Operability of a liver tumor is depending on its three dimensional relation to the intrahepatic vascular trees which define autonomously functioning liver (sub-)segments. Precise operation planning is complicated by anatomic variability, distortion of the vascular trees by the tumor or preceding liver resections. Because of the missing possibility to track the deformation of the liver during the operation an integration of the resection planning system into an intra-operative navigation system is not feasible. So the main task of an operation planning system in this domain is a quantifiable patient selection by exact prediction of post-operative liver function and a quantifiable resection proposal. The system quantifies the organ structures and resection volumes by means of absolute and relative values. It defines resection planes depending on security margins and the vascular trees and presents the data in visualized form as a 3D movie. The new 3D operation planning system offers quantifiable liver resection proposals based on individualized liver anatomy. The results are visualized in digital movies as well as in quantitative reports.

7 CFR Exhibit C to Subpart C of... - Checklist of Visual Exhibits and Documentation for RRH, RCH, and LH Proposals

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... design drawings showing the proposed plot plan, typical unit plans, and elevations. If available, the... locations with profiles and widths, lot layouts, major drainageways, and other development planned... the Obligation of Funds. All decisions regarding the conceptual design of the proposed project should...

7 CFR Exhibit C to Subpart C of... - Checklist of Visual Exhibits and Documentation for RRH, RCH, and LH Proposals

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... design drawings showing the proposed plot plan, typical unit plans, and elevations. If available, the... locations with profiles and widths, lot layouts, major drainageways, and other development planned... the Obligation of Funds. All decisions regarding the conceptual design of the proposed project should...

Controlling Attention through Action: Observing Actions Primes Action-Related Stimulus Dimensions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fagioli, Sabrina; Ferlazzo, Fabio; Hommel, Bernhard

2007-01-01

Previous findings suggest that planning an action "backward-primes" perceptual dimension related to this action: planning a grasp facilitates the processing of visual size information, while planning a reach facilitates the processing of location information. Here we show that dimensional priming of perception through action occurs even in the…

Planning in sentence production: Evidence for the phrase as a default planning scope

PubMed Central

Martin, Randi C.; Crowther, Jason E.; Knight, Meredith; Tamborello, Franklin P.; Yang, Chin-Lung

2010-01-01

Controversy remains as to the scope of advanced planning in language production. Smith and Wheeldon (1999) found significantly longer onset latencies when subjects described moving picture displays by producing sentences beginning with a complex noun phrase than for matched sentences beginning with a simple noun phrase. While these findings are consistent with a phrasal scope of planning, they might also be explained on the basis of: 1) greater retrieval fluency for the second content word in the simple initial noun phrase sentences and 2) visual grouping factors. In Experiments 1 and 2, retrieval fluency for the second content word was equated for the complex and simple initial noun phrase conditions. Experiments 3 and 4 addressed the visual grouping hypothesis by using stationary displays and by comparing onset latencies for the same display for sentence and list productions. Longer onset latencies for the sentences beginning with a complex noun phrase were obtained in all experiments, supporting the phrasal scope of planning hypothesis. The results indicate that in speech, as in other motor production domains, planning occurs beyond the minimal production unit. PMID:20501338

Statistical Analysis of Interactive Surgical Planning Using Shape Descriptors in Mandibular Reconstruction with Fibular Segments

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This study was performed to quantitatively analyze medical knowledge of, and experience with, decision-making in preoperative virtual planning of mandibular reconstruction. Three shape descriptors were designed to evaluate local differences between reconstructed mandibles and patients’ original mandibles. We targeted an asymmetrical, wide range of cutting areas including the mandibular sidepiece, and defined a unique three-dimensional coordinate system for each mandibular image. The generalized algorithms for computing the shape descriptors were integrated into interactive planning software, where the user can refine the preoperative plan using the spatial map of the local shape distance as a visual guide. A retrospective study was conducted with two oral surgeons and two dental technicians using the developed software. The obtained 120 reconstruction plans show that the participants preferred a moderate shape distance rather than optimization to the smallest. We observed that a visually plausible shape could be obtained when considering specific anatomical features (e.g., mental foramen. mandibular midline). The proposed descriptors can be used to multilaterally evaluate reconstruction plans and systematically learn surgical procedures. PMID:27583465

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akristiniy, Vera A.; Dikova, Elena A.

2018-03-01

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

Selective weighting of action-related feature dimensions in visual working memory.

PubMed

Heuer, Anna; Schubö, Anna

2017-08-01

Planning an action primes feature dimensions that are relevant for that particular action, increasing the impact of these dimensions on perceptual processing. Here, we investigated whether action planning also affects the short-term maintenance of visual information. In a combined memory and movement task, participants were to memorize items defined by size or color while preparing either a grasping or a pointing movement. Whereas size is a relevant feature dimension for grasping, color can be used to localize the goal object and guide a pointing movement. The results showed that memory for items defined by size was better during the preparation of a grasping movement than during the preparation of a pointing movement. Conversely, memory for color tended to be better when a pointing movement rather than a grasping movement was being planned. This pattern was not only observed when the memory task was embedded within the preparation period of the movement, but also when the movement to be performed was only indicated during the retention interval of the memory task. These findings reveal that a weighting of information in visual working memory according to action relevance can even be implemented at the representational level during maintenance, demonstrating that our actions continue to influence visual processing beyond the perceptual stage.

Ovis: A Framework for Visual Analysis of Ocean Forecast Ensembles.

PubMed

Höllt, Thomas; Magdy, Ahmed; Zhan, Peng; Chen, Guoning; Gopalakrishnan, Ganesh; Hoteit, Ibrahim; Hansen, Charles D; Hadwiger, Markus

2014-08-01

We present a novel integrated visualization system that enables interactive visual analysis of ensemble simulations of the sea surface height that is used in ocean forecasting. The position of eddies can be derived directly from the sea surface height and our visualization approach enables their interactive exploration and analysis.The behavior of eddies is important in different application settings of which we present two in this paper. First, we show an application for interactive planning of placement as well as operation of off-shore structures using real-world ensemble simulation data of the Gulf of Mexico. Off-shore structures, such as those used for oil exploration, are vulnerable to hazards caused by eddies, and the oil and gas industry relies on ocean forecasts for efficient operations. We enable analysis of the spatial domain, as well as the temporal evolution, for planning the placement and operation of structures.Eddies are also important for marine life. They transport water over large distances and with it also heat and other physical properties as well as biological organisms. In the second application we present the usefulness of our tool, which could be used for planning the paths of autonomous underwater vehicles, so called gliders, for marine scientists to study simulation data of the largely unexplored Red Sea.

Visual Analysis as a design and decision-making tool in the development of a quarry

Treesearch

Randall Boyd Fitzgerald

1979-01-01

In order to obtain local and state government approvals, an environmental impact analysis of the mining and reclamation of a proposed hard rock quarry was required. High visibility of the proposed mining area from the adjacent community required a visual impact analysis in the planning and design of the project. The Visual Analysis defined design criteria for the...

Reading your own lips: common-coding theory and visual speech perception.

PubMed

Tye-Murray, Nancy; Spehar, Brent P; Myerson, Joel; Hale, Sandra; Sommers, Mitchell S

2013-02-01

Common-coding theory posits that (1) perceiving an action activates the same representations of motor plans that are activated by actually performing that action, and (2) because of individual differences in the ways that actions are performed, observing recordings of one's own previous behavior activates motor plans to an even greater degree than does observing someone else's behavior. We hypothesized that if observing oneself activates motor plans to a greater degree than does observing others, and if these activated plans contribute to perception, then people should be able to lipread silent video clips of their own previous utterances more accurately than they can lipread video clips of other talkers. As predicted, two groups of participants were able to lipread video clips of themselves, recorded more than two weeks earlier, significantly more accurately than video clips of others. These results suggest that visual input activates speech motor activity that links to word representations in the mental lexicon.

Application of 3-Dimensional Printing in a Case of Osteogenesis Imperfecta for Patient Education, Anatomic Understanding, Preoperative Planning, and Intraoperative Evaluation.

PubMed

Eisenmenger, Laura B; Wiggins, Richard H; Fults, Daniel W; Huo, Eugene J

2017-11-01

The techniques and applications of 3-dimensional (3D) printing have progressed at a fast pace. In the last 10 years, there has been significant progress in applying this technology to medical applications. We present a case of osteogenesis imperfecta in which treatment was aided by prospectively using patient-specific, anatomically accurate 3D prints of the calvaria. The patient-specific, anatomically accurate 3D prints were used in the clinic and in the operating room to augment patient education, improve surgical decision making, and enhance preoperative planning. A 41-year-old woman with osteogenesis imperfecta and an extensive neurosurgical history presented for cranioplasty revision. Computed tomography (CT) data obtained as part of routine preoperative imaging were processed into a 3D model. The 3D patient-specific models were used in the clinic for patient education and in the operating room for preoperative visualization, planning, and intraoperative evaluation of anatomy. The patient reported the 3D models improved her understanding and comfort with the planned surgery when compared with discussing the procedure with the neurosurgeon or viewing the CT images with a neuroradiologist. The neurosurgeon reported an improved understanding of the patient's anatomy and potential cause of patient symptoms as well as improved preoperative planning compared with viewing the CT imaging alone. The neurosurgeon also reported an improvement in the planned surgical approach with a better intraoperative visualization and confirmation of the regions of planned calvarial resection. The use of patient-specific, anatomically accurate 3D prints may improve patient education, surgeon understanding and visualization, preoperative decision making, and intraoperative management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combined visual illusion effects on the perceived index of difficulty and movement outcomes in discrete and continuous fitts' tapping.

PubMed

Alphonsa, Sushma; Dai, Boyi; Benham-Deal, Tami; Zhu, Qin

2016-01-01

The speed-accuracy trade-off is a fundamental movement problem that has been extensively investigated. It has been established that the speed at which one can move to tap targets depends on how large the targets are and how far they are apart. These spatial properties of the targets can be quantified by the index of difficulty (ID). Two visual illusions are known to affect the perception of target size and movement amplitude: the Ebbinghaus illusion and Muller-Lyer illusion. We created visual images that combined these two visual illusions to manipulate the perceived ID, and then examined people's visual perception of the targets in illusory context as well as their performance in tapping those targets in both discrete and continuous manners. The findings revealed that the combined visual illusions affected the perceived ID similarly in both discrete and continuous judgment conditions. However, the movement outcomes were affected by the combined visual illusions according to the tapping mode. In discrete tapping, the combined visual illusions affected both movement accuracy and movement amplitude such that the effective ID resembled the perceived ID. In continuous tapping, none of the movement outcomes were affected by the combined visual illusions. Participants tapped the targets with higher speed and accuracy in all visual conditions. Based on these findings, we concluded that distinct visual-motor control mechanisms were responsible for execution of discrete and continuous Fitts' tapping. Although discrete tapping relies on allocentric information (object-centered) to plan for action, continuous tapping relies on egocentric information (self-centered) to control for action. The planning-control model for rapid aiming movements is supported.

WetDATA Hub: Democratizing Access to Water Data to Accelerate Innovation through Data Visualization, Predictive Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarni, W.

2017-12-01

Water scarcity and poor quality impacts economic development, business growth, and social well-being. Water has become, in our generation, the foremost critical local, regional, and global issue of our time. Despite these needs, there is no water hub or water technology accelerator solely dedicated to water data and tools. There is a need by the public and private sectors for vastly improved data management and visualization tools. This is the WetDATA opportunity - to develop a water data tech hub dedicated to water data acquisition, analytics, and visualization tools for informed policy and business decisions. WetDATA's tools will help incubate disruptive water data technologies and accelerate adoption of current water data solutions. WetDATA is a Colorado-based (501c3), global hub for water data analytics and technology innovation. WetDATA's vision is to be a global leader in water information, data technology innovation and collaborate with other US and global water technology hubs. ROADMAP * Portal (www.wetdata.org) to provide stakeholders with tools/resources to understand related water risks. * The initial activities will provide education, awareness and tools to stakeholders to support the implementation of the Colorado State Water Plan. * Leverage the Western States Water Council Water Data Exchange database. * Development of visualization, predictive analytics and AI tools to engage with stakeholders and provide actionable data and information. TOOLS Education: Provide information on water issues and risks at the local, state, national and global scale. Visualizations: Development of data analytics and visualization tools based upon the 2030 Water Resources Group methodology to support the implementation of the Colorado State Water Plan. Predictive Analytics: Accessing publically available water databases and using machine learning to develop water availability forecasting tools, and time lapse images to support city / urban planning.

Alternative sample sizes for verification dose experiments and dose audits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, W. A.; Hansen, J. M.

1999-01-01

ISO 11137 (1995), "Sterilization of Health Care Products—Requirements for Validation and Routine Control—Radiation Sterilization", provides sampling plans for performing initial verification dose experiments and quarterly dose audits. Alternative sampling plans are presented which provide equivalent protection. These sampling plans can significantly reduce the cost of testing. These alternative sampling plans have been included in a draft ISO Technical Report (type 2). This paper examines the rational behind the proposed alternative sampling plans. The protection provided by the current verification and audit sampling plans is first examined. Then methods for identifying equivalent plans are highlighted. Finally, methods for comparing the cost associated with the different plans are provided. This paper includes additional guidance for selecting between the original and alternative sampling plans not included in the technical report.

Any way you look at it, successful obstacle negotiation needs visually guided on-line foot placement regulation during the approach phase.

PubMed

Patla, Aftab E; Greig, Michael

In the two experiments discussed in this paper we quantified obstacle avoidance performance characteristics carried out open loop (without vision) but with different initial visual sampling conditions and compared it to the full vision condition. The initial visual sampling conditions included: static vision (SV), vision during forward walking for three steps and stopping (FW), vision during forward walking for three steps and not stopping (FW-NS), and vision during backward walking for three steps and stopping (BW). In experiment 1, we compared performance during SV, FW and BW with full vision condition, while in the second experiment we compared performance during FW and FW-NS conditions. The questions we wanted to address are: Is ecologically valid dynamic visual sampling of the environment superior to static visual sampling for open loop obstacle avoidance task? What are the reasons for failure in performing open loop obstacle avoidance task? The results showed that irrespective of the initial visual sampling condition when open loop control is initiated from a standing posture, the success rate was only approximately 50%. The main reason for the high failure rates was not inappropriate limb elevation, but incorrect foot placement before the obstacle. The second experiment showed that it is not the nature of visual sampling per se that influences success rate, but the fact that the open loop obstacle avoidance task is initiated from a standing posture. The results of these two experiments clearly demonstrate the importance of on-line visual information for adaptive human locomotion.

7 CFR 650.24 - Scenic beauty (visual resource).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... planning assistance to individual landowners, groups, units of government, and watershed and resource... management, access roads, critical area treatment; design and management of ponds, stream margins, odd areas..., erosion control, and recreation or wildlife uses be carried out with full attention to visual resource...

7 CFR 650.24 - Scenic beauty (visual resource).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... planning assistance to individual landowners, groups, units of government, and watershed and resource... management, access roads, critical area treatment; design and management of ponds, stream margins, odd areas..., erosion control, and recreation or wildlife uses be carried out with full attention to visual resource...

14 CFR 99.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... means, for the purposes of this subpart, a communications facility where flight plans or position... which the control of aircraft is required for reasons of national security. Defense visual flight rules... (except for Department of Defense and law enforcement aircraft) in accordance with visual flight rules in...

Age-related changes in event-cued visual and auditory prospective memory proper.

PubMed

Uttl, Bob

2006-06-01

We rely upon prospective memory proper (ProMP) to bring back to awareness previously formed plans and intentions at the right place and time, and to enable us to act upon those plans and intentions. To examine age-related changes in ProMP, younger and older participants made decisions about simple stimuli (ongoing task) and at the same time were required to respond to a ProM cue, either a picture (visually cued ProM test) or a sound (auditorily cued ProM test), embedded in a simultaneously presented series of similar stimuli (either pictures or sounds). The cue display size or loudness increased across trials until a response was made. The cue size and cue loudness at the time of response indexed ProMP. The main results showed that both visual and auditory ProMP declined with age, and that such declines were mediated by age declines in sensory functions (visual acuity and hearing level), processing resources, working memory, intelligence, and ongoing task resource allocation.

Effect of visual field presentation on action planning (estimating reach) in children.

PubMed

Gabbard, Carl; Cordova, Alberto

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors examined the effects of target information presented in different visual fields (lower, upper, central) on estimates of reach via use of motor imagery in children (5-11 years old) and young adults. Results indicated an advantage for estimating reach movements for targets placed in lower visual field (LoVF), with all groups having greater difficulty in the upper visual field (UpVF) condition, especially 5- and 7-year-olds. Complementing these results was an overall age-related increase in accuracy. Based in part on the equivalence hypothesis suggesting that motor imagery and motor planning and execution are similar, the findings support previous work of executed behaviors showing that there is a LoVF bias for motor skill actions of the hand. Given that previous research hints that the UpVF may be bias for visuospatial (perceptual) qualities, research in that area and its association with visuomotor processing (LoVF) should be considered.

A Hyperbolic Ontology Visualization Tool for Model Application Programming Interface Documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyman, Cody

2011-01-01

Spacecraft modeling, a critically important portion in validating planned spacecraft activities, is currently carried out using a time consuming method of mission to mission model implementations and integration. A current project in early development, Integrated Spacecraft Analysis (ISCA), aims to remedy this hindrance by providing reusable architectures and reducing time spent integrating models with planning and sequencing tools. The principle objective of this internship was to develop a user interface for an experimental ontology-based structure visualization of navigation and attitude control system modeling software. To satisfy this, a number of tree and graph visualization tools were researched and a Java based hyperbolic graph viewer was selected for experimental adaptation. Early results show promise in the ability to organize and display large amounts of spacecraft model documentation efficiently and effectively through a web browser. This viewer serves as a conceptual implementation for future development but trials with both ISCA developers and end users should be performed to truly evaluate the effectiveness of continued development of such visualizations.

Combining photorealistic immersive geovisualization and high-resolution geospatial data to enhance human-scale viewshed modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabrizian, P.; Petrasova, A.; Baran, P.; Petras, V.; Mitasova, H.; Meentemeyer, R. K.

2017-12-01

Viewshed modelling- a process of defining, parsing and analysis of landscape visual space's structure within GIS- has been commonly used in applications ranging from landscape planning and ecosystem services assessment to geography and archaeology. However, less effort has been made to understand whether and to what extent these objective analyses predict actual on-the-ground perception of human observer. Moreover, viewshed modelling at the human-scale level require incorporation of fine-grained landscape structure (eg., vegetation) and patterns (e.g, landcover) that are typically omitted from visibility calculations or unrealistically simulated leading to significant error in predicting visual attributes. This poster illustrates how photorealistic Immersive Virtual Environments and high-resolution geospatial data can be used to integrate objective and subjective assessments of visual characteristics at the human-scale level. We performed viewshed modelling for a systematically sampled set of viewpoints (N=340) across an urban park using open-source GIS (GRASS GIS). For each point a binary viewshed was computed on a 3D surface model derived from high-density leaf-off LIDAR (QL2) points. Viewshed map was combined with high-resolution landcover (.5m) derived through fusion of orthoimagery, lidar vegetation, and vector data. Geo-statistics and landscape structure analysis was performed to compute topological and compositional metrics for visual-scale (e.g., openness), complexity (pattern, shape and object diversity), and naturalness. Based on the viewshed model output, a sample of 24 viewpoints representing the variation of visual characteristics were selected and geolocated. For each location, 360o imagery were captured using a DSL camera mounted on a GIGA PAN robot. We programmed a virtual reality application through which human subjects (N=100) immersively experienced a random representation of selected environments via a head-mounted display (Oculus Rift CV1), and rated each location on perceived openness, naturalness and complexity. Regression models were performed to correlate model outputs with participants' responses. The results indicated strong, significant correlations for openness, and naturalness and moderate correlation for complexity estimations.

Learning GIS and exploring geolocated data with the all-in-one Geolokit toolbox for Google Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watlet, A.; Triantafyllou, A.; Bastin, C.

2016-12-01

GIS software are today's essential tools to gather and visualize geological data, to apply spatial and temporal analysis and finally, to create and share interactive maps for further investigations in geosciences. Such skills are especially essential to learn for students who go through fieldtrips, samples collections or field experiments. However, time is generally missing to teach in detail all the aspects of visualizing geolocated geoscientific data. For these purposes, we developed Geolokit: a lightweight freeware dedicated to geodata visualization and written in Python, a high-level, cross-platform programming language. Geolokit software is accessible through a graphical user interface, designed to run in parallel with Google Earth, benefitting from the numerous interactive capabilities. It is designed as a very user-friendly toolbox that allows `geo-users' to import their raw data (e.g. GPS, sample locations, structural data, field pictures, maps), to use fast data analysis tools and to visualize these into the Google Earth environment using KML code; with no require of third party software, except Google Earth itself. Geolokit comes with a large number of geosciences labels, symbols, colours and placemarks and is applicable to display several types of geolocated data, including: Multi-points datasets Automatically computed contours of multi-points datasets via several interpolation methods Discrete planar and linear structural geology data in 2D or 3D supporting large range of structures input format Clustered stereonets and rose diagrams 2D cross-sections as vertical sections Georeferenced maps and grids with user defined coordinates Field pictures using either geo-tracking metadata from a camera built-in GPS module, or the same-day track of an external GPS In the end, Geolokit is helpful for quickly visualizing and exploring data without losing too much time in the numerous capabilities of GIS software suites. We are looking for students and teachers to discover all the functionalities of Geolokit. As this project is under development and planned to be open source, we are definitely looking to discussions regarding particular needs or ideas, and to contributions in the Geolokit project.

Effect of driving experience on anticipatory look-ahead fixations in real curve driving.

PubMed

Lehtonen, Esko; Lappi, Otto; Koirikivi, Iivo; Summala, Heikki

2014-09-01

Anticipatory skills are a potential factor for novice drivers' curve accidents. Behavioural data show that steering and speed regulation are affected by forward planning of the trajectory. When approaching a curve, the relevant visual information for online steering control and for planning is located at different eccentricities, creating a need to disengage the gaze from the guidance of steering to anticipatory look-ahead fixations over curves. With experience, peripheral vision can be increasingly used in the visual guidance of steering. This could leave experienced drivers more gaze time to invest on look-ahead fixations over curves, facilitating the trajectory planning. Eighteen drivers (nine novices, nine experienced) drove an instrumented vehicle on a rural road four times in both directions. Their eye movements were analyzed in six curves. The trajectory of the car was modelled and divided to approach, entry and exit phases. Experienced drivers spent less time on the road-ahead and more time on the look-ahead fixations over the curves. Look-ahead fixations were also more common in the approach than in the entry phase of the curve. The results suggest that with experience drivers allocate greater part of their visual attention to trajectory planning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visualization at Supercomputing Centers: The Tale of Little Big Iron and the Three Skinny Guys

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

Bethel, E. Wes; van Rosendale, John; Southard, Dale

2010-12-01

Supercomputing Centers (SC's) are unique resources that aim to enable scientific knowledge discovery through the use of large computational resources, the Big Iron. Design, acquisition, installation, and management of the Big Iron are activities that are carefully planned and monitored. Since these Big Iron systems produce a tsunami of data, it is natural to co-locate visualization and analysis infrastructure as part of the same facility. This infrastructure consists of hardware (Little Iron) and staff (Skinny Guys). Our collective experience suggests that design, acquisition, installation, and management of the Little Iron and Skinny Guys does not receive the same level ofmore » treatment as that of the Big Iron. The main focus of this article is to explore different aspects of planning, designing, fielding, and maintaining the visualization and analysis infrastructure at supercomputing centers. Some of the questions we explore in this article include:"How should the Little Iron be sized to adequately support visualization and analysis of data coming off the Big Iron?" What sort of capabilities does it need to have?" Related questions concern the size of visualization support staff:"How big should a visualization program be (number of persons) and what should the staff do?" and"How much of the visualization should be provided as a support service, and how much should applications scientists be expected to do on their own?"« less

Expanding the Detection of Traversable Area with RealSense for the Visually Impaired

PubMed Central

Yang, Kailun; Wang, Kaiwei; Hu, Weijian; Bai, Jian

2016-01-01

The introduction of RGB-Depth (RGB-D) sensors into the visually impaired people (VIP)-assisting area has stirred great interest of many researchers. However, the detection range of RGB-D sensors is limited by narrow depth field angle and sparse depth map in the distance, which hampers broader and longer traversability awareness. This paper proposes an effective approach to expand the detection of traversable area based on a RGB-D sensor, the Intel RealSense R200, which is compatible with both indoor and outdoor environments. The depth image of RealSense is enhanced with IR image large-scale matching and RGB image-guided filtering. Traversable area is obtained with RANdom SAmple Consensus (RANSAC) segmentation and surface normal vector estimation, preliminarily. A seeded growing region algorithm, combining the depth image and RGB image, enlarges the preliminary traversable area greatly. This is critical not only for avoiding close obstacles, but also for allowing superior path planning on navigation. The proposed approach has been tested on a score of indoor and outdoor scenarios. Moreover, the approach has been integrated into an assistance system, which consists of a wearable prototype and an audio interface. Furthermore, the presented approach has been proved to be useful and reliable by a field test with eight visually impaired volunteers. PMID:27879634

State/federal interaction of LANDSAT system and related technical assistance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tesser, P. A.

1981-01-01

The history of state involvement in LANDSAT systems planning and related efforts is described. Currently 16 states have visual LANDSAT capabilities and 10 others are planning on developing such capabilities. The federal government's future plans for the LANDSAT system, the impacts of recent budget decisions on the systems, and the FY 82 budget process are examined.

Functional MRI mapping of visual function and selective attention for performance assessment and presurgical planning using conjunctive visual search.

PubMed

Parker, Jason G; Zalusky, Eric J; Kirbas, Cemil

2014-03-01

Accurate mapping of visual function and selective attention using fMRI is important in the study of human performance as well as in presurgical treatment planning of lesions in or near visual centers of the brain. Conjunctive visual search (CVS) is a useful tool for mapping visual function during fMRI because of its greater activation extent compared with high-capacity parallel search processes. The purpose of this work was to develop and evaluate a CVS that was capable of generating consistent activation in the basic and higher level visual areas of the brain by using a high number of distractors as well as an optimized contrast condition. Images from 10 healthy volunteers were analyzed and brain regions of greatest activation and deactivation were determined using a nonbiased decomposition of the results at the hemisphere, lobe, and gyrus levels. The results were quantified in terms of activation and deactivation extent and mean z-statistic. The proposed CVS was found to generate robust activation of the occipital lobe, as well as regions in the middle frontal gyrus associated with coordinating eye movements and in regions of the insula associated with task-level control and focal attention. As expected, the task demonstrated deactivation patterns commonly implicated in the default-mode network. Further deactivation was noted in the posterior region of the cerebellum, most likely associated with the formation of optimal search strategy. We believe the task will be useful in studies of visual and selective attention in the neuroscience community as well as in mapping visual function in clinical fMRI.

Stressors, coping, and coping effectiveness: gender, type of sport, and skill differences.

PubMed

Nicholls, Adam R; Polman, Remco; Levy, Andrew R; Taylor, Jamie; Cobley, Stephen

2007-11-01

The aim of this study was to examine stressors, coping, and coping effectiveness as a function of gender, type of sport, and skill. The sample consisted of 749 undergraduate athletes (455 males, 294 females) aged 18-38 years (mean= 19.8 years). Skill was classified as international/national, county, university, and club standard. Participants completed a stressor and coping concept map (Novak & Gowin, 1984). The results revealed gender, type of sport, and skill differences in relation to stressor frequencies, coping strategy deployment, and coping effectiveness. In contrast to previous research, females used a variety of problem-focused (e.g. planning, communication, technique-orientated coping) strategies more frequently than males. Team sport athletes reported a variety of sport-specific stressors relating to the demands of playing in a team environment. The group of national/international athletes reported using more planning, blocking, and visualization, and also reported that their coping was more effective than that of less-skilled athletes.

A three-dimensional visualization preoperative treatment planning system for microwave ablation in liver cancer: a simulated experimental study.

PubMed

Liu, Fangyi; Cheng, Zhigang; Han, Zhiyu; Yu, Xiaoling; Yu, Mingan; Liang, Ping

2017-06-01

To evaluate the application value of three-dimensional (3D) visualization preoperative treatment planning system (VPTPS) for microwave ablation (MWA) in liver cancer. The study was a simulated experimental study using the CT imaging data of patients in DICOM format in a model. Three students (who learn to interventional ultrasound for less than 1 year) and three experts (who have more than 5 years of experience in ablation techniques) in MWA performed the preoperative planning for 39 lesions (mean diameter 3.75 ± 1.73 cm) of 32 patients using two-dimensional (2D) image planning method and 3D VPTPS, respectively. The number of planning insertions, planning ablation rate, and damage rate to surrounding structures were compared between2D image planning group and 3D VPTPS group. There were fewer planning insertions, lower ablation rate and higher damage rate to surrounding structures in 2D image planning group than 3D VPTPS group for both students and experts. When using the 2D ultrasound planning method, students could carry out fewer planning insertions and had a lower ablation rate than the experts (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in planning insertions, the ablation rate, and the incidence of damage to the surrounding structures between students and experts using 3D VPTPS. 3DVPTPS enables inexperienced physicians to have similar preoperative planning results to experts, and enhances students' preoperative planning capacity, which may improve the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the complication of MWA.

Altered transfer of visual motion information to parietal association cortex in untreated first-episode psychosis: Implications for pursuit eye tracking

PubMed Central

Lencer, Rebekka; Keedy, Sarah K.; Reilly, James L.; McDonough, Bruce E.; Harris, Margret S. H.; Sprenger, Andreas; Sweeney, John A.

2011-01-01

Visual motion processing and its use for pursuit eye movement control represent a valuable model for studying the use of sensory input for action planning. In psychotic disorders, alterations of visual motion perception have been suggested to cause pursuit eye tracking deficits. We evaluated this system in functional neuroimaging studies of untreated first-episode schizophrenia (N=24), psychotic bipolar disorder patients (N=13) and healthy controls (N=20). During a passive visual motion processing task, both patient groups showed reduced activation in the posterior parietal projection fields of motion-sensitive extrastriate area V5, but not in V5 itself. This suggests reduced bottom-up transfer of visual motion information from extrastriate cortex to perceptual systems in parietal association cortex. During active pursuit, activation was enhanced in anterior intraparietal sulcus and insula in both patient groups, and in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsomedial thalamus in schizophrenia patients. This may result from increased demands on sensorimotor systems for pursuit control due to the limited availability of perceptual motion information about target speed and tracking error. Visual motion information transfer deficits to higher -level association cortex may contribute to well-established pursuit tracking abnormalities, and perhaps to a wider array of alterations in perception and action planning in psychotic disorders. PMID:21873035

Modeling of pilot's visual behavior for low-level flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte, Axel; Onken, Reiner

1995-06-01

Developers of synthetic vision systems for low-level flight simulators deal with the problem to decide which features to incorporate in order to achieve most realistic training conditions. This paper supports an approach to this problem on the basis of modeling the pilot's visual behavior. This approach is founded upon the basic requirement that the pilot's mechanisms of visual perception should be identical in simulated and real low-level flight. Flight simulator experiments with pilots were conducted for knowledge acquisition. During the experiments video material of a real low-level flight mission containing different situations was displayed to the pilot who was acting under a realistic mission assignment in a laboratory environment. Pilot's eye movements could be measured during the replay. The visual mechanisms were divided into rule based strategies for visual navigation, based on the preflight planning process, as opposed to skill based processes. The paper results in a model of the pilot's planning strategy of a visual fixing routine as part of the navigation task. The model is a knowledge based system based upon the fuzzy evaluation of terrain features in order to determine the landmarks used by pilots. It can be shown that a computer implementation of the model selects those features, which were preferred by trained pilots, too.

Comparison of chain sampling plans with single and double sampling plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, K. S.; Dodge, H. F.

1976-01-01

The efficiency of chain sampling is examined through matching of operating characteristics (OC) curves of chain sampling plans (ChSP) with single and double sampling plans. In particular, the operating characteristics of some ChSP-0, 3 and 1, 3 as well as ChSP-0, 4 and 1, 4 are presented, where the number pairs represent the first and the second cumulative acceptance numbers. The fact that the ChSP procedure uses cumulative results from two or more samples and that the parameters can be varied to produce a wide variety of operating characteristics raises the question whether it may be possible for such plans to provide a given protection with less inspection than with single or double sampling plans. The operating ratio values reported illustrate the possibilities of matching single and double sampling plans with ChSP. It is shown that chain sampling plans provide improved efficiency over single and double sampling plans having substantially the same operating characteristics.

The Fluids Integrated Rack and Light Microscopy Module Integrated Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motil, Susan M.; Gati, Frank; Snead, John H.; Hill, Myron E.; Griffin, DeVon W.

2003-01-01

The Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR), a facility class payload, and the Light Microscopy Module (LMM), a subrack payload, are scheduled to be launched in 2005. The LMM integrated into the FIR will provide a unique platform for conducting fluids and biological experiments on ISS. The FIR is a modular, multi-user scientific research facility that will fly in the U.S. laboratory module, Destiny, of the International Space Station (ISS). The first payload in the FIR will be the Light Microscopy Module (LMM). The LMM is planned as a remotely controllable, automated, on-orbit microscope subrack facility, allowing flexible scheduling and control of fluids and biology experiments within the FIR. Key diagnostic capabilities for meeting science requirements include video microscopy to observe microscopic phenomena and dynamic interactions, interferometry to make thin film measurements with nanometer resolution, laser tweezers for particle manipulation, confocal microscopy to provide enhanced three-dimensional visualization of structures, and spectrophotometry to measure photonic properties of materials. The LMM also provides experiment sample containment for frangibles and fluids. This paper will provide a description of the current FIR and LMM designs, planned capabilities and key features. In addition a brief description of the initial five experiments planned for LMM/FIR will be provided.

Rhinoplasty planning with an iPhone app: analysis of otolaryngologists response.

PubMed

Larrosa, Francesc; Dura, Maria J; Roura, Josep; Hernandez, Anabella

2013-09-01

The field of medical applications is currently one of the most dynamic in medicine due to the great potential for improving clinical practice they hold. However, clinicians' opinion around their usability in daily clinical care has not been thoroughly addressed. This study aimed to analyze the otolaryngologists response to a rhinoplasty application. It was designed as a survey of 21 otolaryngologists with regards to a rhinoplasty planning application for the iPhone with the capacity to project potential surgery outcomes through tactile morphing software compared to a photo tracing method used as the gold standard. The participants were asked to rate the usefulness of the two technologies on a visual analog scale from 0-10. Questions addressed included four topics: physician-patient communication; imaging process time; perceived usefulness for preoperative planning; and perceived usefulness for surgery. A one sample t-test was applied to compare the scores of both methods for each question. The test subjects (mean age 43.21 years) rated the utility of the iPhone application as superior to that of the photo tracing method (p < 0.05) concluding that the iPhone application could facilitate an immediate preliminary analysis of the options for nasal improvement.

Filling-in visual motion with sounds.

PubMed

Väljamäe, A; Soto-Faraco, S

2008-10-01

Information about the motion of objects can be extracted by multiple sensory modalities, and, as a consequence, object motion perception typically involves the integration of multi-sensory information. Often, in naturalistic settings, the flow of such information can be rather discontinuous (e.g. a cat racing through the furniture in a cluttered room is partly seen and partly heard). This study addressed audio-visual interactions in the perception of time-sampled object motion by measuring adaptation after-effects. We found significant auditory after-effects following adaptation to unisensory auditory and visual motion in depth, sampled at 12.5 Hz. The visually induced (cross-modal) auditory motion after-effect was eliminated if visual adaptors flashed at half of the rate (6.25 Hz). Remarkably, the addition of the high-rate acoustic flutter (12.5 Hz) to this ineffective, sparsely time-sampled, visual adaptor restored the auditory after-effect to a level comparable to what was seen with high-rate bimodal adaptors (flashes and beeps). Our results suggest that this auditory-induced reinstatement of the motion after-effect from the poor visual signals resulted from the occurrence of sound-induced illusory flashes. This effect was found to be dependent both on the directional congruency between modalities and on the rate of auditory flutter. The auditory filling-in of time-sampled visual motion supports the feasibility of using reduced frame rate visual content in multisensory broadcasting and virtual reality applications.

Characterizing the diversity of coral reef habitats and fish communities found in a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the strategy developed for Lagoons of New Caledonia.

PubMed

Andréfouët, S; Wantiez, L

2010-01-01

Since 1972, the UNESCO "World Heritage Convention" offers an international canvas for conservation and management that targets areas of high cultural and environmental significance. To support the designation of areas within the 36.000 km(2) of New Caledonia coral reefs and lagoons as a World Heritage Site, the natural value and diversity of the proposed zones needed to be demonstrated. To exhaustively identify each configuration of shallow habitats, high resolution remote sensing images were used to select the sampling sites. This optimal scheme resulted in the selection of nearly 1300 sampling sites, and was then simplified to render its application realistic. In the final sampling plan, only the most common or the most remarkable coral zones were selected. Following this selection, in situ habitat and fish surveys were conducted in 2006-2008 in five large areas spanning a 600 km-long latitudinal gradient. Habitats were described using line-intercept transects in parallel with underwater visual census of indicator and commercial coral reef fish species. We report here on the results achieved in terms of: (i) the actual diversity of coral habitats captured by the remote sensing based sampling strategy, (ii) the different reef fish communities captured from the different sites, and (iii) how well they represent New Caledonia diversity. We discuss the possible generalization of this scheme to other sites, in the context of World Heritage Site selection and for other large-scale conservation planning activities. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stereoelectroencephalography Using Magnetic Resonance Angiography for Avascular Trajectory Planning: Technical Report.

PubMed

Minkin, Krasimir; Gabrovski, Kaloyan; Penkov, Marin; Todorov, Yuri; Tanova, Rositsa; Milenova, Yoana; Romansky, Kiril; Dimova, Petia

2017-10-01

Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) requires high-quality angiographic studies because avascular trajectory planning is a prerequisite for the safety of this procedure. Some epilepsy surgery groups have begun to use computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance T1-weighted sequence with contrast enhancement for this purpose. To present the first series of patients with avascular trajectory planning of SEEG based on magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Thirty-six SEEG explorations for drug-resistant focal epilepsy were performed from January 2013 to December 2015. A retrospective analysis of this consecutive surgical series was then performed. Magnetic resonance imaging included MRA with a modified contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venography (MRV) protocol with a short acquisition delay, which allowed simultaneous arterial and venous visualization. Our criteria for satisfactory MRA were the visualization of at least first-order branches of the angular artery, paracentral and calcarine artery, and third-order tributaries of the superficial Sylvian vein, vein of Labbe, and vein of Trolard. Thirty-four patients underwent 36 SEEG explorations with 369 electrodes carrying 4321 contacts. Contrast-enhanced MRA using the MRV protocol was judged satisfactory for SEEG planning in all explorations. Postoperative complications were not observed in our series of 36 SEEG explorations, which included 50 transopercular insular trajectories. MRA using an MRV protocol may be applied for avascular trajectory planning during SEEG procedures. This technique provides a simultaneous visualization of cortical arteries and veins without the need for additional radiation exposure or intra-arterial catheter placement. Copyright © 2017 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Human Factors Evaluation of Advanced Electric Power Grid Visualization Tools

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

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

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

Applications of 3D visualization : peer exchange summary report : Raleigh, North Carolina July 8-9, 2009

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-11-01

This report provides a summary of a 1.5-day peer exchange held in July 2009 focusing on select transportation agencies' applications of 3D visualization techniques. FHWA's Office of Interstate and Border Planning sponsored the peer exchange.

45 CFR 2103.1 - General approaches to review of plans by the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS STATEMENTS OF POLICY § 2103.1 General approaches to review of plans by the Commission... herein. These functions are to serve the purpose of conserving and enhancing the visual assets which...

45 CFR 2103.1 - General approaches to review of plans by the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS STATEMENTS OF POLICY § 2103.1 General approaches to review of plans by the Commission... herein. These functions are to serve the purpose of conserving and enhancing the visual assets which...

45 CFR 2103.1 - General approaches to review of plans by the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS STATEMENTS OF POLICY § 2103.1 General approaches to review of plans by the Commission... herein. These functions are to serve the purpose of conserving and enhancing the visual assets which...

45 CFR 2103.1 - General approaches to review of plans by the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS STATEMENTS OF POLICY § 2103.1 General approaches to review of plans by the Commission... herein. These functions are to serve the purpose of conserving and enhancing the visual assets which...

45 CFR 2103.1 - General approaches to review of plans by the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS STATEMENTS OF POLICY § 2103.1 General approaches to review of plans by the Commission... herein. These functions are to serve the purpose of conserving and enhancing the visual assets which...

Visualization of simulated urban spaces: inferring parameterized generation of streets, parcels, and aerial imagery.

PubMed

Vanegas, Carlos A; Aliaga, Daniel G; Benes, Bedrich; Waddell, Paul

2009-01-01

Urban simulation models and their visualization are used to help regional planning agencies evaluate alternative transportation investments, land use regulations, and environmental protection policies. Typical urban simulations provide spatially distributed data about number of inhabitants, land prices, traffic, and other variables. In this article, we build on a synergy of urban simulation, urban visualization, and computer graphics to automatically infer an urban layout for any time step of the simulation sequence. In addition to standard visualization tools, our method gathers data of the original street network, parcels, and aerial imagery and uses the available simulation results to infer changes to the original urban layout and produce a new and plausible layout for the simulation results. In contrast with previous work, our approach automatically updates the layout based on changes in the simulation data and thus can scale to a large simulation over many years. The method in this article offers a substantial step forward in building integrated visualization and behavioral simulation systems for use in community visioning, planning, and policy analysis. We demonstrate our method on several real cases using a 200 GB database for a 16,300 km2 area surrounding Seattle.

The Process of Sensemaking in Complex Human Endeavors

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

encompassing Joint, Interagency, and Multinational capabilities. The Art and Science of Battle Command LeadUnderstand CDR / Staff ART / Science In short, we...operations. Staff Running Estimates t ff i i Visualize CDR / Staff ART / Science •Planning guidance •Planning guidance •Cdr ’s Intent Describe CDR...Staff ART / Science •Plans & Orders •Preparation •Plans & Orders •Preparation •Execution WF • Intelligence •Maneuver •Fire Support • Protection

Concurrent Vision Dysfunctions in Convergence Insufficiency with Traumatic Brain Injury

PubMed Central

Alvarez, Tara L.; Kim, Eun H.; Vicci, Vincent R.; Dhar, Sunil K.; Biswal, Bharat B.; Barrett, A. M.

2012-01-01

Purpose This study assessed the prevalence of convergence insufficiency (CI) with and without simultaneous vision dysfunctions within the traumatic brain injury (TBI) sample population because although CI is commonly reported with TBI, the prevalence of concurrent visual dysfunctions with CI in TBI is unknown. Methods A retrospective analysis of 557 medical records from TBI civilian patients was conducted. Patients were all evaluated by a single optometrist. Visual acuity, oculomotor, binocular vision function, accommodation, visual fields, ocular health and vestibular function were assessed. Statistical comparisons between the CI and non-CI, as well as in-patient and out-patient subgroups, were conducted using chi-squared and Z-tests. Results Approximately 9% of the TBI sample had CI without the following simultaneous diagnoses: saccade or pursuit dysfunction; 3rd, 4th, or 6th nerve palsy; visual field deficit; visual spatial inattention/neglect; vestibular dysfunction or nystagmus. Photophobia with CI was observed in 16.3% (N=21/130) and vestibular dysfunction with CI was observed in 18.5% (N=24/130) of the CI subgroup. CI and cranial nerve palsies were common and yielded prevalence rates of 23.3% (N=130/557) and 26.9% (N=150/557), respectively, within the TBI sample. Accommodative dysfunction was common within the non-presbyopic TBI sample with a prevalence of 24.4% (N=76/314). Visual field deficits or unilateral visual spatial inattention/neglect were observed within 29.6% (N=80/270) of the TBI in-patient subgroup and were significantly more prevalent compared to the out-patient subgroup (p<0.001). Most TBI patients had visual acuities of 20/60 or better in the TBI sample (85%;N=473/557). Conclusions CI without simultaneous visual or vestibular dysfunctions was observed in about 9% of the visually symptomatic TBI civilian population studied. A thorough visual and vestibular examination is recommended for all TBI patients. PMID:23190716

Creating Visuals for TV; A Guide for Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spear, James

There are countless ways educators can improve the quality of their educational television offerings. The Guide, planned especially for the television teacher or audiovisual director, particularly those approaching the television medium for the first time, is designed to acquaint the reader with production techniques for effective visuals to…

Visual Arts in the Schools: A Joint Venture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sproll, Paul A. C.

1998-01-01

In 1994, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) launched a customized professional development program for art teachers, funded through a coalition of hospitals, colleges, and universities. It fostered a collaboration between RISD and city art teachers, which resulted in development of an overall strategic reform plan for visual arts education…

Elementary Teachers' Selection and Use of Visual Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Tammy D.; Jones, M. Gail

2018-01-01

As science grows in complexity, science teachers face an increasing challenge of helping students interpret models that represent complex science systems. Little is known about how teachers select and use models when planning lessons. This mixed methods study investigated the pedagogical approaches and visual models used by elementary in-service…

Visual resource management of the sea

Treesearch

Louis V. Mills Jr.

1979-01-01

The scenic quality of the marine environment has become an important concern for the design and planning professions. Increased public use of the underwater environment has resulted from technological advancements in SCUBA, recreational submarines and through development of under-water restaurants and parks. This paper presents an approach to an underwater visual...

Compromised Motor Planning and Motor Imagery in Right Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craje, Celine; van Elk, Michiel; Beeren, Manuela; van Schie, Hein T.; Bekkering, Harold; Steenbergen, Bert

2010-01-01

We investigated whether motor planning problems in people with Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy (HCP) are paralleled by impaired ability to use Motor Imagery (MI). While some studies have shown that individuals with HCP can solve a mental rotation task, it was not clear if they used MI or Visual Imagery (VI). In the present study, motor planning and MI…

An Introduction to the Sexual Reproduction of Flowering Plants. Ornamental Horticulture I, Lesson Plan No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ideoka, Keith

Developed as part of a 90-hour high school course in ornamental horticulture, this 50-minute lesson plan is designed to explain the process of pollination and fertilization of flowering plants. The lesson plan begins with information on the course for which the lesson was designed; equipment and audio-visual aids needed; required student…

Prevalence and factors associated with childhood visual impairment in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Bezabih, Lidiya; Abebe, Tilaye Workneh; Fite, Robera Olana

2017-01-01

Visual impairment is a significant loss of vision. It has an impact on the prosperity of different countries. It has been difficult to plan preventive measures against visual impairment due to the scarcity of data about the extent of the problem. The study was aimed at assessing the prevalence and identifying factors associated with visual impairment among school-age children in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was used in four randomly selected schools found in Addis Ababa from May 15 to June 14, 2016. A total of 804 school-age students were selected using the simple random sampling method. Bivariable logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression were conducted. A p -value <0.05 was taken as a significant association. A total of 718 students participated in the study, obtaining a response rate of 89.3%. In all, 7.24% of school-age children were visually impaired, of whom 3.9% had low vision and 3.34% had severe visual impairment. Factors associated with visual impairment were being female (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-3.50), being in the age group of 10-13 years (AOR, 2.94; 95% CI, 1.36-6.22), being in the age group of 14-18 years (AOR, 4.06; 95% CI, 2.17-11.95), being a private school student (AOR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.81-4.41), watching television for 2-4 hours/day (AOR, 3.56; 95% CI, 1.37-7.34), watching television at <1 m (AOR, 7.65; 95% CI, 2.59-34.61), watching television at 1-2 m (AOR, 6.89; 95% CI, 1.74-25.27), mobile exposure for 2-4 hours/day (AOR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.35-4.58), mobile exposure for >4 hours/day (AOR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.41-9.18), medical visit while experiencing symptoms (AOR, 11.32; 95% CI, 1.80-82.25) and no medical visit experience (AOR, 3.84; 95% CI, 0.46-31.76). The majority of the visually impaired school-age children had low vision. Sex, age, school type, television exposure duration, the distance of television exposure, mobile exposure and medical visit were factors associated with visual impairment. Increasing community awareness about early detection of visual impairment and providing affordable eye health service may decrease the prevalence of visual impairment.

Planning in sentence production: evidence for the phrase as a default planning scope.

PubMed

Martin, Randi C; Crowther, Jason E; Knight, Meredith; Tamborello, Franklin P; Yang, Chin-Lung

2010-08-01

Controversy remains as to the scope of advanced planning in language production. Smith and Wheeldon (1999) found significantly longer onset latencies when subjects described moving-picture displays by producing sentences beginning with a complex noun phrase than for matched sentences beginning with a simple noun phrase. While these findings are consistent with a phrasal scope of planning, they might also be explained on the basis of: (1) greater retrieval fluency for the second content word in the simple initial noun phrase sentences and (2) visual grouping factors. In Experiments 1 and 2, retrieval fluency for the second content word was equated for the complex and simple initial noun phrase conditions. Experiments 3 and 4 addressed the visual grouping hypothesis by using stationary displays and by comparing onset latencies for the same display for sentence and list productions. Longer onset latencies for the sentences beginning with a complex noun phrase were obtained in all experiments, supporting the phrasal scope of planning hypothesis. The results indicate that in speech, as in other motor production domains, planning occurs beyond the minimal production unit. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Virtual surgery in a (tele-)radiology framework.

PubMed

Glombitza, G; Evers, H; Hassfeld, S; Engelmann, U; Meinzer, H P

1999-09-01

This paper presents telemedicine as an extension of a teleradiology framework through tools for virtual surgery. To classify the described methods and applications, the research field of virtual reality (VR) is broadly reviewed. Differences with respect to technical equipment, methodological requirements and areas of application are pointed out. Desktop VR, augmented reality, and virtual reality are differentiated and discussed in some typical contexts of diagnostic support, surgical planning, therapeutic procedures, simulation and training. Visualization techniques are compared as a prerequisite for virtual reality and assigned to distinct levels of immersion. The advantage of a hybrid visualization kernel is emphasized with respect to the desktop VR applications that are subsequently shown. Moreover, software design aspects are considered by outlining functional openness in the architecture of the host system. Here, a teleradiology workstation was extended by dedicated tools for surgical planning through a plug-in mechanism. Examples of recent areas of application are introduced such as liver tumor resection planning, diagnostic support in heart surgery, and craniofacial surgery planning. In the future, surgical planning systems will become more important. They will benefit from improvements in image acquisition and communication, new image processing approaches, and techniques for data presentation. This will facilitate preoperative planning and intraoperative applications.

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.

AllAboard: Visual Exploration of Cellphone Mobility Data to Optimise Public Transport.

PubMed

Di Lorenzo, G; Sbodio, M; Calabrese, F; Berlingerio, M; Pinelli, F; Nair, R

2016-02-01

The deep penetration of mobile phones offers cities the ability to opportunistically monitor citizens' mobility and use data-driven insights to better plan and manage services. With large scale data on mobility patterns, operators can move away from the costly, mostly survey based, transportation planning processes, to a more data-centric view, that places the instrumented user at the center of development. In this framework, using mobile phone data to perform transit analysis and optimization represents a new frontier with significant societal impact, especially in developing countries. In this paper we present AllAboard, an intelligent tool that analyses cellphone data to help city authorities in visually exploring urban mobility and optimizing public transport. This is performed within a self contained tool, as opposed to the current solutions which rely on a combination of several distinct tools for analysis, reporting, optimisation and planning. An interactive user interface allows transit operators to visually explore the travel demand in both space and time, correlate it with the transit network, and evaluate the quality of service that a transit network provides to the citizens at very fine grain. Operators can visually test scenarios for transit network improvements, and compare the expected impact on the travellers' experience. The system has been tested using real telecommunication data for the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and evaluated from a data mining, optimisation and user prospective.

An Interdisciplinary Method for the Visualization of Novel High-Resolution Precision Photography and Micro-XCT Data Sets of NASA's Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorite Samples to Create Combined Research-Grade 3D Virtual Samples for the Benefit of Astromaterials Collections Conservation, Curation, Scientific Research and Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blumenfeld, E. H.; Evans, C. A.; Oshel, E. R.; Liddle, D. A.; Beaulieu, K.; Zeigler, R. A.; Hanna, R. D.; Ketcham, R. A.

2016-01-01

New technologies make possible the advancement of documentation and visualization practices that can enhance conservation and curation protocols for NASA's Astromaterials Collections. With increasing demands for accessibility to updated comprehensive data, and with new sample return missions on the horizon, it is of primary importance to develop new standards for contemporary documentation and visualization methodologies. Our interdisciplinary team has expertise in the fields of heritage conservation practices, professional photography, photogrammetry, imaging science, application engineering, data curation, geoscience, and astromaterials curation. Our objective is to create virtual 3D reconstructions of Apollo Lunar and Antarctic Meteorite samples that are a fusion of two state-of-the-art data sets: the interior view of the sample by collecting Micro-XCT data and the exterior view of the sample by collecting high-resolution precision photography data. These new data provide researchers an information-rich visualization of both compositional and textural information prior to any physical sub-sampling. Since January 2013 we have developed a process that resulted in the successful creation of the first image-based 3D reconstruction of an Apollo Lunar Sample correlated to a 3D reconstruction of the same sample's Micro- XCT data, illustrating that this technique is both operationally possible and functionally beneficial. In May of 2016 we began a 3-year research period during which we aim to produce Virtual Astromaterials Samples for 60 high-priority Apollo Lunar and Antarctic Meteorite samples and serve them on NASA's Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation website. Our research demonstrates that research-grade Virtual Astromaterials Samples are beneficial in preserving for posterity a precise 3D reconstruction of the sample prior to sub-sampling, which greatly improves documentation practices, provides unique and novel visualization of the sample's interior and exterior features, offers scientists a preliminary research tool for targeted sub-sample requests, and additionally is a visually engaging interactive tool for bringing astromaterials science to the public.

An Interdisciplinary Method for the Visualization of Novel High-Resolution Precision Photography and Micro-XCT Data Sets of NASA's Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorite Samples to Create Combined Research-Grade 3D Virtual Samples for the Benefit of Astromaterials Collections Conservation, Curation, Scientific Research and Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blumenfeld, E. H.; Evans, C. A.; Zeigler, R. A.; Righter, K.; Beaulieu, K. R.; Oshel, E. R.; Liddle, D. A.; Hanna, R.; Ketcham, R. A.; Todd, N. S.

2016-12-01

New technologies make possible the advancement of documentation and visualization practices that can enhance conservation and curation protocols for NASA's Astromaterials Collections. With increasing demands for accessibility to updated comprehensive data, and with new sample return missions on the horizon, it is of primary importance to develop new standards for contemporary documentation and visualization methodologies. Our interdisciplinary team has expertise in the fields of heritage conservation practices, professional photography, photogrammetry, imaging science, application engineering, data curation, geoscience, and astromaterials curation. Our objective is to create virtual 3D reconstructions of Apollo Lunar and Antarctic Meteorite samples that are a fusion of two state-of-the-art data sets: the interior view of the sample by collecting Micro-XCT data and the exterior view of the sample by collecting high-resolution precision photography data. These new data provide researchers an information-rich visualization of both compositional and textural information prior to any physical sub-sampling. Since January 2013 we have developed a process that resulted in the successful creation of the first image-based 3D reconstruction of an Apollo Lunar Sample correlated to a 3D reconstruction of the same sample's Micro-XCT data, illustrating that this technique is both operationally possible and functionally beneficial. In May of 2016 we began a 3-year research period during which we aim to produce Virtual Astromaterials Samples for 60 high-priority Apollo Lunar and Antarctic Meteorite samples and serve them on NASA's Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation website. Our research demonstrates that research-grade Virtual Astromaterials Samples are beneficial in preserving for posterity a precise 3D reconstruction of the sample prior to sub-sampling, which greatly improves documentation practices, provides unique and novel visualization of the sample's interior and exterior features, offers scientists a preliminary research tool for targeted sub-sample requests, and additionally is a visually engaging interactive tool for bringing astromaterials science to the public.

STRAD Wheel: Web-Based Library for Visualizing Temporal Data.

PubMed

Fernondez-Prieto, Diana; Naranjo-Valero, Carol; Hernandez, Jose Tiberio; Hagen, Hans

2017-01-01

Recent advances in web development, including the introduction of HTML5, have opened a door for visualization researchers and developers to quickly access larger audiences worldwide. Open source libraries for the creation of interactive visualizations are becoming more specialized but also modular, which makes them easy to incorporate in domain-specific applications. In this context, the authors developed STRAD (Spatio-Temporal-Radar) Wheel, a web-based library that focuses on the visualization and interactive query of temporal data in a compact view with multiple temporal granularities. This article includes two application examples in urban planning to help illustrate the proposed visualization's use in practice.

Experiences using Visualization Techniques to Present Requirements, Risks to Them, and Options for Risk Mitigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, Martin S.; Cornford, Steven L.; Kiper, James D.; Menzies, Tim

2006-01-01

For several years we have been employing a risk-based decision process to guide development and application of advanced technologies, and for research and technology portfolio planning. The process is supported by custom software, in which visualization plays an important role. During requirements gathering, visualization is used to help scrutinize the status (completeness, extent) of the information. During decision making based on the gathered information, visualization is used to help decisionmakers understand the space of options and their consequences. In this paper we summarize the visualization capabilities that we have employed, indicating when and how they have proven useful.

Integrating and Visualizing Tropical Cyclone Data Using the Real Time Mission Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, H. Michael; Blakeslee, Richard; Conover, Helen; Hall, John; He, Yubin; Regner, Kathryn

2009-01-01

The Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) is a visualization and information system that fuses multiple Earth science data sources, to enable real time decision-making for airborne and ground validation experiments. Developed at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, RTMM is a situational awareness, decision-support system that integrates satellite imagery, radar, surface and airborne instrument data sets, model output parameters, lightning location observations, aircraft navigation data, soundings, and other applicable Earth science data sets. The integration and delivery of this information is made possible using data acquisition systems, network communication links, network server resources, and visualizations through the Google Earth virtual globe application. RTMM is extremely valuable for optimizing individual Earth science airborne field experiments. Flight planners, scientists, and managers appreciate the contributions that RTMM makes to their flight projects. A broad spectrum of interdisciplinary scientists used RTMM during field campaigns including the hurricane-focused 2006 NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA), 2007 NOAA-NASA Aerosonde Hurricane Noel flight, 2007 Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling (TC4), plus a soil moisture (SMAP-VEX) and two arctic research experiments (ARCTAS) in 2008. Improving and evolving RTMM is a continuous process. RTMM recently integrated the Waypoint Planning Tool, a Java-based application that enables aircraft mission scientists to easily develop a pre-mission flight plan through an interactive point-and-click interface. Individual flight legs are automatically calculated "on the fly". The resultant flight plan is then immediately posted to the Google Earth-based RTMM for interested scientists to view the planned flight track and subsequently compare it to the actual real time flight progress. We are planning additional capabilities to RTMM including collaborations with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the joint development of a Tropical Cyclone Integrated Data Exchange and Analysis System (TC IDEAS) which will serve as a web portal for access to tropical cyclone data, visualizations and model output.

40 CFR 141.802 - Coliform sampling plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Coliform sampling plan. 141.802... sampling plan. (a) Each air carrier under this subpart must develop a coliform sampling plan covering each... required actions, including repeat and follow-up sampling, corrective action, and notification of...

40 CFR 141.802 - Coliform sampling plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coliform sampling plan. 141.802... sampling plan. (a) Each air carrier under this subpart must develop a coliform sampling plan covering each... required actions, including repeat and follow-up sampling, corrective action, and notification of...

Effects of Individual Differences in Working Memory on Plan Presentational Choices

PubMed Central

Tintarev, Nava; Masthoff, Judith

2016-01-01

This paper addresses research questions that are central to the area of visualization interfaces for decision support: (RQ1) whether individual user differences in working memory should be considered when choosing how to present visualizations; (RQ2) how to present the visualization to support effective decision making and processing; and (RQ3) how to evaluate the effectiveness of presentational choices. These questions are addressed in the context of presenting plans, or sequences of actions, to users. The experiments are conducted in several domains, and the findings are relevant to applications such as semi-autonomous systems in logistics. That is, scenarios that require the attention of humans who are likely to be interrupted, and require good performance but are not time critical. Following a literature review of different types of individual differences in users that have been found to affect the effectiveness of presentational choices, we consider specifically the influence of individuals' working memory (RQ1). The review also considers metrics used to evaluate presentational choices, and types of presentational choices considered. As for presentational choices (RQ2), we consider a number of variants including interactivity, aggregation, layout, and emphasis. Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of plan presentational choices (RQ3) we adopt a layered-evaluation approach and measure performance in a dual task paradigm, involving both task interleaving and evaluation of situational awareness. This novel methodology for evaluating visualizations is employed in a series of experiments investigating presentational choices for a plan. A key finding is that emphasizing steps (by highlighting borders) can improve effectiveness on a primary task, but only when controlling for individual variation in working memory. PMID:27899905

Effects of Individual Differences in Working Memory on Plan Presentational Choices.

PubMed

Tintarev, Nava; Masthoff, Judith

2016-01-01

This paper addresses research questions that are central to the area of visualization interfaces for decision support: (RQ1) whether individual user differences in working memory should be considered when choosing how to present visualizations; (RQ2) how to present the visualization to support effective decision making and processing; and (RQ3) how to evaluate the effectiveness of presentational choices. These questions are addressed in the context of presenting plans, or sequences of actions, to users. The experiments are conducted in several domains, and the findings are relevant to applications such as semi-autonomous systems in logistics. That is, scenarios that require the attention of humans who are likely to be interrupted, and require good performance but are not time critical. Following a literature review of different types of individual differences in users that have been found to affect the effectiveness of presentational choices, we consider specifically the influence of individuals' working memory (RQ1). The review also considers metrics used to evaluate presentational choices, and types of presentational choices considered. As for presentational choices (RQ2), we consider a number of variants including interactivity, aggregation, layout, and emphasis. Finally, to evaluate the effectiveness of plan presentational choices (RQ3) we adopt a layered-evaluation approach and measure performance in a dual task paradigm, involving both task interleaving and evaluation of situational awareness. This novel methodology for evaluating visualizations is employed in a series of experiments investigating presentational choices for a plan. A key finding is that emphasizing steps (by highlighting borders) can improve effectiveness on a primary task, but only when controlling for individual variation in working memory.

NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services - Technologies for Visualizing Earth Science Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-12-01

For more than 20 years, the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) has collected earth science data for thousands of scientific parameters now totaling nearly 15 Petabytes of data. In 2013, NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) formed its vision to "transform how end users interact and discover [EOS] data through visualizations." This vision included leveraging scientific and community best practices and standards to provide a scalable, compliant, and authoritative source for EOS earth science data visualizations. Since that time, GIBS has grown quickly and now services millions of daily requests for over 500 imagery layers representing hundreds of earth science parameters to a broad community of users. For many of these parameters, visualizations are available within hours of acquisition from the satellite. For others, visualizations are available for the entire mission of the satellite. The GIBS system is built upon the OnEarth and MRF open source software projects, which are provided by the GIBS team. This software facilitates standards-based access for compliance with existing GIS tools. The GIBS imagery layers are predominantly rasterized images represented in two-dimensional coordinate systems, though multiple projections are supported. The OnEarth software also supports the GIBS ingest pipeline to facilitate low latency updates to new or updated visualizations. This presentation will focus on the following topics: Overview of GIBS visualizations and user community Current benefits and limitations of the OnEarth and MRF software projects and related standards GIBS access methods and their in/compatibilities with existing GIS libraries and applications Considerations for visualization accuracy and understandability Future plans for more advanced visualization concepts including Vertical Profiles and Vector-Based Representations Future plans for Amazon Web Service support and deployments

Functional MRI mapping of visual function and selective attention for performance assessment and presurgical planning using conjunctive visual search

PubMed Central

Parker, Jason G; Zalusky, Eric J; Kirbas, Cemil

2014-01-01

Background Accurate mapping of visual function and selective attention using fMRI is important in the study of human performance as well as in presurgical treatment planning of lesions in or near visual centers of the brain. Conjunctive visual search (CVS) is a useful tool for mapping visual function during fMRI because of its greater activation extent compared with high-capacity parallel search processes. Aims The purpose of this work was to develop and evaluate a CVS that was capable of generating consistent activation in the basic and higher level visual areas of the brain by using a high number of distractors as well as an optimized contrast condition. Materials and methods Images from 10 healthy volunteers were analyzed and brain regions of greatest activation and deactivation were determined using a nonbiased decomposition of the results at the hemisphere, lobe, and gyrus levels. The results were quantified in terms of activation and deactivation extent and mean z-statistic. Results The proposed CVS was found to generate robust activation of the occipital lobe, as well as regions in the middle frontal gyrus associated with coordinating eye movements and in regions of the insula associated with task-level control and focal attention. As expected, the task demonstrated deactivation patterns commonly implicated in the default-mode network. Further deactivation was noted in the posterior region of the cerebellum, most likely associated with the formation of optimal search strategy. Conclusion We believe the task will be useful in studies of visual and selective attention in the neuroscience community as well as in mapping visual function in clinical fMRI. PMID:24683515

Planning for Shops and Laboratories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of School Planning.

General guidelines for educators and architects in planning for industrial education, shops, and laboratory facilities necessary to the instructional program, are provided. Characteristics of the environment discussed are as follows--(1) spatial, (2) thermal, (3) visual, (4) sonic, and (5) aesthetic. Utility services covered are electrical power,…

Funding Public Computing Centers: Balancing Broadband Availability and Expected Demand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jayakar, Krishna; Park, Eun-A

2012-01-01

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) recently announced by the Federal Communication Commission visualizes a significantly enhanced commitment to public computing centers (PCCs) as an element of the Commission's plans for promoting broadband availability. In parallel, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has…

The New Environmentalist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waller, Edmund

1991-01-01

Basic training in the earth sciences, social sciences, and visual arts is discussed as essential for the education and training of government advisers on physical planning matters. Urban planning examples are presented that highlight the ecological factors, social influences, and aesthetic values which need to be considered when dealing with…

Illustrative visualization of 3D city models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doellner, Juergen; Buchholz, Henrik; Nienhaus, Marc; Kirsch, Florian

2005-03-01

This paper presents an illustrative visualization technique that provides expressive representations of large-scale 3D city models, inspired by the tradition of artistic and cartographic visualizations typically found in bird"s-eye view and panoramic maps. We define a collection of city model components and a real-time multi-pass rendering algorithm that achieves comprehensible, abstract 3D city model depictions based on edge enhancement, color-based and shadow-based depth cues, and procedural facade texturing. Illustrative visualization provides an effective visual interface to urban spatial information and associated thematic information complementing visual interfaces based on the Virtual Reality paradigm, offering a huge potential for graphics design. Primary application areas include city and landscape planning, cartoon worlds in computer games, and tourist information systems.

Geometry planning and image registration in magnetic particle imaging using bimodal fiducial markers

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

Werner, F., E-mail: f.werner@uke.de; Hofmann, M.; Them, K.

Purpose: Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a quantitative imaging modality that allows the distribution of superparamagnetic nanoparticles to be visualized. Compared to other imaging techniques like x-ray radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), MPI only provides a signal from the administered tracer, but no additional morphological information, which complicates geometry planning and the interpretation of MP images. The purpose of the authors’ study was to develop bimodal fiducial markers that can be visualized by MPI and MRI in order to create MP–MR fusion images. Methods: A certain arrangement of three bimodal fiducial markers was developed and usedmore » in a combined MRI/MPI phantom and also during in vivo experiments in order to investigate its suitability for geometry planning and image fusion. An algorithm for automated marker extraction in both MR and MP images and rigid registration was established. Results: The developed bimodal fiducial markers can be visualized by MRI and MPI and allow for geometry planning as well as automated registration and fusion of MR–MP images. Conclusions: To date, exact positioning of the object to be imaged within the field of view (FOV) and the assignment of reconstructed MPI signals to corresponding morphological regions has been difficult. The developed bimodal fiducial markers and the automated image registration algorithm help to overcome these difficulties.« less

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

Zhang, Fangyan; Zhang, Song; Chung Wong, Pak

Effectively visualizing large graphs and capturing the statistical properties are two challenging tasks. To aid in these two tasks, many sampling approaches for graph simplification have been proposed, falling into three categories: node sampling, edge sampling, and traversal-based sampling. It is still unknown which approach is the best. We evaluate commonly used graph sampling methods through a combined visual and statistical comparison of graphs sampled at various rates. We conduct our evaluation on three graph models: random graphs, small-world graphs, and scale-free graphs. Initial results indicate that the effectiveness of a sampling method is dependent on the graph model, themore » size of the graph, and the desired statistical property. This benchmark study can be used as a guideline in choosing the appropriate method for a particular graph sampling task, and the results presented can be incorporated into graph visualization and analysis tools.« less

Designing a multiple dependent state sampling plan based on the coefficient of variation.

PubMed

Yan, Aijun; Liu, Sanyang; Dong, Xiaojuan

2016-01-01

A multiple dependent state (MDS) sampling plan is developed based on the coefficient of variation of the quality characteristic which follows a normal distribution with unknown mean and variance. The optimal plan parameters of the proposed plan are solved by a nonlinear optimization model, which satisfies the given producer's risk and consumer's risk at the same time and minimizes the sample size required for inspection. The advantages of the proposed MDS sampling plan over the existing single sampling plan are discussed. Finally an example is given to illustrate the proposed plan.

Rapid assessment of visual impairment (RAVI) in marine fishing communities in South India - study protocol and main findings

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Reliable data are a pre-requisite for planning eye care services. Though conventional cross sectional studies provide reliable information, they are resource intensive. A novel rapid assessment method was used to investigate the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and presbyopia in subjects aged 40 years and older. This paper describes the detailed methodology and study procedures of Rapid Assessment of Visual Impairment (RAVI) project. Methods A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using cluster random sampling in the coastal region of Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh in India, predominantly inhabited by fishing communities. Unaided, aided and pinhole visual acuity (VA) was assessed using a Snellen chart at a distance of 6 meters. The VA was re-assessed using a pinhole, if VA was < 6/12 in either eye. Near vision was assessed using N notation chart binocularly. Visual impairment was defined as presenting VA < 6/18 in the better eye. Presbyopia is defined as binocular near vision worse than N8 in subjects with binocular distance VA of 6/18 or better. Results The data collection was completed in <12 weeks using two teams each consisting of one paramedical ophthalmic personnel and two community eye health workers. The prevalence of visual impairment was 30% (95% CI, 27.6-32.2). This included 111 (7.1%; 95% CI, 5.8-8.4) individuals with blindness. Cataract was the leading cause of visual impairment followed by uncorrected refractive errors. The prevalence of blindness according to WHO definition (presenting VA < 3/60 in the better eye) was 2.7% (95% CI, 1.9-3.5). Conclusion There is a high prevalence of visual impairment in marine fishing communities in Prakasam district in India. The data from this rapid assessment survey can now be used as a baseline to start eye care services in this region. The rapid assessment methodology (RAVI) reported in this paper is robust, quick and has the potential to be replicated in other areas. PMID:21929802

Three Pillars of Success: The Partners, The Messenger, The Communication Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turrin, M.; Ryan, W. B. F.; Pfirman, S. L.

2017-12-01

Our ability to deal with climate impacts in coastal cities and bring change, hinges on our ability to effectively communicate impacts. Incorporating sea level rise and climate impacts into city planning and community action plans is too often done in response to a devastating impact rather than through preventative planning. In New York the impact came in the form of Hurricane Sandy. Prior to Sandy, NYC, NY State and regional scientists had prepared planning documents, reports and communications directed at public officials and decision makers, warning of potential impacts from a changing climate. Presentations and reports identified the most exposed locations and infrastructure, but disbelief and a false sense of time mired any meaningful change. Effective communication about climate and impacts is at the root of planning and resilience. To be meaningful it must come from a trusted messenger, use well vetted materials that address both larger climate processes and drivers and local impacts, be accessible to the non-science community, and incorporate multiple modes of communication. The Polar Explorer: Sea Level app is a tool that has been used to this end (http://www.polarexplorer.org). An interactive multi-layered communication tool, it uses vetted data structured through a series of commonly asked questions and displayed through visualizations. We have been partnering with New York State, local community groups, and state and educational organizations to reach a broad cross section of the public with information useful for planning. We have co-presented at conferences for local planning and advisory groups, and incorporated the use of the app into local planning charrettes and have found the visualizations, interactivity of the delivery and the layered scaffolding make the app a useful tool for planners and decision makers. The app includes the physical science drivers of climate change and the social science impacts, and a look at the past the present and future projections. For planners and coastal managers the section on "Who is Vulnerable?' highlighting areas most often impacted by weather and extreme events, provides data useful in planning for extreme events. Whatever the challenges changing climate brings, we must address the challenge of communicating in an interactive, visual and accessible way.

7 CFR 42.104 - Sampling plans and defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sampling plans and defects. 42.104 Section 42.104... REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR CONDITION OF FOOD CONTAINERS Procedures for Stationary Lot Sampling and Inspection § 42.104 Sampling plans and defects. (a) Sampling plans. Sections 42.109 through 42.111 show the number...

7 CFR 42.104 - Sampling plans and defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sampling plans and defects. 42.104 Section 42.104... REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR CONDITION OF FOOD CONTAINERS Procedures for Stationary Lot Sampling and Inspection § 42.104 Sampling plans and defects. (a) Sampling plans. Sections 42.109 through 42.111 show the number...

Visual unit analysis: a descriptive approach to landscape assessment

Treesearch

R. J. Tetlow; S. R. J. Sheppard

1979-01-01

Analysis of the visible attributes of landscapes is an important component of the planning process. When landscapes are at regional scale, economical and effective methodologies are critical. The Visual Unit concept appears to offer a logical and useful framework for description and evaluation. The concept subdivides landscape into coherent, spatially-defined units....

Visual management system and timber management application

Treesearch

Warren R. Bacon; Asa D. (Bud) Twombly

1979-01-01

This paper includes an illustration of a planning process to guide vegetation management throughout a travel route seen area and over the time period of a total management rotation (100-300 years). The process will produce direction on visual characteristics to be created and maintained within the biological potential and coordinated with associated re-source...

SPATIAL VISUALIZATION ABILITIES OF CENTRAL WASHINGTON STATE COLLEGE PROSPECTIVE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY TEACHERS OF MATHEMATICS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MARTIN, BERNARD LOYAL

INVESTIGATED WAS THE EXTENT TO WHICH STUDENTS COMPLETING PLANNED MATHEMATICS EDUCATION PROGRAMS (1) WERE PROFICIENT IN SPATIAL VISUALIZATION ABILITIES, AND (2) HAD DEVELOPED MATHEMATICAL UNDERSTANDINGS. THE EFFECTS OF THE MATHEMATICS CURRICULA UPON SUCH DEVELOPMENT WERE INVESTIGATED BY COMPARING GROUP MEAN TEST SCORES OF PROSPECTIVE ELEMENTARY AND…

Postural Control in Young People with Visual Impairments and Various Risks of Falls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadowska, Dorota; Stemplewski, Rafal; Szeklicki, Robert

2017-01-01

Introduction: Early diagnosis of postural control deficiencies facilitates implementation of an individual rehabilitation plan to prevent falls. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of falling in individuals with visual impairments, and to compare performance-based and theoretical limits of stability in subjects with various risks of…

Exploration of Best Practices in Transition Planning for High School Students with Visual Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casian, Desiree Campbell

2017-01-01

For typically developing adolescents, Piaget (1932/1965), Kohlberg (1971), Vygotsky (1935/2011), and Erikson (1964) described key transitions as having happened naturally as the child aged. In adolescents with visual impairments, key transitions are often reached much later than are developmentally appropriate due to the lack of specific…

Program Accountability for Students Who Are Visually Impaired

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toelle, Nancy M.; Blankenship, Karen E.

2008-01-01

Administrators across the U.S. are collecting and analyzing program and student-specific data to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004), and state performance plans. Although most states are not required to disaggregate data for students who are visually impaired,…

Three-dimensional visualization system as an aid for facial surgical planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barre, Sebastien; Fernandez-Maloigne, Christine; Paume, Patricia; Subrenat, Gilles

2001-05-01

We present an aid for facial deformities treatment. We designed a system for surgical planning and prediction of human facial aspect after maxillo-facial surgery. We study the 3D reconstruction process of the tissues involved in the simulation, starting from CT acquisitions. 3D iso-surfaces meshes of soft tissues and bone structures are built. A sparse set of still photographs is used to reconstruct a 360 degree(s) texture of the facial surface and increase its visual realism. Reconstructed objects are inserted into an object-oriented, portable and scriptable visualization software allowing the practitioner to manipulate and visualize them interactively. Several LODs (Level-Of- Details) techniques are used to ensure usability. Bone structures are separated and moved by means of cut planes matching orthognatic surgery procedures. We simulate soft tissue deformations by creating a physically-based springs model between both tissues. The new static state of the facial model is computed by minimizing the energy of the springs system to achieve equilibrium. This process is optimized by transferring informations like participation hints at vertex-level between a warped generic model and the facial mesh.

Advanced Visualization of Experimental Data in Real Time Using LiveView3D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, Richard J.; Fleming, Gary A.

2006-01-01

LiveView3D is a software application that imports and displays a variety of wind tunnel derived data in an interactive virtual environment in real time. LiveView3D combines the use of streaming video fed into a three-dimensional virtual representation of the test configuration with networked communications to the test facility Data Acquisition System (DAS). This unified approach to real time data visualization provides a unique opportunity to comprehend very large sets of diverse forms of data in a real time situation, as well as in post-test analysis. This paper describes how LiveView3D has been implemented to visualize diverse forms of aerodynamic data gathered during wind tunnel experiments, most notably at the NASA Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT). Planned future developments of the LiveView3D system are also addressed.

Time perception of visual motion is tuned by the motor representation of human actions

PubMed Central

Gavazzi, Gioele; Bisio, Ambra; Pozzo, Thierry

2013-01-01

Several studies have shown that the observation of a rapidly moving stimulus dilates our perception of time. However, this effect appears to be at odds with the fact that our interactions both with environment and with each other are temporally accurate. This work exploits this paradox to investigate whether the temporal accuracy of visual motion uses motor representations of actions. To this aim, the stimuli were a dot moving with kinematics belonging or not to the human motor repertoire and displayed at different velocities. Participants had to replicate its duration with two tasks differing in the underlying motor plan. Results show that independently of the task's motor plan, the temporal accuracy and precision depend on the correspondence between the stimulus' kinematics and the observer's motor competencies. Our data suggest that the temporal mechanism of visual motion exploits a temporal visuomotor representation tuned by the motor knowledge of human actions. PMID:23378903

Action Intentions Modulate Allocation of Visual Attention: Electrophysiological Evidence

PubMed Central

Wykowska, Agnieszka; Schubö, Anna

2012-01-01

In line with the Theory of Event Coding (Hommel et al., 2001), action planning has been shown to affect perceptual processing – an effect that has been attributed to a so-called intentional weighting mechanism (Wykowska et al., 2009; Hommel, 2010). This paper investigates the electrophysiological correlates of action-related modulations of selection mechanisms in visual perception. A paradigm combining a visual search task for size and luminance targets with a movement task (grasping or pointing) was introduced, and the EEG was recorded while participants were performing the tasks. The results showed that the behavioral congruency effects, i.e., better performance in congruent (relative to incongruent) action-perception trials have been reflected by a modulation of the P1 component as well as the N2pc (an ERP marker of spatial attention). These results support the argumentation that action planning modulates already early perceptual processing and attention mechanisms. PMID:23060841

Effects of Conversational Pressures on Speech Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swets, Benjamin; Jacovina, Matthew E.; Gerrig, Richard J.

2013-01-01

In ordinary conversation, speakers experience pressures both to produce utterances suited to particular addressees and to do so with minimal delay. To document the impact of these conversational pressures, our experiment asked participants to produce brief utterances to describe visual displays. We complicated utterance planning by including…

A Classroom Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmerman, Ruth E.

Operations at the Boston Center for Blind Children's day preschool for visually-impaired, multihandicapped children (3- to 8-years-old) are described. The following stages of evaluation and planning are identified: development of a treatment plan based on performance in the developmental areas of self-help, language, motor skills, socialization,…

7 CFR 275.11 - Sampling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sampling. 275.11 Section 275.11 Agriculture... § 275.11 Sampling. (a) Sampling plan. Each State agency shall develop a quality control sampling plan which demonstrates the integrity of its sampling procedures. (1) Content. The sampling plan shall...

7 CFR 275.11 - Sampling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sampling. 275.11 Section 275.11 Agriculture... § 275.11 Sampling. (a) Sampling plan. Each State agency shall develop a quality control sampling plan which demonstrates the integrity of its sampling procedures. (1) Content. The sampling plan shall...

Sensory and demographic characteristics of deafblindness rehabilitation clients in Montréal, Canada.

PubMed

Wittich, Walter; Watanabe, Donald H; Gagné, Jean-Pierre

2012-05-01

  Demographic changes are increasing the number of older adults with combined age-related vision and hearing loss, while medical advances increase the survival probability of children with congenital dual (or multiple) impairments due to pre-maturity or rare hereditary diseases. Rehabilitation services for these populations are highly in demand since traditional uni-sensory rehabilitation approaches using the other sense to compensate are not always utilizable. Very little is currently known about the client population characteristics with dual sensory impairment. The present study provides information about demographic and sensory variables of persons in the Montreal region that were receiving rehabilitation for dual impairment in December 2010. This information can inform researchers, clinicians, educators, as well as administrators about potential research and service delivery priorities. A chart review of all client files across the three rehabilitation agencies that offer integrated dual sensory rehabilitation services in Montreal provided data on visual acuity, visual field, hearing detection thresholds, and demographic variables. The 209 males and 355 females ranged in age from 4months to 105years (M=71.9, S.D.=24.6), indicating a prevalence estimate for dual sensory impairment at 15/100000. Only 5.7% were under 18years of age, while 69.1% were over the age of 65years, with 43.1% over the age of 85years. The diagnostic combination that accounted for 31% of the entire sample was age-related macular degeneration with presbycusis. Their visual and auditory measures indicated that older adults were likely to fall into moderate to severe levels of impairment on both measures. Individuals with Usher Syndrome comprised 20.9% (n=118) of the sample. The age distribution in this sample of persons with dual sensory impairment indicates that service delivery planning will need to strongly consider the growing presence of older adults as the baby-boomers approach retirement age. The distribution of their visual and auditory limits indicates that the large majority of this client group has residual vision and hearing that can be maximized in the rehabilitation process in order to restore functional abilities and social participation. Future research in this area should identify the specific priorities in both rehabilitation and research in individuals affected with combined vision and hearing loss. Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2012 The College of Optometrists.

CTViz: A tool for the visualization of transport in nanocomposites.

PubMed

Beach, Benjamin; Brown, Joshua; Tarlton, Taylor; Derosa, Pedro A

2016-05-01

A visualization tool (CTViz) for charge transport processes in 3-D hybrid materials (nanocomposites) was developed, inspired by the need for a graphical application to assist in code debugging and data presentation of an existing in-house code. As the simulation code grew, troubleshooting problems grew increasingly difficult without an effective way to visualize 3-D samples and charge transport in those samples. CTViz is able to produce publication and presentation quality visuals of the simulation box, as well as static and animated visuals of the paths of individual carriers through the sample. CTViz was designed to provide a high degree of flexibility in the visualization of the data. A feature that characterizes this tool is the use of shade and transparency levels to highlight important details in the morphology or in the transport paths by hiding or dimming elements of little relevance to the current view. This is fundamental for the visualization of 3-D systems with complex structures. The code presented here provides these required capabilities, but has gone beyond the original design and could be used as is or easily adapted for the visualization of other particulate transport where transport occurs on discrete paths. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automation of Coordinated Planning Between Observatories: The Visual Observation Layout Tool (VOLT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maks, Lori; Koratkar, Anuradha; Kerbel, Uri; Pell, Vince

2002-01-01

Fulfilling the promise of the era of great observatories, NASA now has more than three space-based astronomical telescopes operating in different wavebands. This situation provides astronomers with the unique opportunity of simultaneously observing a target in multiple wavebands with these observatories. Currently scheduling multiple observatories simultaneously, for coordinated observations, is highly inefficient. Coordinated observations require painstaking manual collaboration among the observatory staff at each observatory. Because they are time-consuming and expensive to schedule, observatories often limit the number of coordinated observations that can be conducted. In order to exploit new paradigms for observatory operation, the Advanced Architectures and Automation Branch of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has developed a tool called the Visual Observation Layout Tool (VOLT). The main objective of VOLT is to provide a visual tool to automate the planning of coordinated observations by multiple astronomical observatories. Four of NASA's space-based astronomical observatories - the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and Chandra - are enthusiastically pursuing the use of VOLT. This paper will focus on the purpose for developing VOLT, as well as the lessons learned during the infusion of VOLT into the planning and scheduling operations of these observatories.

Solar System Visualization (SSV) Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Todd, Jessida L.

2005-01-01

The Solar System Visualization (SSV) project aims at enhancing scientific and public understanding through visual representations and modeling procedures. The SSV project's objectives are to (1) create new visualization technologies, (2) organize science observations and models, and (3) visualize science results and mission Plans. The SSV project currently supports the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) mission, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), and Cassini. In support of the these missions, the SSV team has produced pan and zoom animations of large mosaics to reveal details of surface features and topography, created 3D animations of science instruments and procedures, formed 3-D anaglyphs from left and right stereo pairs, and animated registered multi-resolution mosaics to provide context for microscopic images.

Treatment of Visual Hallucinations in Schizophrenia by Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: a case report

PubMed Central

Abad, Nazir Hashemi; Doulatabad, Najafi Shala; Mohammadi, Ali

2011-01-01

Schizophrenia and various neurological disorders have some signs and symptoms. Visual hallucinations are one of such disorders. The related studies in some diseases for example Parkinson Disease and Lewy Body Dementia indicate that Acetylcholine (Ach) plays a significant role in neuropsychiatric manifestation and its association with visual hallucination; therefore, visual hallucinations occur due to the depletion of Ach. Drug therapies such as Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) for increasing Ach level may be beneficial in treating visual hallucination. AchEI's have been used in the treatment of visual hallucinations in Dementia and Parkinson's Disease. We thought that a similar Ach depletion may cause visual hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia and may provide a target for drug treatment. We had a patient with schizophrenia whose psychotic symptoms responded to the treatment plan, but her visual hallucination did not. However, the patient's visual hallucination successfully responded to Rivastigmine (AchEI). This case illustrates the use of an AchEI in the treatment of refractory visual hallucinations in a patient with schizophrenia. PMID:22952543

Acid-etching technique of non-decalcified bone samples for visualizing osteocyte-lacuno-canalicular network using scanning electron microscope.

PubMed

Lampi, Tiina; Dekker, Hannah; Ten Bruggenkate, Chris M; Schulten, Engelbert A J M; Mikkonen, Jopi J W; Koistinen, Arto; Kullaa, Arja M

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to define the acid-etching technique for bone samples embedded in polymethyl metacrylate (PMMA) in order to visualize the osteocyte lacuno-canalicular network (LCN) for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Human jaw bone tissue samples (N = 18) were collected from the study population consisting of patients having received dental implant surgery. After collection, the bone samples were fixed in 70% ethanol and non-decalcified samples embedded routinely into polymethyl metacrylate (PMMA). The PMMA embedded specimens were acid-etched in either 9 or 37% phosphoric acid (PA) and prepared for SEM for further analysis. PMMA embedded bone specimens acid-etched by 9% PA concentration accomplishes the most informative and favorable visualization of the LCN to be observed by SEM. Etching of PMMA embedded specimens is recommendable to start with 30 s or 40 s etching duration in order to find the proper etching duration for the samples examined. Visualizing osteocytes and LCN provides a tool to study bone structure that reflects changes in bone metabolism and diseases related to bone tissue. By proper etching protocol of non-decalcified and using scanning electron microscope it is possible to visualize the morphology of osteocytes and the network supporting vitality of bone tissue.

Design and Laboratory Implementation of Autonomous Optimal Motion Planning for Non-Holonomic Planetary Rovers

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

autonomy helped to maximize a Mars day journey, because humans could only plan the first portion of the journey based on images sent from the rover...safe trajectory based on its sensors [1]. The distance between Mars and Earth ranges from 100-200 million miles [1] and at this distance, the time...This feature worked for the pre- planned maneuvers, which were planned by humans the day before based on available sensory and visual inputs. Once the

Evaluation of the effects of a freeze/thaw environment on cellular glass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frickland, P.; Cleland, E.; Hasegawa, T.

1981-01-01

Using the evaluation criteria of water vapor permeability and conformability, a protective butylrubber/silicone conformal coating system was selected for use on Foamglas substrates in a freeze/thaw environment. The selection of a specific freeze/thaw cycle which closely models field conditions is discussed. A sampling plan is described which allows independent evaluation of the effects of conformal coatings, cycle number and location within the environmental chamber. The results of visual examination, measurement of density, modulus of rupture and Young's modulus are reported. Based upon statistical evaluation of the experimental results, it is concluded that no degradation in mechanical properties of either coated or uncoated Foamglas occurred within the duration of the test (53 freeze/thaw cycles).

Visual illusion in mass estimation of cut food.

PubMed

Wada, Yuji; Tsuzuki, Daisuke; Kobayashi, Naoki; Hayakawa, Fumiyo; Kohyama, Kaoru

2007-07-01

We investigated the effect of the appearance of cut food on visual mass estimation. In this experiment, we manipulated the shape (e.g., a block, fine strips, or small cubes) of food samples of various masses, and presented them on a CRT display as stimuli. Eleven subjects participated in tasks to choose the picture of the food sample which they felt indicated a target mass. We used raw carrots and surimi (ground fish) gel as hard and soft samples, respectively. The results clearly confirm an existence of an illusion, and this indicates that the appearance of food interferes with visual mass estimation. Specifically, participants often overestimated the mass of finely cut food, especially fine strips, whereas they could accurately estimate the mass of block samples, regardless of the physical characteristics of the foods. The overestimation of the mass of cut food increased with the food's actual mass, and was particularly obvious with increases of apparent volume when cut into fine strips. These results suggest that the apparent volume of a food sample effects the visual estimation of its mass. Hence we can conclude that there are illusions associated with the visual presentation of food that may influence various food impressions, including satisfaction and eating behaviour.

Self-paced model learning for robust visual tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wenhui; Gu, Jason; Ma, Xin; Li, Yibin

2017-01-01

In visual tracking, learning a robust and efficient appearance model is a challenging task. Model learning determines both the strategy and the frequency of model updating, which contains many details that could affect the tracking results. Self-paced learning (SPL) has recently been attracting considerable interest in the fields of machine learning and computer vision. SPL is inspired by the learning principle underlying the cognitive process of humans, whose learning process is generally from easier samples to more complex aspects of a task. We propose a tracking method that integrates the learning paradigm of SPL into visual tracking, so reliable samples can be automatically selected for model learning. In contrast to many existing model learning strategies in visual tracking, we discover the missing link between sample selection and model learning, which are combined into a single objective function in our approach. Sample weights and model parameters can be learned by minimizing this single objective function. Additionally, to solve the real-valued learning weight of samples, an error-tolerant self-paced function that considers the characteristics of visual tracking is proposed. We demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of our tracker on a recent tracking benchmark data set with 50 video sequences.

Effect of Graft Thickness on Visual Acuity After Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Wacker, Katrin; Bourne, William M; Patel, Sanjay V

2016-03-01

To assess the relationship between graft thickness and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK). Systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and conference abstracts were searched for studies published up to October 2015 with standard systematic review methodology. Eligibility criteria included studies evaluating graft thickness in primary DSEK and visual outcomes. There were no restrictions to study design, study population, or language. Correlation coefficients were pooled using random-effects models. Of 480 articles and conference abstracts, 31 met inclusion criteria (2214 eyes) after full-text review. Twenty-three studies assessed correlations between BCVA and graft thickness, and 8 studies used different statistical methods. All associations were reported dimensionless. Studies generally had small sample sizes and were heterogeneous, especially with respect to data and analysis quality (P = .02). Most studies did not measure BCVA in a standardized manner. The pooled correlation coefficient for graft thickness vs BCVA was 0.20 (95% CI, 0.14-0.26) for 17 studies without data concerns; this did not include 7 studies (815 eyes) that used different statistical methods and did not find significant associations. There is insufficient evidence that graft thickness is clinically important with respect to BCVA after DSEK, with meta-analysis suggesting a weak relationship. Although well-designed longitudinal studies with standardized measurements of visual acuity and graft thickness are necessary to better characterize this relationship, current evidence suggests that graft thickness is not important for surgical planning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Visual Decision Support Tool for Supporting Asset Management Performance, Risk, and Cost Analysis (WERF Report INFR5R12)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract:Managing urban water infrastructures faces the challenge of jointly dealing with assets of diverse types, useful life, cost, ages and condition. Service quality and sustainability require sound long-term planning, well aligned with tactical and operational planning and m...

Language Planning, Naming and Character Use in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Shouhui; Baldauf, Richard B., Jr.

2007-01-01

As Chinese characters ("hanzi") have three aspects--as a technical writing system, an aesthetic visual art (Chinese calligraphy), and a highly-charged cultural symbolic system--changing them is a complex process. In the 1950s when language planning campaigns were launched to modernise Chinese through "hanzi" standardisation,…

Visualizing agroforestry alternatives or pixel this!

Treesearch

Gary Bentrup

2005-01-01

Natural resource professionals often hear the words, What will it look like? " from landowners who have difficulty in understanding a proposed agroforestry or conservation plan. Planting plans and engineering drawings, while necessary, often mean little to the general public. When practices require a long-term commitment like agroforestry, landowners want to know...

Lesson Plan Using Artistic Ways of Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Penelope

2011-01-01

Today with teacher cutbacks looming, and more integration units, general teachers might be required to teach the visual arts. Therefore, teachers need a clear definition of the discipline of art and personal exposure to aesthetic experiences. Many references are made to classic art education research. When lesson plan formats are generic it…

3D Visualization Tools to Support Soil Management In Relation to Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chen

2017-04-01

Visualization tools [1][2][6] have been used increasingly as part of information, consultation, and collaboration in relation to issues of global significance. Visualization techniques can be used in a variety of different settings, depending on their association with specific types of decision. Initially, they can be used to improve awareness of the local community and landscape, either individually or in groups [5]. They can also be used to communicate different aspects of change, such as digital soil mapping, ecosystem services and climate change [7][8]. A prototype 3D model was developed to present Tarland Catchment on the North East Scotland which includes 1:25000 soil map data and 1:50000 land capability for agriculture (LCA) data [4]. The model was used to identify issues arising between the growing interest soil monitoring and management, and the potential effects on existing soil characteristics. The online model was also created which can capture user/stakeholder comments they associate with soil features. In addition, people are located physically within the real-world bounds of the current soil management scenario, they can use Augmented Reality to see the scenario overlaid on their immediate surroundings. Models representing alternative soil use and management were used in the virtual landscape theatre (VLT) [3]with electronic voting designed to elicit public aspirations and concerns regarding future soil uses, and to develop scenarios driven by local input. Preliminary findings suggest positive audience responses to the relevance of the inclusion of soil data within a scene when considering questions regarding the impact of land-use change, such as woodland, agricultural land and open spaces. A future development is the use of the prototype virtual environment in a preference survey of scenarios of changes in land use, and in stakeholder consultations on such changes.END Rua, H. and Alvito, P. (2011) Living the past: 3D models, virtual reality and game engines as tools for supporting archaeology and the reconstruction of cultural heritage - the case-study of the Roman villa of Casal de Freiria, Journal of Archaeological Science, 38(12): 3296-3308. Wang, C., Miller, D.R., Brown I., Jiang Y., Castellazzi M, "Visualisation Techniques to Support Public Interpretation of Future Climate Change and Land Use Choices: A Case Study from N-E Scotland", International Journal of Digital Earth, Volume 9, Issue 6, pp.586-605, 2016. VLT, http://www.hutton.ac.uk/learning/exhibits/vlt Scotland's soil, http://www.soils-scotland.gov.uk/ Wang, C., Miller, D.R., Jiang Y., Donaldson-Selby, "Use of 3D Visualisation Tools for Representing Urban Greenspace Spatial Planning", 2015 IEEE International Conference on Information Science and Control Engineering Shanghai, China, April 24-26, 2015. Tobias, S., Buser, T., Buchecker, M. (2016) Does real-time visualization support local stakeholders in developing landscape visions? Environment and Planning B:Planning and Design, 43: 84¨ C197. Li.Y, Zhu. A-Xing, Shi. Z, Liu. J and Du. F, "Supplemental sampling for digital soil mapping based on prediction uncertainty from both the feature domain and the spatial domain", The Global Journal of Soil Science, Volume 284, pp 73-84, 2016. Warren-Kretzschmar. B and Haaren, C, "Communicating spatial planning decisions at the landscape and farm level with landscape visualization", Journal of Biogeosciences and Forestry, volume 7, pp 434-442, 2014.

Learning Reverse Engineering and Simulation with Design Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hemsworth, Paul J.

2018-01-01

The Design Visualization (DV) group supports work at the Kennedy Space Center by utilizing metrology data with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models and simulations to provide accurate visual representations that aid in decision-making. The capability to measure and simulate objects in real time helps to predict and avoid potential problems before they become expensive in addition to facilitating the planning of operations. I had the opportunity to work on existing and new models and simulations in support of DV and NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS).

Five Year Plan for Fiscal Years 1992-1996

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-10-01

for the detection of line sig- nals in visual noise. JQ 1 ...o. Am. Vol 4, No. 12, pgs. 2342-2354. 4) Kersten , D. (1987) Statistical efficiency for...the detection of visual noise. Vision Res. Vol 27, No. 6 pgs. 1029-1040. 5) Legge, G. E., Kersten , D., Burgess, A. E. (1987) Contrast discrimination in...noise. J. Opt. Soc. Am. Vol 4, No. 2, pgs 391-404. 6) Kersten , D. (1984) Spatial summation in visual noise. Vision Res. Vol 24, No. 12, pgs. 1977

Invisible Mars: New Visuals for Communicating MAVEN's Story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shupla, C. B.; Ali, N. A.; Jones, A. P.; Mason, T.; Schneider, N. M.; Brain, D. A.; Blackwell, J.

2016-12-01

Invisible Mars tells the story of Mars' evolving atmosphere, through a script and a series of visuals as a live presentation. Created for Science-On-A-Sphere, the presentation has also been made available to planetariums, and is being expanded to other platforms. The script has been updated to include results from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN), and additional visuals have been produced. This poster will share the current Invisible Mars resources available and the plans to further disseminate this presentation.

Fixed-Precision Sequential Sampling Plans for Estimating Alfalfa Caterpillar, Colias lesbia, Egg Density in Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, Fields in Córdoba, Argentina

PubMed Central

Serra, Gerardo V.; Porta, Norma C. La; Avalos, Susana; Mazzuferi, Vilma

2013-01-01

The alfalfa caterpillar, Colias lesbia (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), is a major pest of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. (Fabales: Fabaceae), crops in Argentina. Its management is based mainly on chemical control of larvae whenever the larvae exceed the action threshold. To develop and validate fixed-precision sequential sampling plans, an intensive sampling programme for C. lesbia eggs was carried out in two alfalfa plots located in the Province of Córdoba, Argentina, from 1999 to 2002. Using Resampling for Validation of Sampling Plans software, 12 additional independent data sets were used to validate the sequential sampling plan with precision levels of 0.10 and 0.25 (SE/mean), respectively. For a range of mean densities of 0.10 to 8.35 eggs/sample, an average sample size of only 27 and 26 sample units was required to achieve a desired precision level of 0.25 for the sampling plans of Green and Kuno, respectively. As the precision level was increased to 0.10, average sample size increased to 161 and 157 sample units for the sampling plans of Green and Kuno, respectively. We recommend using Green's sequential sampling plan because it is less sensitive to changes in egg density. These sampling plans are a valuable tool for researchers to study population dynamics and to evaluate integrated pest management strategies. PMID:23909840

Evaluation of rural areas in terms of landscape quality: Salacik Village (Trabzon/Turkey) example.

PubMed

Düzgüneş, Ertan; Demirel, Öner

2015-06-01

As a result of the increasing urbanization and fast pace of work life, people started to turn to rural areas so as to regenerate both socially and psychologically. Increasing interest in the rural areas made the importance of landscape quality of these areas more significant. This improvement gave way to the idea of the necessity of preserving the resourceful landscape areas in terms of visual characteristics and bringing them under the spotlight, and it became the driving power in reconciling the planners and administrators. From this point of view, a study was conducted in Salacık Village of Akçaabat district of Trabzon (Turkey) in order to identify the visually resourceful landscape areas and maintain the sustainability of the resource values by preserving them. In this respect, the area was divided into seven individual landscape types, visual landscape evaluation including the opinions of the experts, and a survey that is used in planning of the rural areas was implemented. It is thought that the results attained with the evaluations made taking the principles of Gestalt theory into consideration will constitute an essential fundamental for urban and regional planners, natural resource administrators, and other planning parties in their planning decisions relating the specific area. Apart from that, among the goals of this study are contributing in the preservation of visually resourceful landscapes, maintaining their sustainability, and integration of these areas into the development strategies.

Initial experience of using an iron-containing fiducial marker for radiotherapy of prostate cancer: Advantages in the visualization of markers in Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Osamu; Iida, Takayoshi; Komeda, Hisao; Tamaki, Masayoshi; Seike, Kensaku; Kato, Daiki; Yokoyama, Takamasa; Hirose, Shigeki; Kawaguchi, Daisuke

2016-12-01

Visualization of markers is critical for imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the size of the marker varies according to the imaging technique. While a large-sized marker is more useful for visualization in MRI, it results in artifacts on CT and causes substantial pain on administration. In contrast, a small-sized marker reduces the artifacts on CT but hampers MRI detection. Herein, we report a new ironcontaining marker and compare its utility with that of non-iron-containing markers. Five patients underwent CT/MRI fusion-based intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and the markers were placed by urologists. A Gold Anchor™ (GA; diameter, 0.28 mm; length, 10 mm) was placed using a 22G needle on the right side of the prostate. A VISICOIL™ (VIS; diameter, 0.35 mm; length, 10 mm) was placed using a 19G needle on the left side. MRI was performed using T2*-weighted imaging. Three observers evaluated and scored the visual qualities of the acquired images. The mean score of visualization was almost identical between the GA and VIS in radiography and cone-beam CT (Novalis Tx). The artifacts in planning CT were slightly larger using the GA than using the VIS. The visualization of the marker on MRI using the GA was superior to that using the VIS. In conclusion, the visualization quality of radiography, conebeam CT, and planning CT was roughly equal between the GA and VIS. However, the GA was more strongly visualized than was the VIS on MRI due to iron containing.

From sense of place to visualization of place: examining people-place relationships for insight on developing geovisualizations.

PubMed

Newell, Robert; Canessa, Rosaline

2018-02-01

Effective resource planning incorporates people-place relationships, allowing these efforts to be inclusive of the different local beliefs, interests, activities and needs. 'Geovisualizations' can serve as potentially powerful tools for facilitating 'place-conscious' resource planning, as they can be developed with high degrees of realism and accuracy, allowing people to recognize and relate to them as 'real places'. However, little research has been done on this potential, and the place-based applications of these visual tools are poorly understood. This study takes steps toward addressing this gap by exploring the relationship between sense of place and 'visualization of place'. Residents of the Capital Regional District of BC, Canada, were surveyed about their relationship with local coastal places, concerns for the coast, and how they mentally visualize these places. Factor analysis identified four sense of place dimensions - nature protection values, community and economic well-being values, place identity and place dependence, and four coastal concerns dimensions - ecological, private opportunities, public space and boating impacts. Visualization data were coded and treated as dependent variables in a series of logistic regressions that used sense of place and coastal concerns dimensions as predictors. Results indicated that different aspects of sense of place and (to a lesser degree) concerns for places influence the types of elements people include in their mental visualization of place. In addition, sense of place influenced the position and perspective people assume in these visualizations. These findings suggest that key visual elements and perspectives speak to different place relationships, which has implications for developing and using geovisualizations in terms of what elements should be included in tools and (if appropriate) depicted as affected by potential management or development scenarios.

Enviroplan—a summary methodology for comprehensive environmental planning and design

Treesearch

Robert Allen Jr.; George Nez; Fred Nicholson; Larry Sutphin

1979-01-01

This paper will discuss a comprehensive environmental assessment methodology that includes a numerical method for visual management and analysis. This methodology employs resource and human activity units as a means to produce a visual form unit which is the fundamental unit of the perceptual environment. The resource unit is based on the ecosystem as the fundamental...

40 CFR 52.2479 - Contents of the federally approved, State submitted implementation plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Perchloroethylene dry cleaning systems [02/19/91] 173-490-204 Graphic arts systems [02/19/91] 173-490-205 Surface...] 450 Emission Standards—Forward [04/14/93] 451 Emission of Air Contaminant—Visual Standards [10/13/94] 452 Motor Vehicle Visual Standard [04/14/93, except section .5] 455 Emission of Particulate Matter [04...

75 FR 32963 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-10

.... Alternative B: Same as Alternative A. Alternative C: ACEC would be rescinded. Closed to wind and solar energy... mineral material sales. Closed to wind and solar energy. Closed to motorized travel. Visual Resource... and Hilltop. Closed to wind and solar energy. Visual Resource Management Class I would apply to a...

Talking Pictures: Exploiting the Potential of Visual Sources to Generate Productive Pupil Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Card, Jane

2012-01-01

Jane Card has long been fascinated by the power of visual sources to stimulate pupil thought and discussion. In previous articles she has shared insights from her own expert practice, fusing deep subject knowledge with careful planning to generate highly skilful questioning. Here she presents another rich example of classroom practice, carefully…

Techniques of remote sensing and GIS as tools for visualizing impact of climate change-induced flood in the southern African region.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study employs remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) data to visualize the impact of climate change caused by flooding in the Southern African region in order to assist decision makers’ plans for future occurrences. In pursuit of this objective, this study uses Digital Elevat...

The Q-Sort method: use in landscape assessment research and landscape planning

Treesearch

David G. Pitt; Ervin H. Zube

1979-01-01

The assessment of visual quality inherently involves the measurement of perceptual response to landscape. The Q-Sort Method is a psychometric technique which produces reliable and valid interval measurements of people's perceptions of landscape visual quality as depicted in photographs. It is readily understood by participants across a wide range of age groups and...

Operator-assisted planning and execution of proximity operations subject to operational constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grunwald, Arthur J.; Ellis, Stephen R.

1991-01-01

Future multi-vehicle operations will involve multiple scenarios that will require a planning tool for the rapid, interactive creation of fuel-efficient trajectories. The planning process must deal with higher-order, non-linear processes involving dynamics that are often counter-intuitive. The optimization of resulting trajectories can be difficult to envision. An interaction proximity operations planning system is being developed to provide the operator with easily interpreted visual feedback of trajectories and constraints. This system is hosted on an IRIS 4D graphics platform and utilizes the Clohessy-Wiltshire equations. An inverse dynamics algorithm is used to remove non-linearities while the trajectory maneuvers are decoupled and separated in a geometric spreadsheet. The operator has direct control of the position and time of trajectory waypoints to achieve the desired end conditions. Graphics provide the operator with visualization of satisfying operational constraints such as structural clearance, plume impingement, approach velocity limits, and arrival or departure corridors. Primer vector theory is combined with graphical presentation to improve operator understanding of suggested automated system solutions and to allow the operator to review, edit, or provide corrective action to the trajectory plan.

FlyAR: augmented reality supported micro aerial vehicle navigation.

PubMed

Zollmann, Stefanie; Hoppe, Christof; Langlotz, Tobias; Reitmayr, Gerhard

2014-04-01

Micro aerial vehicles equipped with high-resolution cameras can be used to create aerial reconstructions of an area of interest. In that context automatic flight path planning and autonomous flying is often applied but so far cannot fully replace the human in the loop, supervising the flight on-site to assure that there are no collisions with obstacles. Unfortunately, this workflow yields several issues, such as the need to mentally transfer the aerial vehicle’s position between 2D map positions and the physical environment, and the complicated depth perception of objects flying in the distance. Augmented Reality can address these issues by bringing the flight planning process on-site and visualizing the spatial relationship between the planned or current positions of the vehicle and the physical environment. In this paper, we present Augmented Reality supported navigation and flight planning of micro aerial vehicles by augmenting the user’s view with relevant information for flight planning and live feedback for flight supervision. Furthermore, we introduce additional depth hints supporting the user in understanding the spatial relationship of virtual waypoints in the physical world and investigate the effect of these visualization techniques on the spatial understanding.

Social and cultural sustainability: criteria, indicators, verifier variables for measurement and maps for visualization to support planning.

PubMed

Axelsson, Robert; Angelstam, Per; Degerman, Erik; Teitelbaum, Sara; Andersson, Kjell; Elbakidze, Marine; Drotz, Marcus K

2013-03-01

Policies on economic use of natural resources require considerations to social and cultural values. In order to make those concrete in a planning context, this paper aims to interpret social and cultural criteria, identify indicators, match these with verifier variables and visualize them on maps. Indicators were selected from a review of scholarly work and natural resource policies, and then matched with verifier variables available for Sweden's 290 municipalities. Maps of the spatial distribution of four social and four cultural verifier variables were then produced. Consideration of social and cultural values in the studied natural resource use sectors was limited. The spatial distribution of the verifier variables exhibited a general divide between northwest and south Sweden, and regional rural and urban areas. We conclude that it is possible to identify indicators and match them with verifier variables to support inclusion of social and cultural values in planning.

Emperical Tests of Acceptance Sampling Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, K. Preston, Jr.; Johnson, Kenneth L.

2012-01-01

Acceptance sampling is a quality control procedure applied as an alternative to 100% inspection. A random sample of items is drawn from a lot to determine the fraction of items which have a required quality characteristic. Both the number of items to be inspected and the criterion for determining conformance of the lot to the requirement are given by an appropriate sampling plan with specified risks of Type I and Type II sampling errors. In this paper, we present the results of empirical tests of the accuracy of selected sampling plans reported in the literature. These plans are for measureable quality characteristics which are known have either binomial, exponential, normal, gamma, Weibull, inverse Gaussian, or Poisson distributions. In the main, results support the accepted wisdom that variables acceptance plans are superior to attributes (binomial) acceptance plans, in the sense that these provide comparable protection against risks at reduced sampling cost. For the Gaussian and Weibull plans, however, there are ranges of the shape parameters for which the required sample sizes are in fact larger than the corresponding attributes plans, dramatically so for instances of large skew. Tests further confirm that the published inverse-Gaussian (IG) plan is flawed, as reported by White and Johnson (2011).

Research-Grade 3D Virtual Astromaterials Samples: Novel Visualization of NASA's Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorite Samples to Benefit Curation, Research, and Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blumenfeld, E. H.; Evans, C. A.; Oshel, E. R.; Liddle, D. A.; Beaulieu, K. R.; Zeigler, R. A.; Righter, K.; Hanna, R. D.; Ketcham, R. A.

2017-01-01

NASA's vast and growing collections of astromaterials are both scientifically and culturally significant, requiring unique preservation strategies that need to be recurrently updated to contemporary technological capabilities and increasing accessibility demands. New technologies have made it possible to advance documentation and visualization practices that can enhance conservation and curation protocols for NASA's Astromaterials Collections. Our interdisciplinary team has developed a method to create 3D Virtual Astromaterials Samples (VAS) of the existing collections of Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorites. Research-grade 3D VAS will virtually put these samples in the hands of researchers and educators worldwide, increasing accessibility and visibility of these significant collections. With new sample return missions on the horizon, it is of primary importance to develop advanced curation standards for documentation and visualization methodologies.

Multimodality Non-Rigid Image Registration for Planning, Targeting and Monitoring during CT-guided Percutaneous Liver Tumor Cryoablation

PubMed Central

Elhawary, Haytham; Oguro, Sota; Tuncali, Kemal; Morrison, Paul R.; Tatli, Servet; Shyn, Paul B.; Silverman, Stuart G.; Hata, Nobuhiko

2010-01-01

Rationale and Objectives To develop non-rigid image registration between pre-procedure contrast enhanced MR images and intra-procedure unenhanced CT images, to enhance tumor visualization and localization during CT-guided liver tumor cryoablation procedures. Materials and Methods After IRB approval, a non-rigid registration (NRR) technique was evaluated with different pre-processing steps and algorithm parameters and compared to a standard rigid registration (RR) approach. The Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), Target Registration Error (TRE), 95% Hausdorff distance (HD) and total registration time (minutes) were compared using a two-sided Student’s t-test. The entire registration method was then applied during five CT-guided liver cryoablation cases with the intra-procedural CT data transmitted directly from the CT scanner, with both accuracy and registration time evaluated. Results Selected optimal parameters for registration were section thickness of 5mm, cropping the field of view to 66% of its original size, manual segmentation of the liver, B-spline control grid of 5×5×5 and spatial sampling of 50,000 pixels. Mean 95% HD of 3.3mm (2.5x improvement compared to RR, p<0.05); mean DSC metric of 0.97 (13% increase); and mean TRE of 4.1mm (2.7x reduction) were measured. During the cryoablation procedure registration between the pre-procedure MR and the planning intra-procedure CT took a mean time of 10.6 minutes, the MR to targeting CT image took 4 minutes and MR to monitoring CT took 4.3 minutes. Mean registration accuracy was under 3.4mm. Conclusion Non-rigid registration allowed improved visualization of the tumor during interventional planning, targeting and evaluation of tumor coverage by the ice ball. Future work is focused on reducing segmentation time to make the method more clinically acceptable. PMID:20817574

Modeling of the "PLAN DA MATTUN" Archaeological Site Using a Combination of Different Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novák, D.; Tokarczyk, P.; Theiler, P. W.

2012-07-01

Plan da Mattun is located at ~2200 metre above sea level in the Tasna valley in alpine south-eastern Switzerland. In this remote location, finds dating back to the time of Ötzi (3000 B.C.) were discovered by archaeologists from the University of Zurich. For detailed investigations of the site as well as for documentation and visualization purposes the archaeologists were interested in digital models of the terrain and of certain boulders. In the presented project a digital terrain model of the rock stream located at the beginning of the valley was created, as well as detailed models of four larger boulders. These boulders average to 15 metre in height and width. The roughness of terrain makes it difficult to access certain areas and requires using multiple surveying techniques in order to cover all objects of interest. Therefore the digital terrain model was acquired using a combination of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and photogrammetric recording from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The larger boulders were reconstructed with a combination of TLS, terrestrial and UAV-based photogrammetry. With this approach it was possible to acquire a highaccuracy dataset over an area of 0.12 km2 under difficult conditions. The dataset includes a digital terrain model with a ground sampling distance of 10 cm and a relative accuracy of 2 cm in moderately sloped terrain. The larger boulders feature a resolution of 1 cm and a relative accuracy of 0.5 cm. The 3D data is to be used both for archaeological visualization purposes and for geological analysis of the rock stream.

Virtual Surgical Planning for Inferior Alveolar Nerve Reconstruction.

PubMed

Miloro, Michael; Markiewicz, Michael R

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the outcomes after preoperative virtual surgical planning (VSP) for inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) reconstruction in ablative mandibular surgery. We performed a retrospective evaluation of consecutive surgical cases using standard VSP for hard tissue resection and reconstructive surgery in addition to IAN VSP performed simultaneously during surgery. Cases were assessed regarding the planning time, additional costs involved, surgeon's subjective impression of the process, accuracy of the prediction during surgery, and operative time during surgery compared with cases performed without VSP. The study sample was composed of 5 cases of mandibular resection for benign disease, with bony, soft tissue, and neural reconstruction with the use of VSP. The addition of IAN reconstruction to the VSP session added no additional expense to the planning session but resulted in an additional 22.5 minutes (±7.5 minutes) for the webinar session. From a subjective standpoint, IAN VSP provided the surgeon with a discreet plan for surgery. From an objective standpoint, IAN VSP provided the exact length and diameter of nerve graft required for surgery, facilitated the surgeon's ability to visualize the actual nerve graft procedure, and limited the additional time required for simultaneous nerve reconstruction. Despite perceived prejudice against simultaneous IAN reconstruction with complex mandibular resection and reconstruction, the use of IAN VSP may facilitate the actual surgical procedure and result in considerably improved patient outcomes without considerable additional time or cost associated with this protocol. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integration of land use and land cover inventories for landscape management and planning in Italy.

PubMed

Sallustio, Lorenzo; Munafò, Michele; Riitano, Nicola; Lasserre, Bruno; Fattorini, Lorenzo; Marchetti, Marco

2016-01-01

There are both semantic and technical differences between land use (LU) and land cover (LC) measurements. In cartographic approaches, these differences are often neglected, giving rise to a hybrid classification. The aim of this paper is to provide a better understanding and characterization of the two classification schemes using a comparison that allows maximization of the informative power of both. The analysis was carried out in the Molise region (Central Italy) using sample information from the Italian Land Use Inventory (IUTI). The sampling points were classified with a visual interpretation of aerial photographs for both LU and LC in order to estimate surfaces and assess the changes that occurred between 2000 and 2012. The results underscore the polarization of land use and land cover changes resulting from the following: (a) recolonization of natural surfaces, (b) strong dynamisms between the LC classes in the natural and semi-natural domain and (c) urban sprawl on the lower hills and plains. Most of the observed transitions are attributable to decreases in croplands, natural grasslands and pastures, owing to agricultural abandonment. The results demonstrate that a comparison between LU and LC estimates and their changes provides an understanding of the causes of misalignment between the two criteria. Such information may be useful for planning policies in both natural and semi-natural contexts as well as in urban areas.

Methods for Data-based Delineation of Spatial Regions

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

Wilson, John E.

In data analysis, it is often useful to delineate or segregate areas of interest from the general population of data in order to concentrate further analysis efforts on smaller areas. Three methods are presented here for automatically generating polygons around spatial data of interest. Each method addresses a distinct data type. These methods were developed for and implemented in the sample planning tool called Visual Sample Plan (VSP). Method A is used to delineate areas of elevated values in a rectangular grid of data (raster). The data used for this method are spatially related. Although VSP uses data from amore » kriging process for this method, it will work for any type of data that is spatially coherent and appears on a regular grid. Method B is used to surround areas of interest characterized by individual data points that are congregated within a certain distance of each other. Areas where data are “clumped” together spatially will be delineated. Method C is used to recreate the original boundary in a raster of data that separated data values from non-values. This is useful when a rectangular raster of data contains non-values (missing data) that indicate they were outside of some original boundary. If the original boundary is not delivered with the raster, this method will approximate the original boundary.« less

A Quantitative Exposure Planning Tool for Surgical Approaches to the Sacroiliac Joint.

PubMed

Phelps, Kevin D; Ming, Bryan W; Fox, Wade E; Bellamy, Nelly; Sims, Stephen H; Karunakar, Madhav A; Hsu, Joseph R

2016-06-01

To aid in surgical planning by quantifying and comparing the osseous exposure between the anterior and posterior approaches to the sacroiliac joint. Anterior and posterior approaches were performed on 12 sacroiliac joints in 6 fresh-frozen torsos. Visual and palpable access to relevant surgical landmarks was recorded. Calibrated digital photographs were taken of each approach and analyzed using Image J. The average surface areas of exposed bone were 44 and 33 cm for the anterior and posterior approaches, respectively. The anterior iliolumbar ligament footprint could be visualized in all anterior approaches, whereas the posterior aspect could be visualized in all but one posterior approach. The anterior approach provided visual and palpable access to the anterior superior edge of the sacroiliac joint in all specimens, the posterior superior edge in 75% of specimens, and the inferior margin in 25% and 50% of specimens, respectively. The inferior sacroiliac joint was easily visualized and palpated in all posterior approaches, although access to the anterior and posterior superior edges was more limited. The anterior S1 neuroforamen was not visualized with either approach and was more consistently palpated when going posterior (33% vs. 92%). Both anterior and posterior approaches can be used for open reduction of pure sacroiliac dislocations, each with specific areas for assessing reduction. In light of current plate dimensions, fractures more than 2.5 cm lateral to the anterior iliolumbar ligament footprint are amenable to anterior plate fixation, whereas those more medial may be better addressed through a posterior approach.

Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Field Sampling Plan for 2007

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

T. Haney

2007-07-31

This field sampling plan describes the field investigations planned for the Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Project at the Idaho National Laboratory Site in 2007. This plan and the Quality Assurance Project Plan for Waste Area Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and Removal Actions constitute the sampling and analysis plan supporting long-term ecological monitoring sampling in 2007. The data collected under this plan will become part of the long-term ecological monitoring data set that is being collected annually. The data will be used t determine the requirements for the subsequent long-term ecological monitoring. This plan guides the 2007more » investigations, including sampling, quality assurance, quality control, analytical procedures, and data management. As such, this plan will help to ensure that the resulting monitoring data will be scientifically valid, defensible, and of known and acceptable quality.« less

BURRITO: An Interactive Multi-Omic Tool for Visualizing Taxa–Function Relationships in Microbiome Data

PubMed Central

McNally, Colin P.; Eng, Alexander; Noecker, Cecilia; Gagne-Maynard, William C.; Borenstein, Elhanan

2018-01-01

The abundance of both taxonomic groups and gene categories in microbiome samples can now be easily assayed via various sequencing technologies, and visualized using a variety of software tools. However, the assemblage of taxa in the microbiome and its gene content are clearly linked, and tools for visualizing the relationship between these two facets of microbiome composition and for facilitating exploratory analysis of their co-variation are lacking. Here we introduce BURRITO, a web tool for interactive visualization of microbiome multi-omic data with paired taxonomic and functional information. BURRITO simultaneously visualizes the taxonomic and functional compositions of multiple samples and dynamically highlights relationships between taxa and functions to capture the underlying structure of these data. Users can browse for taxa and functions of interest and interactively explore the share of each function attributed to each taxon across samples. BURRITO supports multiple input formats for taxonomic and metagenomic data, allows adjustment of data granularity, and can export generated visualizations as static publication-ready formatted figures. In this paper, we describe the functionality of BURRITO, and provide illustrative examples of its utility for visualizing various trends in the relationship between the composition of taxa and functions in complex microbiomes. PMID:29545787

Engineering visualization utilizing advanced animation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1989-01-01

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

Visualizing preparation using asymmetrical choline-like ionic liquids for scanning electron microscope observation of non-conductive biological samples.

PubMed

Abe, Shigeaki; Hyono, Atsushi; Kawai, Koji; Yonezawa, Tetsu

2014-03-01

In this study, we investigated conductivity preparation for scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation that used novel asymmetrical choline-type room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL). By immersion in only an RTIL solution, clear SEM images of several types of biological samples were successfully observed. In addition, we could visualize protozoans using RTILs without any dilution. These results suggested that the asymmetrical choline-type RTILs used in this study are suitable for visualizing of biological samples by SEM. Treatment without the need for dilution can obviate the need for adjusting the RTIL concentration and provide for a rapid and easy conductivity treatment for insulating samples.

Visual format for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis in clinical samples using molecular beacons.

PubMed

Kumar, Parameet; Nath, Kapili; Rath, Bimba; Sen, Manas K; Vishalakshi, Potharuju; Chauhan, Devender S; Katoch, Vishwa M; Singh, Sarman; Tyagi, Sanjay; Sreenivas, Vishnubhatla; Prasad, Hanumanthappa K

2009-09-01

A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the direct identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis using molecular beacons was developed. The assay was modified for use in regular thermal cyclers. Molecular beacons that were specific for M. tuberculosis (Tb-B) and M. bovis (Bo-B) were designed. The fluorescence of the target PCR product-molecular beacon probe complex was detected visually using a transilluminator. The results were then compared with those of conventional multiplex PCR (CM-PCR) assays and biochemical identification. The detection limit of Tb-B and Bo-B beacons was 500 fg and 50 fg by the visual format and real-time PCR assay, respectively, compared with 5 pg by CM-PCR assay. Pulmonary and extrapulmonary samples were examined. The agreement between culture and the two assays was very good in sputum samples and fair in extrapulmonary samples. The agreement between clinical diagnoses with the two assays was moderate in extrapulmonary samples. There was very good agreement between CM-PCR and visual format assays for all samples used in the study. Concordance in the identification of isolates by the visual, CM-PCR assay, and biochemical identification was seen. Hence, the use of molecular beacon detection of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis in clinical samples is feasible by setting up two asymmetric PCRs concurrently. The assay is sensitive, specific, simple to interpret, and takes less than 3 hours to complete.

Visual Format for Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis in Clinical Samples Using Molecular Beacons

PubMed Central

Kumar, Parameet; Nath, Kapili; Rath, Bimba; Sen, Manas K.; Vishalakshi, Potharuju; Chauhan, Devender S.; Katoch, Vishwa M.; Singh, Sarman; Tyagi, Sanjay; Sreenivas, Vishnubhatla; Prasad, Hanumanthappa K.

2009-01-01

A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the direct identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis using molecular beacons was developed. The assay was modified for use in regular thermal cyclers. Molecular beacons that were specific for M. tuberculosis (Tb-B) and M. bovis (Bo-B) were designed. The fluorescence of the target PCR product-molecular beacon probe complex was detected visually using a transilluminator. The results were then compared with those of conventional multiplex PCR (CM-PCR) assays and biochemical identification. The detection limit of Tb-B and Bo-B beacons was 500 fg and 50 fg by the visual format and real-time PCR assay, respectively, compared with 5 pg by CM-PCR assay. Pulmonary and extrapulmonary samples were examined. The agreement between culture and the two assays was very good in sputum samples and fair in extrapulmonary samples. The agreement between clinical diagnoses with the two assays was moderate in extrapulmonary samples. There was very good agreement between CM-PCR and visual format assays for all samples used in the study. Concordance in the identification of isolates by the visual, CM-PCR assay, and biochemical identification was seen. Hence, the use of molecular beacon detection of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis in clinical samples is feasible by setting up two asymmetric PCRs concurrently. The assay is sensitive, specific, simple to interpret, and takes less than 3 hours to complete. PMID:19661384

A visual training tool for the Photoload sampling technique

Treesearch

Violet J. Holley; Robert E. Keane

2010-01-01

This visual training aid is designed to provide Photoload users a tool to increase the accuracy of fuel loading estimations when using the Photoload technique. The Photoload Sampling Technique (RMRS-GTR-190) provides fire managers a sampling method for obtaining consistent, accurate, inexpensive, and quick estimates of fuel loading. It is designed to require only one...

Visual environment recognition for robot path planning using template matched filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orozco-Rosas, Ulises; Picos, Kenia; Díaz-Ramírez, Víctor H.; Montiel, Oscar; Sepúlveda, Roberto

2017-08-01

A visual approach in environment recognition for robot navigation is proposed. This work includes a template matching filtering technique to detect obstacles and feasible paths using a single camera to sense a cluttered environment. In this problem statement, a robot can move from the start to the goal by choosing a single path between multiple possible ways. In order to generate an efficient and safe path for mobile robot navigation, the proposal employs a pseudo-bacterial potential field algorithm to derive optimal potential field functions using evolutionary computation. Simulation results are evaluated in synthetic and real scenes in terms of accuracy of environment recognition and efficiency of path planning computation.

Long Range Plan for Embedded Computer Systems Support. Volume II

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-01

interface (pilot displays and controls plus visual system), and data collection (CMAC data, bus data and simulation data). Non-real time functions include...unless adequate upfront planning is implemented, the command will be controlled by the dynamics rather than controll - ing them. The upfront planning should...or should they be called manually? What amount and type of data should the various tools pass between each other? Under what conditions and controls

"Jacob Have I Loved." Learning Page Lesson Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaacs, Kathy

In this middle school social studies and literature lesson plan, pictures from "America from the Great Depression to World War II" in the American Memory collection provide visual images to introduce and spark curiosity about "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson, a novel about jealousy set on an island in the Chesapeake…

Compliance and Cognitive Function: A Methodological Approach to Measuring Unintentional Errors in Medication Compliance in the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaac, Lisa M.; And Others

1993-01-01

Assessed multiple aspects of cognitive performance, medication planning ability, and medication compliance in 20 elderly outpatients. Findings suggest that aspects of attention/concentration, visual and verbal memory, and motor function which are untapped by simple mental status assessment are related to medication access, planning, and compliance…

77 FR 55224 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area Management Plan and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-07

...: Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Hudgens- Williams, P.O. Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383. Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Hudgens- Williams, 20 M Street SE...; and visual resources. The Proposed Imperial Sand Dunes RAMP and CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS includes...

76 FR 5607 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan for the Rock Springs Field Office, Wyoming...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-01

..., recreation, visual resource management, public safety, law enforcement, and geographic information systems... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLWY930000-L16100000-DS0000] Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan for the Rock Springs Field Office, Wyoming and Associated...

From Seeing to Saying: Perceiving, Planning, Producing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuchinsky, Stefanie Ellen

2009-01-01

Given the amount of visual information in a scene, how do speakers determine what to talk about first? One hypothesis is that speakers start talking about what has attentional priority, while another is that speakers first extract the scene gist, using the obtained relational information to generate a rudimentary sentence plan before retrieving…

Towards a National Plan in Applied Education and Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adderley, John

The National Computing Centre Limited (NCC), established by the British Government to extend and improve the use of computers in the United Kingdom, is a major force in computer science education. As part of the overall national plan, training course packages consisting of lecturer's materials, visual aids and student notes have been prepared for…

Risk maps for navigation in liver surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, C.; Zidowitz, S.; Schenk, A.; Oldhafer, K.-J.; Lang, H.; Peitgen, H.-O.

2010-02-01

The optimal transfer of preoperative planning data and risk evaluations to the operative site is challenging. A common practice is to use preoperative 3D planning models as a printout or as a presentation on a display. One important aspect is that these models were not developed to provide information in complex workspaces like the operating room. Our aim is to reduce the visual complexity of 3D planning models by mapping surgically relevant information onto a risk map. Therefore, we present methods for the identification and classification of critical anatomical structures in the proximity of a preoperatively planned resection surface. Shadow-like distance indicators are introduced to encode the distance from the resection surface to these critical structures on the risk map. In addition, contour lines are used to accentuate shape and spatial depth. The resulting visualization is clear and intuitive, allowing for a fast mental mapping of the current resection surface to the risk map. Preliminary evaluations by liver surgeons indicate that damage to risk structures may be prevented and patient safety may be enhanced using the proposed methods.

Final Report for Phase II Study: Prototyping the Sketch Planning Visualization Tool for Non-Motorized Travel

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

Hwang, Ho-Ling; Wilson, Daniel W; Reuscher, Tim

To further examine how factors such as those identified from the Phase I NMT study, and the modeling framework developed under that effort could be applied to local/regional level planning activities, FHWA decided to pursue a Phase II study. It was determined that a small geographic area with more detailed local data would be necessary. Although Washington D.C. was not one of the 2009 NHTS add-ons, it did conduct a household travel survey of 11,000 households in 2007-2008. The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) conducted the household travel survey. The datamore » coverage under the MWCOG survey is much higher than that of the NHTS. As a part of the Phase II study, a prototype of a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based sketch planning visualization tool was also to be developed. The intent was to use a neighborhood in the Washington D.C. region as a case study for this prototype application.« less

Planning of visually guided reach-to-grasp movements: inference from reaction time and contingent negative variation (CNV).

PubMed

Zaepffel, Manuel; Brochier, Thomas

2012-01-01

We performed electroencephalogram (EEG) recording in a precuing task to investigate the planning processes of reach-to-grasp movements in human. In this reaction time (RT) task, subjects had to reach, grasp, and pull an object as fast as possible after a visual GO signal. We manipulated two parameters: the hand shape for grasping (precision grip or side grip) and the force required to pull the object (high or low). Three seconds before the GO onset, a cue provided advance information about force, grip, both parameters, or no information at all. EEG data show that reach-to-grasp movements generate differences in the topographic distribution of the late Contingent Negative Variation (ICNV) amplitude between the 4 precuing conditions. Along with RT data, it confirms that two distinct functional networks are involved with different time courses in the planning of grip and force. Finally, we outline the composite nature of the lCNV that might reflect both high- and low-level planning processes. Copyright © 2011 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Virtual skeletal complex model- and landmark-guided orthognathic surgery system.

PubMed

Lee, Sang-Jeong; Woo, Sang-Yoon; Huh, Kyung-Hoe; Lee, Sam-Sun; Heo, Min-Suk; Choi, Soon-Chul; Han, Jeong Joon; Yang, Hoon Joo; Hwang, Soon Jung; Yi, Won-Jin

2016-05-01

In this study, correction of the maxillofacial deformities was performed by repositioning bone segments to an appropriate location according to the preoperative planning in orthognathic surgery. The surgery was planned using the patient's virtual skeletal models fused with optically scanned three-dimensional dentition. The virtual maxillomandibular complex (MMC) model of the patient's final occlusal relationship was generated by fusion of the maxillary and mandibular models with scanned occlusion. The final position of the MMC was simulated preoperatively by planning and was used as a goal model for guidance. During surgery, the intraoperative registration was finished immediately using only software processing. For accurate repositioning, the intraoperative MMC model was visualized on the monitor with respect to the simulated MMC model, and the intraoperative positions of multiple landmarks were also visualized on the MMC surface model. The deviation errors between the intraoperative and the final positions of each landmark were visualized quantitatively. As a result, the surgeon could easily recognize the three-dimensional deviation of the intraoperative MMC state from the final goal model without manually applying a pointing tool, and could also quickly determine the amount and direction of further MMC movements needed to reach the goal position. The surgeon could also perform various osteotomies and remove bone interference conveniently, as the maxillary tracking tool could be separated from the MMC. The root mean square (RMS) difference between the preoperative planning and the intraoperative guidance was 1.16 ± 0.34 mm immediately after repositioning. After surgery, the RMS differences between the planning and the postoperative computed tomographic model were 1.31 ± 0.28 mm and 1.74 ± 0.73 mm for the maxillary and mandibular landmarks, respectively. Our method provides accurate and flexible guidance for bimaxillary orthognathic surgery based on intraoperative visualization and quantification of deviations for simulated postoperative MMC and landmarks. The guidance using simulated skeletal models and landmarks can complement and improve conventional navigational surgery for bone repositioning in the craniomaxillofacial area. Copyright © 2016 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and factors associated with childhood visual impairment in Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Bezabih, Lidiya; Abebe, Tilaye Workneh; Fite, Robera Olana

2017-01-01

Background Visual impairment is a significant loss of vision. It has an impact on the prosperity of different countries. It has been difficult to plan preventive measures against visual impairment due to the scarcity of data about the extent of the problem. Objectives The study was aimed at assessing the prevalence and identifying factors associated with visual impairment among school-age children in Ethiopia. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study design was used in four randomly selected schools found in Addis Ababa from May 15 to June 14, 2016. A total of 804 school-age students were selected using the simple random sampling method. Bivariable logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression were conducted. A p-value <0.05 was taken as a significant association. Results A total of 718 students participated in the study, obtaining a response rate of 89.3%. In all, 7.24% of school-age children were visually impaired, of whom 3.9% had low vision and 3.34% had severe visual impairment. Factors associated with visual impairment were being female (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–3.50), being in the age group of 10–13 years (AOR, 2.94; 95% CI, 1.36–6.22), being in the age group of 14–18 years (AOR, 4.06; 95% CI, 2.17–11.95), being a private school student (AOR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.81–4.41), watching television for 2–4 hours/day (AOR, 3.56; 95% CI, 1.37–7.34), watching television at <1 m (AOR, 7.65; 95% CI, 2.59–34.61), watching television at 1–2 m (AOR, 6.89; 95% CI, 1.74–25.27), mobile exposure for 2–4 hours/day (AOR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.35–4.58), mobile exposure for >4 hours/day (AOR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.41–9.18), medical visit while experiencing symptoms (AOR, 11.32; 95% CI, 1.80–82.25) and no medical visit experience (AOR, 3.84; 95% CI, 0.46–31.76). Conclusion The majority of the visually impaired school-age children had low vision. Sex, age, school type, television exposure duration, the distance of television exposure, mobile exposure and medical visit were factors associated with visual impairment. Increasing community awareness about early detection of visual impairment and providing affordable eye health service may decrease the prevalence of visual impairment. PMID:29184383

"I See What You Mean": Using Visual Data Collection Methods to Explore Leadership Curriculum Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Anna; Koglbauer, René

2018-01-01

This article reports on the use of a visual methods approach to collecting and analysing data in relation to the area of leadership curriculum development. The focus of the study is the structure of the current leadership curriculum for the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) in England. In particular, the authors explore the extent to…

Computing Advances Enable More Efficient Buildings - Continuum Magazine |

Science.gov Websites

-and to visualize and react to the data that's available to them," says Brackney. One example of to tell occupants when to open and close their windows. A screen shot of the Building Agent, showing it has been launched. One of the visualization tools is a floor plan that shows which parts of the

An Action Sequence Withheld in Memory Can Delay Execution of Visually Guided Actions: The Generalization of Response Compatibility Interference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiediger, Matthew D.; Fournier, Lisa R.

2008-01-01

Withholding an action plan in memory for later execution can delay execution of another action, if the actions share a similar (compatible) action feature (i.e., response hand). This phenomenon, termed compatibility interference (CI), was found for identity-based actions that do not require visual guidance. The authors examined whether CI can…

Elevated Voriconazole Level Associated With Hallucinations and Suicidal Ideation: A Case Report.

PubMed

Jansen, Jeffrey W; Sen, Sumon K; Moenster, Ryan P

2017-01-01

Voriconazole, a broad-spectrum antifungal, has been associated with visual and auditory hallucinations. We report the case of patient being treated with voriconazole for pulmonary aspergillosis who developed visual hallucinations and new suicidal ideation with plan. Voriconazole troughs were supratherapeutic (9.0 mcg/mL) and the patient was positive for the CYP2C19*1/*2 allele.

EXEL; Experience for Children in Learning. Parent-Directed Activities to Develop: Oral Expression, Visual Discrimination, Auditory Discrimination, Motor Coordination.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behrmann, Polly; Millman, Joan

The activities collected in this handbook are planned for parents to use with their children in a learning experience. They can also be used in the classroom. Sections contain games designed to develop visual discrimination, auditory discrimination, motor coordination and oral expression. An objective is given for each game, and directions for…

From Spoke to Hub: Transforming Organizational Vision and Strategy With Story and Visual Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyler, Jo A.

2015-01-01

This article reports on a case study at an inner-city nonprofit service agency that inquired into the ways integration of storytelling and visual art as a method of adult learning and way of knowing might influence the process of strategic visioning and planning in a nonprofit organization. The case study focuses on data collected through…

Enduring Understandings, Artistic Processes, and the New Visual Arts Standards: A Close-up Consideration for Curriculum Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Marilyn G.

2014-01-01

National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) Writing Team member Marilyn G. Stewart discusses what to expect from the new "next generation" Visual Arts Standards, detailing the 4 Artistic Processes and 15 Enduring Understandings. This invited essay addresses the instructional aspects of the standards, and looks at how they can help…

Challenges and Strategies of Working with Learners with Low Vision: Implications for Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalo, J. A.; Indoshi, F. C.; Agak, J. O.

2012-01-01

Learners with low vision can be trained to increase their visual functioning through a planned programme of visual experiences. Such a low vision training programme was introduced in Kenya in 1994. However, despite its implementation over the last 15 years, challenges still persist among teachers who work with such learners. The purpose of this…

Semi-Immersive Virtual Turbine Engine Simulation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abidi, Mustufa H.; Al-Ahmari, Abdulrahman M.; Ahmad, Ali; Darmoul, Saber; Ameen, Wadea

2018-05-01

The design and verification of assembly operations is essential for planning product production operations. Recently, virtual prototyping has witnessed tremendous progress, and has reached a stage where current environments enable rich and multi-modal interaction between designers and models through stereoscopic visuals, surround sound, and haptic feedback. The benefits of building and using Virtual Reality (VR) models in assembly process verification are discussed in this paper. In this paper, we present the virtual assembly (VA) of an aircraft turbine engine. The assembly parts and sequences are explained using a virtual reality design system. The system enables stereoscopic visuals, surround sounds, and ample and intuitive interaction with developed models. A special software architecture is suggested to describe the assembly parts and assembly sequence in VR. A collision detection mechanism is employed that provides visual feedback to check the interference between components. The system is tested for virtual prototype and assembly sequencing of a turbine engine. We show that the developed system is comprehensive in terms of VR feedback mechanisms, which include visual, auditory, tactile, as well as force feedback. The system is shown to be effective and efficient for validating the design of assembly, part design, and operations planning.

Taking the world for a spin: teaching spatial and data visualization with a digital globe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teplitzky, S.; Powell, S.

2016-12-01

In the summer of 2016, the Earth Sciences & Map Library at the University of California, Berkeley, purchased a Magic Planet digital globe in a collaboration between the library and the departments of Geography and Earth & Planetary Science. This 30" diameter 3D display supplements and expands the library's instruction and outreach activities in GIS, data visualization and modeling. Faculty and graduate students were surveyed regarding their interest in using the globe for teaching and research projects. Based on this feedback, librarians developed a basic training plan for using the globe in the classroom, as well as an assessment tool to rate the effectiveness of instruction with the digital globe. Student and faculty responses at the end of fall semester (2016) will be evaluated for future plans to increase the variety of data sets and animations available to view on the globe. Curriculum and guides for visualizing custom and interactive data sets will be developed and made available based on current researcher and student interests. We are excited about partnering with our departments and engaging our students in the possibilities of 3d visualization, and look forward to sharing lessons learned.

Comparison of the efficiency between two sampling plans for aflatoxins analysis in maize

PubMed Central

Mallmann, Adriano Olnei; Marchioro, Alexandro; Oliveira, Maurício Schneider; Rauber, Ricardo Hummes; Dilkin, Paulo; Mallmann, Carlos Augusto

2014-01-01

Variance and performance of two sampling plans for aflatoxins quantification in maize were evaluated. Eight lots of maize were sampled using two plans: manual, using sampling spear for kernels; and automatic, using a continuous flow to collect milled maize. Total variance and sampling, preparation, and analysis variance were determined and compared between plans through multifactor analysis of variance. Four theoretical distribution models were used to compare aflatoxins quantification distributions in eight maize lots. The acceptance and rejection probabilities for a lot under certain aflatoxin concentration were determined using variance and the information on the selected distribution model to build the operational characteristic curves (OC). Sampling and total variance were lower at the automatic plan. The OC curve from the automatic plan reduced both consumer and producer risks in comparison to the manual plan. The automatic plan is more efficient than the manual one because it expresses more accurately the real aflatoxin contamination in maize. PMID:24948911

A web-based spatial decision support system for spatial planning and governance in the Guangdong Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qitao; Zhang, Hong-ou; Chen, Fengui; Dou, Jie

2008-10-01

After three decades' rapid economic development, Guangdong province faces to thorny problems related to pollution, resource shortage and environmental deterioration. What is worse, the future accelerated development, urbanization and industrialization also comes at the cost of regional imbalance with economic gaps growing and the quality of life in different regions degrading. Development and Reform Commission of Guangdong Province (GDDRC) started a spatial planning project under the national frame in 2007. The prospective project is expected to enhance the equality of different regions and balance the economic development with environmental protection and improved sustainability. This manuscript presents the results of scientific research aiming to develop a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) for this spatial planning project. The system composes four modules include the User interface module (UIM), Spatial Analyze module (SAM), Database management module (DMM) and Help module (HM) base on ArcInfo, JSP/Servlet, JavaScript, MapServer, Visual C++ and Visual Basic technologies. The web-based SDSS provides a user-friendly tool for local decision makers, regional planners and other stakeholders in understanding and visualizing the different territorial dimensions of economic development against sustainable environmental and exhausted resources, and in defining, comparing and prioritizing specific territorially-based actions in order to prevent non-sustainable development and implement relevant politics.

Visual Outcomes of Parapapillary Uveal Melanomas Following Proton Beam Therapy

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

Thariat, Juliette, E-mail: jthariat@gmail.com; Grange, Jean-Daniel; Mosci, Carlo

Purpose: In parapapillary melanoma patients, radiation-induced optic complications are frequent and visual acuity is often compromised. We investigated dose-effect relationships for the optic nerve with respect to visual acuity after proton therapy. Methods and Materials: Of 5205 patients treated between 1991 and 2014, those treated using computed tomography (CT)-based planning to 52 Gy (prescribed dose, not accounting for relative biologic effectiveness correction of 1.1) in 4 fractions, with minimal 6-month follow-up and documented initial and last visual acuity, were included. Deterioration of ≥0.3 logMAR between initial and last visual acuity results was reported. Results: A total of 865 consecutive patients weremore » included. Median follow-up was 69 months, mean age was 61.7 years, tumor abutted the papilla in 35.1% of patients, and tumor-to-fovea distance was ≤3 mm in 74.2% of patients. Five-year relapse-free survival rate was 92.7%. Visual acuity was ≥20/200 in 72.6% of patients initially and 47.2% at last follow-up. A wedge filter was used in 47.8% of the patients, with a positive impact on vision and no impact on relapse. Glaucoma, radiation-induced optic neuropathy, maculopathy were reported in 17.9%, 47.5%, and 33.6% of patients, respectively. On multivariate analysis, age, diabetes, thickness, initial visual acuity and percentage of macula receiving 26 Gy were predictive of visual acuity. Furthermore, patients irradiated to ≥80% of their papilla had better visual acuity when limiting the 50% (30-Gy) and 20% (12-Gy) isodoses to ≤2 mm and 6 mm of optic nerve length, respectively. Conclusions: A personalized proton therapy plan with optic nerve and macular sparing can be used efficiently with good oncological and functional results in parapapillary melanoma patients.« less

Visual Arts Teaching in Kindergarten through 3rd-Grade Classrooms in the UAE: Teacher Profiles, Perceptions, and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buldu, Mehmet; Shaban, Mohamed S.

2010-01-01

This study portrayed a picture of kindergarten through 3rd-grade teachers who teach visual arts, their perceptions of the value of visual arts, their visual arts teaching practices, visual arts experiences provided to young learners in school, and major factors and/or influences that affect their teaching of visual arts. The sample for this study…

Childhood blindness: a new form for recording causes of visual loss in children.

PubMed Central

Gilbert, C.; Foster, A.; Négrel, A. D.; Thylefors, B.

1993-01-01

The new standardized form for recording the causes of visual loss in children is accompanied by coding instructions and by a database for statistical analysis. The aim is to record the causes of childhood visual loss, with an emphasis on preventable and treatable causes, so that appropriate control measures can be planned. With this standardized methodology, it will be possible to monitor the changing patterns of childhood blindness over a period of time in response to changes in health care services, specific interventions, and socioeconomic development. PMID:8261552

IN31A-1734 Development and Evaluation of a Gridded CrIS/ATMS Visualization for Operational Forecasting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zavodsky, Bradley; Smith, Nadia; Dostalek, Jack; Stevens, Eric; Nelson, Kristine; Weisz, Elisabeth; Berndt, Emily; Line, Bill; Barnet, Chris; Gambacorta, Antonia;

7 CFR 43.103 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing... SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.103 Purpose and scope. (a) This subpart contains selected single and double sampling plans for inspection by attributes. They are to serve as a source of plans for developing...

Biomarkers for PTSD

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

Molecular evidence of stress- induced acute heart injury in a mouse model simulating posttraumatic stress disorder. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Feb...obtaining measures aligned with the core neurocognitive domains: IQ, working memory ( auditory /visual), processing speed, verbal memory (immediate...in the test sample and combined sample with a similar pattern for the validation sample. Similarly, performance on tests of auditory and visual

Basin Visual Estimation Technique (BVET) and Representative Reach Approaches to Wadeable Stream Surveys: Methodological Limitations and Future Directions

Treesearch

Lance R. Williams; Melvin L. Warren; Susan B. Adams; Joseph L. Arvai; Christopher M. Taylor

2004-01-01

Basin Visual Estimation Techniques (BVET) are used to estimate abundance for fish populations in small streams. With BVET, independent samples are drawn from natural habitat units in the stream rather than sampling "representative reaches." This sampling protocol provides an alternative to traditional reach-level surveys, which are criticized for their lack...

Visual Attention to Movement and Color in Children with Cortical Visual Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen-Maitre, Stacey Ann; Haerich, Paul

2005-01-01

This study investigated the ability of color and motion to elicit and maintain visual attention in a sample of children with cortical visual impairment (CVI). It found that colorful and moving objects may be used to engage children with CVI, increase their motivation to use their residual vision, and promote visual learning.

The research of autonomous obstacle avoidance of mobile robot based on multi-sensor integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ming; Han, Baoling

2016-11-01

The object of this study is the bionic quadruped mobile robot. The study has proposed a system design plan for mobile robot obstacle avoidance with the binocular stereo visual sensor and the self-control 3D Lidar integrated with modified ant colony optimization path planning to realize the reconstruction of the environmental map. Because the working condition of a mobile robot is complex, the result of the 3D reconstruction with a single binocular sensor is undesirable when feature points are few and the light condition is poor. Therefore, this system integrates the stereo vision sensor blumblebee2 and the Lidar sensor together to detect the cloud information of 3D points of environmental obstacles. This paper proposes the sensor information fusion technology to rebuild the environment map. Firstly, according to the Lidar data and visual data on obstacle detection respectively, and then consider two methods respectively to detect the distribution of obstacles. Finally fusing the data to get the more complete, more accurate distribution of obstacles in the scene. Then the thesis introduces ant colony algorithm. It has analyzed advantages and disadvantages of the ant colony optimization and its formation cause deeply, and then improved the system with the help of the ant colony optimization to increase the rate of convergence and precision of the algorithm in robot path planning. Such improvements and integrations overcome the shortcomings of the ant colony optimization like involving into the local optimal solution easily, slow search speed and poor search results. This experiment deals with images and programs the motor drive under the compiling environment of Matlab and Visual Studio and establishes the visual 2.5D grid map. Finally it plans a global path for the mobile robot according to the ant colony algorithm. The feasibility and effectiveness of the system are confirmed by ROS and simulation platform of Linux.

Getting a grip on reality: Grasping movements directed to real objects and images rely on dissociable neural representations.

PubMed

Freud, Erez; Macdonald, Scott N; Chen, Juan; Quinlan, Derek J; Goodale, Melvyn A; Culham, Jody C

2018-01-01

In the current era of touchscreen technology, humans commonly execute visually guided actions directed to two-dimensional (2D) images of objects. Although real, three-dimensional (3D), objects and images of the same objects share high degree of visual similarity, they differ fundamentally in the actions that can be performed on them. Indeed, previous behavioral studies have suggested that simulated grasping of images relies on different representations than actual grasping of real 3D objects. Yet the neural underpinnings of this phenomena have not been investigated. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how brain activation patterns differed for grasping and reaching actions directed toward real 3D objects compared to images. Multivoxel Pattern Analysis (MVPA) revealed that the left anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS), a key region for visually guided grasping, discriminates between both the format in which objects were presented (real/image) and the motor task performed on them (grasping/reaching). Interestingly, during action planning, the representations of real 3D objects versus images differed more for grasping movements than reaching movements, likely because grasping real 3D objects involves fine-grained planning and anticipation of the consequences of a real interaction. Importantly, this dissociation was evident in the planning phase, before movement initiation, and was not found in any other regions, including motor and somatosensory cortices. This suggests that the dissociable representations in the left aIPS were not based on haptic, motor or proprioceptive feedback. Together, these findings provide novel evidence that actions, particularly grasping, are affected by the realness of the target objects during planning, perhaps because real targets require a more elaborate forward model based on visual cues to predict the consequences of real manipulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal Analysis of Music Education on Executive Functions in Primary School Children

PubMed Central

Jaschke, Artur C.; Honing, Henkjan; Scherder, Erik J. A.

2018-01-01

Background: Research on the effects of music education on cognitive abilities has generated increasing interest across the scientific community. Nonetheless, longitudinal studies investigating the effects of structured music education on cognitive sub-functions are still rare. Prime candidates for investigating a relationship between academic achievement and music education appear to be executive functions such as planning, working memory, and inhibition. Methods: One hundred and forty-seven primary school children, Mage = 6.4 years, SD = 0.65 were followed for 2.5 years. Participants were randomized into four groups: two music intervention groups, one active visual arts group, and a no arts control group. Neuropsychological tests assessed verbal intelligence and executive functions. Additionally, a national pupil monitor provided data on academic performance. Results: Children in the visual arts group perform better on visuospatial memory tasks as compared to the three other conditions. However, the test scores on inhibition, planning and verbal intelligence increased significantly in the two music groups over time as compared to the visual art and no arts controls. Mediation analysis with executive functions and verbal IQ as mediator for academic performance have shown a possible far transfer effect from executive sub-function to academic performance scores. Discussion: The present results indicate a positive influence of long-term music education on cognitive abilities such as inhibition and planning. Of note, following a two-and-a-half year long visual arts program significantly improves scores on a visuospatial memory task. All results combined, this study supports a far transfer effect from music education to academic achievement mediated by executive sub-functions. PMID:29541017

Longitudinal Analysis of Music Education on Executive Functions in Primary School Children.

PubMed

Jaschke, Artur C; Honing, Henkjan; Scherder, Erik J A

2018-01-01

Background: Research on the effects of music education on cognitive abilities has generated increasing interest across the scientific community. Nonetheless, longitudinal studies investigating the effects of structured music education on cognitive sub-functions are still rare. Prime candidates for investigating a relationship between academic achievement and music education appear to be executive functions such as planning, working memory, and inhibition. Methods: One hundred and forty-seven primary school children, M age = 6.4 years, SD = 0.65 were followed for 2.5 years. Participants were randomized into four groups: two music intervention groups, one active visual arts group, and a no arts control group. Neuropsychological tests assessed verbal intelligence and executive functions. Additionally, a national pupil monitor provided data on academic performance. Results: Children in the visual arts group perform better on visuospatial memory tasks as compared to the three other conditions. However, the test scores on inhibition, planning and verbal intelligence increased significantly in the two music groups over time as compared to the visual art and no arts controls. Mediation analysis with executive functions and verbal IQ as mediator for academic performance have shown a possible far transfer effect from executive sub-function to academic performance scores. Discussion: The present results indicate a positive influence of long-term music education on cognitive abilities such as inhibition and planning. Of note, following a two-and-a-half year long visual arts program significantly improves scores on a visuospatial memory task. All results combined, this study supports a far transfer effect from music education to academic achievement mediated by executive sub-functions.

Analysis of the effect of repeated-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation at the Guangming point on electroencephalograms.

PubMed

Zhang, Xin; Fu, Lingdi; Geng, Yuehua; Zhai, Xiang; Liu, Yanhua

2014-03-01

Here, we administered repeated-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to healthy people at the left Guangming (GB37) and a mock point, and calculated the sample entropy of electroencephalo-gram signals using nonlinear dynamics. Additionally, we compared electroencephalogram sample entropy of signals in response to visual stimulation before, during, and after repeated-pulse tran-scranial magnetic stimulation at the Guangming. Results showed that electroencephalogram sample entropy at left (F3) and right (FP2) frontal electrodes were significantly different depending on where the magnetic stimulation was administered. Additionally, compared with the mock point, electroencephalogram sample entropy was higher after stimulating the Guangming point. When visual stimulation at Guangming was given before repeated-pulse transcranial magnetic stimula-tion, significant differences in sample entropy were found at five electrodes (C3, Cz, C4, P3, T8) in parietal cortex, the central gyrus, and the right temporal region compared with when it was given after repeated-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, indicating that repeated-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation at Guangming can affect visual function. Analysis of electroencephalogram revealed that when visual stimulation preceded repeated pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, sample entropy values were higher at the C3, C4, and P3 electrodes and lower at the Cz and T8 electrodes than visual stimulation followed preceded repeated pulse transcranial magnetic stimula-tion. The findings indicate that repeated-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation at the Guangming evokes different patterns of electroencephalogram signals than repeated-pulse transcranial mag-netic stimulation at other nearby points on the body surface, and that repeated-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation at the Guangming is associated with changes in the complexity of visually evoked electroencephalogram signals in parietal regions, central gyrus, and temporal regions.

NOTE: MMCTP: a radiotherapy research environment for Monte Carlo and patient-specific treatment planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, A.; DeBlois, F.; Stroian, G.; Al-Yahya, K.; Heath, E.; Seuntjens, J.

2007-07-01

Radiotherapy research lacks a flexible computational research environment for Monte Carlo (MC) and patient-specific treatment planning. The purpose of this study was to develop a flexible software package on low-cost hardware with the aim of integrating new patient-specific treatment planning with MC dose calculations suitable for large-scale prospective and retrospective treatment planning studies. We designed the software package 'McGill Monte Carlo treatment planning' (MMCTP) for the research development of MC and patient-specific treatment planning. The MMCTP design consists of a graphical user interface (GUI), which runs on a simple workstation connected through standard secure-shell protocol to a cluster for lengthy MC calculations. Treatment planning information (e.g., images, structures, beam geometry properties and dose distributions) is converted into a convenient MMCTP local file storage format designated, the McGill RT format. MMCTP features include (a) DICOM_RT, RTOG and CADPlan CART format imports; (b) 2D and 3D visualization views for images, structure contours, and dose distributions; (c) contouring tools; (d) DVH analysis, and dose matrix comparison tools; (e) external beam editing; (f) MC transport calculation from beam source to patient geometry for photon and electron beams. The MC input files, which are prepared from the beam geometry properties and patient information (e.g., images and structure contours), are uploaded and run on a cluster using shell commands controlled from the MMCTP GUI. The visualization, dose matrix operation and DVH tools offer extensive options for plan analysis and comparison between MC plans and plans imported from commercial treatment planning systems. The MMCTP GUI provides a flexible research platform for the development of patient-specific MC treatment planning for photon and electron external beam radiation therapy. The impact of this tool lies in the fact that it allows for systematic, platform-independent, large-scale MC treatment planning for different treatment sites. Patient recalculations were performed to validate the software and ensure proper functionality.

The impact of online visual on users' motivation and behavioural intention - A comparison between persuasive and non-persuasive visuals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Nurulhuda; Shiratuddin, Mohd Fairuz; Wong, Kok Wai

2016-08-01

Research related to the first impression has highlighted the importance of visual appeal in influencing the favourable attitude towards a website. In the perspective of impression formation, it is proposed that the users are actually attracted to certain characteristics or aspects of the visual properties of a website, while ignoring the rests. Therefore, this study aims to investigate which visual strongly appeals to the users by comparing the impact of common visuals with the persuasive visuals. The principles of social influence are proposed as the added value to the persuasiveness of the web visuals. An experimental study is conducted and the PLS-SEM method is employed to analyse the obtained data. The result of the exploratory analyses demonstrated that the structural model has better quality when tested with persuasive data sample compared to non-persuasive data sample, evident with stronger coefficient of determination and path coefficients. Thus, it is concluded that persuasive visual provides better impact towards users' attitude and behavioural intention of a website.

Visual difference metric for realistic image synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolin, Mark R.; Meyer, Gary W.

1999-05-01

An accurate and efficient model of human perception has been developed to control the placement of sample in a realistic image synthesis algorithm. Previous sampling techniques have sought to spread the error equally across the image plane. However, this approach neglects the fact that the renderings are intended to be displayed for a human observer. The human visual system has a varying sensitivity to error that is based upon the viewing context. This means that equivalent optical discrepancies can be very obvious in one situation and imperceptible in another. It is ultimately the perceptibility of this error that governs image quality and should be used as the basis of a sampling algorithm. This paper focuses on a simplified version of the Lubin Visual Discrimination Metric (VDM) that was developed for insertion into an image synthesis algorithm. The sampling VDM makes use of a Haar wavelet basis for the cortical transform and a less severe spatial pooling operation. The model was extended for color including the effects of chromatic aberration. Comparisons are made between the execution time and visual difference map for the original Lubin and simplified visual difference metrics. Results for the realistic image synthesis algorithm are also presented.

XGI: a graphical interface for XQuery creation.

PubMed

Li, Xiang; Gennari, John H; Brinkley, James F

2007-10-11

XML has become the default standard for data exchange among heterogeneous data sources, and in January 2007 XQuery (XML Query language) was recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium as the query language for XML. However, XQuery is a complex language that is difficult for non-programmers to learn. We have therefore developed XGI (XQuery Graphical Interface), a visual interface for graphically generating XQuery. In this paper we demonstrate the functionality of XGI through its application to a biomedical XML dataset. We describe the system architecture and the features of XGI in relation to several existing querying systems, we demonstrate the system's usability through a sample query construction, and we discuss a preliminary evaluation of XGI. Finally, we describe some limitations of the system, and our plans for future improvements.

Laboratory x-ray micro-computed tomography: a user guideline for biological samples

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract Laboratory x-ray micro–computed tomography (micro-CT) is a fast-growing method in scientific research applications that allows for non-destructive imaging of morphological structures. This paper provides an easily operated “how to” guide for new potential users and describes the various steps required for successful planning of research projects that involve micro-CT. Background information on micro-CT is provided, followed by relevant setup, scanning, reconstructing, and visualization methods and considerations. Throughout the guide, a Jackson's chameleon specimen, which was scanned at different settings, is used as an interactive example. The ultimate aim of this paper is make new users familiar with the concepts and applications of micro-CT in an attempt to promote its use in future scientific studies. PMID:28419369

Visual accumulation tube for size analysis of sands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colby, B.C.; Christensen, R.P.

1956-01-01

The visual-accumulation-tube method was developed primarily for making size analyses of the sand fractions of suspended-sediment and bed-material samples. Because the fundamental property governing the motion of a sediment particle in a fluid is believed to be its fall velocity. the analysis is designed to determine the fall-velocity-frequency distribution of the individual particles of the sample. The analysis is based on a stratified sedimentation system in which the sample is introduced at the top of a transparent settling tube containing distilled water. The procedure involves the direct visual tracing of the height of sediment accumulation in a contracted section at the bottom of the tube. A pen records the height on a moving chart. The method is simple and fast, provides a continuous and permanent record, gives highly reproducible results, and accurately determines the fall-velocity characteristics of the sample. The apparatus, procedure, results, and accuracy of the visual-accumulation-tube method for determining the sedimentation-size distribution of sands are presented in this paper.

The Campus as a Work of Art.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaines, Thomas A.

This book looks at the architecture, landscaping and planning of college and university campuses as an art form. It explores the elements and principles that come together to make a successful campus and the importance of visual environment to the activity that takes place in it. A discussion of planning and campus components touches on libraries,…

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

Cox, Sadie

This fact sheet overviews the benefits of using the RE Data Explorer tool to analyze and develop renewable energy zones. Renewable energy zones are developed through a transmission planning and approval process customized for renewable energy. RE Data Explorer analysis can feed into broader stakeholder discussions and allow stakeholders to easily visualize potential zones. Stakeholders can access pertinent data to inform transmission planning and enable investment.

STS-49 Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, Planning Team in MCC Bldg 30 FCR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

STS-49 Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, Planning Team with Flight Director (FD) James M. Heflin, Jr (front right next to ship model) poses in JSC's Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30 Flight Control Room (FCR). The group stands in front of visual displays projecting STS-49 data and ground track map.

75 FR 45650 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource Management Plan for the Dominguez-Escalante National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-03

... allows certain uses (including grazing, measures to control fire, insects and disease) to continue in... designation as Wild, Scenic, or Recreational under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act? What Visual Resource... emergency or fire access; Designating all public lands within the planning area as open, limited, or closed...

The Organization of Exploratory Behaviors in Infant Locomotor Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kretch, Kari S.; Adolph, Karen E.

2017-01-01

How do infants plan and guide locomotion under challenging conditions? This experiment investigated the real-time process of visual and haptic exploration in 14-month-old infants as they decided whether and how to walk over challenging terrain--a series of bridges varying in width. Infants' direction of gaze was recorded with a head-mounted eye…

GROTTO visualization for decision support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanzagorta, Marco O.; Kuo, Eddy; Uhlmann, Jeffrey K.

1998-08-01

In this paper we describe the GROTTO visualization projects being carried out at the Naval Research Laboratory. GROTTO is a CAVE-like system, that is, a surround-screen, surround- sound, immersive virtual reality device. We have explored the GROTTO visualization in a variety of scientific areas including oceanography, meteorology, chemistry, biochemistry, computational fluid dynamics and space sciences. Research has emphasized the applications of GROTTO visualization for military, land and sea-based command and control. Examples include the visualization of ocean current models for the simulation and stud of mine drifting and, inside our computational steering project, the effects of electro-magnetic radiation on missile defense satellites. We discuss plans to apply this technology to decision support applications involving the deployment of autonomous vehicles into contaminated battlefield environments, fire fighter control and hostage rescue operations.

A Kinect-Based Real-Time Compressive Tracking Prototype System for Amphibious Spherical Robots

PubMed Central

Pan, Shaowu; Shi, Liwei; Guo, Shuxiang

2015-01-01

A visual tracking system is essential as a basis for visual servoing, autonomous navigation, path planning, robot-human interaction and other robotic functions. To execute various tasks in diverse and ever-changing environments, a mobile robot requires high levels of robustness, precision, environmental adaptability and real-time performance of the visual tracking system. In keeping with the application characteristics of our amphibious spherical robot, which was proposed for flexible and economical underwater exploration in 2012, an improved RGB-D visual tracking algorithm is proposed and implemented. Given the limited power source and computational capabilities of mobile robots, compressive tracking (CT), which is the effective and efficient algorithm that was proposed in 2012, was selected as the basis of the proposed algorithm to process colour images. A Kalman filter with a second-order motion model was implemented to predict the state of the target and select candidate patches or samples for the CT tracker. In addition, a variance ratio features shift (VR-V) tracker with a Kalman estimation mechanism was used to process depth images. Using a feedback strategy, the depth tracking results were used to assist the CT tracker in updating classifier parameters at an adaptive rate. In this way, most of the deficiencies of CT, including drift and poor robustness to occlusion and high-speed target motion, were partly solved. To evaluate the proposed algorithm, a Microsoft Kinect sensor, which combines colour and infrared depth cameras, was adopted for use in a prototype of the robotic tracking system. The experimental results with various image sequences demonstrated the effectiveness, robustness and real-time performance of the tracking system. PMID:25856331

A Kinect-based real-time compressive tracking prototype system for amphibious spherical robots.

PubMed

Pan, Shaowu; Shi, Liwei; Guo, Shuxiang

2015-04-08

A visual tracking system is essential as a basis for visual servoing, autonomous navigation, path planning, robot-human interaction and other robotic functions. To execute various tasks in diverse and ever-changing environments, a mobile robot requires high levels of robustness, precision, environmental adaptability and real-time performance of the visual tracking system. In keeping with the application characteristics of our amphibious spherical robot, which was proposed for flexible and economical underwater exploration in 2012, an improved RGB-D visual tracking algorithm is proposed and implemented. Given the limited power source and computational capabilities of mobile robots, compressive tracking (CT), which is the effective and efficient algorithm that was proposed in 2012, was selected as the basis of the proposed algorithm to process colour images. A Kalman filter with a second-order motion model was implemented to predict the state of the target and select candidate patches or samples for the CT tracker. In addition, a variance ratio features shift (VR-V) tracker with a Kalman estimation mechanism was used to process depth images. Using a feedback strategy, the depth tracking results were used to assist the CT tracker in updating classifier parameters at an adaptive rate. In this way, most of the deficiencies of CT, including drift and poor robustness to occlusion and high-speed target motion, were partly solved. To evaluate the proposed algorithm, a Microsoft Kinect sensor, which combines colour and infrared depth cameras, was adopted for use in a prototype of the robotic tracking system. The experimental results with various image sequences demonstrated the effectiveness, robustness and real-time performance of the tracking system.

Association between Visual Impairment and Low Vision and Sleep Duration and Quality among Older Adults in South Africa.

PubMed

Peltzer, Karl; Phaswana-Mafuya, Nancy

2017-07-19

This study aims to estimate the association between visual impairment and low vision and sleep duration and poor sleep quality in a national sample of older adults in South Africa. A national population-based cross-sectional Study of Global Ageing and Adults Health (SAGE) wave 1 was conducted in 2008 with a sample of 3840 individuals aged 50 years or older in South Africa. The interviewer-administered questionnaire assessed socio-demographic characteristics, health variables, sleep duration, quality, visual impairment, and vision. Results indicate that 10.0% of the sample reported short sleep duration (≤5 h), 46.6% long sleep (≥9 h), 9.3% poor sleep quality, 8.4% self-reported and visual impairment (near and/or far vision); and 43.2% measured low vision (near and/or far vision) (0.01-0.25 decimal) and 7.5% low vision (0.01-0.125 decimal). In fully adjusted logistic regression models, self-reported visual impairment was associated with short sleep duration and poor sleep quality, separately and together. Low vision was only associated with long sleep duration and poor sleep quality in unadjusted models. Self-reported visual impairment was related to both short sleep duration and poor sleep quality. Population data on sleep patterns may want to include visual impairment measures.

Convergent-Discriminant Validity of the Jewish Employment Vocational System (JEVS).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tryjankowski, Elaine M.

This study investigated the construct validity of five perceptual traits (auditory discrimination, visual discrimination, visual memory, visual-motor coordination, and auditory to visual-motor coordination) with five simulated work samples (union assembly, resistor reading, budgette assembly, lock assembly, and nail and screw sort) from the Jewish…

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

Marutzky, Sam; Farnham, Irene

The purpose of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Integrated Sampling Plan (referred to herein as the Plan) is to provide a comprehensive, integrated approach for collecting and analyzing groundwater samples to meet the needs and objectives of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) Underground Test Area (UGTA) Activity. Implementation of this Plan will provide high-quality data required by the UGTA Activity for ensuring public protection in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The Plan is designed to ensure compliance with the UGTA Quality Assurance Plan (QAP). The Plan’s scope comprises sample collectionmore » and analysis requirements relevant to assessing the extent of groundwater contamination from underground nuclear testing. This Plan identifies locations to be sampled by corrective action unit (CAU) and location type, sampling frequencies, sample collection methodologies, and the constituents to be analyzed. In addition, the Plan defines data collection criteria such as well-purging requirements, detection levels, and accuracy requirements; identifies reporting and data management requirements; and provides a process to ensure coordination between NNSS groundwater sampling programs for sampling of interest to UGTA. This Plan does not address compliance with requirements for wells that supply the NNSS public water system or wells involved in a permitted activity.« less

The Visual Orientation Memory of "Drosophila" Requires Foraging (PKG) Upstream of Ignorant (RSK2) in Ring Neurons of the Central Complex

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuntz, Sara; Poeck, Burkhard; Sokolowski, Marla B.; Strauss, Roland

2012-01-01

Orientation and navigation in a complex environment requires path planning and recall to exert goal-driven behavior. Walking "Drosophila" flies possess a visual orientation memory for attractive targets which is localized in the central complex of the adult brain. Here we show that this type of working memory requires the cGMP-dependent protein…

''I Could See, and Yet, Mon, I Could Na' See'': William Macewen, the Agnosias, and Brain Surgery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macmillan, Malcolm

2004-01-01

Two little noticed cases in which William Macewen used symptoms of visual agnosia to plan brain surgery on the angular gyrus are reviewed and evaluated. Following a head injury, Macewen's first patient had an immediate and severe visual object agnosia that lasted for about 2 weeks. After that he gradually became homicidal and depressed and it was…

Visual Impairment/Intracranial Pressure Research Clinical Advisory Panel (RCAP) Meeting. [Summary Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Villarreal, Jennifer

2014-01-01

The Visual Impairment/Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) Research and Clinical Advisory Panel convened on December 1, 2014 at the ISS Conference Facility in Houston. The panel members were provided updates to the current clinical cases and treatment plans along with the latest research activities (http://humanresearchroadmap.nasa.gov/Risks/?i=105) and preliminary study results. The following is a summary of this meeting.

Update on Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Brian; Hartman, Frank; Maxwell, Scott; Yen, Jeng; Wright, John; Balacuit, Carlos

2005-01-01

The Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP) has been updated. RSVP was reported in Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program (NPO-30845), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 29, No. 4 (April 2005), page 38. To recapitulate: The Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP) is the software tool to be used in the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission for planning rover operations and generating command sequences for accomplishing those operations. RSVP combines three-dimensional (3D) visualization for immersive exploration of the operations area, stereoscopic image display for high-resolution examination of the downlinked imagery, and a sophisticated command-sequence editing tool for analysis and completion of the sequences. RSVP is linked with actual flight code modules for operations rehearsal to provide feedback on the expected behavior of the rover prior to committing to a particular sequence. Playback tools allow for review of both rehearsed rover behavior and downlinked results of actual rover operations. These can be displayed simultaneously for comparison of rehearsed and actual activities for verification. The primary inputs to RSVP are downlink data products from the Operations Storage Server (OSS) and activity plans generated by the science team. The activity plans are high-level goals for the next day s activities. The downlink data products include imagery, terrain models, and telemetered engineering data on rover activities and state. The Rover Sequence Editor (RoSE) component of RSVP performs activity expansion to command sequences, command creation and editing with setting of command parameters, and viewing and management of rover resources. The HyperDrive component of RSVP performs 2D and 3D visualization of the rover s environment, graphical and animated review of rover predicted and telemetered state, and creation and editing of command sequences related to mobility and Instrument Deployment Device (robotic arm) operations. Additionally, RoSE and HyperDrive together evaluate command sequences for potential violations of flight and safety rules. The products of RSVP include command sequences for uplink that are stored in the Distributed Object Manager (DOM) and predicted rover state histories stored in the OSS for comparison and validation of downlinked telemetry. The majority of components comprising RSVP utilize the MER command and activity dictionaries to automatically customize the system for MER activities.

Novel hybrid cryo-radial method: an emerging alternative to CT-guided biopsy in suspected lung cancer. A prospective case series and description of technique.

PubMed

Herath, Samantha; Yap, Elaine

2018-02-01

In diagnosing peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPL), radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) is emerging as a safer method in comparison to CT-guided biopsy. Despite the better safety profile, the yield of R-EBUS remains lower (73%) than CT-guided biopsy (90%) due to the smaller size of samples. We adopted a hybrid method by adding cryobiopsy via the R-EBUS Guide Sheath (GS) to produce larger, non-crushed samples to improve diagnostic capability and enhance molecular testing. We report six prospective patients who underwent this procedure in our institution. R-EBUS samples were obtained via conventional sampling methods (needle aspiration, forceps biopsy, and cytology brush), followed by a cryobiopsy. An endobronchial blocker was placed near the planned area of biopsy in advance and inflated post-biopsy to minimize the risk of bleeding in all patients. A chest X-ray was performed 1 h post-procedure. All the PPLs were visualized with R-EBUS. The mean diameter of cryobiopsy samples was twice the size of forceps biopsy samples. In four patients, cryobiopsy samples were superior in size and the number of malignant cells per high power filed and was the preferred sample selected for mutation analysis and molecular testing. There was no pneumothorax or significant bleeding to report. Cryobiopsy samples were consistently larger and were the preferred samples for molecular testing, with an increase in the diagnostic yield and reduction in the need for repeat procedures, without hindering the marked safety profile of R-EBUS. Using an endobronchial blocker improves the safety of this procedure.

Acquired Codes of Meaning in Data Visualization and Infographics: Beyond Perceptual Primitives.

PubMed

Byrne, Lydia; Angus, Daniel; Wiles, Janet

2016-01-01

While information visualization frameworks and heuristics have traditionally been reluctant to include acquired codes of meaning, designers are making use of them in a wide variety of ways. Acquired codes leverage a user's experience to understand the meaning of a visualization. They range from figurative visualizations which rely on the reader's recognition of shapes, to conventional arrangements of graphic elements which represent particular subjects. In this study, we used content analysis to codify acquired meaning in visualization. We applied the content analysis to a set of infographics and data visualizations which are exemplars of innovative and effective design. 88% of the infographics and 71% of data visualizations in the sample contain at least one use of figurative visualization. Conventions on the arrangement of graphics are also widespread in the sample. In particular, a comparison of representations of time and other quantitative data showed that conventions can be specific to a subject. These results suggest that there is a need for information visualization research to expand its scope beyond perceptual channels, to include social and culturally constructed meaning. Our paper demonstrates a viable method for identifying figurative techniques and graphic conventions and integrating them into heuristics for visualization design.

MemAxes Visualization Software

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

Hardware advancements such as Intel's PEBS and AMD's IBS, as well as software developments such as the perf_event API in Linux have made available the acquisition of memory access samples with performance information. MemAxes is a visualization and analysis tool for memory access sample data. By mapping the samples to their associated code, variables, node topology, and application dataset, MemAxes provides intuitive views of the data.

Chain sampling plan (ChSP-1) for desired acceptable quality level (AQL) and limiting quality level (LQL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, C.; Vidya, R.

2017-11-01

Chain Sampling Plan is widely used whenever a small sample attributes plan is required to be used for situations involving destructive products coming out of continuous production process [1, 2]. This paper presents a procedure for the construction and selection of a ChSP-1 by attributes inspection based on membership functions [3]. A procedure using search technique is developed for obtaining the parameters of single sampling plan for a given set of AQL and LQL values. A sample of tables providing ChSP-1 plans for various combinations of AQL and LQL values are presented [4].

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez, Fredy; Martínez, Fernando; Jacinto, Edwar

2017-02-01

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

Vapor-screen technique for flow visualization in the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, O. A.; Corlett, W. A.; Wassum, D. L.; Babb, C. D.

1985-01-01

The vapor-screen technique for flow visualization, as developed for the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, is described with evaluations of light sources and photographic equipment. Test parameters including dew point, pressure, and temperature were varied to determine optimum conditions for obtaining high-quality vapor-screen photographs. The investigation was conducted in the supersonic speed range for Mach numbers from 1.47 to 4.63 at model angles of attack up to 35 deg. Vapor-screen photographs illustrating various flow patterns are presented for several missile and aircraft configurations. Examples of vapor-screen results that have contributed to the understanding of complex flow fields and provided a basis for the development of theoretical codes are presented with reference to other research.

Statistical methods for identifying and bounding a UXO target area or minefield

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

McKinstry, Craig A.; Pulsipher, Brent A.; Gilbert, Richard O.

2003-09-18

The sampling unit for minefield or UXO area characterization is typically represented by a geographical block or transect swath that lends itself to characterization by geophysical instrumentation such as mobile sensor arrays. New spatially based statistical survey methods and tools, more appropriate for these unique sampling units have been developed and implemented at PNNL (Visual Sample Plan software, ver. 2.0) with support from the US Department of Defense. Though originally developed to support UXO detection and removal efforts, these tools may also be used in current form or adapted to support demining efforts and aid in the development of newmore » sensors and detection technologies by explicitly incorporating both sampling and detection error in performance assessments. These tools may be used to (1) determine transect designs for detecting and bounding target areas of critical size, shape, and density of detectable items of interest with a specified confidence probability, (2) evaluate the probability that target areas of a specified size, shape and density have not been missed by a systematic or meandering transect survey, and (3) support post-removal verification by calculating the number of transects required to achieve a specified confidence probability that no UXO or mines have been missed.« less

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

Winston, Philip Lon

Prior to performing an internal visual inspection, samples of the headspace gas of the GNS Castor V/21 cask were taken on June 12, 2014. These samples were taken in support of the CREIPI/Japanese nuclear industry effort to validate fuel integrity without visual inspection by measuring the 85Kr content of the cask headspace

NASA's Lunar and Planetary Mapping and Modeling Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, E.; Day, B. H.; Kim, R. M.; Bui, B.; Malhotra, S.; Chang, G.; Sadaqathullah, S.; Arevalo, E.; Vu, Q. A.

2016-12-01

NASA's Lunar and Planetary Mapping and Modeling Program produces a suite of online visualization and analysis tools. Originally designed for mission planning and science, these portals offer great benefits for education and public outreach (EPO), providing access to data from a wide range of instruments aboard a variety of past and current missions. As a component of NASA's Science EPO Infrastructure, they are available as resources for NASA STEM EPO programs, and to the greater EPO community. As new missions are planned to a variety of planetary bodies, these tools are facilitating the public's understanding of the missions and engaging the public in the process of identifying and selecting where these missions will land. There are currently three web portals in the program: the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal or LMMP (http://lmmp.nasa.gov), Vesta Trek (http://vestatrek.jpl.nasa.gov), and Mars Trek (http://marstrek.jpl.nasa.gov). Portals for additional planetary bodies are planned. As web-based toolsets, the portals do not require users to purchase or install any software beyond current web browsers. The portals provide analysis tools for measurement and study of planetary terrain. They allow data to be layered and adjusted to optimize visualization. Visualizations are easily stored and shared. The portals provide 3D visualization and give users the ability to mark terrain for generation of STL files that can be directed to 3D printers. Such 3D prints are valuable tools in museums, public exhibits, and classrooms - especially for the visually impaired. Along with the web portals, the program supports additional clients, web services, and APIs that facilitate dissemination of planetary data to a range of external applications and venues. NASA challenges and hackathons are also providing members of the software development community opportunities to participate in tool development and leverage data from the portals.

Multislice spiral CT simulator for dynamic cardiopulmonary studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Francesco, Silvia; Ferreira da Silva, Augusto M.

2002-04-01

We've developed a Multi-slice Spiral CT Simulator modeling the acquisition process of a real tomograph over a 4-dimensional phantom (4D MCAT) of the human thorax. The simulator allows us to visually characterize artifacts due to insufficient temporal sampling and a priori evaluate the quality of the images obtained in cardio-pulmonary studies (both with single-/multi-slice and ECG gated acquisition processes). The simulating environment allows both for conventional and spiral scanning modes and includes a model of noise in the acquisition process. In case of spiral scanning, reconstruction facilities include longitudinal interpolation methods (360LI and 180LI both for single and multi-slice). Then, the reconstruction of the section is performed through FBP. The reconstructed images/volumes are affected by distortion due to insufficient temporal sampling of the moving object. The developed simulating environment allows us to investigate the nature of the distortion characterizing it qualitatively and quantitatively (using, for example, Herman's measures). Much of our work is focused on the determination of adequate temporal sampling and sinogram regularization techniques. At the moment, the simulator model is limited to the case of multi-slice tomograph, being planned as a next step of development the extension to cone beam or area detectors.

[Ocular findings in patients older than 99 years].

PubMed

Cypel, Marcela Colussi; Palácio, Guilherme; Dantas, Paulo Elias Correa; Lottenberg, Cláudio Luis; Belfort, Rubens

2006-01-01

To determine vision conditions and ocular findings in patients older than 99 years. Patients were recruited by media advertisement and examined at the Vision Institute of UNIFESP. The following examinations were performed: visual acuity, ectoscopy, refraction, biomicroscopy, tear film break-up time, Schirmer basal test, tonometry, direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Complementary examinations such as optical coherence tomography were performed when indicated. Thirty patients older than 99 years were identified. Mean age of 101.5+/-1.8, 25 females and 5 males. Most common systemic disease, according to history, was arterial hypertension. In 11 patients (55%), the best corrected far visual acuity was 20/100 or better. The best corrected near visual acuity was J4 or better also in 55% (11 patients) and 63.0% (7 patients) of these were the ones that had not been submitted to cataract surgery. The most frequent visual complaint was low vision for reading (55%) and other 8 patients (40%) reported no disturbance (satisfied with their vision). Lens opacity was present in 9 patients (60%) and 8 patients (40%) had previous cataract surgery (5 aphakic eyes, 9 pseudophakic eyes). Cataract was identified as important for impairment of vision in 5 patients but only 2 of them wanted to be submitted to surgery. The main cause of visual impairment was age-related macular degeneration, present in all patients, 95% with no exudative form. Vision improved with new refractive prescription in 4 patients. Once we understand the needs we can plan specific diagnostic and treatment strategies. This sample showed that most were female (83.3%), with good general health (35%), most with systemic arterial hypertension (40%), complaining of low vision for reading (55%) because of age-related macular degeneration (100%, 95% dry form). Only 40% had been previously submitted to cataract surgery. Most of the patients with cataract said to be satisfied with their vision; of the 5 patients that could be operated only 2 decided to do it. Low vision for reading, AMD and cataract were the main findings.

A pilot educational intervention for headache and concussion: The headache and arts program.

PubMed

Minen, Mia T; Boubour, Alexandra

2018-05-15

Using a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) curriculum, we developed, piloted, and tested the Headache and Arts Program. This program seeks to increase knowledge and awareness of migraine and concussion among high school students through a visual arts-based curriculum. We developed a 2-week Headache and Arts Program with lesson plans and art assignments for high school visual arts classes and an age-appropriate assessment to assess students' knowledge of migraine and concussion. We assessed students' knowledge through (1) the creation of artwork that depicted the experience of a migraine or concussion, (2) the conception and implementation of methods to transfer knowledge gained through the program, and (3) preassessment and postassessment results. The assessment was distributed to all students prior to the Headache and Arts Program. In a smaller sample, we distributed the assessment 3 months after the program to assess longitudinal effects. Descriptive analyses and p values were calculated using SPSS V.24 and Microsoft Excel. Forty-eight students participated in the research program. Students created artwork that integrated STEAM knowledge learned through the program and applied creative methods to teach others about migraine and concussion. At baseline, students' total scores averaged 67.6% correct. Total scores for the longitudinal preassessment, immediate postassessment, and delayed 3-month postassessment averaged 69.4%, 72.8%, and 80.0% correct, respectively. The use of a visual arts-based curriculum may be effective for migraine and concussion education among high school students. © 2018 American Academy of Neurology.

Analyzing and Detecting Problems in Systems of Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindvall, Mikael; Ackermann, Christopher; Stratton, William C.; Sibol, Deane E.; Godfrey, Sally

2008-01-01

Many software systems are evolving complex system of systems (SoS) for which inter-system communication is mission-critical. Evidence indicates that transmission failures and performance issues are not uncommon occurrences. In a NASA-supported Software Assurance Research Program (SARP) project, we are researching a new approach addressing such problems. In this paper, we are presenting an approach for analyzing inter-system communications with the goal to uncover both transmission errors and performance problems. Our approach consists of a visualization and an evaluation component. While the visualization of the observed communication aims to facilitate understanding, the evaluation component automatically checks the conformance of an observed communication (actual) to a desired one (planned). The actual and the planned are represented as sequence diagrams. The evaluation algorithm checks the conformance of the actual to the planned diagram. We have applied our approach to the communication of aerospace systems and were successful in detecting and resolving even subtle and long existing transmission problems.

Strategy Planning Visualization Tool (SPVT) for the Air Operations Center (AOC). Volume 2: Information Operations (IO) Planning Enhancements

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-31

Status and Assessment data interfaces leverage the TBONE Services and data model. The services and supporting Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition (J2EE...existing Java ™ and .Net developed “Fat Clients.” The IOPC-X design includes an Open Services Gateway Initiative (OSGi) compliant plug-in...J2EE Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition JAOP Joint Air Operations Plan JAST JAOP AOD Status Tool JFACC Joint Forces Air Component Commander Data

Spatial distribution and sequential sampling plans for Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in greenhouse tomato crops.

PubMed

Cocco, Arturo; Serra, Giuseppe; Lentini, Andrea; Deliperi, Salvatore; Delrio, Gavino

2015-09-01

The within- and between-plant distribution of the tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), was investigated in order to define action thresholds based on leaf infestation and to propose enumerative and binomial sequential sampling plans for pest management applications in protected crops. The pest spatial distribution was aggregated between plants, and median leaves were the most suitable sample to evaluate the pest density. Action thresholds of 36 and 48%, 43 and 56% and 60 and 73% infested leaves, corresponding to economic thresholds of 1 and 3% damaged fruits, were defined for tomato cultivars with big, medium and small fruits respectively. Green's method was a more suitable enumerative sampling plan as it required a lower sampling effort. Binomial sampling plans needed lower average sample sizes than enumerative plans to make a treatment decision, with probabilities of error of <0.10. The enumerative sampling plan required 87 or 343 leaves to estimate the population density in extensive or intensive ecological studies respectively. Binomial plans would be more practical and efficient for control purposes, needing average sample sizes of 17, 20 and 14 leaves to take a pest management decision in order to avoid fruit damage higher than 1% in cultivars with big, medium and small fruits respectively. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Visual Evaluation Study of Graph Sampling Techniques

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

Zhang, Fangyan; Zhang, Song; Wong, Pak C.

2017-01-29

We evaluate a dozen prevailing graph-sampling techniques with an ultimate goal to better visualize and understand big and complex graphs that exhibit different properties and structures. The evaluation uses eight benchmark datasets with four different graph types collected from Stanford Network Analysis Platform and NetworkX to give a comprehensive comparison of various types of graphs. The study provides a practical guideline for visualizing big graphs of different sizes and structures. The paper discusses results and important observations from the study.

Evidence for a Global Sampling Process in Extraction of Summary Statistics of Item Sizes in a Set.

PubMed

Tokita, Midori; Ueda, Sachiyo; Ishiguchi, Akira

2016-01-01

Several studies have shown that our visual system may construct a "summary statistical representation" over groups of visual objects. Although there is a general understanding that human observers can accurately represent sets of a variety of features, many questions on how summary statistics, such as an average, are computed remain unanswered. This study investigated sampling properties of visual information used by human observers to extract two types of summary statistics of item sets, average and variance. We presented three models of ideal observers to extract the summary statistics: a global sampling model without sampling noise, global sampling model with sampling noise, and limited sampling model. We compared the performance of an ideal observer of each model with that of human observers using statistical efficiency analysis. Results suggest that summary statistics of items in a set may be computed without representing individual items, which makes it possible to discard the limited sampling account. Moreover, the extraction of summary statistics may not necessarily require the representation of individual objects with focused attention when the sets of items are larger than 4.

Assessing Visuospatial Skills in Parkinson's: Comparison of Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Visual Discrimination to the Judgment of Line Orientation.

PubMed

Renfroe, Jenna B; Turner, Travis H; Hinson, Vanessa K

2017-02-01

Judgment of Line Orientation (JOLO) test is widely used in assessing visuospatial deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD). The neuropsychological assessment battery (NAB) offers the Visual Discrimination test, with age and education correction, parallel forms, and co-normed standardization sample for comparisons within and between domains. However, NAB Visual Discrimination has not been validated in PD, and may not measure the same construct as JOLO. A heterogeneous sample of 47 PD patients completed the JOLO and NAB Visual Discrimination within a broader neuropsychological evaluation. Pearson correlations assessed relationships between JOLO and NAB Visual Discrimination performances. Raw and demographically corrected scores from JOLO and Visual Discrimination were only weakly correlated. NAB Visual Discrimination subtest was moderately correlated with overall cognitive functioning, whereas the JOLO was not. Despite apparent virtues, results do not support NAB Visual Discrimination as an alternative to JOLO in assessing visuospatial functioning in PD. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Object representation in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): integration of visual and echoic information.

PubMed

Harley, H E; Roitblat, H L; Nachtigall, P E

1996-04-01

A dolphin performed a 3-alternative matching-to-sample task in different modality conditions (visual/echoic, both vision and echolocation: visual, vision only; echoic, echolocation only). In Experiment 1, training occurred in the dual-modality (visual/echoic) condition. Choice accuracy in tests of all conditions was above chance without further training. In Experiment 2, unfamiliar objects with complementary similarity relations in vision and echolocation were presented in single-modality conditions until accuracy was about 70%. When tested in the visual/echoic condition, accuracy immediately rose (95%), suggesting integration across modalities. In Experiment 3, conditions varied between presentation of sample and alternatives. The dolphin successfully matched familiar objects in the cross-modal conditions. These data suggest that the dolphin has an object-based representational system.

Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites

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

None

2012-10-24

This plan incorporates U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) standard operating procedures (SOPs) into environmental monitoring activities and will be implemented at all sites managed by LM. This document provides detailed procedures for the field sampling teams so that samples are collected in a consistent and technically defensible manner. Site-specific plans (e.g., long-term surveillance and maintenance plans, environmental monitoring plans) document background information and establish the basis for sampling and monitoring activities. Information will be included in site-specific tabbed sections to this plan, which identify sample locations, sample frequencies, types of samples, field measurements, and associatedmore » analytes for each site. Additionally, within each tabbed section, program directives will be included, when developed, to establish additional site-specific requirements to modify or clarify requirements in this plan as they apply to the corresponding site. A flowchart detailing project tasks required to accomplish routine sampling is displayed in Figure 1. LM environmental procedures are contained in the Environmental Procedures Catalog (LMS/PRO/S04325), which incorporates American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), DOE, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance. Specific procedures used for groundwater and surface water monitoring are included in Appendix A. If other environmental media are monitored, SOPs used for air, soil/sediment, and biota monitoring can be found in the site-specific tabbed sections in Appendix D or in site-specific documents. The procedures in the Environmental Procedures Catalog are intended as general guidance and require additional detail from planning documents in order to be complete; the following sections fulfill that function and specify additional procedural requirements to form SOPs. Routine revision of this Sampling and Analysis Plan will be conducted annually at the beginning of each fiscal year when attachments in Appendix D, including program directives and sampling location/analytical tables, will be reviewed by project personnel and updated. The sampling location/analytical tables in Appendix D, however, may have interim updates according to project direction that are not reflected in this plan. Deviations from location/analytical tables in Appendix D prior to sampling will be documented in project correspondence (e.g., startup letters). If significant changes to other aspects of this plan are required before the annual update, then the plan will be revised as needed.« less

Effects of strabismic amblyopia and strabismus without amblyopia on visuomotor behavior: III. Temporal eye-hand coordination during reaching.

PubMed

Niechwiej-Szwedo, Ewa; Goltz, Herbert C; Chandrakumar, Manokaraananthan; Wong, Agnes M F

2014-11-11

To examine the effects of strabismic amblyopia and strabismus only, without amblyopia, on the temporal patterns of eye-hand coordination during both the planning and execution stages of visually-guided reaching. Forty-six adults (16 with strabismic amblyopia, 14 with strabismus only, and 16 visually normal) executed reach-to-touch movements toward targets presented randomly 5° or 10° to the left or right of central fixation. Viewing conditions were binocular, monocular viewing with the amblyopic eye, and monocular viewing with the fellow eye (dominant and nondominant viewing for participants without amblyopia). Temporal coordination between eye and hand movements was examined during reach planning (interval between the initiation of saccade and reaching, i.e., saccade-to-reach planning interval) and reach execution (interval between the initiation of saccade and reach peak velocity [PV], i.e., saccade-to-reach PV interval). The frequency and dynamics of secondary reach-related saccades were also examined. The temporal patterns of eye-hand coordination prior to reach initiation were comparable among participants with strabismic amblyopia, strabismus only, and visually normal adults. However, the reach acceleration phase of participants with strabismic amblyopia and those with strabismus only were longer following target fixation (saccade-to-reach PV interval) than that of visually normal participants (P < 0.05). This effect was evident under all viewing conditions. The saccade-to-reach planning interval and the saccade-to-reach PV interval were not significantly different among participants with amblyopia with different levels of acuity and stereo acuity loss. Participants with strabismic amblyopia and strabismus only initiated secondary reach-related saccades significantly more frequently than visually normal participants. The amplitude and peak velocity of these saccades were significantly greater during amblyopic eye viewing in participants with amblyopia who also had negative stereopsis. Adults with strabismic amblyopia and strabismus only showed an altered pattern of temporal eye-hand coordination during the reach acceleration phase, which might affect their ability to modify reach trajectory using early online control. Secondary reach-related saccades may provide a compensatory mechanism with which to facilitate the late online control process in order to ensure relatively good reaching performance during binocular and fellow eye viewing. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

A novel visually CO2 controlled alveolar breath sampling technique.

PubMed

Birken, Thomas; Schubert, Jochen; Miekisch, Wolfram; Nöldge-Schomburg, Gabriele

2006-01-01

A crucial issue in the analysis of exhaled breath is the collection of gaseous samples. The analysis of pure alveolar gas is the method of choice if contamination of samples is to be minimized. Monitoring of expired CO2 can be used to identify alveolar gas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a bed side version of this technique using visual CO2 control by means of a capnometer. 22 mechanically ventilated patients of an ICU were enrolled into the study. Alveolar and mixed expiratory gas, and arterial blood were sampled. PCO2 in blood and gas was determined in a blood gas analyzer. End tidal PCO2 was monitored in all patients by a fast responding main stream capnometry. Taking the gaseous samples was visually synchronized with the expired CO2. Alveolar CO2 contents measured during two different respiratory cycles were identical (p 0.86). The variation of the CO2 content during 10 measurements in one patient was lower than 4%. Arterial PCO2, PCO2 in alveolar gas and end tidal PCO2 showed positive correlation. The visually CO2-controlled sampling technique of alveolar gas is a reliable and reproducible method. It represents an important step in simplifying and standardizing breath analysis.

User-Driven Sampling Strategies in Image Exploitation

DOE PAGES

Harvey, Neal R.; Porter, Reid B.

2013-12-23

Visual analytics and interactive machine learning both try to leverage the complementary strengths of humans and machines to solve complex data exploitation tasks. These fields overlap most significantly when training is involved: the visualization or machine learning tool improves over time by exploiting observations of the human-computer interaction. This paper focuses on one aspect of the human-computer interaction that we call user-driven sampling strategies. Unlike relevance feedback and active learning sampling strategies, where the computer selects which data to label at each iteration, we investigate situations where the user selects which data is to be labeled at each iteration. User-drivenmore » sampling strategies can emerge in many visual analytics applications but they have not been fully developed in machine learning. We discovered that in user-driven sampling strategies suggest new theoretical and practical research questions for both visualization science and machine learning. In this paper we identify and quantify the potential benefits of these strategies in a practical image analysis application. We find user-driven sampling strategies can sometimes provide significant performance gains by steering tools towards local minima that have lower error than tools trained with all of the data. Furthermore, in preliminary experiments we find these performance gains are particularly pronounced when the user is experienced with the tool and application domain.« less

User-driven sampling strategies in image exploitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, Neal; Porter, Reid

2013-12-01

Visual analytics and interactive machine learning both try to leverage the complementary strengths of humans and machines to solve complex data exploitation tasks. These fields overlap most significantly when training is involved: the visualization or machine learning tool improves over time by exploiting observations of the human-computer interaction. This paper focuses on one aspect of the human-computer interaction that we call user-driven sampling strategies. Unlike relevance feedback and active learning sampling strategies, where the computer selects which data to label at each iteration, we investigate situations where the user selects which data is to be labeled at each iteration. User-driven sampling strategies can emerge in many visual analytics applications but they have not been fully developed in machine learning. User-driven sampling strategies suggest new theoretical and practical research questions for both visualization science and machine learning. In this paper we identify and quantify the potential benefits of these strategies in a practical image analysis application. We find user-driven sampling strategies can sometimes provide significant performance gains by steering tools towards local minima that have lower error than tools trained with all of the data. In preliminary experiments we find these performance gains are particularly pronounced when the user is experienced with the tool and application domain.

40 CFR 265.92 - Sampling and analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sampling and analysis. 265.92 Section... FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.92 Sampling and analysis. (a) The owner or operator must obtain and... follow a ground-water sampling and analysis plan. He must keep this plan at the facility. The plan must...

40 CFR 265.92 - Sampling and analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sampling and analysis. 265.92 Section... FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.92 Sampling and analysis. (a) The owner or operator must obtain and... follow a ground-water sampling and analysis plan. He must keep this plan at the facility. The plan must...

7 CFR Exhibit C to Subpart C of... - Checklist of Visual Exhibits and Documentation for RRH, RCH, and LH Proposals

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the required information will be sufficient. C. Property Survey Map. A current survey map of the... specimen trees. If a current survey does not exist, the most accurate document which is available will be... suitable drainage and landscaping plans later in the planning process. E. Market survey. A market survey...

The Effect of the Muller-Lyer Illusion on the Planning and Control of Manual Aiming Movements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendoza, Jocelyn E.; Elliott, Digby; Meegan, Daniel V.; Lyons, James L.; Welsh, Timothy N.

2006-01-01

Two experiments used Muller-Lyer stimuli to test the predictions of the planning-control model (S. Glover, 2002) for aiming movements. In Experiment 1, participants aimed to stimuli that either remained the same or changed upon movement initiation. Experiment 2 was identical except that the duration of visual feedback for online control was…

Interactive orbital proximity operations planning system instruction and training guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grunwald, Arthur J.; Ellis, Stephen R.

1994-01-01

This guide instructs users in the operation of a Proximity Operations Planning System. This system uses an interactive graphical method for planning fuel-efficient rendezvous trajectories in the multi-spacecraft environment of the space station and allows the operator to compose a multi-burn transfer trajectory between orbit initial chaser and target trajectories. The available task time (window) of the mission is predetermined and the maneuver is subject to various operational constraints, such as departure, arrival, spatial, plume impingement, and en route passage constraints. The maneuvers are described in terms of the relative motion experienced in a space station centered coordinate system. Both in-orbital plane as well as out-of-orbital plane maneuvering is considered. A number of visual optimization aids are used for assisting the operator in reaching fuel-efficient solutions. These optimization aids are based on the Primer Vector theory. The visual feedback of trajectory shapes, operational constraints, and optimization functions, provided by user-transparent and continuously active background computations, allows the operator to make fast, iterative design changes that rapidly converge to fuel-efficient solutions. The planning tool is an example of operator-assisted optimization of nonlinear cost functions.

3D Geovisualization & Stylization to Manage Comprehensive and Participative Local Urban Plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasebin, M.; Christophe, S.; Jacquinod, F.; Vinesse, A.; Mahon, H.

2016-10-01

3D geo-visualization is more and more used and appreciated to support public participation, and is generally used to present predesigned planned projects. Nevertheless, other participatory processes may benefit from such technology such as the elaboration of urban planning documents. In this article, we present one of the objectives of the PLU++ project: the design of a 3D geo-visualization system that eases the participation concerning local urban plans. Through a pluridisciplinary approach, it aims at covering the different aspects of such a system: the simulation of built configurations to represent regulation information, the efficient stylization of these objects to make people understand their meanings and the interaction between 3D simulation and stylization. The system aims at being adaptive according to the participation context and to the dynamic of the participation. It will offer the possibility to modify simulation results and the rendering styles of the 3D representations to support participation. The proposed 3D rendering styles will be used in a set of practical experiments in order to test and validate some hypothesis from past researches of the project members about 3D simulation, 3D semiotics and knowledge about uses.

Authoritarianism, cognitive rigidity, and the processing of ambiguous visual information.

PubMed

Duncan, Lauren E; Peterson, Bill E

2014-01-01

Intolerance of ambiguity and cognitive rigidity are unifying aspects of authoritarianism as defined by Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswik, Levinson, and Sanford (1982/1950), who hypothesized that authoritarians view the world in absolute terms (e.g., good or evil). Past studies have documented the relationship between authoritarianism and intolerance of ambiguity and rigidity. Frenkel-Brunswik (1949) hypothesized that this desire for absolutism was rooted in perceptual processes. We present a study with three samples that directly tests the relationship between right wing authoritarianism (RWA) and the processing of ideologically neutral but ambiguous visual stimuli. As hypothesized, in all three samples we found that RWA was related to the slower processing of visual information that required participants to recategorize objects. In a fourth sample, RWA was unrelated to speed of processing visual information that did not require recategorization. Overall, results suggest a relationship between RWA and rigidity in categorization.

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

PubMed

Gotz, David; Borland, David

2016-01-01

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

[A cross-sectional study on the visual disability of the residents in 2006 in Henan province, China].

PubMed

Li, Yin-yin; Zhu, Yu; Li, Zhi-gang; Chen, Ping; Yan, Shao-jun

2009-09-01

To explore the status on visual disability and the leading causes in residents in Henan Province. It was a cross-sectional study and a part of the National Epidemiological Study on the disability in 2006. Sample size 120 000 was assigned to Henan study by the protocol of the National epidemiological study on the disability. Stratified, equal interval, proportional probability; four-stage sampling was adopted. Survey teams were organized, and survey personnel was trained in the sampled counties and cities. Visual disabled persons were screened by home to home visit and confirmed by ophthalmologists. 130 415 persons in 36 923 households were studied. 1973 persons were confirmed to have the visual disability, the prevalence was 1.51%. Among them, 1376 persons just suffer from the visual disability (simple visual disability), 579 persons had multiple disability including the visual disability (multiple disability). Among them, 643 persons (0.49%) were blindness, 1330 persons (1.02%) were low vision. The age of the most of the persons with visual disability was more than 50 years old. The prevalence of the simple visual disability in male and female was 0.77% and 1.36% respectively and had significant statistical difference (chi(2) = 105.687, P < 0.01). The prevalence of the simple visual disability in urban and rural area was 0.58% and 1.15% respectively and also had significant statistical difference (chi(2) = 56.047, P < 0.01). The first five leading causes of the visual disability were cataract (54.69%), retinal and choroidal diseases (8.21%), corneal diseases (5.83%), genetic and congenital eye diseases (5.07%) and glaucoma (4.56%). Government and health organizations should pay more attention to the prevention and treatment the visual disability in Henan province, especially the prevention and treatment of cataract, retinal and choroidal diseases, corneal diseases, genetic and congenital eye diseases and glaucoma.

Visual display aid for orbital maneuvering - Experimental evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grunwald, Arthur J.; Ellis, Stephen R.

1993-01-01

An interactive proximity operations planning system, which allows on-site planning of fuel-efficient, multiburn maneuvers in a potential multispacecraft environment, has been experimentally evaluated. An experiment has been carried out in which nonastronaut operators with brief initial training were required to plan a trajectory to retrieve an object accidentally separated from a dual-keel Space Station, for a variety of different orbital situations. The experiments have shown that these operators were able to plan workable trajectories, satisfying a number of operational constraints. Fuel use and planning time were strongly correlated, both with the angle at which the object was separated and with the existence of spatial constraints. Planning behavior was found to be strongly operator-dependent. This finding calls for the need for standardizing planning strategies through operator training or the use of semiautomated planning schemes.

Application of high-frequency Granger causality to analysis of epileptic seizures and surgical decision making.

PubMed

Epstein, Charles M; Adhikari, Bhim M; Gross, Robert; Willie, Jon; Dhamala, Mukesh

2014-12-01

In recent decades intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings using increasing numbers of electrodes, higher sampling rates, and a variety of visual and quantitative analyses have indicated the presence of widespread, high frequency ictal and preictal oscillations (HFOs) associated with regions of seizure onset. Seizure freedom has been correlated with removal of brain regions generating pathologic HFOs. However, quantitative analysis of preictal HFOs has seldom been applied to the clinical problem of planning the surgical resection. We performed Granger causality (GC) analysis of iEEG recordings to analyze features of preictal seizure networks and to aid in surgical decision making. Ten retrospective and two prospective patients were chosen on the basis of individually stereotyped seizure patterns by visual criteria. Prospective patients were selected, additionally, for failure of those criteria to resolve apparent multilobar ictal onsets. iEEG was recorded at 500 or 1,000 Hz, using up to 128 surface and depth electrodes. Preictal and early ictal GC from individual electrodes was characterized by the strength of causal outflow, spatial distribution, and hierarchical causal relationships. In all patients we found significant, widespread preictal GC network activity at peak frequencies from 80 to 250 Hz, beginning 2-42 s before visible electrographic onset. In the two prospective patients, GC source/sink comparisons supported the exclusion of early ictal regions that were not the dominant causal sources, and contributed to planning of more limited surgical resections. Both patients have a class 1 outcome at 1 year. GC analysis of iEEG has the potential to increase understanding of preictal network activity, and to help improve surgical outcomes in cases of otherwise ambiguous iEEG onset. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 International League Against Epilepsy.

Appropriate Strategy for Rehabilitating the Rural Blind: Education of Parents and Counselling of Visually Handicapped Persons in Bhagwanpur Block (District Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India). Brief Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathur, M. L.; And Others

1986-01-01

Fifty-two visually handicapped persons (mean age 48.8 years) were identified in 21 of 82 rural villages surveyed by trained local field workers in India. Assessment, rehabilitation planning, parent/trainer counseling and education, and training in such areas as daily living skills and orientation and mobility were provided as appropriate. (JW)

Talking Back to the World: Turning Poetic Lines into Visual Poetry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Renee

2011-01-01

The author is not a visual artist. At best, she can draw a heart. But it stops there. When her middle school students asked her if they could do an art project, she quickly made an excuse. The author had planned out a four-week poetry unit on exploring identity. She had to find the best poems to spark her students' interest and get them motivated…

The Efficacy of Intelligence Testing in Children with Physical Disabilities, Visual Impairments and/or the Inability to Speak

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crisp, Cheryl

2007-01-01

Intelligence testing is an important part of any individualized education plan; however, a verbal test measure may not be appropriate for the child with a physical disability, visual impairment, and/or the inability to speak. A child with a physical disability may not be able to point accurately or build a tower with blocks; a child with a visual…

The visual standards for the selection and retention of astronauts, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, M. J.; Levene, J. R.; Heath, G. G.

1972-01-01

In preparation for the various studies planned for assessing visual capabilities and tasks in order to set vision standards for astronauts, the following pieces of equipment have been assembled and tested: a spectacle obstruction measuring device, a biometric glare susceptibility tester, a variable vergence amplitude testing device, an eye movement recorder, a lunar illumination simulation chamber, a night myopia testing apparatus, and retinal adaption measuring devices.

Underlying mechanisms of writing difficulties among children with neurofibromatosis type 1.

PubMed

Gilboa, Yafit; Josman, Naomi; Fattal-Valevski, Aviva; Toledano-Alhadef, Hagit; Rosenblum, Sara

2014-06-01

Writing is a complex activity in which lower-level perceptual-motor processes and higher-level cognitive processes continuously interact. Preliminary evidence suggests that writing difficulties are common to children with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). The aim of this study was to compare the performance of children with and without NF1 in lower (visual perception, motor coordination and visual-motor integration) and higher processes (verbal and performance intelligence, visual spatial organization and visual memory) required for intact writing; and to identify the components that predict the written product's spatial arrangement and content among children with NF1. Thirty children with NF1 (ages 8-16) and 30 typically developing children matched by gender and age were tested, using standardized assessments. Children with NF1 had a significantly inferior performance in comparison to control children, on all tests that measured lower and higher level processes. The cognitive planning skill was found as a predictor of the written product's spatial arrangement. The verbal intelligence predicted the written content level. Results suggest that high level processes underlie the poor quality of writing product in children with NF1. Treatment approaches for children with NF1 must include detailed assessments of cognitive planning and language skills. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent Advancements in the Infrared Flow Visualization System for the NASA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garbeff, Theodore J., II; Baerny, Jennifer K.

2017-01-01

The following details recent efforts undertaken at the NASA Ames Unitary Plan wind tunnels to design and deploy an advanced, production-level infrared (IR) flow visualization data system. Highly sensitive IR cameras, coupled with in-line image processing, have enabled the visualization of wind tunnel model surface flow features as they develop in real-time. Boundary layer transition, shock impingement, junction flow, vortex dynamics, and buffet are routinely observed in both transonic and supersonic flow regimes all without the need of dedicated ramps in test section total temperature. Successful measurements have been performed on wing-body sting mounted test articles, semi-span floor mounted aircraft models, and sting mounted launch vehicle configurations. The unique requirements of imaging in production wind tunnel testing has led to advancements in the deployment of advanced IR cameras in a harsh test environment, robust data acquisition storage and workflow, real-time image processing algorithms, and evaluation of optimal surface treatments. The addition of a multi-camera IR flow visualization data system to the Ames UPWT has demonstrated itself to be a valuable analyses tool in the study of new and old aircraft/launch vehicle aerodynamics and has provided new insight for the evaluation of computational techniques.

Using neuropsychological profiles to classify neglected children with or without physical abuse.

PubMed

Nolin, Pierre; Ethier, Louise

2007-06-01

The aim of this study is twofold: First, to investigate whether cognitive functions can contribute to differentiating neglected children with or without physical abuse compared to comparison participants; second, to demonstrate the detrimental impact of children being victimized by a combination of different types of maltreatment. Seventy-nine children aged 6-12 years and currently receiving Child Protection Services because of one of two types of maltreatment (neglect with physical abuse, n=56; neglect without physical abuse, n=28) were compared with a control group of 53 children matched for age, gender, and annual family income. The neuropsychological assessment focused on motor performance, attention, memory and learning, visual-motor integration, language, frontal/executive functions, and intelligence. Discriminant analysis identified auditory attention and response set, and visual-motor integration (Function 1), and problem solving, abstraction, and planning (Function 2) as the two sets of variables that most distinguished the groups. Discriminant analysis predicted group membership in 80% of the cases. Children who were neglected with physical abuse showed cognitive deficits in auditory attention and response set, and visual-motor integration (Function 1) and problem solving, abstraction, and planning (Function 2). Children who were neglected without physical abuse differed from the control group in that they obtained lower scores in auditory attention and response set, and visual-motor integration (Function 1). Surprisingly, these same children demonstrated a greater capacity for problem solving, abstraction, and planning (Function 2) than the physically abused neglected and control children. The present study underscores the relevance of neuropsychology to maltreatment research. The results support the heterogeneity of cognitive deficits in children based on different types of maltreatment and the fact that neglect with physical abuse is more harmful than neglect alone.

Visually Exploring Transportation Schedules.

PubMed

Palomo, Cesar; Guo, Zhan; Silva, Cláudio T; Freire, Juliana

2016-01-01

Public transportation schedules are designed by agencies to optimize service quality under multiple constraints. However, real service usually deviates from the plan. Therefore, transportation analysts need to identify, compare and explain both eventual and systemic performance issues that must be addressed so that better timetables can be created. The purely statistical tools commonly used by analysts pose many difficulties due to the large number of attributes at trip- and station-level for planned and real service. Also challenging is the need for models at multiple scales to search for patterns at different times and stations, since analysts do not know exactly where or when relevant patterns might emerge and need to compute statistical summaries for multiple attributes at different granularities. To aid in this analysis, we worked in close collaboration with a transportation expert to design TR-EX, a visual exploration tool developed to identify, inspect and compare spatio-temporal patterns for planned and real transportation service. TR-EX combines two new visual encodings inspired by Marey's Train Schedule: Trips Explorer for trip-level analysis of frequency, deviation and speed; and Stops Explorer for station-level study of delay, wait time, reliability and performance deficiencies such as bunching. To tackle overplotting and to provide a robust representation for a large numbers of trips and stops at multiple scales, the system supports variable kernel bandwidths to achieve the level of detail required by users for different tasks. We justify our design decisions based on specific analysis needs of transportation analysts. We provide anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of TR-EX through a series of case studies that explore NYC subway service, which illustrate how TR-EX can be used to confirm hypotheses and derive new insights through visual exploration.

Influence of Gsd for 3d City Modeling and Visualization from Aerial Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alrajhi, Muhamad; Alam, Zafare; Afroz Khan, Mohammad; Alobeid, Abdalla

2016-06-01

Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MOMRA), aims to establish solid infrastructure required for 3D city modelling, for decision making to set a mark in urban development. MOMRA is responsible for the large scale mapping 1:1,000; 1:2,500; 1:10,000 and 1:20,000 scales for 10cm, 20cm and 40 GSD with Aerial Triangulation data. As 3D city models are increasingly used for the presentation exploration, and evaluation of urban and architectural designs. Visualization capabilities and animations support of upcoming 3D geo-information technologies empower architects, urban planners, and authorities to visualize and analyze urban and architectural designs in the context of the existing situation. To make use of this possibility, first of all 3D city model has to be created for which MOMRA uses the Aerial Triangulation data and aerial imagery. The main concise for 3D city modelling in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia exists due to uneven surface and undulations. Thus real time 3D visualization and interactive exploration support planning processes by providing multiple stakeholders such as decision maker, architects, urban planners, authorities, citizens or investors with a three - dimensional model. Apart from advanced visualization, these 3D city models can be helpful for dealing with natural hazards and provide various possibilities to deal with exotic conditions by better and advanced viewing technological infrastructure. Riyadh on one side is 5700m above sea level and on the other hand Abha city is 2300m, this uneven terrain represents a drastic change of surface in the Kingdom, for which 3D city models provide valuable solutions with all possible opportunities. In this research paper: influence of different GSD (Ground Sample Distance) aerial imagery with Aerial Triangulation is used for 3D visualization in different region of the Kingdom, to check which scale is more sophisticated for obtaining better results and is cost manageable, with GSD (7.5cm, 10cm, 20cm and 40cm). The comparison test is carried out in Bentley environment to check the best possible results obtained through operating different batch processes.

Surface mine planning and design implications and theory of a visual environmental quality predictive model

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

Burley, J.B.

1999-07-01

Surface mine planners and designers are searching for scientifically based tools to assist in the pre-mine planning and post-mine development or surface mine sites. In this study, the author presents a science based visual and environmental quality predictive model useful in preparing and assessing landscape treatments for surface mine sites. The equation explains 67 percent of respondent preference, with an overall p-value for the equation >0.0001 and a p-value >0.05 for each regressor. Regressors employed in the equation include an environmental quality index, foreground vegetation, distant nonvegetation, people, vehicles, utilities, foreground flowers, foreground erosion, wildlife, landscape openness, landscape mystery, andmore » noosphericness (a measure of human disturbance). The equation can be explained with an Intrusion/Neutral Modifier/Temporal Enhancement Theory which suggests that human intrusions upon other humans results in landscape of low preference and which also suggests that landscape containing natural and special temporal features such as wildlife and flowers can enhance the value of a landscape scene. This research supports the importance of visual barriers such as berms and vegetation screens during mining operations and supports public perceptions concerning many types of industrial activities. In addition, the equation can be applied to study post-mining landscape development plans to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of landscape treatments.« less

Inhibition in movement plan competition: reach trajectories curve away from remembered and task-irrelevant present but not from task-irrelevant past visual stimuli.

PubMed

Moehler, Tobias; Fiehler, Katja

2017-11-01

The current study investigated the role of automatic encoding and maintenance of remembered, past, and present visual distractors for reach movement planning. The previous research on eye movements showed that saccades curve away from locations actively kept in working memory and also from task-irrelevant perceptually present visual distractors, but not from task-irrelevant past distractors. Curvature away has been associated with an inhibitory mechanism resolving the competition between multiple active movement plans. Here, we examined whether reach movements underlie a similar inhibitory mechanism and thus show systematic modulation of reach trajectories when the location of a previously presented distractor has to be (a) maintained in working memory or (b) ignored, or (c) when the distractor is perceptually present. Participants performed vertical reach movements on a computer monitor from a home to a target location. Distractors appeared laterally and near or far from the target (equidistant from central fixation). We found that reaches curved away from the distractors located close to the target when the distractor location had to be memorized and when it was perceptually present, but not when the past distractor had to be ignored. Our findings suggest that automatically encoding present distractors and actively maintaining the location of past distractors in working memory evoke a similar response competition resolved by inhibition, as has been previously shown for saccadic eye movements.

Monitoring in the nearshore: A process for making reasoned decisions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bodkin, James L.; Dean, T.A.

2003-01-01

Over the past several years, a conceptual framework for the GEM nearshore monitoring program has been developed through a series of workshops. However, details of the proposed monitoring program, e.g. what to sample, where to sample, when to sample and at how many sites, have yet to be determined. In FY 03 we were funded under Project 03687 to outline a process whereby specific alternatives to monitoring are developed and presented to the EVOS Trustee Council for consideration. As part of this process, two key elements are required before reasoned decisions can be made. These are: 1) a comprehensive historical perspective of locations and types of past studies conducted in the nearshore marine communities within Gulf of Alaska, and 2) estimates of costs for each element of a proposed monitoring program. We have developed a GIS database that details available information from past studies of selected nearshore habitats and species in the Gulf of Alaska and provide a visual means of selecting sites based (in part) on the locations for which historical data of interest are available. We also provide cost estimates for specific monitoring plan alternatives and outline several alternative plans that can be accomplished within reasonable budgetary constraints. The products that we will provide are: 1) A GIS database and maps showing the location and types of information available from the nearshore in the Gulf of Alaska; 2) A list of several specific monitoring alternatives that can be conducted within reasonable budgetary constraints; and 3) Cost estimates for proposed tasks to be conducted as part of the nearshore program. Because data compilation and management will not be completed until late in FY03 we are requesting support for close-out of this project in FY 04.

A comparison of color fidelity metrics for light sources using simulation of color samples under lighting conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Hyeokjun; Kang, Yoojin; Jang, Junwoo

2017-09-01

Color fidelity has been used as one of indices to evaluate the performance of light sources. Since the Color Rendering Index (CRI) was proposed at CIE, many color fidelity metrics have been proposed to increase the accuracy of the metric. This paper focuses on a comparison of the color fidelity metrics in an aspect of accuracy with human visual assessments. To visually evaluate the color fidelity of light sources, we made a simulator that reproduces the color samples under lighting conditions. In this paper, eighteen color samples of the Macbeth color checker under test light sources and reference illuminant for each of them are simulated and displayed on a well-characterized monitor. With only a spectrum set of the test light source and reference illuminant, color samples under any lighting condition can be reproduced. In this paper, the spectrums of the two LED and two OLED light sources that have similar values of CRI are used for the visual assessment. In addition, the results of the visual assessment are compared with the two color fidelity metrics that include CRI and IES TM-30-15 (Rf), proposed by Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) in 2015. Experimental results indicate that Rf outperforms CRI in terms of the correlation with visual assessment.

Multi-sensory landscape assessment: the contribution of acoustic perception to landscape evaluation.

PubMed

Gan, Yonghong; Luo, Tao; Breitung, Werner; Kang, Jian; Zhang, Tianhai

2014-12-01

In this paper, the contribution of visual and acoustic preference to multi-sensory landscape evaluation was quantitatively compared. The real landscapes were treated as dual-sensory ambiance and separated into visual landscape and soundscape. Both were evaluated by 63 respondents in laboratory conditions. The analysis of the relationship between respondent's visual and acoustic preference as well as their respective contribution to landscape preference showed that (1) some common attributes are universally identified in assessing visual, aural and audio-visual preference, such as naturalness or degree of human disturbance; (2) with acoustic and visual preferences as variables, a multi-variate linear regression model can satisfactorily predict landscape preference (R(2 )= 0.740), while the coefficients of determination for a unitary linear regression model were 0.345 and 0.720 for visual and acoustic preference as predicting factors, respectively; (3) acoustic preference played a much more important role in landscape evaluation than visual preference in this study (the former is about 4.5 times of the latter), which strongly suggests a rethinking of the role of soundscape in environment perception research and landscape planning practice.

Burden, etiology and predictors of visual impairment among children attending Mulago National Referral Hospital eye clinic, Uganda.

PubMed

Kinengyere, Patience; Kizito, Samuel; Kiggundu, John Baptist; Ampaire, Anne; Wabulembo, Geoffrey

2017-09-01

Childhood visual impairment (CVI) has not been given due attention. Knowledge of CVI is important in planning preventive measures. The aim of this study was determine the prevalence, etiology and the factors associated with childhood visual impairment among the children attending the eye clinic in Mulago National Referral Hospital. This was a cross sectional hospital based study among 318 children attending the Mulago Hospital eye clinic between January 2015 to March 2015. Ocular and general history was taken and patient examination done. The data generated was entered by Epidata and analyzed by STATA 12. The prevalence of CVI was 42.14%, 134 patients with 49 patients (15.41%) having moderate visual impairment, 45 patients (14.15%) having severe visual impairment and 40 patients (12.58%) presenting with blindness. Significant predictors included; increasing age, delayed developmental milestones and having abnormal corneal, refractive and fundus findings. There is a high burden of visual impairment among children in Uganda. It is vital to screen all the children presenting to hospital for visual impairment. Majority of the causes of the visual impairment are preventable.

ICP Corporate Customer Assessment - Sampling Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-07-01

CORPORATE CUSTOMER ASSESSMENT - SAMPLING PLAN JULY 1995 Lead Analyst: Lieutenant Commander William J. Wilkinson, USN Associate Analyst: Mr. Henry J...project developed a plan for conducting recurring surveys of Defense Logistics Agency customers , in support of the DLA Corporate Customer Assessment...Team. The primary product was a sampling plan, including stratification of customers by Military Service or Federal Agency and by commodity purchased

Sensitivity of the central visual field in 70- to 81-year-old male athletes and in a population sample.

PubMed

Era, P; Pärssinen, O; Pykälä, P; Jokela, J; Suominen, H

1994-10-01

The sensitivity of the central visual field (0 degree-30 degrees) was studied using an automatic Octopus 500E perimeter in elderly male athletes and in a population sample of men of corresponding age. The athletes (N = 96) were endurance and power athletes, who were still active in competitive sports with training histories spanning tens of years. The athletes' results were compared with those of a sample of men of the same age (70-81 years, N = 41) randomly selected from the local population register. The sensitivity values of the athletes, and the endurance athletes in particular, were significantly better than those of the controls, with differences varying from 1 to 2.5 dB in the different areas of the central visual field. Multivariate analyses of the background factors of visual field sensitivity showed that the most important were age, amount of annual training, number of chronic diseases, HDL-cholesterol level, and vital capacity. The results suggest that a long training history, especially of the aerobic type, may be beneficial with respect to the sensitivity of the visual system.

Panoramic 3d Vision on the ExoMars Rover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paar, G.; Griffiths, A. D.; Barnes, D. P.; Coates, A. J.; Jaumann, R.; Oberst, J.; Gao, Y.; Ellery, A.; Li, R.

The Pasteur payload on the ESA ExoMars Rover 2011/2013 is designed to search for evidence of extant or extinct life either on or up to ˜2 m below the surface of Mars. The rover will be equipped by a panoramic imaging system to be developed by a UK, German, Austrian, Swiss, Italian and French team for visual characterization of the rover's surroundings and (in conjunction with an infrared imaging spectrometer) remote detection of potential sample sites. The Panoramic Camera system consists of a wide angle multispectral stereo pair with 65° field-of-view (WAC; 1.1 mrad/pixel) and a high resolution monoscopic camera (HRC; current design having 59.7 µrad/pixel with 3.5° field-of-view) . Its scientific goals and operational requirements can be summarized as follows: • Determination of objects to be investigated in situ by other instruments for operations planning • Backup and Support for the rover visual navigation system (path planning, determination of subsequent rover positions and orientation/tilt within the 3d environment), and localization of the landing site (by stellar navigation or by combination of orbiter and ground panoramic images) • Geological characterization (using narrow band geology filters) and cartography of the local environments (local Digital Terrain Model or DTM). • Study of atmospheric properties and variable phenomena near the Martian surface (e.g. aerosol opacity, water vapour column density, clouds, dust devils, meteors, surface frosts,) 1 • Geodetic studies (observations of Sun, bright stars, Phobos/Deimos). The performance of 3d data processing is a key element of mission planning and scientific data analysis. The 3d Vision Team within the Panoramic Camera development Consortium reports on the current status of development, consisting of the following items: • Hardware Layout & Engineering: The geometric setup of the system (location on the mast & viewing angles, mutual mounting between WAC and HRC) needs to be optimized w.r.t. fields of view, ranging capability (distance measurement capability), data rate, necessity of calibration targets, hardware & data interfaces to other subsystems (e.g. navigation) as well as accuracy impacts of sensor design and compression ratio. • Geometric Calibration: The geometric properties of the individual cameras including various spectral filters, their mutual relations and the dynamic geometrical relation between rover frame and cameras - with the mast in between - are precisely described by a calibration process. During surface operations these relations will be continuously checked and updated by photogrammetric means, environmental influences such as temperature, pressure and the Mars gravity will be taken into account. • Surface Mapping: Stereo imaging using the WAC stereo pair is used for the 3d reconstruction of the rover vicinity to identify, locate and characterize potentially interesting spots (3-10 for an experimental cycle to be performed within approx. 10-30 sols). The HRC is used for high resolution imagery of these regions of interest to be overlaid on the 3d reconstruction and potentially refined by shape-from-shading techniques. A quick processing result is crucial for time critical operations planning, therefore emphasis is laid on the automatic behaviour and intrinsic error detection mechanisms. The mapping results will be continuously fused, updated and synchronized with the map used by the navigation system. The surface representation needs to take into account the different resolutions of HRC and WAC as well as uncommon or even unexpected image acquisition modes such as long range, wide baseline stereo from different rover positions or escape strategies in the case of loss of one of the stereo camera heads. • Panorama Mosaicking: The production of a high resolution stereoscopic panorama nowadays is state-of-art in computer vision. However, certain 2 challenges such as the need for access to accurate spherical coordinates, maintenance of radiometric & spectral response in various spectral bands, fusion between HRC and WAC, super resolution, and again the requirement of quick yet robust processing will add some complexity to the ground processing system. • Visualization for Operations Planning: Efficient operations planning is directly related to an ergonomic and well performing visualization. It is intended to adapt existing tools to an integrated visualization solution for the purpose of scientific site characterization, view planning and reachability mapping/instrument placement of pointing sensors (including the panoramic imaging system itself), and selection of regions of interest. The main interfaces between the individual components as well as the first version of a user requirement document are currently under definition. Beside the support for sensor layout and calibration the 3d vision system will consist of 2-3 main modules to be used during ground processing & utilization of the ExoMars Rover panoramic imaging system. 3

Fixed precision sampling plans for white apple leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) on apple.

PubMed

Beers, Elizabeth H; Jones, Vincent P

2004-10-01

Constant precision sampling plans for the white apple leafhopper, Typhlocyba pomaria McAtee, were developed so that it could be used as an indicator species for system stability as new integrated pest management programs without broad-spectrum pesticides are developed. Taylor's power law was used to model the relationship between the mean and the variance, and Green's constant precision sequential sample equation was used to develop sampling plans. Bootstrap simulations of the sampling plans showed greater precision (D = 0.25) than the desired precision (Do = 0.3), particularly at low mean population densities. We found that by adjusting the Do value in Green's equation to 0.4, we were able to reduce the average sample number by 25% and provided an average D = 0.31. The sampling plan described allows T. pomaria to be used as reasonable indicator species of agroecosystem stability in Washington apple orchards.

Addendum to Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) for Assessment of LANL-Derived Residual Radionuclides in Soils within Tract A-16-d for Land Conveyance and Transfer for Sewage Treatment Facility Area

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

Whicker, Jeffrey Jay; Gillis, Jessica Mcdonnel; Ruedig, Elizabeth

This report summarizes the sampling design used, associated statistical assumptions, as well as general guidelines for conducting post-sampling data analysis. Sampling plan components presented here include how many sampling locations to choose and where within the sampling area to collect those samples. The type of medium to sample (i.e., soil, groundwater, etc.) and how to analyze the samples (in-situ, fixed laboratory, etc.) are addressed in other sections of the sampling plan.

Structure from Motion Photogrammetry and Micro X-Ray Computed Tomography 3-D Reconstruction Data Fusion for Non-Destructive Conservation Documentation of Lunar Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaulieu, K. R.; Blumenfeld, E. H.; Liddle, D. A.; Oshel, E. R.; Evans, C. A.; Zeigler, R. A.; Righter, K.; Hanna, R. D.; Ketcham, R. A.

2017-01-01

Our team is developing a modern, cross-disciplinary approach to documentation and preservation of astromaterials, specifically lunar and meteorite samples stored at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility. Apollo Lunar Sample 60639, collected as part of rake sample 60610 during the 3rd Extra-Vehicular Activity of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972, served as the first NASA-preserved lunar sample to be examined by our team in the development of a novel approach to internal and external sample visualization. Apollo Sample 60639 is classified as a breccia with a glass-coated side and pristine mare basalt and anorthosite clasts. The aim was to accurately register a 3-dimensional Micro X-Ray Computed Tomography (XCT)-derived internal composition data set and a Structure-From-Motion (SFM) Photogrammetry-derived high-fidelity, textured external polygonal model of Apollo Sample 60639. The developed process provided the means for accurate, comprehensive, non-destructive visualization of NASA's heritage lunar samples. The data products, to be ultimately served via an end-user web interface, will allow researchers and the public to interact with the unique heritage samples, providing a platform to "slice through" a photo-realistic rendering of a sample to analyze both its external visual and internal composition simultaneously.

Assessing Flood Risks and Planning for Resiliency in New Jersey: A Case Study on the Use of Online Flood Mapping and Resilience Planning Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auermuller, L. M.; Gatto, J.; Huch, C.

2015-12-01

The highly developed nature of New Jersey's coastline, barrier island and lagoon communities make them particularly vulnerable to storm surge, sea level rise and flooding. The impacts of Hurricane Sandy have enlightened coastal communities to these realities. Recognizing these vulnerabilities, the Jacques Cousteau National Research Reserve (JC NERR), Rutgers Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (CRSSA), Rutgers Bloustein School and the Barnegat Bay Partnership (BBP) have developed web-based tools to assist NJ's coastal communities in visualizing and planning for future local impacts. NJFloodMapper and NJAdapt are two complementary interactive mapping websites that visualize different current and future flood hazards. These hazard layers can be combined with additional data including critical facilities, evacuation routes, socioeconomic and environmental data. Getting to Resilience is an online self-assessment tool developed to assist communities reduce vulnerability and increase preparedness by linking planning, mitigation, and adaptation. Through this interactive process communities will learn how their preparedness can yield valuable points through voluntary programs like FEMA's Community Rating System and Sustainable Jersey. The assessment process can also increase the community's understanding of where future vulnerabilities should be addressed through hazard mitigation planning. Since Superstorm Sandy, more than thirty communities in New Jersey have been provided technical assistance in assessing their risks and vulnerabilities to coastal hazards, and have begun to understand how to better plan and prepare for short and long-term changes along their shorelines.

Some Tests of Response Membership in Acquired Equivalence Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urcuioli, Peter J.; Lionello-DeNolf, Karen; Michalek, Sarah; Vasconcelos, Marco

2006-01-01

Pigeons were trained on many-to-one matching in which pairs of samples, each consisting of a visual stimulus and a distinctive pattern of center-key responding, occasioned the same reinforced comparison choice. Acquired equivalence between the visual and response samples then was evaluated by reinforcing new comparison choices to one set of…

Labor Force Participation Rates among Working-Age Individuals with Visual Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Stacy M.

2013-01-01

The present study analyzes four consecutive years of monthly labor force participation rates reported by the Current Population Survey that included nationally representative samples of the general U.S. population and nationally representative samples of the U.S. population with specifically identified disabilities. Visual impairment is one of the…

Spatial Distribution and Sampling Plans for Grapevine Plant Canopy-Inhabiting Scaphoideus titanus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Nymphs.

PubMed

Rigamonti, Ivo E; Brambilla, Carla; Colleoni, Emanuele; Jermini, Mauro; Trivellone, Valeria; Baumgärtner, Johann

2016-04-01

The paper deals with the study of the spatial distribution and the design of sampling plans for estimating nymph densities of the grape leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball in vine plant canopies. In a reference vineyard sampled for model parameterization, leaf samples were repeatedly taken according to a multistage, stratified, random sampling procedure, and data were subjected to an ANOVA. There were no significant differences in density neither among the strata within the vineyard nor between the two strata with basal and apical leaves. The significant differences between densities on trunk and productive shoots led to the adoption of two-stage (leaves and plants) and three-stage (leaves, shoots, and plants) sampling plans for trunk shoots- and productive shoots-inhabiting individuals, respectively. The mean crowding to mean relationship used to analyze the nymphs spatial distribution revealed aggregated distributions. In both the enumerative and the sequential enumerative sampling plans, the number of leaves of trunk shoots, and of leaves and shoots of productive shoots, was kept constant while the number of plants varied. In additional vineyards data were collected and used to test the applicability of the distribution model and the sampling plans. The tests confirmed the applicability 1) of the mean crowding to mean regression model on the plant and leaf stages for representing trunk shoot-inhabiting distributions, and on the plant, shoot, and leaf stages for productive shoot-inhabiting nymphs, 2) of the enumerative sampling plan, and 3) of the sequential enumerative sampling plan. In general, sequential enumerative sampling was more cost efficient than enumerative sampling.

Designing a two-rank acceptance sampling plan for quality inspection of geospatial data products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Xiaohua; Wang, Zhenhua; Xie, Huan; Liang, Dan; Jiang, Zuoqin; Li, Jinchao; Li, Jun

2011-10-01

To address the disadvantages of classical sampling plans designed for traditional industrial products, we originally propose a two-rank acceptance sampling plan (TRASP) for the inspection of geospatial data outputs based on the acceptance quality level (AQL). The first rank sampling plan is to inspect the lot consisting of map sheets, and the second is to inspect the lot consisting of features in an individual map sheet. The TRASP design is formulated as an optimization problem with respect to sample size and acceptance number, which covers two lot size cases. The first case is for a small lot size with nonconformities being modeled by a hypergeometric distribution function, and the second is for a larger lot size with nonconformities being modeled by a Poisson distribution function. The proposed TRASP is illustrated through two empirical case studies. Our analysis demonstrates that: (1) the proposed TRASP provides a general approach for quality inspection of geospatial data outputs consisting of non-uniform items and (2) the proposed acceptance sampling plan based on TRASP performs better than other classical sampling plans. It overcomes the drawbacks of percent sampling, i.e., "strictness for large lot size, toleration for small lot size," and those of a national standard used specifically for industrial outputs, i.e., "lots with different sizes corresponding to the same sampling plan."

Toward semantic-based retrieval of visual information: a model-based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Youngchoon; Golshani, Forouzan; Panchanathan, Sethuraman

2002-07-01

This paper center around the problem of automated visual content classification. To enable classification based image or visual object retrieval, we propose a new image representation scheme called visual context descriptor (VCD) that is a multidimensional vector in which each element represents the frequency of a unique visual property of an image or a region. VCD utilizes the predetermined quality dimensions (i.e., types of features and quantization level) and semantic model templates mined in priori. Not only observed visual cues, but also contextually relevant visual features are proportionally incorporated in VCD. Contextual relevance of a visual cue to a semantic class is determined by using correlation analysis of ground truth samples. Such co-occurrence analysis of visual cues requires transformation of a real-valued visual feature vector (e.g., color histogram, Gabor texture, etc.,) into a discrete event (e.g., terms in text). Good-feature to track, rule of thirds, iterative k-means clustering and TSVQ are involved in transformation of feature vectors into unified symbolic representations called visual terms. Similarity-based visual cue frequency estimation is also proposed and used for ensuring the correctness of model learning and matching since sparseness of sample data causes the unstable results of frequency estimation of visual cues. The proposed method naturally allows integration of heterogeneous visual or temporal or spatial cues in a single classification or matching framework, and can be easily integrated into a semantic knowledge base such as thesaurus, and ontology. Robust semantic visual model template creation and object based image retrieval are demonstrated based on the proposed content description scheme.

Streamlining Collaborative Planning in Spacecraft Mission Architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Misra, Dhariti; Bopf, Michel; Fishman, Mark; Jones, Jeremy; Kerbel, Uri; Pell, Vince

2000-01-01

During the past two decades, the planning and scheduling community has substantially increased the capability and efficiency of individual planning and scheduling systems. Relatively recently, research work to streamline collaboration between planning systems is gaining attention. Spacecraft missions stand to benefit substantially from this work as they require the coordination of multiple planning organizations and planning systems. Up to the present time this coordination has demanded a great deal of human intervention and/or extensive custom software development efforts. This problem will become acute with increased requirements for cross-mission plan coordination and multi -spacecraft mission planning. The Advanced Architectures and Automation Branch of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is taking innovative steps to define collaborative planning architectures, and to identify coordinated planning tools for Cross-Mission Campaigns. Prototypes are being developed to validate these architectures and assess the usefulness of the coordination tools by the planning community. This presentation will focus on one such planning coordination too], named Visual Observation Layout Tool (VOLT), which is currently being developed to streamline the coordination between astronomical missions

Using known populations of pronghorn to evaluate sampling plans and estimators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kraft, K.M.; Johnson, D.H.; Samuelson, J.M.; Allen, S.H.

1995-01-01

Although sampling plans and estimators of abundance have good theoretical properties, their performance in real situations is rarely assessed because true population sizes are unknown. We evaluated widely used sampling plans and estimators of population size on 3 known clustered distributions of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). Our criteria were accuracy of the estimate, coverage of 95% confidence intervals, and cost. Sampling plans were combinations of sampling intensities (16, 33, and 50%), sample selection (simple random sampling without replacement, systematic sampling, and probability proportional to size sampling with replacement), and stratification. We paired sampling plans with suitable estimators (simple, ratio, and probability proportional to size). We used area of the sampling unit as the auxiliary variable for the ratio and probability proportional to size estimators. All estimators were nearly unbiased, but precision was generally low (overall mean coefficient of variation [CV] = 29). Coverage of 95% confidence intervals was only 89% because of the highly skewed distribution of the pronghorn counts and small sample sizes, especially with stratification. Stratification combined with accurate estimates of optimal stratum sample sizes increased precision, reducing the mean CV from 33 without stratification to 25 with stratification; costs increased 23%. Precise results (mean CV = 13) but poor confidence interval coverage (83%) were obtained with simple and ratio estimators when the allocation scheme included all sampling units in the stratum containing most pronghorn. Although areas of the sampling units varied, ratio estimators and probability proportional to size sampling did not increase precision, possibly because of the clumped distribution of pronghorn. Managers should be cautious in using sampling plans and estimators to estimate abundance of aggregated populations.

Effect of Sampling Plans on the Risk of Escherichia coli O157 Illness.

PubMed

Kiermeier, Andreas; Sumner, John; Jenson, Ian

2015-07-01

Australia exports about 150,000 to 200,000 tons of manufacturing beef to the United States annually. Each lot is tested for Escherichia coli O157 using the N-60 sampling protocol, where 60 small pieces of surface meat from each lot of production are tested. A risk assessment of E. coli O157 illness from the consumption of hamburgers made from Australian manufacturing meat formed the basis to evaluate the effect of sample size and amount on the number of illnesses predicted. The sampling plans evaluated included no sampling (resulting in an estimated 55.2 illnesses per annum), the current N-60 plan (50.2 illnesses), N-90 (49.6 illnesses), N-120 (48.4 illnesses), and a more stringent N-60 sampling plan taking five 25-g samples from each of 12 cartons (47.4 illnesses per annum). While sampling may detect some highly contaminated lots, it does not guarantee that all such lots are removed from commerce. It is concluded that increasing the sample size or sample amount from the current N-60 plan would have a very small public health effect.

Nutritional assessment and diet quality of visually impaired Spanish children.

PubMed

Montero, Pilar

2005-01-01

The visually impaired represents a fairly numerous group in Spain although no data on their nutritional status has previously been published. This work aims to assess the nutritional state of a sample of visually impaired children and the quality of their diet. The sample comprised 229 boys and girls aged between 8 and 18 years (mean = 14, SD = 2.6), all of whom had a visual discapacity and were students of the Centros de Recursos Educativos (CREs; Educational Resources Centres) of the Organización Nacional de Ciegos de España (ONCE; Spanish National Organization for the Blind). This sample featured a high prevalence of overweight (25.8%) and obesity (11.8%) according to the international standard. The mean daily energy consumption and the quantity of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and fibre were greater in boys (2604 kcal day(-1); 290 g of carbohydrates, 126 g of fats and 90 g of proteins) than in girls (2159 kcal day(-1), 232 g of carbohydrates, 107 g of fats and 80 g of proteins). No differences in diet intake according to degree of visual impairment were found. Their diet was unbalanced in comparison with the nutritional objectives for the Spanish population, since consumption of carbohydrates was low and that of fats was very high. The results relating to the quality of the diet reveal quite large deviations from the Mediterranean model. Only 11.9% of the whole sample had a value corresponding to a good quality diet. The pattern of dietary consumption was the same as that observed in non visually impaired children in Spain in quantity and quality, nevertheless the prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher than in children without visual handicaps.

Comorbid Visual and Psychiatric Disabilities Among the Chinese Elderly: A National Population-Based Survey.

PubMed

Guo, Chao; Wang, Zhenjie; Li, Ning; Chen, Gong; Zheng, Xiaoying

2017-12-01

To estimate the prevalence of, and association between, co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities among elderly (>65 years-of-age) persons in China. Random representative samples were obtained using multistage, stratified, cluster sampling, with probabilities proportional to size. Standard weighting procedures were used to construct sample weights that reflected this multistage, stratified cluster sampling survey scheme. Logistic regression models were used to elucidate associations between visual and psychiatric disabilities. Among the Chinese elderly, >160,000 persons have co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities. The weighted prevalence among this cohort is 123.7 per 100,000 persons. A higher prevalence of co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities was found in the oldest-old (p<0.001); women (65-79 years-of-age, p=0.001; ≥80 years-of-age, p=0.004); illiterate (65-79 years-of-age, p<0.001; ≥80 years-of-age, p=0.02); and single elders (65-79 years-of-age, p=0.01; ≥80 years-of-age, p=0.001). Presence of a visual disability was significantly associated with a higher risk of having a psychiatric disability among persons aged ≥80 years-of-age [adjusted odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03-1.54]. A significant number of Chinese elderly persons were living with co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities. To address the challenge of these co-morbid disorders among Chinese elders, it is incumbent upon the government to implement additional and more comprehensive prevention and rehabilitation strategies for health-care systems, reinforce health promotion among the elderly, and improve accessibility to health-care services.

Integration of Computed Tomography and Three-Dimensional Echocardiography for Hybrid Three-Dimensional Printing in Congenital Heart Disease.

PubMed

Gosnell, Jordan; Pietila, Todd; Samuel, Bennett P; Kurup, Harikrishnan K N; Haw, Marcus P; Vettukattil, Joseph J

2016-12-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology aiding diagnostics, education, and interventional, and surgical planning in congenital heart disease (CHD). Three-dimensional printing has been derived from computed tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance, and 3D echocardiography. However, individually the imaging modalities may not provide adequate visualization of complex CHD. The integration of the strengths of two or more imaging modalities has the potential to enhance visualization of cardiac pathomorphology. We describe the feasibility of hybrid 3D printing from two imaging modalities in a patient with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (L-TGA). Hybrid 3D printing may be useful as an additional tool for cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons in planning interventions in children and adults with CHD.

LiveView3D: Real Time Data Visualization for the Aerospace Testing Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, Richard J.; Fleming, Gary A.

2006-01-01

This paper addresses LiveView3D, a software package and associated data visualization system for use in the aerospace testing environment. The LiveView3D system allows researchers to graphically view data from numerous wind tunnel instruments in real time in an interactive virtual environment. The graphical nature of the LiveView3D display provides researchers with an intuitive view of the measurement data, making it easier to interpret the aerodynamic phenomenon under investigation. LiveView3D has been developed at the NASA Langley Research Center and has been applied in the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT). This paper discusses the capabilities of the LiveView3D system, provides example results from its application in the UPWT, and outlines features planned for future implementation.

Enumerative and binomial sequential sampling plans for the multicolored Asian lady beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in wine grapes.

PubMed

Galvan, T L; Burkness, E C; Hutchison, W D

2007-06-01

To develop a practical integrated pest management (IPM) system for the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), in wine grapes, we assessed the spatial distribution of H. axyridis and developed eight sampling plans to estimate adult density or infestation level in grape clusters. We used 49 data sets collected from commercial vineyards in 2004 and 2005, in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Enumerative plans were developed using two precision levels (0.10 and 0.25); the six binomial plans reflected six unique action thresholds (3, 7, 12, 18, 22, and 31% of cluster samples infested with at least one H. axyridis). The spatial distribution of H. axyridis in wine grapes was aggregated, independent of cultivar and year, but it was more randomly distributed as mean density declined. The average sample number (ASN) for each sampling plan was determined using resampling software. For research purposes, an enumerative plan with a precision level of 0.10 (SE/X) resulted in a mean ASN of 546 clusters. For IPM applications, the enumerative plan with a precision level of 0.25 resulted in a mean ASN of 180 clusters. In contrast, the binomial plans resulted in much lower ASNs and provided high probabilities of arriving at correct "treat or no-treat" decisions, making these plans more efficient for IPM applications. For a tally threshold of one adult per cluster, the operating characteristic curves for the six action thresholds provided binomial sequential sampling plans with mean ASNs of only 19-26 clusters, and probabilities of making correct decisions between 83 and 96%. The benefits of the binomial sampling plans are discussed within the context of improving IPM programs for wine grapes.

SU-D-BRD-02: A Web-Based Image Processing and Plan Evaluation Platform (WIPPEP) for Future Cloud-Based Radiotherapy

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

Chai, X; Liu, L; Xing, L

Purpose: Visualization and processing of medical images and radiation treatment plan evaluation have traditionally been constrained to local workstations with limited computation power and ability of data sharing and software update. We present a web-based image processing and planning evaluation platform (WIPPEP) for radiotherapy applications with high efficiency, ubiquitous web access, and real-time data sharing. Methods: This software platform consists of three parts: web server, image server and computation server. Each independent server communicates with each other through HTTP requests. The web server is the key component that provides visualizations and user interface through front-end web browsers and relay informationmore » to the backend to process user requests. The image server serves as a PACS system. The computation server performs the actual image processing and dose calculation. The web server backend is developed using Java Servlets and the frontend is developed using HTML5, Javascript, and jQuery. The image server is based on open source DCME4CHEE PACS system. The computation server can be written in any programming language as long as it can send/receive HTTP requests. Our computation server was implemented in Delphi, Python and PHP, which can process data directly or via a C++ program DLL. Results: This software platform is running on a 32-core CPU server virtually hosting the web server, image server, and computation servers separately. Users can visit our internal website with Chrome browser, select a specific patient, visualize image and RT structures belonging to this patient and perform image segmentation running Delphi computation server and Monte Carlo dose calculation on Python or PHP computation server. Conclusion: We have developed a webbased image processing and plan evaluation platform prototype for radiotherapy. This system has clearly demonstrated the feasibility of performing image processing and plan evaluation platform through a web browser and exhibited potential for future cloud based radiotherapy.« less

Final report : sampling plan for pavement condition ratings of secondary roads.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-01-01

The purpose of this project was to develop a random sampling plan for use in selecting segments of the secondary highway system for evaluation under the Department's PMS. The plan developed is described here. It is a simple, workable, random sampling...

Myopia prevention, near work, and visual acuity of college students: integrating the theory of planned behavior and self-determination theory.

PubMed

Chan, Derwin King-Chung; Fung, Ying-Ki; Xing, Suxuan; Hagger, Martin S

2014-06-01

There has been little research examining the psychological antecedents of safety-oriented behavior aimed at reducing myopia risk. This study utilizes self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to understand the role of motivational and social-cognitive factors on individuals' near-work behavior. Adopting a prospective design, undergraduate students (n = 107) completed an initial questionnaire based on SDT in week 1, a second questionnaire containing measures of TPB variables in week 2, and objective measures of reading distance and visual acuity in week 6. The data were analyzed by variance-based structural equation modeling. The results showed that perceived autonomy support and autonomous motivation from SDT significantly predicted attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control from the TPB. These social-cognitive factors were significantly associated with intention and intention significantly predicted reading distance. The relationships in the model held when controlling for visual acuity. In conclusion, the integrated model of SDT and the TPB may help explain myopia-preventive behaviors.

Influence of visual clutter on the effect of navigated safety inspection: a case study on elevator installation.

PubMed

Liao, Pin-Chao; Sun, Xinlu; Liu, Mei; Shih, Yu-Nien

2018-01-11

Navigated safety inspection based on task-specific checklists can increase the hazard detection rate, theoretically with interference from scene complexity. Visual clutter, a proxy of scene complexity, can theoretically impair visual search performance, but its impact on the effect of safety inspection performance remains to be explored for the optimization of navigated inspection. This research aims to explore whether the relationship between working memory and hazard detection rate is moderated by visual clutter. Based on a perceptive model of hazard detection, we: (a) developed a mathematical influence model for construction hazard detection; (b) designed an experiment to observe the performance of hazard detection rate with adjusted working memory under different levels of visual clutter, while using an eye-tracking device to observe participants' visual search processes; (c) utilized logistic regression to analyze the developed model under various visual clutter. The effect of a strengthened working memory on the detection rate through increased search efficiency is more apparent in high visual clutter. This study confirms the role of visual clutter in construction-navigated inspections, thus serving as a foundation for the optimization of inspection planning.

Multiple foci of spatial attention in multimodal working memory.

PubMed

Katus, Tobias; Eimer, Martin

2016-11-15

The maintenance of sensory information in working memory (WM) is mediated by the attentional activation of stimulus representations that are stored in perceptual brain regions. Using event-related potentials (ERPs), we measured tactile and visual contralateral delay activity (tCDA/CDA components) in a bimodal WM task to concurrently track the attention-based maintenance of information stored in anatomically segregated (somatosensory and visual) brain areas. Participants received tactile and visual sample stimuli on both sides, and in different blocks, memorized these samples on the same side or on opposite sides. After a retention delay, memory was unpredictably tested for touch or vision. In the same side blocks, tCDA and CDA components simultaneously emerged over the same hemisphere, contralateral to the memorized tactile/visual sample set. In opposite side blocks, these two components emerged over different hemispheres, but had the same sizes and onset latencies as in the same side condition. Our results reveal distinct foci of tactile and visual spatial attention that were concurrently maintained on task-relevant stimulus representations in WM. The independence of spatially-specific biasing mechanisms for tactile and visual WM content suggests that multimodal information is stored in distributed perceptual brain areas that are activated through modality-specific processes that can operate simultaneously and largely independently of each other. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in identifying emotions from auditory and visual stimuli.

PubMed

Waaramaa, Teija

2017-12-01

The present study focused on gender differences in emotion identification from auditory and visual stimuli produced by two male and two female actors. Differences in emotion identification from nonsense samples, language samples and prolonged vowels were investigated. It was also studied whether auditory stimuli can convey the emotional content of speech without visual stimuli, and whether visual stimuli can convey the emotional content of speech without auditory stimuli. The aim was to get a better knowledge of vocal attributes and a more holistic understanding of the nonverbal communication of emotion. Females tended to be more accurate in emotion identification than males. Voice quality parameters played a role in emotion identification in both genders. The emotional content of the samples was best conveyed by nonsense sentences, better than by prolonged vowels or shared native language of the speakers and participants. Thus, vocal non-verbal communication tends to affect the interpretation of emotion even in the absence of language. The emotional stimuli were better recognized from visual stimuli than auditory stimuli by both genders. Visual information about speech may not be connected to the language; instead, it may be based on the human ability to understand the kinetic movements in speech production more readily than the characteristics of the acoustic cues.

An asthma action plan created by physician, educator and patient online collaboration with usability and visual design optimization.

PubMed

Gupta, Samir; Wan, Flora T; Hall, Susan E; Straus, Sharon E

2012-01-01

Asthma action plans (AAPs), which decrease hospitalizations and improve symptom control, are recommended in guidelines, but are seldom delivered to patients. Existing AAPs have been developed by experts, without the inclusion of all stakeholders (such as patients with asthma) and without specifically addressing usability and visual design. Our objective was to develop a more usable AAP by involving all stakeholders and considering design preferences. We created a Wiki-based system for multiuser AAP development. Pulmonologists, primary care physicians, asthma educators and patients used the system to collaboratively compile a single AAP by making multiple online selections over 1 week. We combined common elements from 3 AAPs developed in this way into 1, optimized visual design features and tested face validity in focus groups. A total of 41 participants averaged 646 selections/week over a login-time of 28.8 h/week. Of 35 participants, 28 (80%) were satisfied with the final AAP and 32 (91%) perceived that they would be able to use it. The plans created by the 3 groups were very similar, with a unanimous or majority agreement in the handling of 100/110 (91%) AAP options. Inclusion of multiple stakeholders and focus on design preferences predict enhanced usability and uptake of medical tools. The validity of our AAP is further supported by the similarity between the AAPs created by each group, user engagement and satisfaction with the plan and agreement with existing validity criteria proposed by experts. This AAP can be implemented in care with a concurrent measurement of uptake and health impact. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

"Giving us hope": Parent and neonatal staff views and expectations of a planned family-centred discharge process (Train-to-Home).

PubMed

Ingram, Jenny; Redshaw, Maggie; Manns, Sarah; Beasant, Lucy; Johnson, Debbie; Fleming, Peter; Pontin, David

2017-08-01

Preparing families and preterm infants for discharge is relatively unstructured in many UK neonatal units (NNUs). Family-centred neonatal care and discharge planning are recommended but variable. Qualitative interviews with 37 parents of infants in NNUs, and 18 nursing staff and 5 neonatal consultants explored their views of discharge planning and perceptions of a planned family-centred discharge process (Train-to-Home). Train-to-Home facilitates communication between staff and parents throughout the neonatal stay, using a laminated train and parent booklets. Parents were overwhelmingly positive about Train-to-Home. They described being given hope, feeling in control and having something visual to show their baby's progress. They reported positive involvement of fathers and families, how predicted discharge dates helped them prepare for home and ways staff engaged with Train-to-Home when communicating with them. Nursing staff reactions were mixed-some were uncertain about when to use it, but found the visual images powerful. Medical staff in all NNUs were positive about the intervention recognizing that it helped in communicating better with parents. Using a parent-centred approach to communication and informing parents about the needs and progress of their preterm infant in hospital is welcomed by parents and many staff. This approach meets the recommended prioritization of family-centred care for such families. Predicted discharge dates helped parents prepare for home, and the ways staff engaged with Train-to-Home when communicating with them helped them feel more confident as well as having something visual to show their baby's progress. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 14: Landscape preference in forested ecosystems

Treesearch

Christine Esposito

2006-01-01

It is important to understand what types of landscape settings most people prefer to be able to plan fuels treatment and other forest management activities that will be acceptable to the general public. This fact sheet considers the four common elements of visually preferred forest settings: large trees; herbacious, smooth groundcover; open midstory canopy; and vistas...

Nevada National Security Site Integrated Groundwater Sampling Plan, Revision 1

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

Wilborn, Bill R.; Boehlecke, Robert F.

The purpose is to provide a comprehensive, integrated approach for collecting and analyzing groundwater samples to meet the needs and objectives of the DOE/EM Nevada Program’s UGTA Activity. Implementation of this Plan will provide high-quality data required by the UGTA Activity for ensuring public protection in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The Plan is designed to ensure compliance with the UGTA Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) (NNSA/NFO, 2015); Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) (1996, as amended); and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment (DOE, 2013). The Plan’s scope comprises sample collection and analysis requirementsmore » relevant to assessing both the extent of groundwater contamination from underground nuclear testing and impact of testing on water quality in downgradient communities. This Plan identifies locations to be sampled by CAU and location type, sampling frequencies, sample collection methodologies, and the constituents to be analyzed. In addition, the Plan defines data collection criteria such as well purging, detection levels, and accuracy requirements/recommendations; identifies reporting and data management requirements; and provides a process to ensure coordination between NNSS groundwater sampling programs for sampling analytes of interest to UGTA. Information used in the Plan development—including the rationale for selection of wells, sampling frequency, and the analytical suite—is discussed under separate cover (N-I, 2014) and is not reproduced herein. This Plan does not address compliance for those wells involved in a permitted activity. Sampling and analysis requirements associated with these wells are described in their respective permits and are discussed in NNSS environmental reports (see Section 5.2). In addition, sampling for UGTA CAUs that are in the Closure Report (CR) stage are not included in this Plan. Sampling requirements for these CAUs are described in the CR. Frenchman Flat is currently the only UGTA CAU in the CR stage. Sampling requirements for this CAU are described in Underground Test Area (UGTA) Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 98: Frenchman Flat Nevada National Security Site, Nevada (NNSA/NFO, 2016).« less

Twelve tips for creating trigger images for problem-based learning cases.

PubMed

Azer, Samy A

2007-03-01

A trigger is the starting point of problem-based learning (PBL) cases. It is usually in the form of 5-6 text lines that provide the key information about the main character (usually the patient), including 3-4 of patient's presenting problems. In addition to the trigger text, most programs using PBL include a visual trigger. This might be in the form of a single image, a series of images, a video clip, a cartoon, or even one of the patient's investigation results (e.g. chest X-ray, pathology report, or urine sample analysis). The main educational objectives of the trigger image are as follows: (1) to introduce the patient to the students; (2) to enhance students' observation skills; (3) to provide them with new information to add to the cues obtained from the trigger text; and (4) to stimulate students to ask questions as they develop their enquiry plan. When planned and delivered effectively, trigger images should be engaging and stimulate group discussion. Understanding the educational objectives of using trigger images and choosing appropriate images are the keys for constructing successful PBL cases. These twelve tips highlight the key steps in the successful creation of trigger images.

Enhancement of Temporal Resolution and BOLD Sensitivity in Real-Time fMRI using Multi-Slab Echo-Volumar Imaging

PubMed Central

Posse, Stefan; Ackley, Elena; Mutihac, Radu; Rick, Jochen; Shane, Matthew; Murray-Krezan, Cristina; Zaitsev, Maxim; Speck, Oliver

2012-01-01

In this study, a new approach to high-speed fMRI using multi-slab echo-volumar imaging (EVI) is developed that minimizes geometrical image distortion and spatial blurring, and enables nonaliased sampling of physiological signal fluctuation to increase BOLD sensitivity compared to conventional echo-planar imaging (EPI). Real-time fMRI using whole brain 4-slab EVI with 286 ms temporal resolution (4 mm isotropic voxel size) and partial brain 2-slab EVI with 136 ms temporal resolution (4×4×6 mm3 voxel size) was performed on a clinical 3 Tesla MRI scanner equipped with 12-channel head coil. Four-slab EVI of visual and motor tasks significantly increased mean (visual: 96%, motor: 66%) and maximum t-score (visual: 263%, motor: 124%) and mean (visual: 59%, motor: 131%) and maximum (visual: 29%, motor: 67%) BOLD signal amplitude compared with EPI. Time domain moving average filtering (2 s width) to suppress physiological noise from cardiac and respiratory fluctuations further improved mean (visual: 196%, motor: 140%) and maximum (visual: 384%, motor: 200%) t-scores and increased extents of activation (visual: 73%, motor: 70%) compared to EPI. Similar sensitivity enhancement, which is attributed to high sampling rate at only moderately reduced temporal signal-to-noise ratio (mean: − 52%) and longer sampling of the BOLD effect in the echo-time domain compared to EPI, was measured in auditory cortex. Two-slab EVI further improved temporal resolution for measuring task-related activation and enabled mapping of five major resting state networks (RSNs) in individual subjects in 5 min scans. The bilateral sensorimotor, the default mode and the occipital RSNs were detectable in time frames as short as 75 s. In conclusion, the high sampling rate of real-time multi-slab EVI significantly improves sensitivity for studying the temporal dynamics of hemodynamic responses and for characterizing functional networks at high field strength in short measurement times. PMID:22398395

Early Detection of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer Using Ultrasonic Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

Toolkit for rapid 3D visualization and image volume interpretation, followed by automated transducer positioning in a user-selected image plane for... Toolkit (IGSTK) to enable rapid 3D visualization and image volume interpretation followed by automated transducer positioning in the user-selected... careers in science, technology, and the humanities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? If this

Surveillance plan for the early detection of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in migratory birds in the United States: surveillance year 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brand, Christopher J.

2009-01-01

Executive Summary: This Surveillance Plan (Plan) describes plans for conducting surveillance of wild birds in the United States and its Territories and Freely-Associated States to provide for early detection of the introduction of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) subtype of the influenza A virus by migratory birds during the 2009 surveillance year, spanning the period of April 1, 2009 - March 31, 2010. The Plan represents a continuation of surveillance efforts begun in 2006 under the Interagency Strategic Plan for the Early Detection of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Migratory Birds (U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of the Interior, 2006). The Plan sets forth sampling plans by: region, target species or species groups to be sampled, locations of sampling, sample sizes, and sampling approaches and methods. This Plan will be reviewed annually and modified as appropriate for subsequent surveillance years based on evaluation of information from previous years of surveillance, changing patterns and threats of H5N1 HPAI, and changes in funding availability for avian influenza surveillance. Specific sampling strategies will be developed accordingly within each of six regions, defined here as Alaska, Hawaiian/Pacific Islands, Lower Pacific Flyway (Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona), Central Flyway, Mississippi Flyway, and Atlantic Flyway.

Opportunity costs of implementing forest plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, Bruce; Keller, Mary Anne; Schlosberg, Andrew J.; Vlahovich, James E.

1989-01-01

Intellectual concern with the National Forest Management Act of 1976 has followed a course emphasizing the planning aspects of the legislation associated with the development of forest plans. Once approved, however, forest plans must be implemented. Due to the complex nature of the ecological systems of interest, and the multiple and often conflicting desires of user clientele groups, the feasibility and costs of implementing forest plans require immediate investigation. For one timber sale on the Coconino National Forest in Arizona, forest plan constraints were applied and resulting resource outputs predicted using the terrestrial ecosystem analysis and modeling system (TEAMS), a computer-based decision support system developed at the School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, With forest plan constraints for wildlife habitat, visual diversity, riparian area protection, and soil and slope harvesting restrictions, the maximum timber harvest obtainable was reduced 58% from the maximum obtainable without plan constraints.

Discussing State-of-the-Art Spatial Visualization Techniques Applicable for the Epidemiological Surveillance Data on the Example of Campylobacter spp. in Raw Chicken Meat.

PubMed

Plaza-Rodríguez, C; Appel, B; Kaesbohrer, A; Filter, M

2016-08-01

Within the European activities for the 'Monitoring and Collection of Information on Zoonoses', annually EFSA publishes a European report, including information related to the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in Germany. Spatial epidemiology becomes here a fundamental tool for the generation of these reports, including the representation of prevalence as an essential element. Until now, choropleth maps are the default visualization technique applied in epidemiological monitoring and surveillance reports made by EFSA and German authorities. However, due to its limitations, it seems to be reasonable to explore alternative chart type. Four maps including choropleth, cartogram, graduated symbols and dot-density maps were created to visualize real-world sample data on the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in raw chicken meat samples in Germany in 2011. In addition, adjacent and coincident maps were created to visualize also the associated uncertainty. As an outcome, we found that there is not a single data visualization technique that encompasses all the necessary features to visualize prevalence data alone or prevalence data together with their associated uncertainty. All the visualization techniques contemplated in this study demonstrated to have both advantages and disadvantages. To determine which visualization technique should be used for future reports, we recommend to create a dialogue between end-users and epidemiologists on the basis of sample data and charts. The final decision should also consider the knowledge and experience of end-users as well as the specific objective to be achieved with the charts. © 2015 The Authors. Zoonoses and Public Health Published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Minerva: An Integrated Geospatial/Temporal Toolset for Real-time Science Decision Making and Data Collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lees, D. S.; Cohen, T.; Deans, M. C.; Lim, D. S. S.; Marquez, J.; Heldmann, J. L.; Hoffman, J.; Norheim, J.; Vadhavk, N.

2016-12-01

Minerva integrates three capabilities that are critical to the success of NASA analogs. It combines NASA's Exploration Ground Data Systems (xGDS) and Playbook software, and MIT's Surface Exploration Traverse Analysis and Navigation Tool (SEXTANT). Together, they help to plan, optimize, and monitor traverses; schedule and track activity; assist with science decision-making and document sample and data collection. Pre-mission, Minerva supports planning with a priori map data (e.g., UAV and satellite imagery) and activity scheduling. During missions, xGDS records and broadcasts live data to a distributed team who take geolocated notes and catalogue samples. Playbook provides live schedule updates and multi-media chat. Post-mission, xGDS supports data search and visualization for replanning and analysis. NASA's BASALT (Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains) and FINESSE (Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration) projects use Minerva to conduct field science under simulated Mars mission conditions including 5 and 15 minute one-way communication delays. During the recent BASALT-FINESSE mission, two field scientists (EVA team) executed traverses across volcanic terrain to characterize and sample basalts. They wore backpacks with communications and imaging capabilities, and carried field portable spectrometers. The Science Team was 40 km away in a simulated mission control center. The Science Team monitored imaging (video and still), spectral, voice, location and physiological data from the EVA team via the network from the field, under communication delays. Minerva provided the Science Team with a unified context of operations at the field site, so they could make meaningful remote contributions to the collection of 10's of geotagged samples. Minerva's mission architecture will be presented with technical details and capabilities. Through the development, testing and application of Minerva, we are defining requirements for the design of future capabilities to support human and human-robotic missions to deep space and Mars.

Investigation of the Relationship between the Spatial Visualization Success and Visual/Spatial Intelligence Capabilities of Sixth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yenilmez, Kursat; Kakmaci, Ozlem

2015-01-01

The main aim of this research was to examine the relationship between the spatial visualization success and visual/spatial intelligence capabilities of sixth grade students. The sample of the research consists of 1011 sixth grade students who were randomly selected from the primary schools in Eskisehir. In this correlational study, data were…

A Tool for Measuring NASA's Aeronautics Research Progress Toward Planned Strategic Community Outcomes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tahmasebi, Farhad; Pearce, Robert

2016-01-01

Description of a tool for portfolio analysis of NASA's Aeronautics research progress toward planned community strategic Outcomes is presented. For efficiency and speed, the tool takes advantage of a function developed in Excels Visual Basic for Applications. The strategic planning process for determining the community Outcomes is also briefly discussed. Stakeholder buy-in, partnership performance, progress of supporting Technical Challenges, and enablement forecast are used as the criteria for evaluating progress toward Outcomes. A few illustrative examples of using the tool are also presented.

X-33 Flight Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laue, Jay H.

1998-01-01

The X-33 flight visualization effort has resulted in the integration of high-resolution terrain data with vehicle position and attitude data for planned flights of the X-33 vehicle from its launch site at Edwards AFB, California, to landings at Michael Army Air Field, Utah, and Maelstrom AFB, Montana. Video and Web Site representations of these flight visualizations were produced. In addition, a totally new module was developed to control viewpoints in real-time using a joystick input. Efforts have been initiated, and are presently being continued, for real-time flight coverage visualizations using the data streams from the X-33 vehicle flights. The flight visualizations that have resulted thus far give convincing support to the expectation that the flights of the X-33 will be exciting and significant space flight milestones... flights of this nation's one-half scale predecessor to its first single-stage-to-orbit, fully-reusable launch vehicle system.

Faceted Visualization of Three Dimensional Neuroanatomy By Combining Ontology with Faceted Search

PubMed Central

Veeraraghavan, Harini; Miller, James V.

2013-01-01

In this work, we present a faceted-search based approach for visualization of anatomy by combining a three dimensional digital atlas with an anatomy ontology. Specifically, our approach provides a drill-down search interface that exposes the relevant pieces of information (obtained by searching the ontology) for a user query. Hence, the user can produce visualizations starting with minimally specified queries. Furthermore, by automatically translating the user queries into the controlled terminology our approach eliminates the need for the user to use controlled terminology. We demonstrate the scalability of our approach using an abdominal atlas and the same ontology. We implemented our visualization tool on the opensource 3D Slicer software. We present results of our visualization approach by combining a modified Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA) ontology with the Surgical Planning Laboratory (SPL) Brain 3D digital atlas, and geometric models specific to patients computed using the SPL brain tumor dataset. PMID:24006207

Faceted visualization of three dimensional neuroanatomy by combining ontology with faceted search.

PubMed

Veeraraghavan, Harini; Miller, James V

2014-04-01

In this work, we present a faceted-search based approach for visualization of anatomy by combining a three dimensional digital atlas with an anatomy ontology. Specifically, our approach provides a drill-down search interface that exposes the relevant pieces of information (obtained by searching the ontology) for a user query. Hence, the user can produce visualizations starting with minimally specified queries. Furthermore, by automatically translating the user queries into the controlled terminology our approach eliminates the need for the user to use controlled terminology. We demonstrate the scalability of our approach using an abdominal atlas and the same ontology. We implemented our visualization tool on the opensource 3D Slicer software. We present results of our visualization approach by combining a modified Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA) ontology with the Surgical Planning Laboratory (SPL) Brain 3D digital atlas, and geometric models specific to patients computed using the SPL brain tumor dataset.

Visual short-term memory guides infants' visual attention.

PubMed

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

2018-08-01

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

Self-concept, self-esteem, personality traits and psychopathological symptoms in adolescents with and without visual impairment.

PubMed

Garaigordobil, Maite; Bernarás, Elena

2009-05-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze self-concept, self-esteem, and other personality traits and psychopathological symptoms in subjects with and without visual impairment. The sample was made up of 90 participants aged 12 to 17: 61 with no impairment and 29 with visual impairment. The ANOVA showed that there were no significant differences in self-concept and self-esteem in the samples, but the visually impaired adolescents scored significantly higher in various psychopathological symptoms as well as in their capacity for kind behavior. The ANOVA revealed no gender differences in any variables in adolescents without visual impairment. However, women with visual impairment scored lower in self-esteem and higher in various psychopathological symptoms. Pearson coefficients revealed negative relations between self-concept/self-esteem and all the psychopathological symptoms, and neuroticism, as well as a positive relation with extraversion. Low psychoticism, high extraversion, and low hostility were identified as predictors of high self-concept.

Novel hybrid cryo‐radial method: an emerging alternative to CT‐guided biopsy in suspected lung cancer. A prospective case series and description of technique

PubMed Central

Yap, Elaine

2017-01-01

In diagnosing peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPL), radial endobronchial ultrasound (R‐EBUS) is emerging as a safer method in comparison to CT‐guided biopsy. Despite the better safety profile, the yield of R‐EBUS remains lower (73%) than CT‐guided biopsy (90%) due to the smaller size of samples. We adopted a hybrid method by adding cryobiopsy via the R‐EBUS Guide Sheath (GS) to produce larger, non‐crushed samples to improve diagnostic capability and enhance molecular testing. We report six prospective patients who underwent this procedure in our institution. R‐EBUS samples were obtained via conventional sampling methods (needle aspiration, forceps biopsy, and cytology brush), followed by a cryobiopsy. An endobronchial blocker was placed near the planned area of biopsy in advance and inflated post‐biopsy to minimize the risk of bleeding in all patients. A chest X‐ray was performed 1 h post‐procedure. All the PPLs were visualized with R‐EBUS. The mean diameter of cryobiopsy samples was twice the size of forceps biopsy samples. In four patients, cryobiopsy samples were superior in size and the number of malignant cells per high power filed and was the preferred sample selected for mutation analysis and molecular testing. There was no pneumothorax or significant bleeding to report. Cryobiopsy samples were consistently larger and were the preferred samples for molecular testing, with an increase in the diagnostic yield and reduction in the need for repeat procedures, without hindering the marked safety profile of R‐EBUS. Using an endobronchial blocker improves the safety of this procedure. PMID:29321931

7 CFR 43.106 - Choosing AQL's and sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Choosing AQL's and sampling plans. 43.106 Section 43.106 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMODITY STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS...

Subthalamic Nucleus Visualization on Routine Clinical Preoperative MRI Scans: A Retrospective Study of Clinical and Image Characteristics Predicting Its Visualization.

PubMed

Ranjan, Manish; Boutet, Alexandre; Xu, David S; Lozano, Christopher S; Kumar, Rajeev; Fasano, Alfonso; Kucharczyk, Walter; Lozano, Andres M

2018-05-30

The visualization of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is variable. Studies of the contribution of patient-related factors and intrinsic brain volumetrics to STN visualization have not been reported previously. To assess the visualization of the STN during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in a clinical setting. Eighty-two patients undergoing pre-operative MRI to plan for STN DBS for Parkinson disease were retrospectively studied. The visualization of the STN and its borders was assessed and scored by 3 independent observers using a 4-point ordinal scale (from 0 = not seen to 3 = excellent visualization). This measure was then correlated with the patients' clinical information and brain volumes. The mean STN visualization scores were 1.68 and 1.63 for the right and left STN, respectively, with a good interobserver reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.744). Older age and decreased white matter volume were negatively correlated with STN visualization (p < 0.05). STN visualization is only fair to good on routine MRI with good concordance of interindividual rating. Advancing age and decreased white matter are associated with poor visualization of the STN. Knowledge about factors contributing to poor visualization of the STN could alert a surgeon to modify the imaging strategy to optimize surgical targeting. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Impact of Different Visual Field Testing Paradigms on Sample Size Requirements for Glaucoma Clinical Trials.

PubMed

Wu, Zhichao; Medeiros, Felipe A

2018-03-20

Visual field testing is an important endpoint in glaucoma clinical trials, and the testing paradigm used can have a significant impact on the sample size requirements. To investigate this, this study included 353 eyes of 247 glaucoma patients seen over a 3-year period to extract real-world visual field rates of change and variability estimates to provide sample size estimates from computer simulations. The clinical trial scenario assumed that a new treatment was added to one of two groups that were both under routine clinical care, with various treatment effects examined. Three different visual field testing paradigms were evaluated: a) evenly spaced testing, b) United Kingdom Glaucoma Treatment Study (UKGTS) follow-up scheme, which adds clustered tests at the beginning and end of follow-up in addition to evenly spaced testing, and c) clustered testing paradigm, with clusters of tests at the beginning and end of the trial period and two intermediary visits. The sample size requirements were reduced by 17-19% and 39-40% using the UKGTS and clustered testing paradigms, respectively, when compared to the evenly spaced approach. These findings highlight how the clustered testing paradigm can substantially reduce sample size requirements and improve the feasibility of future glaucoma clinical trials.

PCB Analysis Plan for Tank Archive Samples

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

NGUYEN, D.M.

2001-03-22

This analysis plan specifies laboratory analysis, quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), and data reporting requirements for analyzing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) concentrations in archive samples. Tank waste archive samples that are planned for PCB analysis are identified in Nguyen 2001. The tanks and samples are summarized in Table 1-1. The analytical data will be used to establish a PCB baseline inventory in Hanford tanks.

Partial report and other sampling procedures overestimate the duration of iconic memory.

PubMed

Appelman, I B

1980-03-01

In three experiments, subjects estimated the duration of a brief visual image (iconic memory) either directly by adjusting onset of a click to offset of the visual image, or indirectly with a Sperling partial report (sampling) procedure. The results indicated that partial report and other sampling procedures may reflect other brief phenomena along with iconic memory. First, the partial report procedure yields a greater estimate of the duration of iconic memory than the more direct click method. Second, the partial report estimate of the duration of iconic memory is affected if the subject is required to simultaneously retain a list of distractor items (memory load), while the click method estimate of the duration of iconic memory is not affected by a memory load. Finally, another sampling procedure based on visual cuing yields different estimates of the duration of iconic memory depending on how many items are cued. It was concluded that partial report and other sampling procedures overestimate the duration of iconic memory.

Overview of Human-Centric Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Science and Technology (S&T)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ianni, J.; Aleva, D.; Ellis, S.

2012-09-01

A number of organizations, within the government, industry, and academia, are researching ways to help humans understand and react to events in space. The problem is both helped and complicated by the fact that there are numerous data sources that need to be planned (i.e., tasked), collected, processed, analyzed, and disseminated. A large part of the research is in support of the Joint Space Operational Center (JSpOC), National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), and similar organizations. Much recent research has been specifically targeting the JSpOC Mission System (JMS) which has provided a unifying software architecture. This paper will first outline areas of science and technology (S&T) related to human-centric space situational awareness (SSA) and space command and control (C2) including: 1. Object visualization - especially data fused from disparate sources. Also satellite catalog visualizations that convey the physical relationships between space objects. 2. Data visualization - improve data trend analysis as in visual analytics and interactive visualization; e.g., satellite anomaly trends over time, space weather visualization, dynamic visualizations 3. Workflow support - human-computer interfaces that encapsulate multiple computer services (i.e., algorithms, programs, applications) into a 4. Command and control - e.g., tools that support course of action (COA) development and selection, tasking for satellites and sensors, etc. 5. Collaboration - improve individuals or teams ability to work with others; e.g., video teleconferencing, shared virtual spaces, file sharing, virtual white-boards, chat, and knowledge search. 6. Hardware/facilities - e.g., optimal layouts for operations centers, ergonomic workstations, immersive displays, interaction technologies, and mobile computing. Secondly we will provide a survey of organizations working these areas and suggest where more attention may be needed. Although no detailed master plan exists for human-centric SSA and C2, we see little redundancy among the groups supporting SSA human factors at this point.

Visual loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for the rapid diagnosis of Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) infection.

PubMed

T, Sathish Kumar; A, Navaneeth Krishnan; J, Joseph Sahaya Rajan; M, Makesh; K P, Jithendran; S V, Alavandi; K K, Vijayan

2018-05-01

The emerging microsporidian parasite Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), the causative agent of hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis, has been widely reported in shrimp-farming countries. EHP infection can be detected by light microscopy observation of spores (1.7 × 1 μm) in stained hepatopancreas (HP) tissue smears, HP tissue sections, and fecal samples. EHP can also be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene or the spore wall protein gene (SWP). In this study, a rapid, sensitive, specific, and closed tube visual loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) protocol combined with FTA cards was developed for the diagnosis of EHP. LAMP primers were designed based on the SSU rRNA gene of EHP. The target sequence of EHP was amplified at constant temperature of 65 °C for 45 min and amplified LAMP products were visually detected in a closed tube system by using SYBR™ green I dye. Detection limit of this LAMP protocol was ten copies. Field and clinical applicability of this assay was evaluated using 162 field samples including 106 HP tissue samples and 56 fecal samples collected from shrimp farms. Out of 162 samples, EHP could be detected in 62 samples (47 HP samples and 15 fecal samples). When compared with SWP-PCR as the gold standard, this EHP LAMP assay had 95.31% sensitivity, 98.98% specificity, and a kappa value of 0.948. This simple, closed tube, clinically evaluated visual LAMP assay has great potential for diagnosing EHP at the farm level, particularly under low-resource circumstances.

Computer-generated, calligraphic, full-spectrum color system for visual simulation landing approach maneuvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chase, W. D.

1975-01-01

The calligraphic chromatic projector described was developed to improve the perceived realism of visual scene simulation ('out-the-window visuals'). The optical arrangement of the projector is illustrated and discussed. The device permits drawing 2000 vectors in as many as 500 colors, all above critical flicker frequencies, and use of high scene resolution and brightness at an acceptable level to the pilot, with the maximum system capabilities of 1000 lines and 1000 fL. The device for generating the colors is discussed, along with an experiment conducted to demonstrate potential improvements in performance and pilot opinion. Current research work and future research plans are noted.

Test of the neurolinguistic programming hypothesis that eye-movements relate to processing imagery.

PubMed

Wertheim, E H; Habib, C; Cumming, G

1986-04-01

Bandler and Grinder's hypothesis that eye-movements reflect sensory processing was examined. 28 volunteers first memorized and then recalled visual, auditory, and kinesthetic stimuli. Changes in eye-positions during recall were videotaped and categorized by two raters into positions hypothesized by Bandler and Grinder's model to represent visual, auditory, and kinesthetic recall. Planned contrast analyses suggested that visual stimulus items, when recalled, elicited significantly more upward eye-positions and stares than auditory and kinesthetic items. Auditory and kinesthetic items, however, did not elicit more changes in eye-position hypothesized by the model to represent auditory and kinesthetic recall, respectively.

The Cooperate Assistive Teamwork Environment for Software Description Languages.

PubMed

Groenda, Henning; Seifermann, Stephan; Müller, Karin; Jaworek, Gerhard

2015-01-01

Versatile description languages such as the Unified Modeling Language (UML) are commonly used in software engineering across different application domains in theory and practice. They often use graphical notations and leverage visual memory for expressing complex relations. Those notations are hard to access for people with visual impairment and impede their smooth inclusion in an engineering team. Existing approaches provide textual notations but require manual synchronization between the notations. This paper presents requirements for an accessible and language-aware team work environment as well as our plan for the assistive implementation of Cooperate. An industrial software engineering team consisting of people with and without visual impairment will evaluate the implementation.

A guide to the visual analysis and communication of biomolecular structural data.

PubMed

Johnson, Graham T; Hertig, Samuel

2014-10-01

Biologists regularly face an increasingly difficult task - to effectively communicate bigger and more complex structural data using an ever-expanding suite of visualization tools. Whether presenting results to peers or educating an outreach audience, a scientist can achieve maximal impact with minimal production time by systematically identifying an audience's needs, planning solutions from a variety of visual communication techniques and then applying the most appropriate software tools. A guide to available resources that range from software tools to professional illustrators can help researchers to generate better figures and presentations tailored to any audience's needs, and enable artistically inclined scientists to create captivating outreach imagery.

AWE: Aviation Weather Data Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spirkovska, Lilly; Lodha, Suresh K.

2001-01-01

The two official sources for aviation weather reports both require the pilot to mentally visualize the provided information. In contrast, our system, Aviation Weather Environment (AWE) presents aviation specific weather available to pilots in an easy to visualize form. We start with a computer-generated textual briefing for a specific area. We map this briefing onto a grid specific to the pilot's route that includes only information relevant to his flight route that includes only information relevant to his flight as defined by route, altitude, true airspeed, and proposed departure time. By modifying various parameters, the pilot can use AWE as a planning tool as well as a weather briefing tool.

Probing the heliomagnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatesan, D.; Krimigis, S. M.

1990-01-01

The results of recent studies of the heliomagnetosphere are reviewed. Emphasis is given to the visualization of the heliosphere by studying cosmic rays and plans to study the heliosphere in 3D using the Interstellar Probe.

Allocentric but not egocentric visual memory difficulties in adults with ADHD may represent cognitive inefficiency.

PubMed

Brown, Franklin C; Roth, Robert M; Katz, Lynda J

2015-08-30

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has often been conceptualized as arising executive dysfunctions (e.g., inattention, defective inhibition). However, recent studies suggested that cognitive inefficiency may underlie many ADHD symptoms, according to reaction time and processing speed abnormalities. This study explored whether a non-timed measure of cognitive inefficiency would also be abnormal. A sample of 23 ADHD subjects was compared to 23 controls on a test that included both egocentric and allocentric visual memory subtests. A factor analysis was used to determine which cognitive variables contributed to allocentric visual memory. The ADHD sample performed significantly lower on the allocentric but not egocentric conditions. Allocentric visual memory was not associated with timed, working memory, visual perception, or mental rotation variables. This paper concluded by discussing how these results supported a cognitive inefficiency explanation for some ADHD symptoms, and discussed future research directions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multiresolution and Explicit Methods for Vector Field Analysis and Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nielson, Gregory M.

1997-01-01

This is a request for a second renewal (3d year of funding) of a research project on the topic of multiresolution and explicit methods for vector field analysis and visualization. In this report, we describe the progress made on this research project during the second year and give a statement of the planned research for the third year. There are two aspects to this research project. The first is concerned with the development of techniques for computing tangent curves for use in visualizing flow fields. The second aspect of the research project is concerned with the development of multiresolution methods for curvilinear grids and their use as tools for visualization, analysis and archiving of flow data. We report on our work on the development of numerical methods for tangent curve computation first.

Coosa River Storage Annex, Talladega, Alabama Environmental Investigation, Final Management and Resources Utilization Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

to adequately assess the health and environmental risks associated with the closure and transfer of the Annex forI other use; and 3) identification of...1990); Draft Final Technical Plan, Draft Final Sampling Design Plan and Draft Final Health and Safety Plan, USATHAMA, June 1990. 2.1.2 Draft Final...Final Technical Plan, Sampling Design Plan and Health and Safety Plan) supplied by USATHAMA. The estimate may be revised, with USATHAMA approval, as

The visual assessment of broth cultures for tissue bank samples.

PubMed

Varettas, Kerry

2017-09-01

The bioburden screening process of allograft musculoskeletal tissue samples received at the South Eastern Area Laboratory Services includes the routine use of solid agar and cooked meat (CM) broth media. CM has been routinely sub-cultured onto solid agar plates after aerobic incubation at 35 °C. This study will evaluate whether a visual assessment of CM can replace sub-culture by an in vitro inoculation and a prospective study. Eight challenge organisms were serially diluted and inoculated into CM. The average inoculum of 0.5-5.5 CFU produced visible turbidity of CM after 24-h incubation for 7 of the challenge organisms with one organism producing turbidity after 48-h incubation. The prospective study evaluated 222 CM of which 213 were visually clear and no-growth on sub-culture and 9 turbid CM which were culture positive. Broth cultures are an integral part of the bioburden screening process of allograft musculoskeletal tissue and swab samples and visual assessment of CM can replace sub-culture.

Neural correlates of learning and trajectory planning in the posterior parietal cortex

PubMed Central

Torres, Elizabeth B.; Quian Quiroga, Rodrigo; Cui, He; Buneo, Christopher A.

2013-01-01

The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is thought to play an important role in the planning of visually-guided reaching movements. However, the relative roles of the various subdivisions of the PPC in this function are still poorly understood. For example, studies of dorsal area 5 point to a representation of reaches in both extrinsic (endpoint) and intrinsic (joint or muscle) coordinates, as evidenced by partial changes in preferred directions and positional discharge with changes in arm posture. In contrast, recent findings suggest that the adjacent medial intraparietal area (MIP) is involved in more abstract representations, e.g., encoding reach target in visual coordinates. Such a representation is suitable for planning reach trajectories involving shortest distance paths to targets straight ahead. However, it is currently unclear how MIP contributes to the planning of other types of trajectories, including those with various degrees of curvature. Such curved trajectories recruit different joint excursions and might help us address whether their representation in the PPC is purely in extrinsic coordinates or in intrinsic ones as well. Here we investigated the role of the PPC in these processes during an obstacle avoidance task for which the animals had not been explicitly trained. We found that PPC planning activity was predictive of both the spatial and temporal aspects of upcoming trajectories. The same PPC neurons predicted the upcoming trajectory in both endpoint and joint coordinates. The predictive power of these neurons remained stable and accurate despite concomitant motor learning across task conditions. These findings suggest the role of the PPC can be extended from specifying abstract movement goals to expressing these plans as corresponding trajectories in both endpoint and joint coordinates. Thus, the PPC appears to contribute to reach planning and approach-avoidance arm motions at multiple levels of representation. PMID:23730275

Sampling Plans for the Thrips Frankliniella schultzei (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Three Lettuce Varieties.

PubMed

Silva, Alisson R; Rodrigues-Silva, Nilson; Pereira, Poliana S; Sarmento, Renato A; Costa, Thiago L; Galdino, Tarcísio V S; Picanço, Marcelo C

2017-12-05

The common blossom thrips, Frankliniella schultzei Trybom (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is an important lettuce pest worldwide. Conventional sampling plans are the first step in implementing decision-making systems into integrated pest management programs. However, this tool is not available for F. schultzei infesting lettuce crops. Thus, the objective of this work was to develop a conventional sampling plan for F. schultzei in lettuce crops. Two sampling techniques (direct counting and leaf beating on a white plastic tray) were compared in crisphead, looseleaf, and Boston lettuce varieties before and during head formation. The frequency distributions of F. schultzei densities in lettuce crops were assessed, and the number of samples required to compose the sampling plan was determined. Leaf beating on a white plastic tray was the best sampling technique. F. schultzei densities obtained with this technique were fitted to the negative binomial distribution with a common aggregation parameter (common K = 0.3143). The developed sampling plan is composed of 91 samples per field and presents low errors in its estimates (up to 20%), fast execution time (up to 47 min), and low cost (up to US $1.67 per sampling area). This sampling plan can be used as a tool for integrated pest management in lettuce crops, assisting with reliable decision making in different lettuce varieties before and during head formation. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Influence of Manifest Strabismus and Stereoscopic Vision on Non-Verbal Abilities of Visually Impaired Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gligorovic, Milica; Vucinic, Vesna; Eskirovic, Branka; Jablan, Branka

2011-01-01

This research was conducted in order to examine the influence of manifest strabismus and stereoscopic vision on non-verbal abilities of visually impaired children aged between 7 and 15. The sample included 55 visually impaired children from the 1st to the 6th grade of elementary schools for visually impaired children in Belgrade. RANDOT stereotest…

Causes of blindness and visual impairment in Pakistan. The Pakistan national blindness and visual impairment survey

PubMed Central

Dineen, B; Bourne, R R A; Jadoon, Z; Shah, S P; Khan, M A; Foster, A; Gilbert, C E; Khan, M D

2007-01-01

Objective To determine the causes of blindness and visual impairment in adults (⩾30 years old) in Pakistan, and to explore socio‐demographic variations in cause. Methods A multi‐stage, stratified, cluster random sampling survey was used to select a nationally representative sample of adults. Each subject was interviewed, had their visual acuity measured and underwent autorefraction and fundus/optic disc examination. Those with a visual acuity of <6/12 in either eye underwent a more detailed ophthalmic examination. Causes of visual impairment were classified according to the accepted World Health Organization (WHO) methodology. An exploration of demographic variables was conducted using regression modeling. Results A sample of 16 507 adults (95.5% of those enumerated) was examined. Cataract was the most common cause of blindness (51.5%; defined as <3/60 in the better eye on presentation) followed by corneal opacity (11.8%), uncorrected aphakia (8.6%) and glaucoma (7.1%). Posterior capsular opacification accounted for 3.6% of blindness. Among the moderately visually impaired (<6/18 to ⩾6/60), refractive error was the most common cause (43%), followed by cataract (42%). Refractive error as a cause of severe visual impairment/blindness was significantly higher in rural dwellers than in urban dwellers (odds ratio (OR) 3.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 11.7). Significant provincial differences were also identified. Overall we estimate that 85.5% of causes were avoidable and that 904 000 adults in Pakistan have cataract (<6/60) requiring surgical intervention. Conclusions This comprehensive survey provides reliable estimates of the causes of blindness and visual impairment in Pakistan. Despite expanded surgical services, cataract still accounts for over half of the cases of blindness in Pakistan. One in eight blind adults has visual loss from sequelae of cataract surgery. Services for refractive errors need to be further expanded and integrated into eye care services, particularly those serving rural populations. PMID:17229806

STS-49 Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, Planning Team in MCC Bldg 30 FCR

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-05-15

S92-36606 (20 May 1992) --- STS-49 Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, Planning Team with Flight Director (FD) James M. Heflin, Jr. (front right next to ship model) poses in Johnson Space Center?s (JSC) Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30 Flight Control Room (FCR). The group stands in front of visual displays projecting STS-49 data and ground track map.

The application of remote sensing to the development and formulation of hydrologic planning models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fowler, T. R.; Castruccio, P. A.; Loats, H. L., Jr.

1977-01-01

The development of a remote sensing model and its efficiency in determining parameters of hydrologic models are reviewed. Procedures for extracting hydrologic data from LANDSAT imagery, and the visual analysis of composite imagery are presented. A hydrologic planning model is developed and applied to determine seasonal variations in watershed conditions. The transfer of this technology to a user community and contract arrangements are discussed.

A framework for interactive visualization of digital medical images.

PubMed

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

2008-10-01

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