scholarly journals Structure-Aware Trail Bundling for Large DTI Datasets

Algorithms ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 316
Author(s):  
Steven Bouma ◽  
Christophe Hurter ◽  
Alexandru Telea
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
User Study ◽  
Image Space ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Connectivity Structure ◽  
Geometric Space ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Rendering Techniques

Creating simplified visualizations of large 3D trail sets with limited occlusion and preservation of the main structures in the data is challenging. We address this challenge for the specific context of 3D fiber trails created by DTI tractography. For this, we propose to jointly simplify trails in both the geometric space (by extending and adapting an existing bundling method to handle 3D trails) and in the image space (by proposing several shading and rendering techniques). Our method can handle 3D datasets of hundreds of thousands of trails at interactive rate, has parameters for the most of which good preset values are given, and produces visualizations that have been found, in a small-scale user study involving five medical professionals, to be better in occlusion reduction, conveying the connectivity structure of the brain, and overall clarity than existing methods for the same data. We demonstrate our technique with several real-world public DTI datasets.

scholarly journals Processing of different spatial scales in the human brain

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Peer ◽  
Yorai Ron ◽  
Rotem Monsa ◽  
Shahar Arzy
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Real World ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Conceptual Spaces ◽  
Spatial System ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Parahippocampal Place Area ◽  
Posterior Anterior

Humans navigate across a range of spatial scales, from rooms to continents, but the brain systems underlying spatial cognition are usually investigated only in small-scale environments. Do the same brain systems represent and process larger spaces? Here we asked subjects to compare distances between real-world items at six different spatial scales (room, building, neighborhood, city, country, continent) under functional MRI. Cortical activity showed a gradual progression from small to large scale processing, along three gradients extending anteriorly from the parahippocampal place area (PPA), retrosplenial complex (RSC) and occipital place area (OPA), and along the hippocampus posterior-anterior axis. Each of the cortical gradients overlapped with the visual system posteriorly and the default-mode network (DMN) anteriorly. These results suggest a progression from concrete to abstract processing with increasing spatial scale, and offer a new organizational framework for the brain’s spatial system, that may also apply to conceptual spaces beyond the spatial domain.

scholarly journals Movement Around Real and Virtual Cluttered Environments

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 580-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Lessels ◽  
Roy A. Ruddle
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Scale Space ◽  
Visual Scene ◽  
Field Of View ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Cluttered Environments ◽  
The Real ◽  
Desktop Virtual Environment

Two experiments investigated participants' ability to search for targets in a cluttered small-scale space. The first experiment was conducted in the real world with two field of view conditions (full vs. restricted), and participants found the task trivial to perform in both. The second experiment used the same search task but was conducted in a desktop virtual environment (VE), and investigated two movement interfaces and two visual scene conditions. Participants restricted to forward only movement performed the search task quicker and more efficiently (visiting fewer targets) than those who used an interface that allowed more flexible movement (forward, backward, left, right, and diagonal). Also, participants using a high fidelity visual scene performed the task significantly quicker and more efficiently than those who used a low fidelity scene. The performance differences among all the conditions decreased with practice, but the performance of the best VE group approached that of the real-world participants. These results indicate the importance of using high fidelity scenes in VEs, and suggest that the use of a simple control system is sufficient for maintaining one's spatial orientation during searching.

Introducing Language and Society

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney H. Jones ◽  
Christiana Themistocleous
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Real World ◽  
Political Conflict ◽  
Gender And Sexuality ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Online Access ◽  
Video And Audio ◽  
Audio Files

This accessible and entertaining textbook introduces students to both traditional and more contemporary approaches to sociolinguistics in a real-world context, addressing current social problems that students are likely to care about, such as racism, inequality, political conflict, belonging, and issues around gender and sexuality. Each chapter includes exercises, case studies and ideas for small-scale research projects, encouraging students to think critically about the different theories and approaches to language and society, and to interrogate their own beliefs about language and communication. The book gives students a grounding in the traditional concepts and techniques upon which sociolinguistics is built, while also introducing new developments from the last decade, such as translanguaging, multimodality, superdiversity, linguistic landscapes and language and digital media. Students will also have online access to more detailed examples, links to video and audio files, and more challenging exercises to strengthen their skills and confidence as sociolinguists.

scholarly journals Attention Enhanced Serial Unet++ Network for Removing Unevenly Distributed Haze

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (22) ◽  
pp. 2868
Author(s):  
Wenxuan Zhao ◽  
Yaqin Zhao ◽  
Liqi Feng ◽  
Jiaxi Tang
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Convolutional Neural Network ◽  
Real World ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Image Dehazing ◽  
Atmospheric Scattering ◽  
Real World Datasets

The purpose of image dehazing is the reduction of the image degradation caused by suspended particles for supporting high-level visual tasks. Besides the atmospheric scattering model, convolutional neural network (CNN) has been used for image dehazing. However, the existing image dehazing algorithms are limited in face of unevenly distributed haze and dense haze in real-world scenes. In this paper, we propose a novel end-to-end convolutional neural network called attention enhanced serial Unet++ dehazing network (AESUnet) for single image dehazing. We attempt to build a serial Unet++ structure that adopts a serial strategy of two pruned Unet++ blocks based on residual connection. Compared with the simple Encoder–Decoder structure, the serial Unet++ module can better use the features extracted by encoders and promote contextual information fusion in different resolutions. In addition, we take some improvement measures to the Unet++ module, such as pruning, introducing the convolutional module with ResNet structure, and a residual learning strategy. Thus, the serial Unet++ module can generate more realistic images with less color distortion. Furthermore, following the serial Unet++ blocks, an attention mechanism is introduced to pay different attention to haze regions with different concentrations by learning weights in the spatial domain and channel domain. Experiments are conducted on two representative datasets: the large-scale synthetic dataset RESIDE and the small-scale real-world datasets I-HAZY and O-HAZY. The experimental results show that the proposed dehazing network is not only comparable to state-of-the-art methods for the RESIDE synthetic datasets, but also surpasses them by a very large margin for the I-HAZY and O-HAZY real-world dataset.

Spastics have minds that work, but bodies that can't

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-20
Author(s):  
Krishna Maitra ◽  
Dipi Pathak
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The World ◽  
The Disabled ◽  
The Brain

Cerebral Palsy is a disability resulting from damage to the brain before or during the birth and is manifested by muscular in-coordination and speech disturbances. They have been victims of public misunderstanding from the time that William John Little, MD, the English physician, recognised and publicised them in the year 1843. As a research project, the present investigators wanted to exp lore the world of spastic children by selecting artistry as the medium of expression of their thoughts, feelings, problems and needs. The study, through natural and participant observation as well as through interviews with counsellors, psychologists and medical professionals drew profiles of spastic children. The analysis of their drawings/paintings reflected their healthy bent of mind, positive attitudes towards life and necessity to be surrounded by happiness and healthy conditions. The study on the basis of their findings has given some concrete suggestions for the teachers and the parents with a proper accent on the following: ‘The disabled are people too. All people are different. What is so special about their difference?’

Wirtschaftswandel als Kulturwandel? Die Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie als möglicher Wegbereiter für eine Kultur wechselseitiger Verbundenheit

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-191
Author(s):  
Cornelia Kühn
Keyword(s):  
Common Good ◽  
Global Justice ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Ecological Responsibility ◽  
The Common ◽  
The One ◽  
Mode Of Production

The article analyzes the development of new post-capitalist practices with their possible effects on the transformation of self-images and self-conceptions using the example of the economy for the common good. To this end, the connection between the current subject order, the present social crises and the complex entanglement of the prevailing mode of production and life is explained. A socio-ecological transformation would therefore also have to be linked to the emergence of an alternative subject culture which is oriented towards cooperation and community. The Association of Common Good Economy (Verein der Gemeinwohl-Oekonomie) and common good-oriented companies are used in this research as a space to observe social-cultural practices and new forms and conventions of cooperation in their acceptance and dissemination. On the one hand, it shows that these companies, with their values based on cooperation, social and global justice and ecological responsibility, and with their participatory organizational structures, offer opportunities for countercultural practices and make utopias tangible, so that social change and self-change are being made possible on a small scale. On the other hand, by means of detailed examples the inconsistencies of social-cultural practices and the hybrid mixture of subject forms become clear and comprehensible in their specific context.

Progress towards small-scale field trials of coastal enhanced weathering of olivine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Romaniello ◽  
Shanee Stopnitzky ◽  
Tom Green ◽  
Francesc Montserrat ◽  
Eric Matzner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Stage Of Development

<p>Slow progress towards achieving global greenhouse gas emissions targets significantly increases the likelihood that future climate efforts may require not only emissions cuts but also direct climate mitigation via negative emissions technologies (IPCC AR5). Currently, such technologies exist at only a nascent stage of development, with significant uncertainties regarding their feasibility, cost, and potential unintended consequences and/or co-benefits.</p><p>Coastal enhanced weathering of olivine (CEWO) has been suggested as one potential pathway for achieving net negative CO<sub>2</sub> emissions at scale. CEWO involves the mining of olivine-rich ultramafic rocks (such as dunite) for incorporation during beach augmentation and restoration work. While grinding this rock into increasingly fine particle sizes is essential for increasing its surface area and reactivity, this step is also costly and energetically expensive. CEWO attempts to minimize this cost and energy penalty by relying on wave and tidal action to provide ongoing physical weathering of olivine grains once distributed on beaches. Laboratory experiments and carbon emissions assessments of CEWO suggest that these approaches may be technically feasible and carbon negative, but significant uncertainties remain regarding the real-world kinetics of coastal olivine dissolution. Furthermore, concerns about the fate and ecological impact of nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr)—potentially toxic trace metals found in olivine—require careful evaluation.</p><p>In 2019, Project Vesta was established as a nonprofit, philanthropically funded effort to evaluate the technical feasibility and ecological impacts of CEWO through a dedicated research program ultimately culminating in small-scale, real-world field trials of CEWO. This presentation will provide an overview and discussion of our overall research strategy, share insights from interim modeling and mesocosm experiments designed to ensure the practicality and safety of future field experiments, and explain our approach for ensuring transparent, responsible, and ethical research oversight and governance.</p>

Neuropsychologist, Psychologist, 3 years’ experience, USA

2020 ◽  
pp. 59-62
Author(s):  
Markus Reuber ◽  
Gregg H. Rawlings ◽  
Steven C. Schachter
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Brain Functioning ◽  
Clear Explanation ◽  
Neurological Problem ◽  
Psychological Origin ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Connection Problems ◽  
Clinical Domain

This chapter examines how, when treating individuals with Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Events (PNEE), a neuropsychologist operates from a viewpoint of PNEE as a “psycho-neurological” problem. The distinction between a “neurological” and “psychological” origin has important implications for the training necessary to perform the services offered by each specialist, but both specialties actually refer to the same origin of the PNEE. In both cases PNEE clearly arise from the brain. The neuropsychologist views these spheres not as separate and distinct, but rather as being on a continuous spectrum, with the major difference being the scale and scope at which the brain is considered. Neurological problems are typically viewed as large scale, concretely identifiable, and dealing with fundamental functioning and structural integrity. Psychological problems are viewed as small-scale neurological connection problems, too granular for the primary attention of neurologists. This is the clinical domain of psychiatrists, psychologists, and neuropsychologists. PNEE clearly have their origins in the brain, falling within the sphere of small-scale connection problems of brain functioning. Finally this chapter considers the lack of a clear explanation for why and how PNEE manifest in the brain because their true origin remains elusive.

From Touchpad to Smart Lens

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Baldauf ◽  
Peter Fröhlich ◽  
Jasmin Buchta ◽  
Theresa Stürmer
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
User Study ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
The Other ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Interaction Techniques ◽  
Public Displays ◽  
New Approaches ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Completion Times

Today’s smartphones provide the technical means to serve as interfaces for public displays in various ways. Even though recent research has identified several new approaches for mobile-display interaction, inter-technique comparisons of respective methods are scarce. The authors conducted an experimental user study on four currently relevant mobile-display interaction techniques (‘Touchpad’, ‘Pointer’, ‘Mini Video’, and ‘Smart Lens’) and learned that their suitability strongly depends on the task and use case at hand. The study results indicate that mobile-display interactions based on a traditional touchpad metaphor are time-consuming but highly accurate in standard target acquisition tasks. The direct interaction techniques Mini Video and Smart Lens had comparably good completion times, and especially Mini Video appeared to be best suited for complex visual manipulation tasks like drawing. Smartphone-based pointing turned out to be generally inferior to the other alternatives. Examples for the application of these differentiated results to real-world use cases are provided.

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