Ergonomics of the Operative Field in Paediatric Minimal Access Surgery

Imperial Users onl

Change blindness: eradication of gestalt strategies

Arrays of eight, texture-defined rectangles were used as stimuli in a one-shot change blindness (CB) task where there was a 50% chance that one rectangle would change orientation between two successive presentations separated by an interval. CB was eliminated by cueing the target rectangle in the first stimulus, reduced by cueing in the interval and unaffected by cueing in the second presentation. This supports the idea that a representation was formed that persisted through the interval before being 'overwritten' by the second presentation (Landman et al, 2003 Vision Research 43149–164]. Another possibility is that participants used some kind of grouping or Gestalt strategy. To test this we changed the spatial position of the rectangles in the second presentation by shifting them along imaginary spokes (by ±1 degree) emanating from the central fixation point. There was no significant difference seen in performance between this and the standard task [F(1,4)=2.565, p=0.185]. This may suggest two things: (i) Gestalt grouping is not used as a strategy in these tasks, and (ii) it gives further weight to the argument that objects may be stored and retrieved from a pre-attentional store during this task

NASA Tech Briefs, December 1992

Topics include: Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences

Virtual Reality Games for Motor Rehabilitation

This paper presents a fuzzy logic based method to track user satisfaction without the need for devices to monitor users physiological conditions. User satisfaction is the key to any product’s acceptance; computer applications and video games provide a unique opportunity to provide a tailored environment for each user to better suit their needs. We have implemented a non-adaptive fuzzy logic model of emotion, based on the emotional component of the Fuzzy Logic Adaptive Model of Emotion (FLAME) proposed by El-Nasr, to estimate player emotion in UnrealTournament 2004. In this paper we describe the implementation of this system and present the results of one of several play tests. Our research contradicts the current literature that suggests physiological measurements are needed. We show that it is possible to use a software only method to estimate user emotion

Social communication in domestic horses: the production and perception of facial expressions

Living in complex societies is thought to promote the development of sophisticated social, cognitive, and communicative skills. Investigating the extent of these skills across taxa is critical to understanding the evolution of the advanced abilities found in some species, including humans. Facial expressions are rich sources of social information for humans and some primates; however whether this is true for other animals is largely unknown. Horses are an ideal study species for these questions: they form valuable social relationships and display some advanced socio-cognitive skills, but are phylogenetically distant from primates and so might be expected to communicate quite differently. Here I present a method for quantifying and coding horse facial movements (EquiFACS), which reveals that horses have an extensive capacity for producing facial expressions. I then utilise EquiFACS to demonstrate that horses produce facial actions that mirror the emotional content of auditory stimuli, providing evidence for a perception-action representation of emotional information. Through my experiments on the perception of facial expressions in horses I show that these expressions display meaningful information to conspecifics, which influences their behaviour in functionally relevant ways. I also shed light on the physiological processes involved in the perception of emotional conspecific facial expressions, showing that viewing negatively valenced conspecific emotional expressions raises resting heart rate. This is indicative of emotional contagion, which may be a mechanism through which information is obtained and social interactions are regulated. Collectively, my research demonstrates the ability to produce and use complex facial expressions as a source of social information is not limited to primates, but is present in at least two phylogenetically distant groups. This suggests these skills may either be an evolutionarily conserved trait or have evolved under common selective pressures. As well as their scientific significance, these findings have implications for horse management and welfare

Screen Space Reconfigured

Screen Space Reconfigured is the first edited volume that critically and theoretically examines the many novel renderings of space brought to us by 21st century screens. Exploring key cases such as post-perspectival space, 3D, vertical framing, haptics, and layering, this volume takes stock of emerging forms of screen space and spatialities as they move from the margins to the centre of contemporary media practice.Recent years have seen a marked scholarly interest in spatial dimensions and conceptions of moving image culture, with some theorists claiming that a 'spatial turn' has taken place in media studies and screen practices alike. Yet this is the first book-length study dedicated to on-screen spatiality as such.Spanning mainstream cinema, experimental film, video art, mobile screens, and stadium entertainment, the volume includes contributions from such acclaimed authors as Giuliana Bruno and Tom Gunning as well as a younger generation of scholars