Effects of total light deprivation on dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of male neonate rats

Objectives: This study examines the effects of total light deprivation on the developing lateral geniculate nucleus, the primary integration centre for visual information Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were reared for one month in a dark room from 7th postnatal day before eye opening. A group of rats was taken back into normal condition for 15 days, and then perfused. Coronal sections of LGN were prepared and stained with Cresyl Violet and Cytochrome Oxidase to investigate the number of neurons, volume and length, as well as neuronal activity level. Results: The results showed that LD for one month causes progressive loss of neurons and decreases neuronal activity level in the LGN. Conclusion: It can be concluded that during early postnatal development of the rats� visual system, light deprivation causes structural and functional changes in LGN. © 2010, Oman Medical Specialty Board. All rights reserved

Beyond being human: The (in)accessibility consequences of modeling VAPAs after human-human conversation

Voice-Activated Personal Assistants (VAPAs) like Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant have rapidly become pervasive, with users spanning from the youngest young to the oldest old of our society. However, little is known about the nascent VAPA interaction paradigm: what are the fundamental metaphors and guidelines for design, and how do they constrain potential uses and users? This poster begins to answer these questions through a qualitative document review of VAPA design guidelines published by Amazon and Google. Initial results show that human-human conversation is considered the gold standard of interaction. We present an argument that troubles this assumption by adopting a lens of accessible interface design for blind individuals. We advocate VAPA design that moves beyond being human

Beyond being human: The (in)accessibility consequences of modeling VAPAs after human-human conversation

Voice-Activated Personal Assistants (VAPAs) like Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant have rapidly become pervasive, with users spanning from the youngest young to the oldest old of our society. However, little is known about the nascent VAPA interaction paradigm: what are the fundamental metaphors and guidelines for design, and how do they constrain potential uses and users? This poster begins to answer these questions through a qualitative document review of VAPA design guidelines published by Amazon and Google. Initial results show that human-human conversation is considered the gold standard of interaction. We present an argument that troubles this assumption by adopting a lens of accessible interface design for blind individuals. We advocate VAPA design that moves beyond being human