Visão Computacional:: Um Novo Campo De Pesquisa Em Cognição Visual

The purpose of the present article is to present a newfield of work for specialists in visual perception. Following cognitionscience and one of its areas - artificial intelligence - a new field of researchemerges, which is called computer vision. Mathematicalmorphology is emphasized in order to evidence the similarity betweenhuman and computer vision, by means of the concepts of Fourierformalism. The problems involved in image processing research arediscussed and a way of reducing high costs of conducting studies in thefield is then presented. The main scope of this new field of research isthe development of new models for visual cognition.RESUMO - O presente artigo objetiva apresentar um novo campo de pesquisa para especialistas em percepção visual. A partir da ciência da cognição e, em uma de suas áreas a inteligência artificial, diferencia-se um novo campo de pesquisa, denominado visão computacional. A chamada morfologia matemática é destacada para evidenciar, através dos conceitos do formalismo de Fourier, uma similaridade entre a visão humana e a computacional. Os problemas são discutidos para uma pesquisa no processamento da imagem, e apresenta-se uma forma de minimizar os elevados custos para a realização das pesquisas nesta área. O desenvolvimento de novos modelos para a cognição visual é o objetivo principal para este novo campo de pesquisa

Pain as a psychophysical problem

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A quantificação da dor enfrenta dificuldades especiais. Elas surgem devido à óbvia associação das sensações de dor com um conjunto de fatores emocionais, motivacionais e culturais. Apesar disso, a mensuração da dor é essencial para a avaliação e o tratamento dos seus efeitos. O objetivo deste estudo foi mostrar que os métodos psicofísicos podem ser adequadamente empregados para a mensuração, tanto da dor clínica quando da dor experimental. CONTEÚDO: Em adição, a metodologia pode ser útil para analisar os mecanismos da dor, a analgesia, os vieses metodológicos inerentes aos registros verbais da dor e dissociar os componentes sensoriais e cognitivos da sensação/percepção de dor. CONCLUSÃO: A metodologia psicofísica pode ser uma medida fidedigna e válida do quinto sinal vital, que é a dor, em todas as suas dimensões.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pain quantification faces special difficulties. They appear due to the obvious association of pain to a set of emotional, motivational and cultural factors. However, pain measurement is essential to evaluate and treat its effects. This study aimed at showing that psychophysical methods might be adequately used to measure both clinical and experimental pain. CONTENTS: In addition, the methodology may be useful to analyze pain mechanisms, analgesia, methodological biases inherent to pain verbal records, and to dissociate sensory and cognitive components from pain sensation/perception. CONCLUSION: The psychophysical methodology may be a trustworthy and valid measurement of the fifth vital sign, which is pain, in all its dimensions

Avaliação psicofísica da percepção de dor

La douleur est une expérience personnelle et subjective influencée par la culture, de la situation, les facteurs attentive, et d'autres variables psychologiques. Approches à la mesure de la douleur sont verbales et numériques des échelles d'auto-évaluation, échelles d'observation du comportement, et les indicateurs physiologiques. Dans cette revue, nous avons décrit et analysé comme des techniques sophistiquées de psychophysique peut être conçu pour mesurer séparément les dimensions sensorielles et cognitives de la douleur. Ces procédures se sont révélées être des mesures valides et fiables de la douleur avec des propriétés d'échelle ratio et ont récemment été utilisés en milieu clinique.Pain is a personal, subjective experience influenced by cultural, situational, attentive factors, and other psychological variables. Approaches to the measurement of pain include verbal and numeric self-rating scales, behavioral observational scales, and physiological indicators. In this review, we described and analyzed as sophisticated psychophysical techniques can be designed to measure separately the sensory and cognitive dimensions of pain. These procedures have been shown to be valid and reliable measurements of pain with ratio-scaling properties and have recently been used in clinical settings.El dolor es una experiencia personal y subjetiva, modulada por factores culturales, situacionales y atencionales, además de otras variables psicológicas. Algunos enfoques para la medida del dolor incluyen el uso de instrumentos tales como escalas verbales, numéricas, observacionales, cuestionarios, autoregistros y respuestas fisiológicas. En esta revisión describimos y analizamos cómo sofisticadas técnicas psicofísicas pueden ser utilizadas para medir por separado las dimensiones sensorial y afectiva de la percepción del dolor. Destacamos que estas técnicas producen medidas válidas y confiables, con propiedades escalares de razón, y que pueden ser usadas fácilmente en ambientes clínicos.Dor é uma experiência pessoal e subjetiva influenciada por fatores culturais, situacionais, atentivos e outras variáveis psicológicas. Abordagens para a mensuração de dor incluem variados instrumentos, tais como, escalas verbais, numéricas, observacionais, questionários, autorregistros e respostas fisiológicas. Nesta revisão, descrevemos e analisamos como as sofisticadas técnicas psicofísicas podem ser designadas para mensurar separadamente as dimensões sensoriais e afetivas da percepção de dor. Destacamos que estas técnicas produzem mensurações válidas e fidedignas da percepção de dor, com propriedades de escalonamento de razão e, também, podem ser usadas, facilmente, em ambientes clínicos

Acerca da métrica da percepção do espaço visual On the metric of visual space

Nesta revisão, analisamos diferentes aspectos relacionados à métrica da percepção visual. Atenção especial foi dada à mensuração de distância egocêntrica (distância de um observador a um objeto) e à mensuração de distância exocêntrica (distância entre dois objetos, ou partes de um objeto). Além disso, foram, brevemente, consideradas as teorias, a natureza dos indícios de distância, os tipos de indicadores de distância percebida, e os ambientes nos quais as distâncias são mensuradas. Concluímos que, a relação entre distância percebida e distância real não reflete uma simples transformação de sua contraparte física; em vez disso, esta relação depende substancialmente do ambiente no qual as distâncias são estimadas bem como da combinação de indícios de distância presente neste ambiente.<br>The major aim of this overview was the visual perception of egocentric (distance from an observer to a target) and exocentric distance (distance between two targets). We considered different issues concerning the relationship between perceived distance and physical distance, giving special attention to the theories, to the cues regarding distance, how perceived distances are measured, and the types of visual environments where the measuring of distances occurred. We concluded that the perceived distance does not reflect a simple transformation of its physical counterpart; rather, the mapping between perceived distance and physical distance depends substantially on the type of visual environments where distances are measured, and, on the cue combination available in these environments

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data