Sensation and perception

One of the oldest and most difficult questions in science is how we are able to develop an awareness of the world around us from our senses. Topics covered under the title of, 'Sensation and perception' address this very question. Sensation encompasses the processes by which our sense organs (e.g. eyes, ears etc.) receive information from our environment, whereas perception refers to the processes through which the brain selects, integrates, organises and interprets those sensations. The sorts of questions dealt with by psychologists interested in this area include: 'how does visual information get processed by the brain?', 'how is it that I am able to recognise one face out of many many thousands?', and 'what causes visual illusions to occur?: Within New Zealand there are a number of researchers studying visual perception specifically and their research interests range from understanding the biologica

A single mechanism can explain the speed tuning properties of MT and V1 complex neurons

A recent study by Priebe et al., (2006) has shown that a small proportion (27%) of primate directionally selective, complex V1 neurons are tuned for the speed of image motion. In this study, I show that the weighted intersection mechanism (WIM) model, which was previously proposed to explain speed tuning in middle temporal neurons, can also explain the tuning found in complex V1 neurons. With the addition of a contrast gain mechanism, this model is able to replicate the effects of contrast on V1 speed tuning, a phenomenon that was recently discovered by Priebe et al., (2006). The WIM model simulations also indicate that V1 neuron spatiotemporal frequency response maps may be asymmetrical in shape and hence poorly characterized by the symmetrical two-dimensional Gaussian fitting function used by Priebe et al., (2006) to classify their cells. Therefore, the actual proportion of speed tuning among directional complex V1 cells may be higher than the 27% estimate suggested by these authors

Visual slant misperception and the Black-Hole landing situation

A theory which explains the tendency for dangerously low approaches during night landing situations is presented. The two dimensional information at the pilot's eye contains sufficient information for the visual system to extract the angle of slant of the runway relative to the approach path. The analysis is depends upon perspective information which is available at a certain distance out from the aimpoint, to either side of the runway edgelights. Under black hole landing conditions, however, this information is not available, and it is proposed that the visual system use instead the only available information, the perspective gradient of the runway edgelights. An equation is developed which predicts the perceived approach angle when this incorrect parameter is used. The predictions are in close agreement with existing experimental data

The perception of surface layout during low level flight

Although it is fairly well established that information about surface layout can be gained from motion cues, it is not so clear as to what information humans can use and what specific information they should be provided. Theoretical analyses tell us that the information is in the stimulus. It will take more experiments to verify that this information can be used by humans to extract surface layout from the 2D velocity flow field. The visual motion factors that can affect the pilot's ability to control an aircraft and to infer the layout of the terrain ahead are discussed

Visual slant underestimation

Observers frequently underestimate the in-depth slant of rectangles under reduction conditions. This also occurs for slanted rectangles depicted on a flat display medium. Perrone (1982) provides a model for judged slant based upon properties of the 2-D trapezoidal projection of the rectangle. Two important parameters of this model are the angle of convergence of the sides of the trapezoid and the projected length of the trapezoid. This model was tested using a range of stimulus rectangles and found that the model failed to predict some of the major trends in the data. However, when the projected width of the base of the trapezoid projection was used in the model, instead of the projected length, excellent agreement between the theoretical and obtained slant judgements resulted. The good fit between the experimental data and the new model predictions indicates that perceived slant estimates are highly correlated with specifiable features in the stimulus display

DALLA CORTE COSTITUZIONALE UNA POSSIBILE SOLUZIONE ALLA TORMENTATA QUESTIONE DEL CONTRADDITTORIO ENDOPROCEDIMENTALE TRIBUTARIO

La parabola del contraddittorio endoprocedimentale nel procedimento tributario di accertamento sembrava essersi conclusa con le sentenze nn. 19667 e 19668 del 2014, rese a sezioni unite della Suprema Corte, mediante il definitivo riconoscimento dell\u2019immanenza dello stesso al nostro sistema. Tuttavia le stesse sezioni unite con la sentenza n. 24283 del 2015 hanno riaperto la problematica, trovando la soluzione, giudicata opinabile in dottrina, di confinare la generalizzata obbligatorieta` del contraddittorio ai soli tributi cd. \u201carmonizzati\u201d. L\u2019intendimento di definire la questione alla luce dei principi europei, pero` , poteva forse suggerire una diversa soluzione, e cioe` una via che, recependo i criteri ermeneutici suggeriti dalla Corte costituzionale con la sentenza n. 132 del 2015, cercasse di trovare all\u2019interno del nostro ordinamento delle norme di principio che, in via potenziale, ed interpretate alle luce dei criteri provenienti dalla Corte di giustizia, potessero legittimare l\u2019applicazione del contraddittorio in via generalizzata, evitando cos\u131` le inevitabili difficolta` pratiche e teoriche generate dalla scelta di confinare l\u2019istituto ai soli tributi armonizzat

Vizi dell\u2019azione amministrativa tributaria e loro rilevanza nel processo penale tributario

Il tema della rilevanza dei vizi dell\u2019azione amministrativa tributaria nel processo penale \ue8 stato solo parzialmente studiato dalla dottrina, che si \ue8 invece maggiormente concentrata sul tema della rilevanza del vizio dell\u2019istruttoria penale nel processo tributario. Nell\u2019analizzare, pertanto, la questione della rilevanza penale dei vizi dell\u2019azione amministrativa, abbiamo provato a distinguere questi ultimi nelle due categorie del cd. vizio \u201cproprio\u201d, che attiene esclusivamente all\u2019azione di accertamento tributario, e del cd. vizio \u201ccollegato\u201d, che invece coinvolge regole o attori del processo penale. L\u2019analisi della giurisprudenza ha mostrato una decisa riluttanza della Suprema Corte ad attribuire rilevanza penalistica al cd. vizio \u201cproprio\u201d; il vizio cd. \u201ccollegato\u201d, invece, \ue8 stato ritenuto rilevante solo quando comporta, anche potenzialmente, la lesione di garanzie previste dal codice di procedura penale per la formazione o l\u2019acquisizione della prova. I consolidati orientamenti della Suprema Corte, per\uf2, pongono una serie di dubbi che riguardano tanto la rilevanza del vizio \u201ccollegato\u201d, quanto la rilevanza del vizio \u201cproprio\u201d, nel caso in cui questi vizi comportino la violazione di principi e garanzie fondamentali previsti e tutelati dalla Costituzione.The effects of tax assessment vices in criminal trial has been only partially studied by doctrine, which has more studied the effects of criminal trial vices on tax assessment. So, trying to study this issue, the first step was to distinguish \u201ctypical vices\u201d, i.e. administrative vices exclusively concerning tax assessment, from \u201cconnected vices\u201d, i.e. administrative vices related to criminal trial rules or subjects. The Supreme Court judgments analysis shown a marked unwillingness to give \u201ctypical vices\u201d any kind of effect in criminal trial; on the other side, concerning \u201cconnected vices\u201d, the Court considered relevant only those vices involving the infringement of safeguards provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure for evidence formation or acquisition. However, this consolidated guideline of the Court shows reasonable doubts, concerning both \u201ctypical vices\u201d and \u201cconnected vices\u201d, whenever those vices can cause infringement of constitutional principles or safeguards