13,114 research outputs found
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Portable Perimetry Using Eye-Tracking on a Tablet ComputerâA Feasibility Assessment
Purpose: Visual field (VF) examination by standard automated perimetry (SAP) is an important method of clinical assessment. However, the complexity of the test, and its use of bulky, expensive equipment makes it impractical for case-finding. We propose and evaluate a new approach to paracentral VF assessment that combines an inexpensive eye-tracker with a portable tablet computer (âEyecatcherâ).
Methods: Twenty-four eyes from 12 glaucoma patients, and 12 eyes from six age-similar controls were examined. Participants were tested monocularly (once per eye), with both the novel Eyecatcher test and traditional SAP (HFA SITA standard 24-2). For Eyecatcher, the participant's task was to simply to look at a sequence of fixed-luminance dots, presented relative to the current point of fixation. Start and end fixations were used to determine locations where stimuli were seen/unseen, and to build a continuous map of sensitivity loss across a VF of approximately 20°.
Results: Eyecatcher was able to clearly separate patients from controls, and the results were consistent with those from traditional SAP. In particular, mean Eyecatcher scores were strongly correlated with mean deviation scores (r2 = 0.64, P < 0.001), and there was good concordance between corresponding VF locations (âŒ84%). Participants reported that Eyecatcher was more enjoyable, easier to perform, and less tiring than SAP (all P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Portable perimetry using an inexpensive eye-tracker and a tablet computer is feasible, although possible means of improvement are suggested.
Translational Relevance: Such a test could have significant utility as a case finding device
Towards Quantitative Simulations of High Power Proton Cyclotrons
PSI operates a cyclotron based high intensity proton accelerator routinely at
an average beam power of 1.3MW. With this power the facility is at the
worldwide forefront of high intensity proton accelerators. The beam current is
practically limited by losses at extraction and the resulting activation of
accelerator components. Further intensity upgrades and new projects aiming at
an even higher average beam power, are only possible if the relative losses can
be lowered in proportion, thus keeping absolute losses at a constant level.
Maintaining beam losses at levels allowing hands-on maintenance is a primary
challenge in any high power proton machine design and operation. In
consequence, predicting beam halo at these levels is a great challenge and will
be addressed in this paper. High power hadron driver have being used in many
disciplines of science and, a growing interest in the cyclotron technology for
high power hadron drivers are being observed very recently. This report will
briefly introduce OPAL, a tool for precise beam dynamics simulations including
3D space charge. One of OPAL's flavors (OPAL-cycl) is dedicated to high power
cyclotron modeling and is explained in greater detail. We then explain how to
obtain initial conditions for our PSI Ring cyclotron which still delivers the
world record in beam power of 1.3 MW continuous wave (cw). Several crucial
steps are explained necessary to be able to predict tails at the level of
3\sigma ... 4\sigma in the PSI Ring cyclotron. We compare our results at the
extraction with measurements, obtained with a 1.18 MW cw production beam. Based
on measurement data, we develop a simple linear model to predict beam sizes of
the extracted beam as a function of intensities and confirm the model with
simulations.Comment: Corrections and new figur
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Refinement and preliminary evaluation of two tablet-based tests of real-world visual function
PURPOSE: To describe, refine, evaluate, and provide normative control data for two freely available tablet-based tests of real-world visual function, using a cohort of young, normally-sighted adults.
METHODS: Fifty young (18-40Â years), normally-sighted adults completed tablet-based assessments of (1) face discrimination and (2) visual search. Each test was performed twice, to assess test-retest repeatability. Post-hoc analyses were performed to determine the number of trials required to obtain stable estimates of performance. Distributions were fitted to the normative data to determine the 99% population-boundary for normally sighted observers. Participants were also asked to rate their comprehension of each test.
RESULTS: Both tests provided stable estimates in around 20 trials (~1-4Â min), with only a further reduction of 14%-17% in the 95% Coefficient of Repeatability (CoR95 ) when an additional 40 trials were included. When using only ~20 trials: median durations for the first run of each test were 191Â s (Faces) and 51Â s (Search); test-retest CoR95 were 0.27Â d (Faces) and 0.84Â s (Search); and normative 99% population-limits were 3.50Â d (Faces) and 3.1Â s (Search). No participants exhibited any difficulties completing either test (100% completion rate), and ratings of task-understanding were high (Faces: 9.6 out of 10; Search: 9.7 out of 10).
CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary assessment indicated that both tablet-based tests are able to provide simple, quick, and easy-to-administer measures of real-world visual function in normally-sighted young adults. Further work is required to assess their accuracy and utility in older people and individuals with visual impairment. Potential applications are discussed, including their use in clinic waiting rooms, and as an objective complement to Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs)
Comments on photonic shells
We investigate in detail the special case of an infinitely thin static
cylindrical shell composed of counter-rotating photons on circular geodetical
paths separating two distinct parts of Minkowski spacetimes--one inside and the
other outside the shell--and compare it to a static disk shell formed by null
particles counter-rotating on circular geodesics within the shell located
between two sections of flat spacetime. One might ask whether the two cases are
not, in fact, merely one
Split Two-Higgs-Doublet Model and Neutrino Condensation
We split the two-Higgs-doublet model by assuming very different vevs for the
two doublets: the vev is at weak scale (174 GeV) for the doublet \Phi_1 and at
neutrino-mass scale (10^{-2} \sim 10^{-3} eV) for the doublet \Phi_2. \Phi_1 is
responsible for giving masses to all fermions except neutrinos; while \Phi_2 is
responsible for giving neutrino masses through its tiny vev without introducing
see-saw mechanism. Among the predicted five physical scalars H, h, A^0 and
H^{\pm}, the CP-even scalar h is as light as 10^{-2} \sim 10^{-3}eV while
others are at weak scale. We identify h as the cosmic dark energy field and the
other CP-even scalar H as the Standard Model Higgs boson; while the CP-odd A^0
and the charged H^{\pm} are the exotic scalars to be discovered at future
colliders. Also we demonstrate a possible dynamical origin for the doublet
\Phi_2 from neutrino condensation caused by some unknown dynamics.Comment: version in Europhys. Lett. (discussions added
Equilibrium Properties of Temporally Asymmetric Hebbian Plasticity
A theory of temporally asymmetric Hebb (TAH) rules which depress or
potentiate synapses depending upon whether the postsynaptic cell fires before
or after the presynaptic one is presented. Using the Fokker-Planck formalism,
we show that the equilibrium synaptic distribution induced by such rules is
highly sensitive to the manner in which bounds on the allowed range of synaptic
values are imposed. In a biologically plausible multiplicative model, we find
that the synapses in asynchronous networks reach a distribution that is
invariant to the firing rates of either the pre- or post-synaptic cells. When
these cells are temporally correlated, the synaptic strength varies smoothly
with the degree and phase of synchrony between the cells.Comment: 3 figures, minor corrections of equations and tex
Embedding the Texture of the Neutrino Mass Matrix into the MaVaNs Scenario
We have embedded the texture of the neutrino mass matrix with three families
into the MaVaNs scenario. We take the power-law potential of the acceleron
field and a typical texture of active neutrinos, which is derived by the D_4
symmetry and predicts the maximal mixing of the atmospheric neutrino and the
vanishing U_{e3}. The effect of couplings among the dark fermion and active
neutrinos are studied by putting the current cosmological data and the
terrestrial neutrino experimental data. It is found that the neutrino flavor
mixings evolve as well as the neutrino masses. Especially, U_{e3} develops into
the non-vanishing one and \theta_{atm} deviates from the maximal mixing due to
couplings among the dark fermion and active neutrinos.Comment: Sections 3 and 4 are changed and one table is added. 16pages and 2
figure
DNA damage by the cobalt (II) and zinc (II) complexes of tetraazamacrocyclic in Tetrahymena thermophila
Using the single cell gel electrophoresis method, the tetraazamacrocycle Zn(II) complex (Zn(II)-L) and the tetraazamacrocycle Co(II) complex (Co(II)-L) were investigated focusing on their DNA damage to Tetrahymena thermophila. When the cells were treated with the 0.05, 0.25 and 0.50 mg/ml Zn(II)-L, the tail length increased significantly, with 10.83, 11.56 and 11.87 m, respectively. With the dose of 0.5mg/ml Zn(II)-L treatment, 45.5% cells distributed in grade 3. After treatment with the 0.05, 0.25 and 0.50 mg/ml Co(II)-L, the tail length of the cells also increased significantly, with the length of 15.64, 17.75 and19.21 m, respectively. When treated with 0.5 mg/ml Co(II)-L, 98.1% cells showed tail and 75.6% cells distributed in grade 3. The results indicated that Co(II)-L induced a relatively high level of DNA damagein comparison with the level of damage induced by Zn(II)-L
Robustness and Enhancement of Neural Synchronization by Activity-Dependent Coupling
We study the synchronization of two model neurons coupled through a synapse
having an activity-dependent strength. Our synapse follows the rules of
Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP). We show that this plasticity of the
coupling between neurons produces enlarged frequency locking zones and results
in synchronization that is more rapid and much more robust against noise than
classical synchronization arising from connections with constant strength. We
also present a simple discrete map model that demonstrates the generality of
the phenomenon.Comment: 4 pages, accepted for publication in PR
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