Letter from Dr. Philpot\u27s office to Pauline Smith; May 28, 1948

Hospital bill detailing the costs of Pauline\u27s gall bladder operationhttps://athenacommons.muw.edu/smithpapers/1707/thumbnail.jp

Letter from Dr. Philpot\u27s office to Pauline Smith; May 28, 1948

Hospital bill detailing the costs of Pauline\u27s gall bladder operationhttps://athenacommons.muw.edu/smithpapers/1775/thumbnail.jp

STDP in the Developing Sensory Neocortex

Spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) has been proposed as a mechanism for optimizing the tuning of neurons to sensory inputs, a process that underlies the formation of receptive field properties and associative memories. The properties of STDP must adjust during development to enable neurons to optimally tune their selectivity for environmental stimuli, but these changes are poorly understood. Here we review the properties of STDP and how these may change during development in primary sensory cortical layers 2/3 and 4, initial sites for intracortical processing. We provide a primer discussing postnatal developmental changes in synaptic proteins and neuromodulators that are thought to influence STDP induction and expression. We propose that STDP is shaped by, but also modifies, synapses to produce refinements in neuronal responses to sensory inputs

360 Cinematic literacy: a case study

360 degree film making necessitates a new language for storytelling. We investigate this issue from the point of view of the user, inferring 360 literacy from what users say about their viewing experiences. The case study is based on material from two user studies on a 360 video profile of an artist. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis to understand how users made sense of the video. The sense of presence had a strong impact on the experience, while the ability to look around meant new skills had to be developed to try to make sense of 360 video. Viewers had most to say about a few particular shots, and some themes of note emerge: such as being in unusual places, certainty about what should be attended to and focus points, switches between first and third person views, and close-ups and interest

User experience of panoramic video in CAVE-like and head mounted display viewing conditions

Panoramic 360 video is a rapidly growing part of interactive TV viewing experience due to the increase of both production by consumers and professionals and the availability of consumer headsets used to view it. Recent years have also seen proposals for the development of home systems that could ultimately approximate CAVE-like experiences. The question arises as to the nature of the user experience of viewing panoramic video in head mounted displays compared to CAVE-like systems. User preference seems hard to predict. Accordingly, this study took a qualitative approach to describing user experience of viewing a panoramic video on both platforms, using a thematic analysis. Sixteen users tried both viewing conditions and equal numbers expressed preferences for each display system. The differences in user experience by viewing condition are discussed in detail via themes emerging from the analysis

Effects of viewing condition on user experience of panoramic video

Panoramic video arises at the convergence of TV and virtual reality, and it is necessary to understand how these technologies interact to affect user experience in order to produce useful content. TV and film makers have developed a sophisticated language and set of techniques to achieve directed linear story telling on fixed screens, whereas virtual worlds more often emphasise user led exploration of possibly non-linear narrative and aspects such as presence and immersion in navigable 3D environments. This study focused on the user experience of panoramic video as viewed over two conditions, on a VR headset and using a handheld phone, and compared this to watching on a static screen thus emphasising the differences between traditional and panoramic TV. A qualitative approach to analysis was taken where users participated in semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was performed which produced thematic maps describing user experience for each condition. A detailed and nuanced account of emerging themes is given. Subsequently, key themes were identified and graphed to produce user response profiles to the three viewing conditions that highlight differences in user experience in terms of presence, attention, engagement, concentration on story, certainty, comfort and social eas

Archives of thrill: the V-Armchair experience

Technology for older people is typically concerned either with health care or accessibility of existing systems. In this paper we take a more ‘entertainment-oriented’ approach to developing experiences aimed at older users. We describe here the design, development and a user study of the V-Armchair, a virtual reality and motion platform based roller coaster experience. The V-Armchair constitutes a blueprint for the digital archiving of physical ride experiences through the simultaneous capture of 360 video, sound and motion. It gives access to thrill experiences to those who may not be able to go on real thrill rides, such as older riders, and it can be considered as a class of technology that could help to support ‘active aging’ as defined by the World Health Organisation. We discuss strategies for capturing and then ‘toning down’ motion experiences to make them accessible for older users. We present a study which explores the user experience of the V-Armchair with an older group (median age 63) using a DK2 headset, and a younger group (median age 25) using a CV1 headset, via thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and a modified version of the Game Experience Questionnaire, and discuss emergent themes such as the role of the presenter, reminiscence, presence and immersion

Reasons for not Using HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among Gay and Bisexual Men in Australia: Mixed-Methods Analyses from a National, Online, Observational Study

Although approximately 31,000 Australian gay and bisexual men (GBM) are eligible for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), only 18,500 people currently use it, indicating a need to investigate why GBM do not use it. This article uses data from a national, online, observational study. It adopts a mixed-methods analysis to responses to survey questions asking about reasons Australian GBM were not using PrEP in 2018, according to their level of HIV risk as delineated by the Australian PrEP prescribing guidelines at the time. Participants responded to check-box questions and had the option to respond to a qualitative free-text question. Results showed that just over one-fifth of men were at higher risk of HIV acquisition. Compared to lower-risk men, higher-risk men were more likely to indicate PrEP was too expensive and more likely to cite embarrassment asking for it. Reasons for not using PrEP included a lack of personal relevance, poor accessibility or knowledge, concerns about PrEP’s inability to protect against STIs, potential side effects, and a preference for condoms. We conclude that health promotion more effectively targeting GBM who may benefit the most from PrEP may be valuable

Identifying Patterns of Discontinuing and Recommencing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in the Context of Sexual Behavior Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Australia

We mapped gay and bisexual men’s (GBM) patterns of using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) over time and explored sexual behavior as PrEP use changed. We conducted semi-structured interviews between June 2020 and February 2021 with 40 GBM living in Australia who had changed their PrEP use since initiating. There was considerable diversity in patterns of discontinuation, suspension, and recommencement of PrEP. Reasons for changing PrEP use mostly centered on accurate perceived changes to HIV risk. Twelve participants reported condomless anal intercourse with casual or fuckbuddy partners after discontinuing PrEP. These sex events were unanticipated, condoms were not a preferred option, and other risk reduction strategies were applied inconsistently. Service delivery and health promotion can support safer sex among GBM when PrEP use fluctuates by promoting event-driven PrEP and/or non-condom-based risk reduction methods during periods off daily PrEP, and guiding GBM to better recognize changing circumstances of risk and when to recommence PrEP