Personal Vision Research Articles

Increased wakefulness as measured by the WAKE-16 is related to mindfulness and emotional self-regulation in experienced Buddhist meditators.

We tested and validated the German version of a new instrument for measuring "wakefulness," defined as "an expansive, higher-functioning, and stable state of being in which a person's vision of and relationship to the world are transformed, along with their subjective experience, their sense of identity and their conceptual outlook" (Taylor, 2017, p. 22). In order to test the construct validity of the new instrument (Inventory of Secular/Spiritual Wakefulness; WAKE-16), we performed a parametric comparison between a group of expert meditators (n=36) with a history of predominantly meditating in silence and demographically matched non-meditators (n=36) for the WAKE-16 and two conceptually related questionnaires of mindfulness and emotion regulation. Significantly higher scores for the meditators on the WAKE-16 indicate construct validity of the new instrument. Meditators scored higher on the two mindfulness subscales "presence" and "acceptance," as well as on the SEE subscales of emotion regulation and body-related symbolization of emotions. Within the group of meditators, there were significant correlations between wakefulness and mindfulness, accepting one's own emotions, and experiencing overwhelming emotions. The only significant correlation in non-meditators was found between wakefulness and accepting one's own emotions. The new instrument shows construct validity by discriminating between the two groups. Correlations between wakefulness and related psychological constructs indicate convergent validity. Future studies could attempt to increase discriminatory accuracy of the definition of wakefulness, as well as finding objective methods of measuring.

Продвижение пожарных в зонах повышенных температур

Purpose. This article addresses the issue of the impact of hazardous fire factors (HFF) on firefighters in an environment unsuitable for breathing. Currently, there are no regulatory criteria for permissible exposure of firefighters to HFF, particularly elevated ambient temperatures. To reach the position for deploying fire extinguishing agents, firefighters are forced to traverse a zone of elevated temperatures, and in some cases, remain in it for some time. The authors have studied the effect of elevated temperatures during firefighting on the ability of smoke divers to advance towards the fire zone in personal respiratory and vision protective equipment, as well as in firefighting gear. Methods. A field experiment was conducted to assess the ability of firefighters to advance in high-temperature zones. Temperature values and corresponding sensations of firefighters were studied to identify the peculiarities of the smoke divers teams' (SDT) work when advancing in different zones of elevated temperatures. Findings. The experiment demonstrated the peculiarities of advancement of smoke divers in high-temperature zones and the limiting conditions thereof. The experiment was conducted under conditions approximating real ones, created in the “Ugolyok” training complex. The analysis conducted based on the experiment results allowed determining the range of tolerance for elevated temperatures by firefighters, depending on the protective properties of firefighting gear, their own tolerance threshold, experience working in high-temperature zones, and the use of other protective methods. For instance, at temperatures of 150–180°C, SDT were able to reach the fire zone, but they reported feeling the temperature already, making it difficult to work near the fire zone for an extended period. When the temperature rose to 280–350°C, poorly protected areas (knees and elbows in contact with firefighting gear, hands, head, and legs between the boot shin guards and liners) began to burn, making advancement difficult and unsafe for the lives and health of smoke divers at such temperature levels. Research application field. The results of the conducted experiment justify measures aimed at increasing the effectiveness of personnel work in high-temperature zones and minimizing risks during the performance of professional tasks. The results can also be used in expert examinations of firefighting organization (e.g., in determining the possibility of advancing SDT into various zones). Conclusions. The authors have more thoroughly studied the mechanism of SDT work when advancing under the influence of hazardous fire factors, describing the sensations of smoke divers under different temperature conditions. The conducted experiment allowed determining the levels of tolerance for elevated temperatures by firefighters in firefighting gear and respiratory and vision protective equipment.

High fidelity calculations vs. the simple models: The perspective of an educator in nuclear reactor physics

The evolution of technology and computer power in the last decades have significantly impacted the approach to modelling and simulation in nuclear reactor physics, with the development and large utilization of complex code, providing extremely accurate and refined results, and the progressive discard of legacy, simplified models for the steady-state and transient analysis of fission nuclear reactors. How to correctly represent this shift in the frame of higher education, without losing track of the rich physical understanding that “simple models” can provide, is a challenge faced by all educators in reactor physics. Building on the experience gained in university teaching at the bachelor and master level, as well as in the more recent experience in innovative didactic approaches, in this talk I will provide a personal vision of how to approach the teaching in reactor physics in this scenario.

صورة الماضي وانعكاسها في قصائد لاريسا ميلر وفيرا بافلوفا

أجرينا في هذا البحث تحليلاً مقارناً لأعمال شاعرتين معاصرتين هما لاريسا ميلر وفيرا بافلوفا، اللتين عاشتا قبل انهيار الاتحاد السوفييتي وبعده، ووجدنا أن صورة الماضي في أعمال لاريسا ميلر تعكس تصوراتها للحياة السوفيتية وتجاربها في تلك الحقبة، وأن صورة الطبيعة تؤدي دوراً مهما في التعبير عن المواقف تجاه الماضي. تعبر فيرا بافلوفا عن موقفها من الماضي من خلال تجربة الحياة، أي أن صورة الماضي في أعمالها مليئة بالمشاعر والعواطف و التصورات الذاتية، وتثير القراء لأجل التعاطف مع أشعارها الوجدانية

The Arsenal of Means Used by a Conductor in Decoding an Opera Score

"For a conductor the text of the score is that building material used in the creation of “his own world”. This paper examines the system of means used by a conductor in creating an opera performance. A transformation of the “mobile” and “fixed” elements of the score into a magnificent world of opera performance. The study is based on material from a production of the opera Orpheus by Claudio Monteverdi, directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, conductor being Nikolaus Harnoncourt. This staging can certainly be considered one of the most striking examples of the remarkable interplay between conductor and director in an opera production. Each new revised edition of different opera titles, over the centuries, becomes the product of the personal vision of the creators, acting from the point of view of the aesthetics of its time. Keywords: opera performance, conductor, compositional techniques, analysis, Orpheus by Claudio Monteverdi."

Enhancing Individual Worker Risk Awareness: A Location-Based Safety Check System for Real-Time Hazard Warnings in Work-Zones

This study focuses on improving pre-emptive risk recognition and safety checks to prevent workplace accidents. It underscores improvements by addressing existing research issues, suggesting potential enhancements through system development. Work approval procedures and workers’ prior risk awareness, through the confirmation of work safety standards in physically separated work areas, are fundamental methods of preventing serious accidents and creating a safe work environment. A key factor concerning worker safety is recognizing the potential accident risk factors (or hazards) in advance through practical job hazard analysis and consequently take risk-reduction measures in case the safety standards are not met. Despite the crucial significance of pre-awareness of work risks at the majority of construction sites, tools to enhance this awareness are currently limited. Furthermore, real-time detection of work risks and the implementation of risk reduction measures are contingent upon a monitoring environment and a robust safety culture. This study proposed construction worker location-tracking technology that recognizes personal identification (ID). A safety check system based on location tracking combining personal quick response code (QR code) recognition and computer vision technology to automatically identify workers’ personal identities and track their physical location was proposed. A real-time safety check system was implemented to classify automatically whether workers have confirmed hazards and to approve a work process in high-risk workplaces by supervisors. Location-tracking technology with ID recognition performed the following two safety management functions. First, if a construction worker does not pre-check the work risk information before entering the work zone, the geofencing technology automatically classifies workers as those who are not aware of job hazards. Secondly, the safety manager or supervisor entering the on-site work zone possesses the authority to halt work if the work environment fails to meet safety standards and can issue warnings regarding risky situations. Essential functions were validated through a case study involving preliminary testing within the development system. To assess the practical application of the system, virtual simulations were conducted using recorded videos from a construction site to replicate the two essential functions of the system. The system was constructed using an Apache server and Python code, and for testing purposes, the names of the workers were randomized.

Toward a Philosophy of Melodrama

Abstract This article proposes a philosophy of melodrama, following the example of Noël Carroll in The Philosophy of Horror (1990). Melodrama is defined by a distinctive mode of address in which morality is dramatized through an appeal to our emotions. More narrowly conceived as the “tearjerker,” it is designed to solicit tears through the orchestration of pathos. While melodrama is associated above all with a genre of nineteenth- century theater, it is considered here as a mode that persists from at least the medieval period into the present, encompassing discrete art forms, such as theater, opera, and film. Furthermore, as it evolves historically, it develops more complex idioms. Classical melodrama, or the melodrama of good versus evil, which dwells on the pathos of suffering innocence, is contrasted with romantic melodrama or the melodrama of moral antinomy (Singer), which explores the pathos of sacrifice. A series of distinctions are drawn between sympathy, pathos, empathy, and identification, and the relationship of each to the other and to our moral responses are briefly delineated. The article contests Murray Smith's theory of empathy as central or personal imagination and defends a distinctive concept of identification, based upon its roots in the medieval French “identifier,” to “regard as the same.” It concludes with a brief defense of melodrama against the charge that is emotionally contrived and exploits our moral sentiments for meretricious ends.

What’s next for computational systems biology?

Largely unknown just a few decades ago, computational systems biology is now a central methodology for biological and medical research. This amazing ascent raises the question of what the community should do next. The article outlines our personal vision for the future of computational systems biology, suggesting the need to address both mindsets and methodologies. We present this vision by focusing on current and anticipated research goals, the development of strong computational tools, likely prominent applications, education of the next-generation of scientists, and outreach to the public. In our opinion, two classes of broad research goals have emerged in recent years and will guide future efforts. The first goal targets computational models of increasing size and complexity, aimed at solving emerging health-related challenges, such as realistic whole-cell and organ models, disease simulators and digital twins, in silico clinical trials, and clinically translational applications in the context of therapeutic drug development. Such large models will also lead us toward solutions to pressing issues in agriculture and environmental sustainability, including sufficient food availability and life in changing habitats. The second goal is a deep understanding of the essence of system designs and strategies with which nature solves problems. This understanding will help us explain observed biological structures and guide forays into synthetic biological systems. Regarding effective methodologies, we suggest efforts toward automated data pipelines from raw biomedical data all the way to spatiotemporal mechanistic model. These will be supported by dynamic methods of statistics, machine learning, artificial intelligence and streamlined strategies of dynamic model design, striking a fine balance between modeling realistic complexity and abstracted simplicity. Finally, we suggest the need for a concerted, community-wide emphasis on effective education in systems biology, implemented as a combination of formal instruction and hands-on mentoring. The educational efforts should furthermore be extended toward the public through books, blogs, social media, and interactive networking opportunities, with the ultimate goal of training in state-of-the-art technology while recapturing the lost art of synthesis.

Eye Tracking in Optometry: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review examines the use of eye-tracking devices in optometry, describing their main characteristics, areas of application and metrics used. Using the PRISMA method, a systematic search was performed of three databases. The search strategy identified 141 reports relevant to this topic, indicating the exponential growth over the past ten years of the use of eye trackers in optometry. Eye-tracking technology was applied in at least 12 areas of the field of optometry and rehabilitation, the main ones being optometric device technology, and the assessment, treatment, and analysis of ocular disorders. The main devices reported on were infrared light-based and had an image capture frequency of 60 Hz to 2000 Hz. The main metrics mentioned were fixations, saccadic movements, smooth pursuit, microsaccades, and pupil variables. Study quality was sometimes limited in that incomplete information was provided regarding the devices used, the study design, the methods used, participants' visual function and statistical treatment of data. While there is still a need for more research in this area, eye-tracking devices should be more actively incorporated as a useful tool with both clinical and research applications. This review highlights the robustness this technology offers to obtain objective information about a person's vision in terms of optometry and visual function, with implications for improving visual health services and our understanding of the vision process.

Pursuing precision in medicine and nutrition: the rise of electrochemical biosensing at the molecular level.

In the era that we seek personalization in material things, it is becoming increasingly clear that the individualized management of medicine and nutrition plays a key role in life expectancy and quality of life, allowing participation to some extent in our welfare and the use of societal resources in a rationale and equitable way. The implementation of precision medicine and nutrition are highly complex challenges which depend on the development of new technologies able to meet important requirements in terms of cost, simplicity, and versatility, and to determine both individually and simultaneously, almost in real time and with the required sensitivity and reliability, molecular markers of different omics levels in biofluids extracted, secreted (either naturally or stimulated), or circulating in the body. Relying on representative and pioneering examples, this review article critically discusses recent advances driving the position of electrochemical bioplatforms as one of the winning horses for the implementation of suitable tools for advanced diagnostics, therapy, and precision nutrition. In addition to a critical overview of the state of the art, including groundbreaking applications and challenges ahead, the article concludes with a personal vision of the imminent roadmap.

Integrating education for sustainable development in physical education: fostering critical and systemic thinking

PurposeThe aim of this personal vision research is to analyse the characteristics of physical education subject to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the development of competences in university students. The objective is to reflect on how critical and systemic thinking could be mobilised through the contents and methodologies in physical education to promote the SDGs.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual article is proposed in which an active investigation of how physical education could foster critical and systemic thinking has been carried out. For this purpose, articles were selected that have analysed the potential of physical education for sustainability. Databases such as Web of Science, Scopus or Google Scholar have been reviewed through keywords such as “physical education”, “sustainability”, “critical thinking” or “systems thinking”.FindingsStrategies are presented to enable university students to understand the scope of the subject beyond the physical dimension. This study discusses that it is only through such a change of view of the subject that meaningful learning and learning situations that encourage enquiry and active participation can be introduced. Thus, this paper argues that physical education is a unique area of knowledge for mobilising critical and systemic thinking in the context of sustainable development (SD). Consequently, concrete actions are presented for application in physical education teaching that shows direct connections to specific targets of the SDGs.Practical implicationsThis study presents practical implications for higher education leaders and educational policy designers at the national level, as it would help improve initial and ongoing training programs for physical education teachers, focusing on the development of key competencies for sustainability.Social implicationsPhysical education has the potential to contribute to the development of vulnerable schools and communities, especially to the health and well-being of children and young people and does not require large financial budgets. Therefore, the recommendations presented in this study can have a positive impact on the well-being of these groups.Originality/valueThis document invites reflection on how, through different teaching strategies, we can produce significant learning that contributes to the sustainability of the planet. All this, trying to mobilise critical and systemic thinking and consequently improving awareness for SD.

MECCANO: A multimodal egocentric dataset for humans behavior understanding in the industrial-like domain

Wearable cameras allow to acquire images and videos from the user’s perspective. These data can be processed to understand humans behavior. Despite human behavior analysis has been thoroughly investigated in third person vision, it is still understudied in egocentric settings and in particular in industrial scenarios. To encourage research in this field, we present MECCANO, a multimodal dataset of egocentric videos to study humans behavior understanding in industrial-like settings. The multimodality is characterized by the presence of gaze signals, depth maps and RGB videos acquired simultaneously with a custom headset. The dataset has been explicitly labeled for fundamental tasks in the context of human behavior understanding from a first person view, such as recognizing and anticipating human–object interactions. With the MECCANO dataset, we explored six different tasks including (1) Action Recognition, (2) Active Objects Detection and Recognition, (3) Egocentric Human–Objects Interaction Detection, (4) Egocentric Gaze Estimation, (5) Action Anticipation and (6) Next-Active Objects Detection. We propose a benchmark aimed to study human behavior in the considered industrial-like scenario which demonstrates that the investigated tasks and the considered scenario are challenging for state-of-the-art algorithms. To support research in this field, we publicy release the dataset at https://iplab.dmi.unict.it/MECCANO/.

ПОЗНАНИЕ МИРА СКВОЗЬ ПРИЗМУ АВТОРСКОГО ВИДЕНИЯ КОММУНИКАТИВНОГО СОБЫТИЯ

COGNITION OF THE WORLD THROUGH THE PRISM OF THE AUTHOR’S VISION OF THE COMMUNICATIVE EVENTAbstract. The article deals with the linguocultural and linguocognitive aspect of the study of the artistic picture of the world. The anthropocentric approach used by the authors is related to the interpretation of the text from the author’s point of view and its impact on the reader. From this point of view, the authors’ reference to one of the key concepts in the works of D. Nakipov – to the concept “way”, around which a variety of figurative constructions are developed, allowed to see the process of the author’s coding of thought and its fixation in various linguistic units. The analysis of the fictional text has shown that the special system of codes by which a writer shows the world around him, forms individual author’s picture of the world, in which through the prism of personal vision of communicative events the reader gets to know the world perceived in special ways, forms and colours. Key words: art text, cultural code, author’s interpretation, ways of knowledge transfer, conceptosphere, individual author’s picture of the world.

Pediatric Ophthalmology: Amblyopia (Lazy Eye), Strabismus, and Pediatric Eye Examinations

The preset study was conducted to review updates of the literature regarding clinical problems related to pediatric ophthalmology including amblyopia (lazy Eye), strabismus, and pediatric eye examinations. The field of pediatric ophthalmology is responsible for the discovery and treatment of vision abnormalities in children, both of which are extremely important obligations that fall under its purview. This subspecialty of pediatrics focuses on the treatment of ocular disorders in children. Both amblyopia and strabismus are prevalent disorders that, if left untreated, can have long- term negative repercussions on a person's vision. Amblyopia is more common than strabismus. The condition known as amblyopia is defined by a lack of eye movement, whereas strabismus is characterized by eyes that are turned inward. It is only via the delivery of routine eye examinations to juvenile patients that it is possible to detect these diseases as well as other abnormalities of the eye at an early stage. This not only paves the way for fast treatment but also provides the best visual outcomes that are achievable. Eye exams should be a priority for both parents and healthcare providers so that children can reach their full potential in terms of their visual development. This will allow children to attain their full potential as adults. Because of this, the child's eyes will be able to grow and develop to their full potential.

Glaucoma: Types, Risk Factors, Detection, and Management

Glaucoma is a complicated set of optic neuropathies that is defined by a gradual loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), as well as visual field abnormalities that correlate to this loss. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. Glaucoma is the most common cause of blindness that cannot be reversed around the world. The primary purpose of this investigation was to conduct a review study on glaucoma from a variety of aspects, including its description, forms, and management, as well as the importance of routine eye examinations. Glaucoma refers to a set of eye illnesses that, when taken together, have the potential to cause irreversible damage to a person's vision if the disease is not properly recognized and treated in a timely way. It is possible for a person's eyesight to become impaired due to glaucoma if the disease is not detected and treated in a timely manner. Glaucoma can be subdivided into a number of different major subtypes, the most common of which are primary open-angle glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, normal- tension glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma. Glaucoma can be caused by a number of factors in addition to variables such as a rise in intraocular pressure. These variables include the patient's age, the medical history of the patient's family, the patient's ethnicity, and certain medical illnesses.

Financial Management Practices and Coping Strategies among Senior High School Teachers in Camanava: Financial Literacy Framework

It is essential to be financially literate in order to live a wealthy life. Every income level is predicted to see a rise in standard of life with adequate financial management, which must be accompanied by strong financial literacy; nevertheless, for those with high incomes, achieving financial stability would have been challenging without proper financial management. Utilizing a descriptive- correlational research designs, this study aimed to assess the financial management practices and coping strategies among Senior High School Teachers among CAMANAVA and developed a Financial Literacy Framework. Specifically, it sought to determine the profile of the Senior High School Teachers’ financial management practices and coping strategies during the course of financial issue. Further, the study also aimed to develop a financial literacy framework as an output for this study. The study comprised 150 Senior High School Teachers as the respondents in in this research undertaking at CAMANAVA. Findings of the study revealed that with respect to respondents’ background characteristics, majority were between 21-45 years old, female, married and have less than five years of service with ongoing master’s degree. In terms of saving, budgeting, and spending are high, however in terms of investing and debt management, they are low with regards to the assessment of financial management practices. Taking from savings, reducing unnecessary expenses and budgeting are the most common practices by the respondents when faced with financial distress except debt management and investing. It is recommended that teachers should prepare their individual personal financial vision to guide them on the spending and debt management; that stress intervention be implemented, since teachers have overwhelming stress in their financial well-being; they should start putting up business of their own for another source of income. A single employment cannot be sustained for urgent demands; teachers ......

Insights from 25years of oncogenetics: one person's perspective.

In early 1995, I established the oncogenetics service at the Genetics Institute of the Sheba Medical Center in Israel. The purpose of this article is to describe the key points and issues that were raised throughout my personal journey since then: physician and public awareness; ethical and legal issues; guidelines for oncogenetic counseling; the development of oncogenetic testing within the unique Israeli reality of the limited spectrum of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations; high-risk vs. population screening; and the definition and implementation of guidelines for surveillance of asymptomatic mutation carriers. Since 1995, oncogenetics has been transformed from a rare oddity to a pivotal player, and it represents a successful example of implementing personalized preventive medicine by identifying and providing care and by offering means for early detection and risk reduction for adults who are genetically predisposed to develop a potentially life-threatening disease-cancer in this case. Lastly, I outline my personal vision for the possible way forward for oncogenetics.

Preface

The tenth international symposium on “Large TPCs for low-energy rare event detection” was held in Paris from 15th to 17th of December 2021 at the Institute of Astroparticle physics of the University of Paris. The 2020 issue of this conference series was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. The symposium was organized in a hybrid mode, which allowed about 40 people to attend in-person among a total of 131 registered participants. Very strict sanitary measures were taken to keep the meeting safe.As in previous events the program included neutrino physics, dark matter and axion searches, related detector R&D and theoretical aspects.To celebrate the tenth edition of the symposium the conference was held on three full days. Special speakers were invited to give a historical overview related to our field. David Nygren shared his memories of the invention and development of the Time Projection Chamber. François Vannucci revealed to us the invisible world of neutrinos. Ioannis Giomataris pointed out various innovative ideas that emerged during presentations and discussions in the last two decades. Jean Iliopoulos retraced the concept and development of the Standard Model and shared his personal vision on the future of particle physics.We wish to thank the many people who contributed to the success of the conference and especially the conveners of the sessions, who allowed for a smooth running of the meeting. We particularly acknowledge the APC management for providing the nice Buffon auditorium and infrastructure. We also thank DSM-Irfu, the University of Zaragoza, the European Research Council and ACAV Ile de France for their valuable support.The organizersList of Organizing Committee is available in this Pdf.

Artistic and Technical Means of Realizing the Director’s Idea in the Modern Film Industry

The purpose of the research is to analyze the trends and technologies in contemporary cinema that have emerged in the process of technical and digital progress and study the implementation specifics of artistic and technical means of realizing a director’s idea in the modern film industry, and prove the inextricable link between the technique (technical means) and the director’s artistic creativity. The research methodology consists of the following methods: theoretical – to analyze and systematize the literature on the research problem; terminological – to clarify basic concepts (creative idea, sound, colour, format, editing, 3D technologies); analysis and synthesis of theoretical and practical material on the topic of “director’s idea”, which made it possible to consider the object of research both in general and its projections. The scientific novelty lies in the innovative approach to studying the subject matter, which is in the interdisciplinary field – between the use of modern technologies and the art of directing. The emphasis is placed on synthesizing heterogeneous tools for creating a quality film industry product – from the director’s creative idea and script writing to the use of modern 3D technologies in the film industry. The issue of maintaining a balance between a computerized film industry product and a traditional one was further developed; maintaining this balance depends, on the one hand, on the needs of the target public and, on the other hand, on the embodiment of the director’s personal vision. Conclusions. The article has analyzed the artistic and technical means of realizing a director's idea in contemporary cinema. Through the analysis of professional literature and information sources, it has been proved that the semiotic combination of image and sound, format, colour, editing and timing of the frame should be combined with the director's worldview. The factors that influence the professional use of innovative technologies and simultaneously highlight the plot and idea of the director are identified.

State of the Arts of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

With the rapid development and progress of science and technology, people are doing more and more serious damage to the earth. Hydrogen energy, a pollution-free energy, has naturally become the main research object. Hydrogen energy is a kind of secondary energy, which needs to be produced by some specific methods. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles becomes one of the key new energy automations in both academia and industry, considering the eco-friendly capability. In this paper, the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is comprehensively introduced, and the related characteristics of hydrogen energy, hydrogen fuel cells work are discussed. Meanwhile, the use of hydrogen fuel cell car and challenges, analysis of the cases of several existing hydrogen fuel-cell cars and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in China in the future are given in this paper. Finally, a personal vision of the future of hydrogen fuel electric vehicles is conclusion in the end of this paper.