Vision Science Research Research Articles

Performance testing of a novel short axis photomultiplier tube for the HUNT project

Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) with large-area cathodes are increasingly being used in cosmic-ray experiments to enhance detection efficiency. The optical modules (OMs) of the High-Energy Underwater Neutrino Telescope (HUNT) have employed a brand new N6205 20-inch microchannel plate photomultiplier tube (MCP-PMT) developed by the North Night Vision Science & Technology (Nanjing) Research Institute Co. Ltd. (NNVT). In order to make the 20-inch PMT fit into the 23-inch diameter pressure-resistant glass sphere, NNVT improved the internal structure of PMT and shortened the height of PMT by more than 10 cm. The first batch of these PMTs has been delivered for preliminary research work. This paper describes a specific PMT testing platform built for the first batch of 15 MCP-PMTs, and some performance parameters of PMT, such as peak-to-valley ratio, TTS and nonliniearity, are measured. The measurement results show that the new PMT still has good performance and can meet the requirements of HUNT project.

Proton and muon beam tests for ultra-fast MCP-PMT detectors

In collaboration with the North Night Vision Science and Technology (Nanjing) Research Institute Co. Ltd, researchers at the Institute of High Energy of Physics in China have successfully developed the 20-inch micro-channel-plate photomultiplier tube (MCP-PMT) that exhibits high detection efficiency (DE) for use in the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO). Due to the long drift path of electrons from photocathode to MCP, the 20-inch MCP-PMT has a time resolution on the order of nanoseconds. Recently, the team has made advancements in ultra-fast MCP-PMTs (FPMTs), achieving picosecond-level time resolution with both 1-inch and 2-inch types. By now, prototypes featuring single-anode, 2 × 2 anodes, 4 × 4 anodes, and 8 × 8 anodes have been successfully manufactured and tested. The 8 × 8 anode FPMT, in particular, demonstrates a transit time spread (TTS) of 36 ps (Sigma) in single photon mode, thanks to its meticulously engineered structure. To assess the FPMT’s time performance under beam conditions, two beam tests were conducted at Fermi Lab and CERN. In these tests, the 8 × 8 pixel arrays of four distinct radiators, including LYSO, BGO, Pb glass and quartz glass, were paired with the 8 × 8 anodes FPMT. This setup involved the use of two radiator-coupled FPMT detectors for particle detection. The best coincidence time resolution recorded was 64 ps (Sigma) with a 120 GeV proton beam and 56 ps (Sigma) with a 108 GeV muon beam.

VisionaryVR: An Optical Simulation Tool for Evaluating and Optimizing Vision Correction Solutions in Virtual Reality.

In the rapidly advancing field of vision science, traditional research approaches struggle to accurately simulate and evaluate vision correction methods, leading to time-consuming evaluations with limited scope and flexibility. To overcome these challenges, we introduce 'VisionaryVR', a virtual reality (VR) simulation framework designed to enhance optical simulation fidelity and broaden experimental capabilities. VisionaryVR leverages a versatile VR environment to support dynamic vision tasks and integrates comprehensive eye-tracking functionality. Its experiment manager's scene-loading feature fosters a scalable and flexible research platform. Preliminary validation through an empirical study has demonstrated VisionaryVR's effectiveness in replicating a wide range of visual impairments and providing a robust platform for evaluating vision correction solutions. Key findings indicate a significant improvement in evaluating vision correction methods and user experience, underscoring VisionaryVR's potential to transform vision science research by bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and their practical applications. This validation underscores VisionaryVR's contribution to overcoming traditional methodological limitations and establishing a foundational framework for research innovation in vision science.

Ensemble perception of emotion: Incidental effects of social identity.

Research in vision science suggests that people possess a perceptual mechanism-ensemble perception-which enables them to rapidly identify the characteristics of groups (e.g., emotion, sex-ratio, race-ratio). This work examined whether ensemble perceptions of groups are driven by the characteristics of group members whose behavior is most likely to impact the perceiver. Specifically, we predicted that more self-relevant group members would be weighted more heavily in ensemble perceptions than less self-relevant group members. Study 1 (n = 83) found that young adult participants' ensemble perceptions of emotion were biased in favor of more self-relevant (younger adult) group members' emotional expressions, compared to less self-relevant (older adult) group members' emotional expressions, and that these ensemble perceptions informed judgments of belonging in the group. Study 2 recruited older (n = 94) and younger (n = 97) adult participants and again found a general pattern of bias in favor of more self-relevant (younger adult) group members' emotional expressions in ensemble perceptions of emotion and that these ensemble perceptions informed evaluations of belonging in the group. Finally, Study 3 (n = 193) directly manipulated the self-relevance of older and younger adult group members and found that the extent of bias in ensemble perceptions of emotion depended on whether younger or older adults were made more self-relevant. Results suggest that incidental cues of social identity can bias ensemble perceptions of emotion and influence downstream judgments of belonging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Quantitative Optical Coherence Elastography of the Optic Nerve Head In Vivo.

Optical coherence elastography (OCE) was used to demonstrate the relationship between the elasticity of the optic nerve head (ONH) and different intraocular pressure (IOP) levels in an in-vivo rabbit model for the first time. Both ex-vivo and in-vivo rabbit ONH were imaged using OCE system. A mechanical shaker initiated the propagation of elastic waves, and the elasticity of the ONH was determined by tracking the wave propagation speed. The elasticity of the ONH under varying IOP levels was reconstructed based on the wave speed. Notably, the ONH exhibited increased stiffness with elevated IOP. In the in-vivo rabbit models, the Young's modulus of ONH increased from 14 kPa to 81 kPa with the IOP increased from 15 mmHg to 35 mmHg. This revealed a positive correlation between the Young's modulus of the ONH and intraocular pressure. The OCE system proved effective in measuring the mechanical properties of ONH at different IOP levels, with validation in an in-vivo rabbit model. Considering ONH plays a critical role in vision and eye diseases, the capability to image and quantify in vivo ONH biomechanical properties has great potential to advance vision science research and improve the clinical management of glaucoma patients.

Research Partnerships and Guidance in Academic Global Ophthalmology.

Research Partnerships and Guidance in Academic Global Ophthalmology.

Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography (AO-SLO-OCT) system for in vivo mouse retina imaging.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) are imaging technologies invented in the 1980s that have revolutionized the field of in vivo retinal diagnostics and are now commonly used in ophthalmology clinics as well as in vision science research. Adaptive optics (AO) technology enables high-fidelity correction of ocular aberrations, resulting in improved resolution and sensitivity for both SLO and OCT systems. The potential of gathering multi-modal cellular-resolution information in a single instrument is of great interest to the ophthalmic imaging community. Although similar instruments have been developed for imaging the human retina, developing such a system for mice will benefit basic science research and should help with further dissemination of AO technology. Here, we present our work integrating OCT into an existing mouse retinal AO-SLO system, resulting in a multi-modal AO-enhanced imaging system of the living mouse eye. The new system allows either independent or simultaneous data acquisition of AO-SLO and AO-OCT, depending on the requirements of specific scientific experiments. The system allows a data acquisition speed of 200 kHz A-scans/pixel rate for OCT and SLO, respectively. It offers ∼6 µm axial resolution for AO-OCT and a ∼1 µm lateral resolution for AO-SLO-OCT imaging.

Eigenface and SIFT For Gender Classification

In this paper, we study and analyze five different approaches for gender classification (Male or Female). The purpose of approaches is to extract the main features from face image and for each approach; we used these features as input to the Support Vector Machine SVM classifier for classification process. In the first approach, we implemented the Principal Component Analysis PCA features as input to the SVM classifier. In the second approach, the resulted parameters of Scale Invariant Features Transform approach are used as input to SVM classifier. In the third approach, we implemented Eigenfaces as input to SIFT, and then the results of SIFT are used as input to SVM classifier also. In the fourth approach, we implemented Eigenfaces to be input to Volume-SIFT (VSIFT) and then used as input to SVM classifier. The last, we modified the VSIFT approach and use as input to SVM classifier. The practical implementation results show that the proposed approach (modified VSIFT) gave us high performance of gender classification than other approaches.The training and testing images set consist of number of faces which are obtained from (Computer Vision Science Research Projects).The aim of this paper is to analyze and discuss the results of applying the eigenfaces into the new proposed approach of modifying Volume-SIFT for classifying the faces into its gender.

Ultrahigh-speed multimodal adaptive optics system for microscopic structural and functional imaging of the human retina.

We describe the design and performance of a multimodal and multifunctional adaptive optics (AO) system that combines scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for simultaneous retinal imaging at 13.4 Hz. The high-speed AO-OCT channel uses a 3.4 MHz Fourier-domain mode-locked (FDML) swept source. The system achieves exquisite resolution and sensitivity for pan-macular and transretinal visualization of retinal cells and structures while providing a functional assessment of the cone photoreceptors. The ultra-high speed also enables wide-field scans for clinical usability and angiography for vascular visualization. The FDA FDML-AO system is a powerful platform for studying various retinal and neurological diseases for vision science research, retina physiology investigation, and biomarker development.

R&D of ultra-fast 8 × 8 anodes MCP-PMT

Cooperating with the North Night Vision Science & Technology (Nanjing) Research Institute Co. Ltd, Institute of High Energy of Physics in China is developing a 2-inch square shape 8 × 8 anodes micro-channel-plate photomultiplier tube (MCP-PMT) with a time resolution of picosecond level. It has a 40 × 40 mm2 bi-alkali photocathode with a peak quantum efficiency (QE) of about 22% around a wavelength of 410 nm. With the chevron MCP stack, the MCP-PMT can reach a gain of over 106 under a working voltage of 1500 V. The typical output waveform has an amplitude of 64 mV and a rise time of 334 ps. Due to the well-designed structure of the MCP-PMT, the transit time spread (TTS) for the middle anode can reach 36 ps when working at single photon mode. To evaluate the performance uniformity of the 8× 8 anodes MCP-PMT, ten anodes which constitutes the smallest repetition unit of the anode array are chosen and tested. The average transit time spread (TTS) for the 64 anodes is 44.1 ± 2.0 ps.

Scholarly Impact of Academic Ophthalmologists and Vision Scientists in Canada.

ObjectiveTo outline the current impact of Canadian ophthalmology and vision science research as measured by novel research metrics.DesignCross-sectional survey.ParticipantsAll Canadian ophthalmologists (n = 687) and vision scientists (n = 119) with an online bibliometric profile and academic appointment at a major ophthalmology training centre were included.MethodsFaculty lists of Canada’s 15 major academic ophthalmology departments were obtained. Faculty names, appointments, sex, and educational background were recorded. Elsevier’s Scopus database was used to calculate H-index, m-quotient, and total citations for each faculty member. Details around grant funding were obtained through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Funding Decisions Database.ResultsAverage H-indices were 7.42 ± 7.98 for ophthalmologists and 23.78 ± 15.25 for vision scientists. Higher academic appointment was correlated with higher h-indices and m-quotients (p <0.0001 for both). Most academic departments had significantly more males than females (avg. 71% male, 29% female); however, more equal ratios were seen in faculties in Quebec. No significant differences in research impact were identified between male and female ophthalmologists when controlled for academic appointment and career stage (p > 0.05). In clinical ophthalmology research, the top three departments with the highest average H-indices were Western University, the University of Toronto, and Dalhousie University. The University of British Columbia, Université de Montréal, and McGill University received the most funding from the CIHR in the last 10 years.ConclusionThis study highlights the current scope of ophthalmology and vision science research in Canada. Important trends were identified in research productivity across academic rank, sex, and clinical subspecialty.

Information-based Analysis of the Coupling between Dynamic Visual Stimuli, Eye Movements, and Brain Signals

Our eyes are always in search of exploring our surrounding environment. The brain controls our eyes’ activities through the nervous system. Hence, analyzing the correlation between the activities of the eyes and brain is an important area of research in vision science. This paper evaluates the coupling between the reactions of the eyes and the brain in response to different moving visual stimuli. Since both eye movements and EEG signals (as the indicator of brain activity) contain information, we employed Shannon entropy to decode the coupling between them. Ten subjects looked at four moving objects (dynamic visual stimuli) with different information contents while we recorded their EEG signals and eye movements. The results demonstrated that the changes in the information contents of eye movements and EEG signals are strongly correlated ([Formula: see text]), which indicates a strong correlation between brain and eye activities. This analysis could be extended to evaluate the correlation between the activities of other organs versus the brain.

A Design Space of Vision Science Methods for Visualization Research.

A growing number of efforts aim to understand what people see when using a visualization. These efforts provide scientific grounding to complement design intuitions, leading to more effective visualization practice. However, published visualization research currently reflects a limited set of available methods for understanding how people process visualized data. Alternative methods from vision science offer a rich suite of tools for understanding visualizations, but no curated collection of these methods exists in either perception or visualization research. We introduce a design space of experimental methods for empirically investigating the perceptual processes involved with viewing data visualizations to ultimately inform visualization design guidelines. This paper provides a shared lexicon for facilitating experimental visualization research. We discuss popular experimental paradigms, adjustment types, response types, and dependent measures used in vision science research, rooting each in visualization examples. We then discuss the advantages and limitations of each technique. Researchers can use this design space to create innovative studies and progress scientific understanding of design choices and evaluations in visualization. We highlight a history of collaborative success between visualization and vision science research and advocate for a deeper relationship between the two fields that can elaborate on and extend the methodological design space for understanding visualization and vision.

Toward a Theory of Visual Information Acquisition in Driving.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to describe information acquisition theory, explaining how drivers acquire and represent the information they need.BackgroundWhile questions of what drivers are aware of underlie many questions in driver behavior, existing theories do not directly address how drivers in particular and observers in general acquire visual information. Understanding the mechanisms of information acquisition is necessary to build predictive models of drivers’ representation of the world and can be applied beyond driving to a wide variety of visual tasks.MethodWe describe our theory of information acquisition, looking to questions in driver behavior and results from vision science research that speak to its constituent elements. We focus on the intersection of peripheral vision, visual attention, and eye movement planning and identify how an understanding of these visual mechanisms and processes in the context of information acquisition can inform more complete models of driver knowledge and state.ResultsWe set forth our theory of information acquisition, describing the gap in understanding that it fills and how existing questions in this space can be better understood using it.ConclusionInformation acquisition theory provides a new and powerful way to study, model, and predict what drivers know about the world, reflecting our current understanding of visual mechanisms and enabling new theories, models, and applications.ApplicationUsing information acquisition theory to understand how drivers acquire, lose, and update their representation of the environment will aid development of driver assistance systems, semiautonomous vehicles, and road safety overall.

PIA19+MRSS19 – PHOTOGRAMMETRIC IMAGE ANALYSIS 2019 &amp; MUNICH REMOTE SENSING SYMPOSIUM 2019: PREFACE

Abstract. Automated extraction of objects from remotely sensed data is an important topic of research in Computer Vision, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, and Geoinformation Science. In order to discuss recent developments and future trends in research in automatic object extraction and their influence on sensors and processing techniques, the well-known ISPRS workshop "Photogrammetric Image Analysis" (PIA) and the "Munich Remote Sensing Symposium" (MRSS) are held as a common event for the first time.While in the past PIA specialised on the automatic exploitation of the image content, MRSS focuses on the geometric processing of aerial and in particular of space imagery. Realising that both areas - geometry and semantics - can significantly support each other when considered together in exploitation of images and point clouds, the two events, organised under a common roof, are held at Technische Universität München (TUM) in September 2019. At the same time, they keep their identity, as the meeting is organised as two parallel workshops with common plenary sessions and common proceedings.The aim of the common event is to seek, exploit and deepen the synergies between geometry and semantics, and to give the two scientific communities the possibility to discuss with and to learn from each other. Oral sessions with time slots of 25 min give space of 5 min for discussion of each presentation. Particular attention is also given to the poster sessions, which are supported by short oral presentations of the presenter before. The joint event addresses experts from research, government, and private industry. It consists of high quality papers, and provides an international forum for discussion of leading research and technological developments as well as applications in the field. It is worth mentioning that the ISPRS Foundation, Inc. (TIF) supports the event by providing six travel grants to qualified individuals especially from developing countries and regions.Prospective authors were invited to submit either full papers or abstracts. In total, we received 114 contributions from 28 countries.Full papers (max. eight pages) underwent a rigorous double blind peer review process. We received 48 full papers for review. Most papers were reviewed by three members of the program committee, 16 papers were reviewed by four members of the program committee. In total we received 157 full paper reviews from 35 reviewers. The maximum number of full papers per reviewer was eight. Altogether 31 papers were accepted based on the reviews for publication in the “ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences” which correspond to an acceptance rate of 65%. The fact that the full papers were peer reviewed is mentioned on each paper.Papers not passing the full paper peer review process were considered in the following abstract review process. In total 83 contributions were reviewed for publication in “The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences”. Finally 42 final papers (51%) were considered for publication.

PIA19+MRSS19 – PHOTOGRAMMETRIC IMAGE ANALYSIS 2019 &amp; MUNICH REMOTE SENSING SYMPOSIUM 2019: PREFACE

Abstract. Automated extraction of objects from remotely sensed data is an important topic of research in Computer Vision, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, and Geoinformation Science. In order to discuss recent developments and future trends in research in automatic object extraction and their influence on sensors and processing techniques, the well-known ISPRS workshop "Photogrammetric Image Analysis" (PIA) and the "Munich Remote Sensing Symposium" (MRSS) are held as a common event for the first time.While in the past PIA specialised on the automatic exploitation of the image content, MRSS focuses on the geometric processing of aerial and in particular of space imagery. Realising that both areas - geometry and semantics - can significantly support each other when considered together in exploitation of images and point clouds, the two events, organised under a common roof, are held at Technische Universität München (TUM) in September 2019. At the same time, they keep their identity, as the meeting is organised as two parallel workshops with common plenary sessions and common proceedings.The aim of the common event is to seek, exploit and deepen the synergies between geometry and semantics, and to give the two scientific communities the possibility to discuss with and to learn from each other. Oral sessions with time slots of 25 min give space of 5 min for discussion of each presentation. Particular attention is also given to the poster sessions, which are supported by short oral presentations of the presenter before. The joint event addresses experts from research, government, and private industry. It consists of high quality papers, and provides an international forum for discussion of leading research and technological developments as well as applications in the field. It is worth mentioning that the ISPRS Foundation, Inc. (TIF) supports the event by providing six travel grants to qualified individuals especially from developing countries and regions.Prospective authors were invited to submit either full papers or abstracts. In total, we received 114 contributions from 28 countries.Full papers (max. eight pages) underwent a rigorous double blind peer review process. We received 48 full papers for review. Most papers were reviewed by three members of the program committee, 16 papers were reviewed by four members of the program committee. In total we received 157 full paper reviews from 35 reviewers. The maximum number of full papers per reviewer was eight. Altogether 31 papers were accepted based on the reviews for publication in the “ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences” which correspond to an acceptance rate of 65%. The fact that the full papers were peer reviewed is mentioned on each paper.Papers not passing the full paper peer review process were considered in the following abstract review process. In total 83 contributions were reviewed for publication in “The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences”. Finally 42 final papers (51%) were considered for publication.

Bradley\u2019s Regress and Visual Content

According to the well-known Bradley’s Regress argument, one cannot explain the unity of states of affairs by referring to relations combining objects with properties. This argument has been widely discussed within analytic metaphysics, but has not been recognized as relevant for the philosophy of perception. I argue that the mainstream characterization of visual content is threatened by the Bradley’s Regress, and the most influential metaphysical solutions to the regress argument cannot be applied in the context of visual content. However, I show that a proper solution to Bradley’s Regress can be formulated by taking into consideration features of visual content suggested by empirical research in vision science.

Comparative morphological evaluation of animal corneal parameters

The purpose of this study was to broaden the basic knowledge of corneal morphological structures in pigs, cows and rabbits and to find morphological and histological differences in the constituent corneal structures. After slaughter, corneal samples of 24 animals, including cows, pigs and rabbits, were investigated. Forty-eight eyeballs (n=48) of 8 pigs, 8 cows and 8 rabbits were used for this study. Central corneal thickness (CCT) values in cows were higher than those in pigs (P &amp;lt; 0.001) and rabbits. In rabbits, CCT, as a percentage of the eye axis length, was 55.03% greater than in cows and 40.55% greater than in pigs (P&amp;lt;0.001). The thickness of substantia propria (stroma) depended on the species and accounted for more than 80% of the thickness of all layers of the cornea. The thickness of the anterior epithelium amounted to 15.81% of the thickness of all layers of the cornea in cows, 11.79% in pigs, and 8.48% in rabbits (P&amp;lt;0.001). The data analysis showed that the caudal limiting membrane + endothelium was the thinnest layer of the cornea, with thickness ranging from 0.88% to 2.40% of the total thickness of all layers of the cornea in the three species under study (P&amp;lt;0.001). A statistically significant negative correlation was determined between the anterior epithelium and substantia propria in corneas of cows, pigs and rabbits (P&amp;lt;0.001). This paper describes the morphometric parameters of the cornea in pigs, cows and rabbits. These parameters will be of use to scientists using animal models in vision science research. .

Lighting Matters in Industrial Environments: A Framework Linking Workplace Safety to Lighting Quality Metrics

Lighting affects human performance and, therefore, safety in industrial environments. Recent developments in light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technology offer an opportunity for a scientific evaluation of the quality of light in industrial spaces. For this article, the possibility of reducing the risk of key causes of occupational hazards through the effective application of lighting was evaluated. Vision science research was reviewed to identify mechanisms that could improve object detection, supra threshold visual performance, and response time. Metrics to quantify these mechanisms-i.e., small target visibility (STV), relative visual performance (RVP), mesopic luminance, and luminaire system application efficacy (LSAE)-were reviewed and applied in the context of industrial lighting installations. The results indicated the potential to harness new lighting technology to enhance visual task performance and thereby improve safety and productivity. Lighting is also related to the fatigue of industrial workers. It could influence fatigue by degrading the sleep quality of night-shift workers, causing visual discomfort and creating a negative perception of the environment. A review of research, simulations, and calculations led the authors to develop a framework that links occupational injury incidents to lighting quality metrics for industrial environments. This framework needs to be validated using field studies that are designed based on this research. In this period of technological transition, facility managers can use this study to benchmark lighting technologies and installations for safety. This article presents value propositions that a versatile and controllable source such as LEDs could offer to industries.

The Role of Suppression in Amblyopia: A Literature Review

Amblyopia is a developmental vision disorder typically treated by occlusion therapy. Recent research suggests suppression is closely linked to deficits in visual acuity and stereopsis, and considerations regarding treatment should include reducing interocular suppression. The aim of this literature review is to provide an analysis of vision science research published within the past 5 years which investigates the role of suppression in amblyopia and discuss the implications to clinical practice. Recent research suggests binocular cells are present in the visual cortex of amblyopes, but are rendered functionally monocular by the development of a GABA inhibitory network. Suppression, or inhibition, can be quantified in both strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia by reducing contrast to the fixating eye until simultaneous perception occurs. In both strabismic and anisometropic amblyopes, higher levels of suppression are associated with lower visual acuities and absent stereopsis. In addition, the evaluation and treatment of suppression is important for the effective treatment of amblyopia, particularly in patients with deep suppression, as they may not respond as well to occlusion therapy. Variable contrast anti-suppression training improves visual acuity, reduces suppression, and improves stereopsis in both children and adults. No age trends were found, which suggests that significant neuroplasticity exists in the adult brain, and suppression may not need to be treated differently in children and adults. Incorporating variable contrast into anti-suppression therapy techniques may enhance treatment progress and promote the development of stereopsis. Existing optometric vision therapy techniques already used to treat suppression are described. Additionally, some of the computer-based tools possess variable contrast stimuli presentation capabilities. Further research is needed to evaluate the optimal length of treatment and long term stability of gains in visual acuity and stereopsis using this treatment strategy.