Vision Science Research Articles

Frontiers of myopia research in the 21st century: A bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most influential articles in the field.

Myopia is the most common refractive error worldwide, contributing not only to visual impairment but also serving as a potential risk factor for various severe ocular diseases. Its impact on patients' quality of life and health is significant and imposes substantial socioeconomic burdens. In this study, we analyzed the top 100 most cited articles related to myopia published in the Web of Science Core Collection database from January 2000 to February 2024. Using data visualization tools CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Scimago Graphica, we identified the most influential research papers and academic journals in the field of myopia. The top 100 most influential articles were published in 25 renowned journals across 30 countries, with Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science being the most prolific. Ophthalmology had the highest total citation frequency, while The Lancet had the highest average citation frequency. The United States and the National University of Singapore were the top countries and institutions with the most published papers. The 3 major research directions are Ophthalmology, Medicine, General & Internal, and Genetics & Heredity. The top 5 co-occurring keywords were refractive error, risk factors, prevalence, eye growth, and form-deprivation myopia. Cluster analysis results highlighted focal points such as retinal detachment, high myopia, and contrast sensitivity, indicating potential future research trends. Prospective research directions include investigating the pathogenesis of myopia, updating diagnostic technologies, and identifying risk genes for myopia and its complications.

Artistic Expertise and Free Viewing of Modern Art

Abstract Visual art and vision science had long been intertwined, both revealing and sharing countless insights on human vision over their respective histories. Deep artistic experiences and extensive artistic knowledge are often associated with “artistic expertise,” which in vision science traditionally echoes visual expertise from other professional domains (e.g., medicine, sports, driving). However, unlike other visual domains, artistic experiences involve more spontaneous and imaginative aspects, and no explicit success parameters. We hypothesized that viewing of artworks would lead to nuanced effects of expertise that may differ from other types of visual expertise. In our study, art experts and non-experts observed modern paintings and were free to view them within a relatively long time window. Higher expertise in art was associated with viewing modern paintings for significantly longer durations, and liking the paintings significantly more. However, contrary to other visual expertise studies, eye movement patterns exhibited little to no effect of artistic expertise. Based on these findings, we suggest a recontextualization of visual artistic expertise and discuss potential research directions, alongside methodological challenges in the experimental design.

Action at a Distance: Did physicist Thomas Young’s 1807 Lectures inspire some of the earliest examples of abstract art?

Abstract Swedish artist Hilma af Klint is known to have been influenced by scientific developments at the turn of the 20th century. However, many of her paintings from 1914 to 1916 exhibit similarities to diagrams published much earlier in the English polymath Thomas Young’s 1807 Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts. Key elements and themes in af Klint’s The Dove, The Swan, Parsifal, and Altarpieces series suggest Young’s Lectures may have been a major source for her work. The author explores this idea and other parallels between the lives and legacies of the visionary scientist and abstract art pioneer.

Feature-specific divisive normalization improves natural image encoding for depth perception.

Vision science and visual neuroscience seek to understand how stimulus and sensor properties limit the precision with which behaviorally-relevant latent variables are encoded and decoded. In the primate visual system, binocular disparity-the canonical cue for stereo-depth perception-is initially encoded by a set of binocular receptive fields with a range of spatial frequency preferences. Here, with a stereo-image database having ground-truth disparity information at each pixel, we examine how response normalization and receptive field properties determine the fidelity with which binocular disparity is encoded in natural scenes. We quantify encoding fidelity by computing the Fisher information carried by the normalized receptive field responses. Several findings emerge from an analysis of the response statistics. First, broadband (or feature-unspecific) normalization yields Laplace-distributed receptive field responses, and narrowband (or feature-specific) normalization yields Gaussian-distributed receptive field responses. Second, the Fisher information in narrowband-normalized responses is larger than in broadband-normalized responses by a scale factor that grows with population size. Third, the most useful spatial frequency decreases with stimulus size and the range of spatial frequencies that is useful for encoding a given disparity decreases with disparity magnitude, consistent with neurophysiological findings. Fourth, the predicted patterns of psychophysical performance, and absolute detection threshold, match human performance with natural and artificial stimuli. The current computational efforts establish a new functional role for response normalization, and bring us closer to understanding the principles that should govern the design of neural systems that support perception in natural scenes.

A Tale of Many Marine Stations: 150 Years of Marine Ecology in the Eastern English Channel

AbstractLong before marine laboratories were commonplace, a few visionary scientists created the first of a growing number of biological field stations in the second half of the 19th century. This article tells the 150‐year tale of the rise and fall of six marine stations that belonged to three different universities and were sometimes operated simultaneously along a stretch of merely ten kilometers of the French coastline of the eastern English Channel. Specifically, I focus on the intellectual lineages, sense of brotherhood, rivalries, and even the indifference between individuals and institutions that shaped the local scientific landscape and paved the way for what became modern marine biology and ecology, and oceanography.

Exploiting large-scale neuroimaging datasets to reveal novel insights in vision science

Exploiting large-scale neuroimaging datasets to reveal novel insights in vision science

Decoding Research with a Glance: The Power of Graphical Abstracts and Infographics

Background and Aims: Historically integral to science, visual elements like Darwin’s evolutionary trees have evolved with technological advancements, leading to more sophisticated and accessible visual representations. Graphical abstracts (GA) and infographics (IG) have become pivotal in enhancing the dissemination and understanding of scientific research by transforming complex data into visually engaging summaries. This review explores the evolution, impact, and design principles of these tools in scientific communication, highlighting their significance in the digital era. Methods: We did a comprehensive review of the English literature, in April 2024, from the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar to curate the appropriate articles related to the GA and IG related to research-publications. We have also made some representative examples of each of these two tools, using published articles in the Apollo Medicine journal. Results: The GA and IG, are the tools that not only aid in bridging the gap between scientific communities and the public but also enhance comprehension, engagement, and retention of information across diverse audiences. By utilising strategic layouts, colours, and interactive elements, they make complex information more digestible and appealing. Conclusion: This review addresses the challenges of maintaining accuracy and avoiding oversimplification in visual science communication. The future directions suggest a move towards more interactive and immersive visual experiences, emphasising the need for empirical research to optimise design and impact. GA and IG are transforming scientific communication by making research findings more accessible and engaging, fostering a better-informed public.

Method for the determination of the luminance of two-photon vision stimuli.

Two-photon vision is a new and developing field in vision science. The phenomenon is based on visual perception of pulsed infrared lasers (800-1300 nm) due to the isomerization of visual pigments caused by two-photon absorption, with color perception corresponding to a wavelength about one-half of the stimulating wavelength in the near-infrared spectral range. Future applications of this effect, both in medical diagnostics and in virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR), require the ability to determine the luminance of the two-photon stimuli. However, the luminous efficiency function V(λ) outside of the visible range is unknown, requiring a non-standard approach to quantifying the luminance of two-photon stimuli. This study proposes a brightness adjustment method to determine the subjective luminance of two-photon infrared stimuli using photometric units. The repeatability of the proposed method with the background on was approximately equal to 407 td, more than twice as good as with the background off. In this report, we present the relationship between the luminance of two-photon stimuli and a physical quantity proposed for the first time: two-photon retinal illuminance. This relationship enables the prediction of stimulus luminance that could achieve nearly 670 cd/m2 within the safe range of laser power for the eye.

Bibliometric analysis of ophthalmic OCT and OCT angiography research trends over the past 20 years.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) are widely used in the diagnosis of ophthalmic diseases. This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of ophthalmologic OCT and OCT angiography. We retrieved publications on ophthalmic OCT and OCTA from 2003 to 2022 from the Web of Science Core Collection and used bibliometric tools to analyze and visualize the distribution, trend, and hotspots. In total, 20,817 articles written by 48,160 authors from 106 countries were selected. The number of publications has significantly increased. In the last two decades, the USA was the most productive country and received the highest citations. The most productive journal was Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science and received the highest number of citations. Moorfields Eye Hospital was the most productive institution. Bandello F published the most papers, while Spaide RF was the highest cited author. SPAIDE RF, 2011, AM J Ophthalmology was the most cited document. "OCT", "glaucoma" and "OCTA" were three hotspots in the last two decades. "Vessel density" and "deep learning" would be research hotspots in the future. The bibliometric analysis of ophthalmic OCT and OCTA research over the past two decades on keywords, authors, citations, hotspots and trends will provide global researchers with valuable information for future research and cooperation.

Enhancing social robot's direct gaze expression through vestibulo-ocular movements

Non-verbal communication, especially eye contact, plays a crucial role in human interaction. Integrating eye contact capabilities into robotic behavior presents challenges that require comprehensive interdisciplinary collaboration from the fields of vision science and robotics. This study introduces an innovative methodology to improve the user's perception of the tabletop social robot Haru's direct gaze by explaining how eye and head movements can be managed through simulating visual perception processing. By considering the mechanisms of eye and head movements during visual perception processing, the robot's eye and head gaze behaviors are intended to replicate human gaze movements with Vestibulo-Ocular Movement (VOM) during face-to-face interaction, ultimately enhancing the user's perception of the robot's direct gaze.

An Eye on Extracellular Vesicles: Trends and Clinical Translations in Vision Research

PurposeTo perform a review of research, funding, and clinical translation efforts for extracellular vesicles (EVs) within vision science. DesignRetrospective analysis of publication, funding, and clinical trials data. MethodsA pre-trained large language model (Jina2) was used to create semantic embeddings for 41,282 abstracts from articles related to extracellular vesicles archived on EMBASE and published between January 1966 and January 2024. The articles were projected and clustered according to semantic embedding similarity, and research subdomains for extracellular vesicles were determined through inspection of tf-idf weighted word clouds. Mann-Kendall trend analysis was performed to identify current areas of growth within extracellular vesicle research. Additionally, NIH funding data from RePORTER and clinical trials data from ClinicalTrials.gov were analyzed to correlate publication trends with funding support and clinical translation efforts. ResultsUnsupervised clustering and Mann-Kendall trend analysis identified wound healing/regeneration (p=0.030) and neurodegenerative disease (p=0.049) as significantly accelerating in growth of publication over time. Ophthalmology-restricted subset analysis identified that publications in age-related macular degeneration (p=0.191) and clinical applications (p=0.086) are no longer growing at a significant rate. Analysis of funding data identified that the NCI was the top funding institution overall, but that the NIA is rapidly advancing in terms of funding extracellular vesicle research and trials. Analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov data highlights a dearth of clinical trials within ophthalmology despite a growing number of studies in other medical subfields. ConclusionsExtracellular vesicles (EVs) remain a promising substrate for both the identification and treatment of vision-threatening diseases. A better understanding of the current landscape of research and funding trends should help to inform future funding and translational efforts.

Research progress of optic nerve imaging during 1991-2023: a bibliometric analysis.

Optic nerve imaging is crucial for diagnosing and understanding optic neuropathies because it provides detailed visualization of the nerve's structure and pathologies through advanced modalities. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis within the field of optic nerve imaging, aiming to pinpoint the latest research trends and focal points in optic nerve imaging. The core literature on optic nerve imaging published between January 1991 and August 2023 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The analysis and visualization of scientific productivity and emerging trends were facilitated through the utilization of Bibliometrix software, CiteSpace, Gephi, VOSviewer, R software, and Python. In total, 15,247 publications on optic nerve imaging were included in the analysis. Notably, the top 3 journals contributing to this field were Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Ophthalmology, and the British Journal of Ophthalmology. This research on optic nerve imaging extended across 97 countries, with the USA leading in research endeavors. Noteworthy burst term analysis revealed that "Segmentation" and "Machine learning" are gaining attention. Additionally, the Latent Dirichlet Allocation model indicated that image processing has been a hotspot in recent years. This study revealed the research trends, hotspots, and emerging topics in optic nerve imaging through bibliometric analysis and network visualization. At present, the research focus is directed towards employing artificial intelligence for image post-processing. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into future research direction and clinical applications.

Manipulating and measuring variation in deep neural network (DNN) representations of objects

We explore how DNNs can be used to develop a computational understanding of individual differences in high-level visual cognition given their ability to generate rich meaningful object representations informed by their architecture, experience, and training protocols. As a first step to quantifying individual differences in DNN representations, we systematically explored the robustness of a variety of representational similarity measures: Representational Similarity Analysis (RSA), Centered Kernel Alignment (CKA), and Projection-Weighted Canonical Correlation Analysis (PWCCA), with an eye to how these measures are used in cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, and vision science. To manipulate object representations, we next created a large set of models varying in random initial weights and random training image order, training image frequencies, training category frequencies, and model size and architecture and measured the representational variation caused by each manipulation. We examined both small (All-CNN-C) and commonly-used large (VGG and ResNet) DNN architectures. To provide a comparison for the magnitude of representational differences, we established a baseline based on the representational variation caused by image-augmentation techniques used to train those DNNs. We found that variation in model randomization and model size never exceeded baseline. By contrast, differences in training image frequency and training category frequencies caused representational variation that exceeded baseline, with training category frequency manipulations exceeding baseline earlier in the networks. These findings provide insights into the magnitude of representational variations that can be expected with a range of manipulations and provide a springboard for further exploration of systematic model variations aimed at modeling individual differences in high-level visual cognition.

Application of computer vision techniques to damage detection in underwater concrete structures

Underwater concrete structure crack detection and structural health condition assessment based on image processing is a challenging task. The complex underwater environment and severe image degradation seriously affect the accuracy of crack detection. To solve these problems, a monocular vision and image-enhanced fractal-based fractal science based on computer vision and image processing techniques are proposed to carry out a non-contact detection study of underwater concrete cracks. In this study, a four-level structural health condition was established to assist in underwater crack measurement and safety assessment. The box-counting method was used as a practical tool to calculate the fractal dimension. To verify the effective distance of the algorithm, three distances of 0.5 m,0.8 m, and 1.2 m were set. The results show that the method proposed in this study can effectively detect cracks in submerged concrete members within 0.6 m and help managers correctly determine the health of the structure using the fractal dimension.

Primate eye tracking with carbon-nanotube-paper-composite based capacitive sensors and machine learning algorithms

BackgroundAccurate real-time eye tracking is crucial in oculomotor system research. While the scleral search coil system is the gold standard, its implantation procedure and bulkiness pose challenges. Camera-based systems are affected by ambient lighting and require high computational and electric power. New MethodThis study presents a novel eye tracker using proximity capacitive sensors made of carbon-nanotube-paper-composite (CPC). These sensors detect femtofarad-level capacitance changes caused by primate corneal movement during horizontal and vertical eye rotations. Data processing and machine learning algorithms are evaluated to enhance the accuracy of gaze angle prediction. ResultsThe system performance is benchmarked against the scleral coil during smooth pursuits, saccades tracking, and fixations. The eye tracker demonstrates up to 0.97 correlation with the coil in eye tracking and is capable of estimating gaze angle with a median absolute error as low as 0.30°. ComparisonThe capacitive eye tracker demonstrates good consistency and accuracy in comparison to the gold-standard scleral search coil method. ConclusionsThis lightweight, non-invasive capacitive eye tracker offers potential as an alternative to traditional coil and camera-based systems in oculomotor research and vision science.

Breaking the borders: Gender dynamics in STEM portrayals in Turkish Netflix series

This study discusses the intricate relationship between science, technology, engineering and mathematics field representation by the media and the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field in reality, centring on two pivotal inquiries: (i) How is gender within science, technology, engineering and mathematics portrayed in visual culture? (ii) How do gendered representations in visual culture impact science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals? By scrutinizing two Turkish TV series featuring science, technology, engineering and mathematics characters, namely, Sıcak Kafa ( Hot Skull, 2022, by Mert Baykal) and Yakamoz S-245 ( Into the Deep, 2022, by Tolga Karaçelik and Umut Aral), we assert that recent Netflix productions in Turkey showcase science, technology, engineering and mathematics characters in a less marginalized manner compared to mainstream series content. The study explores the intersection of science, technology, engineering and mathematics portrayals with actual gender experiences in the Turkish context. Findings show science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals, particularly women, to be rendered invisible in being confined to gender-based definitions. Despite portraying male and female science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals as equal and non-marginalized, male characters predominate in decision-making and implementation processes within many series. Furthermore, science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals do not identify with their own character representations in media content, as they express through interviews. The study underscores there is room to challenge patriarchal norms, fostering more equitable depictions of science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals, including women, to dismantle gender biases and foster inclusivity within science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

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.

DIVAS for Social Justice: Building Resilience in Youth Through STEAM

DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice is a STEAM-based grassroots organization that has created positive youth-led multimedia projects for the past 17 years in communities of color. The organization uses digital media and emerging technologies in the development of youth voices to tell the stories of their communities. We demonstrate how youth creating multimedia content around issues facing a community can be a vehicle for leadership development and resilience. We explore three programs: Gentrification Through the Eyes of Youth: A multimedia exhibition led by youth, ages 7-14, to address solutions to gentrification in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Laurelton.nyc: The launch of the neighborhood website to share positive stories of Southeast Queens and increase digital literacy. Forward, A Social Justice Makerspace for All: A makerspace focused on participatory action to design a community space that can lead to economic opportunities for the greater community.

Practical Advice on Measuring and Applying Light for Laboratory Mammals.

Light is recognized as an important component of the environment for laboratory animals. It supports vision, sets the phase of circadian clocks, and drives wide-ranging adjustments in physiological and behavioral state. Manipulating light is meanwhile a key experimental approach in the fields of vision science and chronobiology. Nevertheless, until recently, there has been no consensus on methods for quantifying light as experienced by laboratory animals. Widely adopted practices employ metrics such as illuminance (units = lux) that are designed to quantify light as experienced by human observers. These weight energy across the spectrum according to a spectral sensitivity profile for human vision that is not widely replicated for non-human species. Recently, a Consensus View was published that proposes methods of light measurement and standardization that take account of these species-specific differences in wavelength sensitivity. Here, we draw upon the contents of that consensus to provide simplified advice on light measurement in laboratory mammal experimentation and husbandry and quantitative guidance on what constitutes appropriate lighting for both visual and circadian function.

End-to-end simulations of photonic phase correctors for adaptive optics systems

Optical beams and starlight distorted by atmospheric turbulence can be corrected with adaptive optics systems to enable efficient coupling into single-mode fibers. Deformable mirrors, used to flatten the wavefront in astronomical telescopes, are costly, sensitive, and complex mechanical components that require careful calibration to enable high-quality imaging in astronomy, microscopy, and vision science. They are also impractical to deploy in large numbers for non-imaging applications like free-space optical communication. Here, we propose a photonic integrated circuit capable of spatially sampling the wavefront collected by the telescope and co-phasing the subapertures to maximize the flux delivered to an output single-mode fiber as the integrated photonic implementation of a deformable mirror. We present the results of end-to-end simulations to quantify the performance of the proposed photonic solution under varying atmospheric conditions toward realizing an adaptive optics system without a deformable mirror for free-space optical receivers.