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PubMed1994

Characterization of galanin receptor in canine small intestinal circular muscle synaptosomes.

We used 125I-galanin (porcine) as ligand to study the galanin receptors in circular muscle and deep muscular plexus from canine small intestine. Specific binding sites were found in both nerve and muscle membranes. On synaptosomal membranes, the equilibrium binding study showed a high-affinity (dissociation constant, Kd = 1.1 +/- 0.13 nM; maximum binding capacity, Bmax = 244 +/- 2.1 fmol/mg) binding site. The specific binding of 125I-galanin to nerve membrane was inhibited by galanin or NH2-terminal galanin fragments but not by the COOH-terminal fragment. Computer analysis suggested a two-site model (inhibitor constants, Ki1 = 0.02 +/- 0.005 nM and Ki2 = 1.05 +/- 0.3 nM) for competition by galanin-(1-29). Kinetic and competition studies using guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) or pertussis toxin (PTX) suggested that the high-affinity binding site involved a PTX-sensitive G protein which acted to slow dissociation of bound galanin from the receptor. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the galanin receptor complex revealed a radioactive band at 50 kDa. We conclude that, in canine small intestine, galanin may act as an inhibitory neuromodulator by a PTX-sensitive G protein-coupled interaction of galanin and its specific receptor on enteric nerve synaptosomes.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Improved sampling of the pareto-front in multiobjective genetic optimizations by steady-state evolution: a pareto converging genetic algorithm.

Previous work on multiobjective genetic algorithms has been focused on preventing genetic drift and the issue of convergence has been given little attention. In this paper, we present a simple steady-state strategy, Pareto Converging Genetic Algorithm (PCGA), which naturally samples the solution space and ensures population advancement towards the Pareto-front. PCGA eliminates the need for sharing/niching and thus minimizes heuristically chosen parameters and procedures. A systematic approach based on histograms of rank is introduced for assessing convergence to the Pareto-front, which, by definition, is unknown in most real search problems. We argue that there is always a certain inheritance of genetic material belonging to a population, and there is unlikely to be any significant gain beyond some point; a stopping criterion where terminating the computation is suggested. For further encouraging diversity and competition, a nonmigrating island model may optionally be used; this approach is particularly suited to many difficult (real-world) problems, which have a tendency to get stuck at (unknown) local minima. Results on three benchmark problems are presented and compared with those of earlier approaches. PCGA is found to produce diverse sampling of the Pareto-front without niching and with significantly less computational effort.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1997

Making things move--the options for computer-based displays.

Two methods for producing moving stimuli on computer-controlled displays are discussed. The first method, memory manipulation, can take several forms: moving a memory window over a fixed memory image (memory windowing); moving the memory associated with objects and background for such objects (memory movement); and changing all the memory within the image on every frame of the display (memory animation). Memory windowing and movement are suitable for low memory or low processing-capacity computer systems, but are limited in their range of temporal stimulus properties. Memory animation is the most flexible of all display techniques available but requires higher memory or processing capacity or both. The second method, palette-manipulation, is akin to being able to change the contents of a book simply by changing the page numbers in its index. Look-up-table splitting, look-up-table bit-splitting and look-up-table rotation are all suitable for low memory or low processing-capacity computing systems. Look-up-table splitting allows independent control of the motion of one or several objects but severely limits the spatio-temporal properties of those objects. Look-up-table bit-splitting gives much more flexible control of the spatio-temporal properties of the stimulus but is useful only for very brief stimulus presentations. Look-up-table rotation provides good control of stimulus temporal properties but limits the spatial properties of the stimuli. Look-up-table animation provides excellent spatial and temporal control of periodic stimuli but, unless stimuli are presented in spatio-temporal quadrature, requires high memory or processing capacity or both.

Computer Graphics↗
PubMed1997

Application of M-JPEG compression hardware to dynamic stimulus production.

Inexpensive circuit boards have appeared on the market which transform a normal micro-computer's disk drive into a video disk capable of playing extended video sequences in real time. This technology enables the performance of experiments which were previously impossible, or at least prohibitively expensive. The new technology achieves this capability using special-purpose hardware to compress and decompress individual video frames, enabling a video stream to be transferred over relatively low-bandwidth disk interfaces. This paper will describe the use of such devices for visual psychophysics and present the technical issues that must be considered when evaluating individual products.

Computer Storage Devices↗
PubMed1997

A real-time method for generating random-dot motion displays of specified coherence.

A method that allows the creation of moving random-dot patterns with any desired level of motion coherence is presented. In the present context, a random-dot pattern with 100% coherence is a sliding sheet of dots (all dots move at the same speed and in the same direction). A random-dot pattern with 0% coherence is visual dynamic noise (similar to detuned TV snow). Coherences between 100% and 0% have a specific percentage of the dots moving coherently together, while the remaining 'twinkle' in a random fashion. The use of look-up table animation allows the dot patterns to move smoothly and rapidly even on computers that lack computational speed. Additionally, the coherence of the motion in a particular region of the screen is determined by the spatial arrangement of pixel indices in that local region. Therefore, this technique allows different regions of the screen to have different levels of coherence which makes the creation of motion-defined shapes straightforward. The basics of look-up table animation are discussed and a general algorithm for creating motion with any level of coherence is presented.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1997

Calibrating screens for continuous colour displays.

This paper focuses on two issues that are important to those who use colour monitors for research in vision. One is concerned with the measurement and calibration of colour screens. To this end the luminance and chromaticity readings of a tri-filter colorimeter and a spectroradiometer are compared (both commonly used to calibrate screens). The second is concerned with screen interactions, whereby colours can be distorted from their expected or calculated values by the colours displayed in neighbouring areas. This issue is crucial for those who use measurements of the light emitted from the red, green and blue phosphors of a monitor in isolation to specify other colours on screen, particularly in the research areas of colour contrast and colour constancy, since the specified colours may not actually be displayed. Finally, an alternative calibration method is described that uses an iterative measurement procedure to obtain screen specifications that are accurate regardless of the display complexity, so that researchers can be confident that the required colours are actually displayed on the screen.

Calibration↗
PubMed1997

Anti-aliasing and dithering in the 'Freiburg Visual Acuity Test'.

Anti-aliasing is a technique for improving spatial resolution at the cost of luminance resolution. Dithering is a technique for improving luminance resolution at the cost of spatial resolution. These techniques are applied to the testing of visual function in the 'Freiburg Visual Acuity Test': by employing anti-aliasing, spatial resolution was improved. Thus, even the shape of small Landolt-Cs with oblique gaps is adequate, and visual acuities from 5/80 (0.06) up to 5/1.4 (3.6) can be tested at a distance of 5 m. By employing dithering, subthreshold contrast stimuli can be generated on a conventional display having standard 8-bit video resolution. Rapid acquisition of a semi-objective and reliable acuity estimate makes the 'Freiburg Visual Acuity Test' useful for subject screening in vision research, as well as for routine assessments in the ophthalmic practice.

Computer Terminals↗
PubMed1997

Visuelle Welt: a Windows program for demonstrating visual-perception phenomena.

The Windows program Visuelle Welt allows the demonstration of various visual phenomena such as geometrical-optical illusions, subjective contours, apparent movement, and Gestalt principles. One of the program's most interesting features is that the illusion-inducing context can be switched off, and in addition for many phenomena parameters can be varied interactively.

Computer Terminals↗
PubMed1997

Display fidelity: link between psychophysics and contrast discrimination models.

In medical images, the data often represent information with a quantitative meaning, such as the radiation absorption by tissues. Therefore, it is crucial that this quantitative information is accurately transferred into brightness impressions from luminance patterns on the display. Perceptual linearization was proposed by Pizer (1981) as a way to guarantee the display fidelity in as much as equal steps in the grey value evoke equal steps in brightness sensation. In this study, the fidelity of achromatic displays prior to and after perceptual linearization was investigated. First, magnitude estimation of brightness differences between grey square patches embedded in a uniform background was used to make equal-interval brightness series. Then, the brightness contrast discrimination models of Whittle (1986, 1992), and Kingdom and Moulden (1991) for grey patches in a uniform background were extended to the suprathreshold data. A good fit was found. Finally, the look-up tables that provide perceptual linearization for the grey patches were applied to complex images. Brightness matching with a scale of reference grey patches was used to estimate grey levels at specified image locations. The experimental results indicate that the accuracy of this task is not necessarily affected by perceptual linearization.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

A pixel-resolution video switcher for eye-contingent display changes.

Moving-mask and moving-window paradigms are used to study the spatial and temporal aspects of visual information processing. Due to technical limitations, these paradigms have frequently been applied to reading, but only rarely to scene perception. Existing moving-mask or moving-window techniques for graphical stimuli usually blank the display inside or outside a square window, respectively. A new moving-window technique is presented here that uses a purpose-designed video switcher and three synchronized video boards. The first video board contains the stimulus presented inside the window. The second video board contains the stimulus to be presented outside the window. The third video board contains a black-and-white image of the window that is used as a key signal for the video switcher. The video switcher selects between the video signals of the first and the second video board on a pixel-by-pixel basis, controlled by the key signal generated by the third video board. By panning the image of the third video board, the window can be moved very rapidly. Here we use oval windows, centered on the fixation spot as measured by an eye-tracker. The normal stimulus is visible inside the window, whereas manipulated information is presented outside the window, or vice versa.

Attention↗
PubMed1997

Characteristics of the Sony Multiscan 17se Trinitron color graphic display.

Technical measurements of the Sony Multiscan 17se were made and are reported in the belief that they would be useful to visual scientists who consider employing this device as a display unit. Luminance, spatial uniformity, luminance additivity between the output of the guns, CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates, and gamma correction parameters were measured. The characteristics of individual monitors will probably be different from the one studied here but it is believed that the results obtained serve as a fair indication of what might be expected from this device.

Color Perception↗
PubMed1997

Phosphor persistence of oscilloscopic displays: a comparison of four phosphors.

The period for which phosphor decay remains visible after stimulus offset was assessed for four phosphors commonly used in psychophysical experiments: P4, P15, P31, and P46. Stimuli were displayed behind closed shutters which opened at various intervals after stimulus offset. Thus, the observers' responses were based solely on the visibility of phosphor persistence. We varied viewing conditions (dark-adapted vs. veiling light), type of task (detection vs. identification), and intensity of the stimuli. No detectable persistence was ever produced by the P15 phosphor. In contrast, the P31 phosphor remained visible for several hundred ms. even with a veiling light. The P4 and P46 phosphors produced persistence of intermediate durations. It is concluded that P15 is the phosphor of choice for visual experiments.

Computer Terminals↗
PubMed1997

An introduction to accurate display timing for PCs under 'Windows'.

As the use of computers for delivering stimuli in vision research has become ubiquitous, there is an obvious need for accurate timing of display monitors without the use of expensive hardware extensions. If a user should decide to program an application in the increasingly common 'Windows' operating system for IBM PCs and compatibles, a software solution for this problem is not obvious any more. The goal is to achieve display durations down to one single video frame. This article describes several approaches and a tested solution designed to run on any PC or compatible under Windows 3.1/95, regardless of the video card used. This creates new possibilities for low-cost, implementation of visual experiments for laboratory and classroom use.

Computer Terminals↗
PubMed1997

Colour bit-stealing to enhance the luminance resolution of digital displays on a single pixel basis.

A look-up table algorithm is described for enhancing the luminance resolution at the expense of the colour resolution in digital displays of colour images. For colour displays with a look-up table resolution of 8 bits/gun, the algorithm provides a luminance resolution of 11-12 bits without loss of spatial or temporal resolution. This improvement can reduce the minimum luminance step in the mid-luminance range from 1.5% to > 0.2% with no additional hardware.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1997

Selective stimulation of colour mechanisms: an empirical perspective.

Anatomically distinct parvo and magno visual pathways show considerable functional overlap. However, specific stimulation of the most sensitive colour-opponent parvo-neurones is still possible, provided that colour stimuli are verified for selectivity. The authors have shown that gratings of low contrast, low spatial frequency and of restricted spatial content (6 or less spatial cycles) are optimal stimuli for distinguishing between colour-related (tritan and red/green) from achromatic or partly chromatic responses. This is particularly important when recording global responses, such as visual evoked potentials, VEPs. The crucial point is that at low presentation rates (< 2 Hz), colour-related onset VEPs are maximally different from contrast reversal VEPs, thereby reflecting the activity of sustained-type parvo mechanisms. Achromatic onset, offset and reversal VEPs are similar, reflecting mediation by transient-type magno mechanisms. A stringent test of colour-response specificity is to check whether the chromatic reversal VEP has a low-pass temporal tuning curve, since it becomes band-pass when substantial achromatic intrusions are present. Specification of chromatic isoluminant stimuli, e.g. along cardinal axes, does not guarantee their colour-selectivity, if chromatic aberration and variable macular pigmentation changes the chromatic content of the retinal image. It is shown here how chromatic stimuli, namely (1) red/green and (2) purple/green (tritanopic) gratings, can be optimized for selective stimulation of the colour system.

Color Perception↗
PubMed1997

Raster-scan cathode-ray tubes for vision research--limits of resolution in space, time and intensity, and some solutions.

Raster-based cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) are increasingly used for stimulus presentation. While very flexible, their design based on consumer electronics can limit their value in vision research. Here their limitations of resolution in time, space, intensity and wavelength are systematically compiled. Often, ingenious ideas can circumvent such limitations for specific experiments. Some ad-hoc solutions, as well as the more general techniques of dithering and anti-aliasing, are presented.

Artifacts↗