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Nature Communications Oct 2023Highly reflective surfaces are notorious in the field of depth sensing and three-dimensional (3D) imaging because they can cause severe errors in perception of the...
Highly reflective surfaces are notorious in the field of depth sensing and three-dimensional (3D) imaging because they can cause severe errors in perception of the depth. Despite recent progress in addressing this challenge, there are still no robust and error-free solutions. Here, we devise a polarization structured light 3D sensor for solving these problems, in which high-contrast-grating (HCG) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are used to exploit the polarization property. We demonstrate accurate depth measurements of the reflective surfaces and objects behind them in various imaging situations. In addition, the absolute error and effective measurement range are measured to prove the applicability for a wide range of 3D applications. Our work innovatively combines polarization and depth information, opening the way for fully understanding and applying polarization properties in the 3D domain.
PubMed: 37891172
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42678-5 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2023Depth estimation is an important part of the perception system in autonomous driving. Current studies often reconstruct dense depth maps from RGB images and sparse depth...
Depth estimation is an important part of the perception system in autonomous driving. Current studies often reconstruct dense depth maps from RGB images and sparse depth maps obtained from other sensors. However, existing methods often pay insufficient attention to latent semantic information. Considering the highly structured characteristics of driving scenes, we propose a dual-branch network to predict dense depth maps by fusing radar and RGB images. The driving scene is divided into three parts in the proposed architecture, each predicting a depth map, which is finally merged into one by implementing the fusion strategy in order to make full use of the potential semantic information in the driving scene. In addition, a variant L1 loss function is applied in the training phase, directing the network to focus more on those areas of interest when driving. Our proposed method is evaluated on the nuScenes dataset. Experiments demonstrate its effectiveness in comparison with previous state of the art methods.
PubMed: 37688016
DOI: 10.3390/s23177560 -
Journal of Vision Oct 2023When an observer moves in space, the retinal projection of a stationary object either expands if the motion is toward the object or shifts horizontally if the motion...
When an observer moves in space, the retinal projection of a stationary object either expands if the motion is toward the object or shifts horizontally if the motion contains a lateral component. This study examined the impact of expansive optic flow and lateral motion parallax on the accuracy of depth perception for observers with normal or artificially reduced acuity and asked whether any benefit is due to the continuous motion or to the discrete object image displacement. Stationary participants viewed a virtual room on a computer screen. They used an on-screen slider to estimate the depth of a target object relative to a reference object after seeing 2-second videos simulating five conditions: static viewing, expansive optic flow, and lateral motion parallax in either continuous motion or image displacement. Ten participants viewed the stimuli with normal acuity in Experiment 1 and 11 with three levels of artificially reduced acuity in Experiment 2. Linear regression models represented the relationship between the depth estimates of participants and the ground truth. Lateral motion parallax produced more accurate depth estimates than expansive optic flow and static viewing. Depth perception with continuous motion was more accurate than that with displacement under mild and moderate, but not severe, acuity reduction. For observers with both normal and artificially reduced acuity, lateral motion parallax was more helpful for object depth estimation than expansive optic flow, and continuous motion parallax was more helpful than object image displacement.
Topics: Humans; Depth Perception; Optic Flow; Motion Perception; Motion; Retina
PubMed: 37801321
DOI: 10.1167/jov.23.12.3 -
PloS One 2023Healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are at increased risk of being stigmatized, which compromises their individual mental...
BACKGROUND
Healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are at increased risk of being stigmatized, which compromises their individual mental well-being and the quality of care they deliver. Stigma-reduction interventions may (partly) prevent this. However, there is a lack of in-depth understanding of the experiences and underlying causes of COVID-19 stigma among HCWs, which is needed to design such interventions. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews to assess COVID-19 stigma among COVID-19 HCWs in Ireland, Nigeria, The Netherlands, Pakistan, and The Philippines.
METHODS
We used a purposive and snowball sampling to recruit a total of 53 HCWs for online interviews (13 in Ireland; 15 in Nigeria; 6 in The Netherlands; 6 in Pakistan; and 13 in The Philippines (2021). After verbatim transcribing interviews, we used a thematic approach for data analysis.
RESULTS
In all countries, stigmatization of COVID-19 HCWs is driven by fear of infection and the perception of HCWs being carriers of the disease amplified by them wearing of scrubs and personal protective equipment. There were differences between countries in the way stigma manifested in self- anticipated and experienced stigma like scolding, discrimination, avoidance, (self-) isolation, and exclusion in public, in the community, at work, and in the household. The stigma resulted in feelings of depression, loneliness, isolation, and the desire to quit one's job.
DISCUSSION
COVID-19 HCWs from all countries experienced all forms of stigmatization related to their work as a COVID-19 frontliner. This affected their mental well-being, which in turn affects job performance and quality of care, there is a high need to develop stigma reduction tools for HCWs.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Respect; Social Stigma; Data Analysis; Health Personnel
PubMed: 37478112
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288609 -
BMJ Open Dec 2023The two most physically active stages of life, pregnancy and adolescence, put the pregnant adolescent under a lot of stress. Adolescence is a crucial era in women's...
Exploring dietary perception, beliefs and practices among pregnant adolescents, their husbands and healthcare providers in West Arsi, Central Ethiopia: a phenomenological study.
BACKGROUND
The two most physically active stages of life, pregnancy and adolescence, put the pregnant adolescent under a lot of stress. Adolescence is a crucial era in women's nutrition that is frequently overlooked.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to explore dietary perceptions, beliefs and practices among pregnant Adolescents in West Arsi, Central Ethiopia.
DESIGN
A qualitative method, specifically, a phenomenological research design, was carried out from February to March 2023.
SETTINGS
This study was conducted in the West Arsi zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, in four randomly selected districts.
PARTICIPANTS
Thirty participants, 12 pregnant adolescents, 8 husbands of pregnant adolescents and 10 healthcare providers were purposefully selected and participated.
METHODS
In-depth and key informant interviews were conducted. To create relevant codes, subthemes and themes, ATLAS.ti V.7.1 software was used. An inductive qualitative data analysis approach was used. The results were presented using respondents' clear verbatim and thematic analysis.
RESULTS
The findings were organised into four major themes: (1) low nutritional awareness, (2) poor dietary practice, (3) barriers to good dietary practice and (4) facilitators for good dietary practice. A low perceived severity (one's belief of the seriousness) of undernutrition and low perceived benefits (one's belief of the benefits) of balanced nutrition have been reported. A monotonous diet (one type food usually cereal based), no change in dietary practices during pregnancy, and low intake of animal food sources (meat, egg and milk) were found under dietary practices. One of the most striking findings to emerge from this study is the Alliance for Development (AFD), the former Women Development Army, which can be a great facilitator of good dietary practice. Husbands' involvement in nutrition education and specific nutrition training for healthcare providers are the other facilitators identified in this study. The lack of nutrition education, misconceptions and economic problems are barriers to dietary practices.
CONCLUSION
This study found a low nutritional awareness and poor dietary practices. Further experimental studies are recommended to assess whether AFD is capable of delivering effective nutrition interventions that improve dietary practice of pregnant.
Topics: Adolescent; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Diet; Ethiopia; Health Personnel; Perception; Pregnant Women; Spouses
PubMed: 38070937
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077488 -
PloS One 2023Investigating the factors underlying perceived speed and risk is crucial to ensure safe driving. However, existing studies on this topic usually measure speed and risk...
Investigating the factors underlying perceived speed and risk is crucial to ensure safe driving. However, existing studies on this topic usually measure speed and risk perception indirectly after a driving session, which makes it difficult to trace dynamic effects and time points of potential misestimates. To address this problem, we developed and validated a novel continuous method for dynamically measuring risk and speed perceptions. To study the factors affecting risk and speed perception, we presented participants with videos captured on the same racing track from the same point of view but with different drivers who varied in their speed and risk profiles. During the experiment, participants used a joystick to continuously rate the subjectively perceived risk of driving in the first block and the perceived speed in the second block. Our analysis of these dynamic ratings indicates that risk and speed estimates were decoupled, with curves resulting in decreased speeds but increased risk ratings. However, a close distance to the car in front increased both speed and risk. Based on actual and estimated speed data, we found that overtaking cars on curves resulted in participants overestimating their own speed, whereas an increase in the distance to the car in front on a straight course led to underestimations of their own speed. Our results showcase the usefulness of dynamic rating profiles for in-depth investigations into situations that could result in drivers misjudging speed or risk and will thus help the development of more intelligent, human-centered driving assistance systems.
Topics: Humans; Automobiles; Communications Media; Intelligence; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Perception
PubMed: 37656718
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291043 -
Qualitative Health Research Jan 2024This qualitative study consisted of in-depth, retrospective interviews with participants over the age of 18 who experienced child sexual abuse. Through narrative...
This qualitative study consisted of in-depth, retrospective interviews with participants over the age of 18 who experienced child sexual abuse. Through narrative analysis, study findings shed light on three overall findings: the perception of memories, the perception of grooming, and the perception of the lived lives of child sexual abuse survivors. Findings suggest that the narratives elicited from the participants included current views but also past experiences and anticipation about the future, including individual and societal levels of meaning. These narratives are furthermore entangled and inexorably linked - temporally, culturally, generationally, materially, and emotionally - and the results are thus presented from a holistic perspective. Study findings help explain the complex dimensions concerning the lived experiences of child sexual abuse. As such, this research speaks to the field of social and health care practitioners working with children and families facing the complex phenomenon of child sexual abuse.
PubMed: 38227892
DOI: 10.1177/10497323231218828 -
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Aug 2023Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes a substantial proportion of acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) among infants. In low- and middle-income countries,...
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes a substantial proportion of acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) among infants. In low- and middle-income countries, RSV may be responsible for approximately 40% of all hospital admissions of infants less than one year. A safe and immunogenic RSV vaccine, given to pregnant persons, is imminent. In this qualitative study, we sought to understand factors that could inform maternal vaccine decision-making to inform future demand generation strategies in Kenya. We conducted in-depth interviews with 24 pregnant and lactating persons from two counties, with two communities in each county. Four key themes emerged, including terms used for RSV, awareness of and risk perception related to RSV, causes of RSV, and questions about future maternal RSV vaccines. Regarding terms, no participant used the term RSV to describe the disease. Most participants associated RSV with cold things such as cold weather and cold food/drink. Most participants believed that RSV was caused by the cold or an unclean environment. Finally, key questions related to a maternal RSV vaccine were related to vaccine safety, and more specifically side effects. Questions arose related to vaccine effectiveness as well as timing of administration and dosing. A maternal RSV vaccine is on the horizon. However, vaccines do not save lives; vaccination does. As such, it is critical to develop and implement demand generation approaches to ensure that once a maternal RSV vaccine is available, communities are sensitized and willing to accept it.
Topics: Infant; Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Kenya; Lactation; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Perception
PubMed: 37807864
DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2258580 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023Parkinson's disorder (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder affecting approximately 1-3% of the population aged 60 years and older. In addition to motor...
Parkinson's disorder (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder affecting approximately 1-3% of the population aged 60 years and older. In addition to motor difficulties, PD is also marked by visual disturbances, including depth perception, abnormalities in basal ganglia functioning, and dopamine deficiency. Reduced ability to perceive depth has been linked to an increased risk of falling in this population. The purpose of this paper was to determine whether disturbances in PD patients' visual processing manifest through atypical performance on visual illusion (VI) tasks. This insight will advance understanding of high-level perception in PD, as well as indicate the role of dopamine deficiency and basal ganglia pathophysiology in VIs susceptibility. Groups of 28 PD patients ( = 63.46, = 7.55) and 28 neurotypical controls ( = 63.18, = 9.39) matched on age, general cognitive abilities (memory, numeracy, attention, language), and mood responded to Ebbinghaus, Ponzo, and Müller-Lyer illusions in a computer-based task. Our results revealed no reliable differences in VI susceptibility between PD and neurotypical groups. In the early- to mid-stage of PD, abnormalities of the basal ganglia and dopamine deficiency are unlikely to be involved in top-down processing or depth perception, which are both thought to be related to VI susceptibility. Furthermore, depth-related issues experienced by PD patients (e.g., increased risk for falling) may not be subserved by the same cognitive mechanisms as VIs. Further research is needed to investigate if more explicit presentations of illusory depth are affected in PD, which might help to understand the depth processing deficits in PD.
PubMed: 38259525
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1289160 -
Neuropsychologia Nov 2023We report five experiments to test the influence of pictorial depth on reaching. Our core method is to project a wide-field background of linear perspective and/or...
We report five experiments to test the influence of pictorial depth on reaching. Our core method is to project a wide-field background of linear perspective and/or texture gradient onto a tabletop, and to measure the amplitude of reaches made to targets within it. In 63 healthy participants performing immediate open-loop reaches across Experiments 1-4, we observed a clear effect of pictorial depth. This effect was driven specifically by the convergence of the background pattern at the target position: for each additional degree of pictorial convergence, reaching distance increased by half a millimetre. In the individual experiments, we applied manipulations that might be expected to modify the influence of pictorial depth. We found no evidence that the effect was modified with monocular viewing, or when participants responded with the left hand, or if a memory delay was inserted before the response. Nor did participants become less susceptible to pictorial depth when visual feedback of terminal reaching errors was provided, although visual feedback during the reach did mitigate the influence of pictorial depth. Finally, the visual form agnosic patient DF showed an entirely normal effect of pictorial depth cues, which leads us to question the idea that this effect emanates from visual analyses of size and shape in the ventral stream, rather than from the dorsal stream, or from earlier stages of visual processing.
Topics: Humans; Depth Perception; Cues; Visual Perception; Feedback, Sensory
PubMed: 37820755
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108701