STORRE Collection: Electronic copies of Psychology conference papers and proceedings.

An FPGA-based neuromorphic vision system accelerator

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Title: An FPGA-based neuromorphic vision system accelerator Author(s): Ali, Teymoor; Rainey, James; Lau, Sook Yen; Gheorghiu, Elena; Maier, Patrick; Appiah, Kofi; Bhowmick, Deepayan Editor(s): Bouma, Henri; Prabhu, Radhakrishna; Yitzhaky, Yitzhak; Kuijf, Hugo J Abstract: Rapid reaction to a specific event is a critical feature for an embedded computer vision system to ensure reliable and secure interaction with the environment in resource-limited real-time applications. This requires highlevel scene understanding with ultra-fast processing capabilities and the ability to operate at extremely low power. Existing vision systems, which rely on traditional computation techniques, including deep learning-based approaches, are limited by the compute capabilities due to large power dissipation and slow off-chip memory access. These challenges are evident in environments with constrained power, bandwidth and hardware resources, such as in the applications of drones and robot navigation in expansive areas. A new NEuromorphic Vision System (NEVIS) is proposed to address the limitations of existing computer vision systems for many resource-limited real-time applications. NEVIS mimics the efficiency of the human visual system by encoding visual signals into spikes, which are processed by neurons with synaptic connections. The potential of NEVIS is explored through an FPGA-based accelerator implementation on a Xilinx Kria board that achieved 40× speed up compared to a Raspberry Pi 4B CPU. This work informs the future potential of NEVIS in embedded computer vision system development.

Digital technologies for bowel management: A scoping review

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Digital technologies for bowel management: A scoping review Author(s): Iyawa, Gloria; Henton, Sally; Maltinsky, Wendy; Casson, Alex; Taylor, Andrea; Lake, Dylan; Medina-Lombardero, Sara; Saleh, Mahdi; Crichton, Michael Abstract: The use of digital technologies in managing bowel conditions has been a topic of interest among healthcare practitioners. The objectives of this paper were to provide information about the types of digital technologies that have been used for bowel management and the context of the studies; identify the gaps and challenges in digital technologies for bowel management and propose new methods and techniques for the application of digital technologies in bowel management. A scoping review was conducted following the principles of Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A search was conducted on six academic databases. 1891 papers were retrieved from the initial search; however, 6 papers were included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings suggest that published work focused mainly on a research context and with a narrow focus targeting sub-categories of bowel conditions and not implemented in the context of everyday use. The findings also illustrate the variety of early-stage developments focused on increasing support for severe bowel dysfunction, for example, through biofeedback to aid muscle control training, or the placement of artificial anal sphincters to increase rectal perception. However, technology to support bowel management for broader populations with less severe or variable symptoms appears limited. Future work would be to conduct empirical research in the application of advanced technologies such as on-organ sensors in managing bowel conditions.

Effect of psychological intervention on fear of cancer recurrence: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Effect of psychological intervention on fear of cancer recurrence: A systematic review and meta-analysis Author(s): Tauber, Nina M; O'Toole, Mia S; Dinkel, Andreas; Galica, Jacqueline; Humphris, Gerry; Lebel, Sophie; Maheu, Christine; Ozakinci, Gozde; Prins, Judith; Sharpe, Louise; Smith, Allan "Ben"; Thewes, Belinda; Simard, Sebastien; Zachariae, Robert Abstract: PURPOSE Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a significantly distressing problem that affects a substantial number of patients with and survivors of cancer; however, the overall efficacy of available psychological interventions on FCR remains unknown. We therefore evaluated this in the present systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS We searched key electronic databases to identify trials that evaluated the effect of psychological interventions on FCR among patients with and survivors of cancer. Controlled trials were subjected to meta-analysis, and the moderating influence of study characteristics on the effect were examined. Overall quality of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE system. Open trials were narratively reviewed to explore ongoing developments in the field (PROSPERO registration no.: CRD42017076514). RESULTS A total of 23 controlled trials (21 randomized controlled trials) and nine open trials were included. Small effects (Hedges’s g) were found both at postintervention (g = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.46; P < .001) and at follow-up (g = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.40; P < .001). Effects at postintervention of contemporary cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs; g = 0.42) were larger than those of traditional CBTs (g = 0.24; β = .22; 95% CI, .04 to .41; P = .018). At follow-up, larger effects were associated with shorter time to follow-up (β = −.01; 95% CI, −.01 to −.00; P = .027) and group-based formats (β = .18; 95% CI, .01 to .36; P = .041). A GRADE evaluation indicated evidence of moderate strength for effects of psychological intervention for FCR. CONCLUSION Psychological interventions for FCR revealed a small but robust effect at postintervention, which was largely maintained at follow-up. Larger postintervention effects were found for contemporary CBTs that were focused on processes of cognition—for example, worry, rumination, and attentional bias—rather than the content, and aimed to change the way in which the individual relates to his or her inner experiences. Future trials could investigate how to further optimize and tailor interventions to individual patients’ FCR presentation.

58. Eating to save wild-life: is a truly conservation-minded zoo/aquarium a vegan zoo/aquarium?

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Title: 58. Eating to save wild-life: is a truly conservation-minded zoo/aquarium a vegan zoo/aquarium? Author(s): Gjerris, Mickey; Birkved, Morten; Gamborg, Christian; Brando, Sabrina Editor(s): Olsson, I Anna S; Araújo, Sofia M; Vieira, M Fátima Abstract: According to the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria their mission is ‘to facilitate cooperation … towards the goals of education, research and conservation’. Livestock production is one of the leading causes of often-irreversible land use changes, greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity and different types of environmental degradation – all affecting wildlife negatively, and hence undermining conservation policies that aim to protect individuals, populations and species. But what is the link between livestock production and zoos and aquariums? One link, putting it a bit boldly, could be: Does it make sense to work for conservation by preserving animal species in captivity while selling food to visitors that may be undermining this effort? Complicating the issue is that zoos and aquariums are dependent on generating a profit from ‘non-core’ services such as cafeterias and the like to generate funds for running the zoo, and conceivably, in turn for conservation purposes – funds that might diminish if zoos and aquariums do not sell a variety of food products, including animal-based ones to their visitors. The main question addressed by this paper is: If zoos and aquariums are to work for sustainability and species conservation – should food served in zoos be part of considerations – and to what extent? To answer this question the paper presents the goals of EAZA along with environmental impact profiles, relying on previously published life cycle assessments of the entirety (i.e. from cradle to gate) and across a multitude of impact categories (i.e. including and beyond climate change), of typical food items sold in zoos and aquariums. It describes the impacts on wildlife and nature that these products may have. Further we link this analysis to different ideas of sustainability, addressing the issue of how to balance positive and negative impacts of zoos and aquariums. Finally we discuss the educational opportunities that arise if food served in zoos and aquariums is seen as part of a conservation strategy – and the possible challenges such an approach faces.