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Background: Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training is recommended as first line conservative management for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The fundamental issue of how to optimally contract the PFM has not previously been investigated. An effective voluntary PFM contraction is known to positively influence the bladder neck and urethra which are urethrovesical (UV) structures associated with continence. The PFM may be globally or selectively contracted according to cue to instruction. The main research question was to investigate which cue to instruction for a PFM contraction has the potential to optimise position of UVSs following a brief period of practice in continent nulliparous pre-menopausal women (aiming to provide normative data) and parous menopausal women with previously unreported SUI. Hypotheses: Posterior or combined cues for instruction of PFM contraction are more influential in optimising UV position (UVP) during PFMC following brief practice than an anterior cue. Posterior or combined cues are equally influential in altering UVP. Aims: Preliminary aim was to investigate the reliability and suitability of 2-DRTUS and angle of urethral inclination (AUI) for imaging of selective contraction of the PFM and ease of reading images by a non diagnostic imaging researcher. Principal aim was to investigate if there is an optimal cue to instruction for a PFM contraction in two groups of women. Study 1: pre menopausal nulliparous continent women (to provide normative data) and Study 2: post menopausal parous stress incontinent women. Secondary aims were investigation of posture; ability to selectively contract the PFM contraction; and cue preference. Method: Study 1: Twenty women who were able to effectively and selectively contract were taught the following cues: anterior; posterior; anterior and posterior combined. Following 4 weeks of practice, perineal 2-D RTUS images of three PFMC for each cue were captured in supine and standing twice (for repeatability analysis) five minutes apart. Two raters measured AUI. Data analysis was undertaken using a Customized General Linear Model (GLM) ANOVA with Bonferroni correction for interactions between all variables; subject, cue, posture and test. Seventeen data sets were available for analysis. Study 2: Methodology was based on Study 1. Twenty-one women were taught the study cues, followed the practice protocol and underwent data collection in the supine position. Twenty-one sets of data were available for analysis. Results: Reliability: ICC [1,3] for intra rater reliability was 0.957 [CI 95%: 0.946 to 0.967 p=0.000], inter rater reliability [2,1] 0.820 [CI 95%: 0.768 to 0.861] and for repeatability [1,3] 0.781 [CI 95%: 0.690 to 0.849 p=0.000] (continent) and 0.954 [CI 95%:0.931 to 0.971 p=0.000] (incontinent). Principal results Study 1: anterior vs posterior cues (difference) 3.979˚ (CI 95%: [0.503 to 7.455 p=0.021]); anterior vs combined 3.777˚ (CI 95%: [-0.099 to 6.853 p= 0.059]) posterior vs combined cues -0.602˚ (CI 95%: [-2.874- 4.078 p=1.00]). Aggregated data from tests 1 and 2: anterior vs posterior 4.240° (CI 95%: [1.213 to 7.267 p=0.003]); anterior vs posterior 3.756° (95%CI: [0.729 to 6.783 p=0.009]); posterior vs combined-6.48° (95% CI: [-3.511 to 2.542 p=1.000]). Principal results Study 2: anterior vs posterior 3.936˚ (95%CI: [0.863 to 7.008p=0.008]; 4.946˚ anterior vs combined (95%CI: [1.873 to 8.018 p=0.001]); posterior vs combined 1.010° (95%CI: -[2.062 to 4.082 p=1.000]). Aggregated analysis was anterior vs posterior 3.703˚ (95%CI: [1.639 to 5.761 p=0.000]); anterior vs combined 5.089˚ (95%CI: [3.0287 to 7.1503 p=0.000]) and posterior and combined 1.389° (95%CI: [-0.672 to 3.450 p=0.309]). Secondary results: 2-D RTUS and the AUI were found to be suitable for investigating selective PFM contraction. Posture: supine vs standing (difference) 9.496˚ (p=0.000); (posture did not affect absolute AUI). Three continent (13%) and 2 incontinent (7%) subjects were unable to selectively contract the PFM. Cue preference in both studies was posterior or combined. Conclusions: AUI was significantly narrower/optimal when instruction for PFM contraction included a posterior cue, in both continent and stress incontinent women. This is proposed to be due to optimal recruitment of puborectalis. Puborectalis may be more important in urinary continence than widely recognized. This study has provided seminal information with respect to optimal cue to contraction for a PFM contraction and will change practice. Investigation of the potential impact of these findings clinically is required. It is proposed that further understanding will lead to standardisation of PFM instruction, ease of comparability between PFM research studies, and will clarify PFM instructions for the media and lay public.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 28-31, 1996 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / With explosive growth in the satellite communication market. there is an increasing need for the satellite network service providers to support many satellites with a common Telemetry, Tracking, and Commanding (TT&C) assets. The open bus technology, and Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) Hardware and Software components, provides an opportunity to build a common IF and baseband systems that will support many satellites with different frequencies and protocols. However, the high frequency front end components of the ground station such as antenna or HPA can not be common due to different gain and polarization requirements of the various communication bands and frequencies. The system architecture presented in this paper offers such system that is interoperable and reconfigurable in near real-time to support multiple frequency and multiple communication protocols.

過去國外的研究顯示，約有30%~65%的商品是採用九尾數定價，國內的研究也顯示，九尾數被使用的頻率顯著高於其他尾數，然而，過去國外的研究，多半只單偏重於認知面或行為面的研究，缺少整合性的資料，而且通常一次只探討一個變數，難以考慮交互效果的影響。在國內的研究方面，目前僅就廠商定價的角度進行研究，因此，本研究擬結合認知面、行為面的實驗，探討採用九尾數定價的商品，是否在消費者注意力、偏好態度等認知面，以及消費者實際購買的行為面有顯著差異。 研究使用的變數包括九尾數與否、特價標示與否、新產品標示與否，以及一個調整變數：品牌知名度等四個解釋變數。本研究分為三個部分進行，第一個部分是以實驗商品的問卷調查，了解四個變數對消費者注意力的影響。第二個部分是以問卷調查的方式，了解其對消費者偏好態度的影響。第三個部分是以實驗商品的銷售百分比，研究變數對消費者購買行為的影響。 實驗得到的結果是，九尾數可以有效吸引消費者的注意力、使消費者產生偏好，但是在實際購買行為上，需要與特價標示同時出現，才有較佳的效果。新產品無法顯著引起消費者的注意力，但是有新產品標示的產品，消費者有較高的偏好及購買程度。在新舊產品的影響方面，九尾數使用在新產品或舊產品，並沒有顯著差異。考慮品牌知名度的影響，高知名度會增加消費者的注意力，但在購買行為上，會與九尾數產生交互效果，低知名度的產品採用九尾數的效果顯著不佳。

La perception visuelle ne se résume pas à la simple perception des variations de la quantité de lumière qui atteint la rétine. L’image naturelle est en effet composée de variation de contraste et de texture que l’on qualifie d’information de deuxième ordre (en opposition à l’information de premier ordre : luminance). Il a été démontré chez plusieurs espèces qu’un mouvement de deuxième ordre (variation spatiotemporelle du contraste ou de la texture) est aisément détecté. Les modèles de détection du mouvement tel le modèle d’énergie d’Adelson et Bergen ne permettent pas d’expliquer ces résultats, car le mouvement de deuxième ordre n’implique aucune variation de la luminance. Il existe trois modèles expliquant la détection du mouvement de deuxième ordre : la présence d’une circuiterie de type filter-rectify-filter, un mécanisme de feature-tracking ou simplement l’existence de non-linéarités précoces dans le traitement visuel. Par ailleurs, il a été proposé que l’information visuelle de deuxième ordre soit traitée par une circuiterie neuronale distincte de celle qui traite du premier ordre. Bon nombre d’études réfutent cependant cette théorie et s’entendent sur le fait qu’il n’y aurait qu’une séparation partielle à bas niveau. Les études électrophysiologiques sur la perception du mouvement de deuxième ordre ont principalement été effectuées chez le singe et le chat. Chez le chat, toutefois, seules les aires visuelles primaires (17 et 18) ont été extensivement étudiées. L’implication dans le traitement du deuxième ordre de l’aire dédiée à la perception du mouvement, le Sulcus syprasylvien postéro-médian latéral (PMLS), n’est pas encore connue. Pour ce faire, nous avons étudié les profils de réponse des neurones du PMLS évoqués par des stimuli dont la composante dynamique était de deuxième ordre. Les profils de réponses au mouvement de deuxième ordre sont très similaires au premier ordre, bien que moins sensibles. Nos données suggèrent que la perception du mouvement par le PMLS serait de type form-cue invariant. En somme, les résultats démontrent que le PMLS permet un traitement plus complexe du mouvement du deuxième ordre et sont en accord avec son rôle privilégié dans la perception du mouvement. / Visual perception is not limited to the perception of the quantity of light that reaches the retina. The natural scene is in fact composed of contrast and texture variations which are classified as second-order information (in opposition to first-order for luminance). Moreover, second-order motion (spatiotemporal variation of contrast or texture) can easily be detected in several different species even though it cannot be explained by motion detection mechanisms such as the energy model (Adelson and Bergen). Indeed, second-order motion does not involve any luminance variation and cannot be detected by a classical receptor field based on an energy model. Three models are proposed for second-order detection: a filter-rectify-filter circuit, feature-tracking mechanisms or the presence of early non-linearity in the visual system. It was suggested that first- and second-order decoding are performed by distinct pathways. This theory is still debated, but it is generally accepted that they may be partially separated in the early stages of the visual systems. The majority of electrophysiological studies on second-order perception were performed on monkeys and cats. However, even if the cat’s area 17 and 18 responses were greatly studied, the motion dedicated region, the Posteromedial lateral suprasylvian sulcus (PMLS), is still to be evaluated. We performed extracellular recordings in the PMLS to measure the response profiles of its composing neurons to second-order motion. PMLS first- and second-order profiles are similar, but second-order tunings are less selective. Our data suggest that the PMLS performs form-cue invariant processing and accomplishes a more complex decoding of second-order motion.

A imagem mental e a memória visual têm sido consideradas como componentes distintos na codificação da informação, e associados a processos diferentes da memória de trabalho. Evidências experimentais mostram, por exemplo, que o desempenho em tarefas de memória baseadas na geração de imagem mentais (imaginação visual) sofre a interferência do ruído visual dinâmico (RVD), mas não se observa o mesmo efeito em tarefas de memória visual baseadas na percepção visual (memória visual). Embora várias evidências mostrem que tarefas de imaginação e de memória visual sejam baseadas em processos cognitivos diferentes, isso não descarta a possibilidade de utilizarem também processos em comum e que alguns resultados experimentais que apontam diferenças entre as duas tarefas resultem de diferenças metodológicas entre os paradigmas utilizados para estuda-las. Nosso objetivo foi equiparar as tarefas de imagem mental visual e memória visual por meio de tarefas de reconhecimento, com o paradigma de dicas retroativas espaciais. Sequências de letras romanas na forma visual (tarefa de memória visual) e acústicas (tarefa de imagem mental visual) foram apresentadas em quatro localizações espaciais diferentes. No primeiro e segundo experimento analisou-se o tempo do curso de recuperação tanto para o processo de imagem quanto para o processo de memória. No terceiro experimento, comparou-se a estrutura das representações dos dois componentes, por meio da apresentação do RVD durante a etapa de geração e recuperação. Nossos resultados mostram que não há diferenças no armazenamento da informação visual durante o período proposto, porém o RVD afeta a eficiência do processo de recuperação, isto é o tempo de resposta, sendo a representação da imagem mental visual mais suscetível ao ruído. No entanto, o processo temporal da recuperação é diferente para os dois componentes, principalmente para imaginação que requer mais tempo para recuperar a informação do que a memória. Os dados corroboram a relevância do paradigma de dicas retroativas que indica que a atenção espacial é requisitada em representações de organização espacial, independente se são visualizadas ou imaginadas. / The mental image and visual memory have been considered as different components in the coding of information, and associate to different processes of working memory. Experimental evidence demonstrate, that Dynamic Visual Noise (DVN) impairs the performance of memory tasks based on mental image generation (visual imagination), but have no effect on memory tasks based on visual perception (visual memory). Although several evidences demonstrate that imagination and visual memory tasks have cognitive distinct processes, it doesnt rule out the possibility that they share common processes and that some experimental results that indicate differences between the cognitive processes are resulted from different methodological paradigms used to studied them. Our objective was to equate tasks of visual mental imagery and visual memory, using a recognition task and spatial retro-cue paradigm. Sequences of roman letters were presented in visual (visual memory task) and acoustic (visual mental imagery task) forms, each letter presented in four different spatial locations. The first and second experiment analyzed the time of the retrieval course for imaging process and for the memory process. In the third experiment, we compared the structure of the representations of the two components, with the presentation of DVN during the stage of generating and retrieval. Our results demonstrated that there are no differences in the storage of visual information during the retrieval period and that the DVN only affect the retrieval process efficiency, principally the imagination process. However, the retrievals time course is different for both components, since imagination requires more time than memory to retrieval information. The retro-cue paradigm reveals that spatial attention is required in representation with spatial organization based on visual perception or imagination

This study applied dual processing theory, the theory of working memory, and the theory of cue summation to examine how the video and audio in a television news story interact with or against each other when the story uses pull quote graphics to convey key information to viewers. Using eye-tracking, the study produced visual depictions of exactly what viewers look at on the screen when the words in the reporter's voice track match the text in the pull quote graphic verbatim, when the reporter summarizes the text in the graphic, and when the reporter's voice track ignores the text in the pull quote. The study tested the effect on recall when viewers were presented with these three story conditions—high redundancy, medium redundancy, and low redundancy, respectively. Key findings included the following: first, that stories with low redundancy resulted in lower recall and memory sensitivity scores (a measure of memory strength) than pull quotes that the reporter either summarized or read verbatim on the air. Second, it was found that neither high-redundancy nor medium-redundancy stories were superior or inferior to the other when looking at the effect on recall and memory sensitivity. And finally, in high-, medium-, and low-redundancy conditions, subjects stated that they relied more on the reporter's narration than the pull quote to get information. The study states possible implications for news producers and reporters and suggests future research in the broadcast television news industry.

This study applied dual processing theory, the theory of working memory, and the theory of cue summation to examine how the video and audio in a television news story interact with or against each other when the story uses pull quote graphics to convey key information to viewers. Using eye-tracking, the study produced visual depictions of exactly what viewers look at on the screen when the words in the reporter's voice track match the text in the pull quote graphic verbatim, when the reporter summarizes the text in the graphic, and when the reporter's voice track ignores the text in the pull quote. The study tested the effect on recall when viewers were presented with these three story conditions—high redundancy, medium redundancy, and low redundancy, respectively. Key findings included the following: first, that stories with low redundancy resulted in lower recall and memory sensitivity scores (a measure of memory strength) than pull quotes that the reporter either summarized or read verbatim on the air. Second, it was found that neither high-redundancy nor medium-redundancy stories were superior or inferior to the other when looking at the effect on recall and memory sensitivity. And finally, in high-, medium-, and low-redundancy conditions, subjects stated that they relied more on the reporter's narration than the pull quote to get information. The study states possible implications for news producers and reporters and suggests future research in the broadcast television news industry.

Designers do not merely develop concepts; they are increasingly involved in testing product concepts and learning consumer preference. However, designers’ decision making processes in these tasks have been little studied. In the two essays, I apply decision making frameworks to concept testing and preference learning to study consumer’s and designer’s biases. In my first essay, I study consumer bias in concept testing. When consumers test new products, they are often asked to choose which product they prefer. However, a choice question can elicit biased preference because consumers simply choose the product that is superior on the attribute serving their purchase purpose. My studies show that when consumers are asked to predict which product they will enjoy more, they are more likely to prefer the product that actually reflects their consumption utility. These findings suggest that making trade-offs is avoided in the choice question, but is encouraged in the enjoyment prediction question. Thus, a simple change of question format, in otherwise identical product comparisons, elicits different answers. This holds true when product attributes are easy to evaluate; when product attributes are hard to evaluate, changing question format does not affect consumer choice. My second essay examines designer bias in preference learning. When designers predict consumer preference for a product, they often base their predictions on consumer preference for similar products. However, this categorization-based strategy can result in biased predictions because categorical similarity is not diagnostic for preference prediction. I conducted two studies by applying a Multiple Cue Probability Learning experiment to a designer’s prediction task. I found that when subjects used a sequential learning strategy, making a sequence of predictions and receiving feedback, they increased prediction accuracy by 14% on average. When they made predictions with multiple sets, with a break between each set during which they reflected on what they had learned, their prediction accuracy further improved by 7% on average. In sum, I demonstrate bias and propose approaches to avoid them in two design tasks. My two essays show that the decision making frameworks are crucial in understanding and improving the successful outcome of the design process.