Abstract In this thesis study, the primary structure of the human α1(XVIII) polypeptide was elucidated, its tissue distribution was studied, and the phenotypic changes in the mouse eye due to lack of type XVIII collagen in a knock-out mouse model were studied further. In addition, the consequences of simultaneous lack of both type XVIII and XV collagen were studied in a mouse model lacking both of these proteins. Two variant forms of human α1(XVIII) polypeptide were identified in this study, although, to date, a third form has also been characterized. The analysis of tissue distribution of the two polypeptide forms revealed differences in their tissue distribution, since the longest variant occurs prominently in the liver, while the short form is the major transcript in other tissues studied, e.g. in the kidney. The study of the type XVIII single null mouse eyes revealed abnormalities in the anterior eye segment in addition to the previously reported defects in the posterior eye part. In the type XVIII single null mice the iris was fragmented, pigment deposits could be seen in the pupil, and the pupillary ruff in the edge of a normal mouse iris was missing in these mice. The ciliary body was also abnormal, since the ciliary processes start to show regression in adult animals and eventually the basal infoldings of the non-pigmented ciliary body epithelia become flattened in the null mice. The intraocular pressure stabilizes to a lower level in adult mutant mice compared to controls, most likely reflecting the atrophied ciliary epithelia. The BM zones were also defective in the type XVIII null mouse eyes. The absence of an immunosignal with one of the antibodies detecting laminin γ2 chain in the type XVIII null mouse eyes may implicate conformational changes in the laminin γ2 chain due to lack of type XVIII collagen, and subsequently interaction between type XVIII collagen and laminin γ2 chain in normal mouse eye BMs. The study of the type XVIII and XV double null mice revealed that these mice were viable and fertile and had no major additional abnormalities compared to both single null mice. However, the regression of hyaloid capillaries (vasa hyaloidea propria, VHP) was studied in these mice, and a slight delay in the detachment of these vessels from the retina was noticed. Thus, the two collagens do not function entirely independently from each other. The studies with type XVIII collagen single null mice indicate that in addition to the posterior eye phenotype, this collagen is needed for the normal structural integrity of the anterior eye segment and basement membranes of the eye. The mouse model lacking both type XVIII and type XV collagen indicates that the roles of the two collagens are essentially diverse, although a slight compensatory effect was observed in the detachment of the hyaloid capillaries from the retina.

The usage of eye trackers is becoming more and more popular in the field of information visualization. In this project two eye trackers, The Eye Tribe nd Mirametrix S2, are used to obtain eye tracking data for visualizations. It is planned to use the eye trackers with OnGraX, a network visualization system, where they will provide data for the implementation of visualizations, specifically, heatmaps. OnGraX already uses heatmaps to show regions in a network that have been in the viewport of the user. One aim of this thesis will be the comparison between the two eye trackers, and if the use of eye tracking data gives better results thatn the already existing viewport-based approach. At the same time, we provide the foundation for adaptive visualizations with OnGraX. Our research problem is also of interest for visualization in general, because it will help to improve and develop eye tracking technology in this context. To support the outcome of our implementation, we carried out a user study. As a result, we concluded that one of the two eye trackers appears to have more capabilities than the other, and that using the eye tracking data is a more preferred way of depicting the heatmaps on OnGraX.

M.Phil. / Keratometric readings on three subjects were taken both during pregnancy and postpartum. One subject was visually non-compensated and did not require refractive correction, one was a contact lens wearer and one had undergone radial keratotomy. Twenty readings were taken by means of an automatic keratometer on each eye, morning and afternoon, every fortnight. The recent matrix method of optometric statistical analysis was employed and the results graphically compared and analysed. Findings indicate diurnal variations including variation in corneal curvature and variance through the course of normal pregnancy. Most evident was an increase in keratometric variation in all three subjects at the time of birth and a substantial decrease in corneal refractive power in the subject who had before undergone radial keratotomy. This result may have far-reaching implications on the long term prognosis of refractive surgery especially for females of child bearing age. Outliers representing transient increases in curvature were most common in the vertical meridian (indicating possible lid interaction), while the presence of bimodal distributions suggests a sensitivity of the automatic keratometer to changes in head posture.

This study aims to investigate the information that can be collected about counting strategies when tracking a person’s eye-movements when he/she is doing a mental calculation on a given expression. Eye-tracking is based on the study of what a person look at and the eye-movements between fixations. This study relies on the eye-mind hypothesis which claims that there is a connection between eye movements and the cognitive processes. The result is based on data from two participants and three tasks. The tasks consisted of mathematical expressions with addition and subtraction that the participants solved with mental arithmetic. The data from eye-movements is of such quality that it is possible to see indications on which counting strategies the participants are using and the results are in-line with previous research. The data also show which number the participant focus most on and how they begin to solve the task. On one task both participant gave an incorrect answer and the eye-movement showed where the participants made a mistake. Using this sort of eye-tracking investigation has both its limitations and its possibilities. / Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka vilken information som går att få fram om en persons räknestrategier med eye-tracking som metod. Eye-tracking innebär att en persons ögonrörelser studeras utifrån fixeringar vad någon fokuserar blicken på och sackader förflyttningarna mellan det personen fixerar på. Studien utgår från the eye-mind hypothesis som innebär att det finns ett samband mellan vad någon tittar på och vad den tänker på. Resultatet i det här arbetet baseras på datainsamling från två deltagare som löser tre uppgifter. Uppgifterna innehåller matematiska uttryck med addition och subtraktion som deltagaren ska lösa med huvudräkning. Under tiden deltagaren löste uppgiften registrerades personens ögonrörelser. Data från ögonrörelserna är av sådan kvalitet att det går att se indikationer på vilka räknestrategier deltagarna använder. Resultatet stämmer väl överens med data från tidigare studier. Dessutom visar data vilket tal deltagaren fokuserar sin blick på mest och hur deltagaren väljer att börja lösa uppgiften. På en uppgift gjorde båda deltagarna fel och ögonrörelserna kunde då visa var felräkningen uppstod. Metoden att mäta ögonrörelser diskuteras också utifrån dess möjligheter och begränsningar. Slutsatsen av studien är att eye-tracking kan ge värdefull information och kan bidra till förståelse för olika personers sätt att utföra beräkningar.

Många undersökningar har gjorts inom marknadsföringsområdet med hjälp av eye-tracker. Gemensamt för majoriteten av dessa undersökningar är att de har gjorts på statisk reklam såsom reklam i tidningar och reklambanderoller på hemsidor. Relativt få undersökningar har gjorts där reklamen är integrerad i den rörliga bilden. I denna rapport undersöks logotyper i rörlig bild med hjälp av en eye-tracker där syftet var att undersöka relationen mellan fixering av blick på, tidigare kännedom om och hågkomst av logotyper. En studie genomfördes på 12 testpersoner som fick titta på ett filmklipp medan en eye-tracker registrerade deras ögonrörelser. De fick därefter svara på en enkät som handlade om logotyperna som presenterats i klippet. Resultatet visar att personer kommer ihåg logotyper som de har fixerat blicken på och samtidigt har tidigare kännedom om i större utsträckning än logotyper som de inte har någon tidigare kännedom om. En säker relation mellan tidigare kännedom och benägenhet att fixera blick har inte kunnat hittas. Fler studier bör därför göras med fler filmklipp, logotyper och testpersoner för att uppnå ett säkrare resultat. Vid studier av objekt i rörlig bild med eye-tracker, där intresse av att undersöka om objektet uppfattats eller ej finns, bör en studie av den minsta fixeringstid som krävs för att uppfatta objektet först göras. Det bör även göras fler studier på hur graden av hågkomst, tidigare kännedom och egenskaper hos fixeringar påverkar resultatet. / Many studies have been done in the field of marketing with the help of an eye-tracker. The common element in the majority of these studies is that they have been done on static advertising such as advertisements in magazines and web banners. Relatively few studies have been done when the advertisements are integrated in the moving picture. In this report logotypes that are integrated in the moving picture are investigated. The purpose of this report is to investigate the relationship between fixation of gaze on, prior knowledge of and the ability to recall logotypes. A study was done on 12 test subjects. The given task was to watch a film clip while their eye movements were registered with an eye-tracker. After the test they filled out a questionnarie about the presented logotypes in the clip. The result tells us that people are better at remembering logotypes that they have fixated on and simultaneously had prior knowledge of than logotypes that they fixated on but had no prior knowledge of. No certain relation was found between prior knowledge and the tendancy of fixating ones gaze was found. More studies have to be done with more clips, logotypes and test subjects in order to obtain a certain result. When investigating objects in moving picture with the help of an eye-tracker, when you are interested in investigating whether the object are resigistred or not, a study about the shortest required fixation duration for registration of the object should be done in advance. More studies has to be done on how properties of fixations, the degree of recollection and prior knowledge affects the result.

Eye-tracking is the process of determining the point where the viewer is looking at. Therefore, an eye tracker is a device that measures eye positions and eye movements. Over the recent few years, eye trackers are being used in research in the area of medical technology, visual system, rehabilitation, and human-computer interaction. This study explores the application of eye-tracking in watching and rendering images on a computer screen. In this research, Eye-tracker 5 developed by Tobii is used which is a popular instrument among other eye trackers. Tobii Eye Tracker 5 includes a software development kit (SDK) enabling the creation of new research projects based on eye-tracking and head movement. This work measured eye-tracking streaming data on the digital images, and post-process the gaze data to observe the gaze pattern of the human eye. This thesis investigated the impact of blinking using subtle gaze direction (SGD) approach, which states that flickering on the computer screen in peripheral vision instead of foveal vision attracts human attention and as the viewer’s foveal vision attracted to that blinking point, flickering was stopped and, subsequently, performed flickering to the next point of interest while the viewer is watching the previous point of interest. The work successfully modeled flickering on the desired locations of an image. Furthermore, rendering to different images is also demonstrated in this work using entirely through eye movement. It is envisaged that eye-gazing-based control technology would have tremendous applications in almost all areas of future technology, particularly in assistive technology.

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This work deals with eye tracking systems and possibility of using them for control of many software or hardware devices. Project explains eye anatomy and electrophysiology, types of eye trackers and methods of eye tracking. We studied methods of image processing and image analyzing in LabVIEW development system and IMAQ Vision subsystem. On the base of these studies, we created whole eye tracking system .This system can be used for both the eye tracking from video recording and real time eye tracking. This system can monitor position or trajectory of look.

Orientador: Elenice Deffune / Resumo: Introdução: A Síndrome do Olho Seco (SOS) é uma doença multifatorial das lágrimas e da superfície ocular que resulta em desconforto, distúrbios visuais e instabilidade do filme lacrimal e afeta principalmente adultos com mais de 50 anos e mulheres. É uma doença que pode ter grande impacto negativo na qualidade de vida dos pacientes. A abordagem terapêutica com soro autólogo tem sido preconizada desde 1986 com prós e contras na literatura. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão sistemática e metanálise para analisar a efetiva contribuição do Soro Autólogo segundo os protocolos, ensaios terapêuticos publicados nos últimos 10 anos e o atendimento dos pacientes portadores de Síndrome do olho seco (SOS) no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu .Objetivos: 1) realizar revisão sistemática e metanálise para avaliar a eficácia do uso do soro autólogo em comparação com lágrimas artificiais comerciais no tratamento para adultos com olho seco. 2) realizar um trabalho retrospectivo da contribuição do soro autólogo de uso ocular no tratamento da SOS nos pacientes do ambulatório do Hospital das Clínicas de 2014-2018 comparando com o período anterior (2008-2013). Materiais e Métodos: Para a revisão sistemática e metanálise foi pesquisado na base de dados do Pubmed não usando restrições de língua, apenas trabalhos dos últimos 10 anos. Para os desfechos primários e secundários foi utilizado um intervalo de confiança de 95%. O levantamento de dados dos pacien... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Introduction: Dry Eye Syndrome is a multifactorial disease of tears and ocular surface that results into discomfort, visual disturbances and tear film instability and affects mainly female adults, over 50 years. It is a disease which may cause a great negative impact on the patients’ quality of life. The therapeutic approach employing autologous serum has been advocated in 1986, with pros and cons in the literature. This study aimed to perform a systematic review and a meta-analysis to investigate the effective contribution of Autologus Serum according to the protocols and clinical trials published in the last 10 years, and the SOS patients care at Hospital das Clínicas, during two periods: 2008-2013 and 2014- 2018.Objectives: 1) to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of the autologous serum, in comparison to commercial artificial tears for the treatment of dry eye in adults. 2) to carry out a retrospective study of the ocular autologous serum contribution for SOS out patients’ treatment, at Hospital das Clínicas (2014 to 2018), comparing with the previous period (2008-2013).Materials and Methods: For the systematic review and meta-analysis, searches were realized in Pubmed databases, with no language restrictions, for papers published in the last 10 years, with full text availability, for researches dated until 10/12/2018. For the primary and secondary outcomes, a 95% confidence interval was used. For the outpatients’ data collection, each ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Today’s assembly operations represent about 15-70% of all manufacturing time and about 40% of all manufacturing costs, and manual assembly processes are still a significant portion of today’s assembly operations. Furthermore, today’s manufacturing environment requires a well-trained and flexible workforce that can easily adapt to changing products and processes. Unfortunately, manufacturing training is often performed using the master-apprentice model in the assembly line resulting in unsafe and expensive training conditions as this model is a slow and expensive process. Previous research has considered the use of virtual environments (VEs) for training purposes in different fields such as aviation, driving, construction, medicine, and manufacturing among many others. However, to this date, no assembly studies have been successful in providing a positive transfer of knowledge between virtual environments and real environments. On the other hand, several eye-tracking studies in radiology, air-traffic control, driving, and reading show that participants with higher levels of experience have different eye-scan patterns than participants with lower levels of experience. However, it is unknown how visual scans are affected by practice. Furthermore, several empirical visuomotor studies of task-oriented processes in real environments show that observers fixated their eyes on the areas that are crucial to the required task. However, we do not know the necessary visual elements to observe when performing and when learning how to perform an assembly task, nor the effects of following visual instructions and having visual distractors during this process. Finally, we have yet to establish what observation differences may exist between real and virtual environments with regards to these unknowns. This work presents the results of an assembly task which required participants to follow visual instructions and to select assembly objects among similar distractors. This assembly task was performed for ten cycles in real and virtual environments, and we used an eye-tracking device to register participants’ visual scans. We successfully identified the areas that are needed to observe for an assembly task in both environments and the effect of visual instructions and distractors in a visual scan. We found statistically significant differences for visual scans by assembly cycle and environment, with a p-value of <0.05. We also identified a connection between learning curves and participant eye scan, showing a significant decrease in the incidence of eye tracking metrics (visit count, visit duration, fixation count and fixation duration) between the first and the tenth cycles (ΔΜ), particularly for visual distractors ranging from 37.36% to 48.77%, and for visual instructions ranging from 35.17% to 54.82%. We found that participants’ observations became more efficient with practice, not only in terms of identifying distractors and following visual instructions but also in terms of developing an ability to observe key visual elements. For the RE we found a positive Pearson correlation between the proportion of fixation duration and assembly cycle for the key visual areas with p-values<0.002 and a negative Pearson correlation between the proportion of fixation duration for the non-key visual areas with p-values<0.046. Similar results were obtained for the VE.