Using augmented reality to cue obstacles for people with low vision: publisher's note.

This publisher's note contains a correction to Opt. Express31(4), 6827 (2023)10.1364/OE.

Non-invasive wool hormone assessment of Australian merino rams (): a pilot investigation of cortisol and testosterone.

Introduction: Non-invasive hormone assessment is growing in interest as producers and livestock researchers seek new methods to assess animal welfare. Non-invasive wool assessment offers long-term, historic reflections of hormone concentration at the scale of weeks and months - and are not limited by sampling stress - thus making wool an appropriate tissue for long-term hormone analysis. This pilot study quantified cortisol and testosterone concentrations of ram fleece and determined if there is a significant difference between segments of the sample staple, and whether there is a correlation between hormones.

Nanoscale Three-Dimensional Imaging of Integrated Circuits Using a Scanning Electron Microscope and Transition-Edge Sensor Spectrometer.

X-ray nanotomography is a powerful tool for the characterization of nanoscale materials and structures, but it is difficult to implement due to the competing requirements of X-ray flux and spot size. Due to this constraint, state-of-the-art nanotomography is predominantly performed at large synchrotron facilities. We present a laboratory-scale nanotomography instrument that achieves nanoscale spatial resolution while addressing the limitations of conventional tomography tools.

Using augmented reality to cue obstacles for people with low vision.

Detecting and avoiding obstacles while navigating can pose a challenge for people with low vision, but augmented reality (AR) has the potential to assist by enhancing obstacle visibility. Perceptual and user experience research is needed to understand how to craft effective AR visuals for this purpose. We developed a prototype AR application capable of displaying multiple kinds of visual cues for obstacles on an optical see-through head-mounted display.

Interplay Between Stress and Reproduction: Novel Epigenetic Markers in Response to Shearing Patterns in Australian Merino Sheep ().

In this study, we determined the effect(s) of early shearing on Australian Merino ewes () and their lambs. To test this research question, we used a suite of field and laboratory methods including GPS collars, wool cortisol, and epigenetic change between ewes and lambs identified using Illumina NovaSeq RRBS. Once shorn ewes ( = 24) were kept on their full fleece throughout the entire gestation period, whereas twice (early) shorn ewes ( = 24) had their wool shorn pre-joining.

Visual Cortical Area MT Is Required for Development of the Dorsal Stream and Associated Visuomotor Behaviors.

The middle temporal (MT) area of the extrastriate visual cortex has long been studied in adulthood for its distinctive physiological properties and function as a part of the dorsal stream, yet interestingly it possesses a similar maturation profile as the primary visual cortex (V1). Here, we examined whether an early-life lesion in MT of marmoset monkeys (six female, two male) altered the dorsal stream development and the behavioral precision of reaching-to-grasp sequences. We observed permanent changes in the anatomy of cortices associated with both reaching (parietal and medial intraparietal areas) and grasping (anterior intraparietal area), as well as in reaching-and-grasping behaviors.

Pre- and post-partum variation in wool cortisol and wool micron in Australian Merino ewe sheep ().

An individual merino sheep's output of wool production is influenced by synergistic interactions of sheep genetics, climate, farm management, and nutrition available to the whole flock. The price paid to the producer for this wool commodity is determined via numerous tested parameters and /or subjective appraisal of the raw greasy wool. This research investigated the level of variation in wool cortisol (a physiological stress biomarker) and wool micron (MIC) in Merino ewes (), pre-partum and post-lambing (lactation/lambs at foot), using maiden ewe ( = 38) managed in an outdoor paddock in a commercial farm.

Mapping the neural circuitry of predator fear in the nonhuman primate.

In rodents, innate and learned fear of predators depends on the medial hypothalamic defensive system, a conserved brain network that lies downstream of the amygdala and promotes avoidance via projections to the periaqueductal gray. Whether this network is involved in primate fear remains unknown. To address this, we provoked flight responses to a predator (moving snake) in the marmoset monkey under laboratory conditions.

The Age-Dependent Neural Substrates of Blindsight.

Some patients who are considered cortically blind due to the loss of their primary visual cortex (V1) show a remarkable ability to act upon or discriminate between visual stimuli presented to their blind field, without any awareness of those stimuli. This phenomenon is often referred to as blindsight. Despite the range of spared visual abilities, the identification of the pathways mediating blindsight remains an active and contentious topic in the field.

Prehensile kinematics of the marmoset monkey: Implications for the evolution of visually-guided behaviors.

Throughout the primate lineage, there is a wide diversity of prehensile capacity that is thought to stem from individual species foraging patterns. While many studies have explored primates with precise hand grips, such as higher apes, few have considered primates that lack opposition movements. The New World marmoset monkey occupies an intriguing niche, displaying adept control of their hand movements yet their absence of opposable digits results in relatively imprecise grasping actions when compared with those observed in Old World monkeys, apes, and humans.

Transient visual pathway critical for normal development of primate grasping behavior.

An evolutionary hallmark of anthropoid primates, including humans, is the use of vision to guide precise manual movements. These behaviors are reliant on a specialized visual input to the posterior parietal cortex. Here, we show that normal primate reaching-and-grasping behavior depends critically on a visual pathway through the thalamic pulvinar, which is thought to relay information to the middle temporal (MT) area during early life and then swiftly withdraws.