Recent ucsb_cmpsc items

Perceptual learning of prosthetic vision using video game training

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A key limitation shared by both electronic and optogenetic sight recovery technologies is that they cause simultaneous rather than complementary firing within on- and off-center cells. Here, using "virtual patients"-sighted individuals viewing distorted input-we examine whether gamified training improves the ability to compensate for distortions in neuronal population coding. We measured perceptual learning using dichoptic input, filtered so that regions of the image that produced on-center responses in one eye produced off-center responses in the other eye. The Non-Gaming control group carried out an object discrimination task over five sessions using this filtered input. The Gaming group carried out an additional 25 hours of gamified training using a similarly filtered variant of the video game Fruit Ninja. Both groups showed improvements over time in the object discrimination task. However, there was no significant transfer of learning from the "Fruit Ninja" task to the object...

Effects of noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation on spatial memory in virtual reality

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Spatial memory and navigation are foundational cognitive functions intricately tied to the hippocampal and striatal neural circuits. These regions integrate multisensory inputs from the environment, with the vestibular system exerting a particularly strong influence on visuospatial processing. While prior work has explored how Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) can enhance spatial cognition in individuals with vestibular disorders, limited research has focused on its potentially beneficial effects in those without vestibular disorders. To address this gap, we present a study using a novel experimental paradigm that combines noisy GVS (nGVS) with virtual reality (VR) to systematically examine the impact of vestibular stimulation on spatial learning and memory in healthy adults. Our findings (n=32) suggest that nGVS can significantly improve spatial memory performance, facilitating learning and recollection compared to the without-nGVS condition. Unlike previous screen-based...

Simulated prosthetic vision confirms checkerboard as an effective raster pattern for epiretinal implants.

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Objective:Spatial scheduling of electrode activation ("rastering") is essential for safely operating high-density retinal implants, yet its perceptual consequences remain poorly understood. This study systematically evaluates the impact of raster patterns, or spatial arrangements of sequential electrode activation, on performance and perceived difficulty in simulated prosthetic vision (SPV). By addressing this gap, we aimed to identify patterns that optimize functional vision in retinal implants. Approach:Sighted participants completed letter recognition and motion discrimination tasks under four raster patterns (horizontal, vertical, checkerboard, and random) using an immersive SPV system. The simulations emulated epiretinal implant perception and employed psychophysically validated models of electrode activation, phosphene appearance, nonlinear spatial summation, and temporal dynamics, ensuring realistic representation of prosthetic vision. Performance accuracy...

Network measurements for telehealth optimizations understanding internet paths in remote regions

Fri, 4 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Network measurements for telehealth optimizations understanding internet paths in remote regions

Stramash: A Fused-Kernel Operating System For Cache-Coherent, Heterogeneous-ISA Platforms

Wed, 9 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Stramash: A Fused-Kernel Operating System For Cache-Coherent, Heterogeneous-ISA Platforms

Assistive technology use in domestic activities by people who are blind

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

People who are blind employ unique strategies when performing instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs), often relying on multiple sensory modalities and assistive technologies. While prior research has extensively explored adaptive strategies for outdoor activities like wayfinding and navigation, less emphasis has been placed on the information needs and problem-solving strategies for managing domestic activities. To address this gap, our study presents insights from 16 semi-structured interviews with individuals who are either legally or completely blind, highlighting both the current use and potential future applications of technologies for home-based iADLs. Our findings reveal several underexplored challenges, including the difficulty of locating misplaced objects, a structured problem-solving approach where digital tools are a last resort, and limited awareness of assistive training programs. Participants also faced persistent usability barriers as software updates...

Aligning Visual Prosthetic Development With Implantee Needs

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: Visual prosthetics are a promising assistive technology for vision loss, yet research often overlooks the human aspects of this technology. While previous studies focus on the perceptual experiences or attitudes of implant recipients (implantees), a systematic account of how current implants are being used in everyday life is still lacking. Methods: We interviewed six recipients of the most widely used visual implants (Argus II and Orion) and six leading researchers in the field. Through thematic analyses, we explored the daily usage of these implants by implantees and compared their responses to the expectations of researchers. We also sought implantees' input on desired features for future versions, aiming to inform the development of the next generation of implants. Results: Although implants are designed to facilitate various daily activities, we found that implantees use them less frequently than researchers expect. This discrepancy primarily stems from issues with...

Home-Use and Portable Biofeedback Lowers Anxiety and Pain in Chronic Pain Subjects.

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In this study, we investigated the use of novel, home-use and portable biofeedback devices in a remote program for managing chronic pain. In three separate 4-week pilot studies, participants engaged in twice-daily, 10-minute biofeedback sessions, with self-assessed reductions in anxiety and pain levels using the 6-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), respectively, in Studies 2 and 3. Among these 113 (Study 2) and 237 (Study 3) biofeedback sessions, 81 (∼72%) and 130 (∼55%) showed reductions in pain, while 93 (∼82%) and 184 (∼78%) experienced reductions in anxiety. A positive relationship was found between anxiety and pain reduction, indicating that larger reductions in anxiety correspond to larger reductions in pain. In Study 1, only anxiety reductions were measured: across 143 biofeedback sessions, 127 experienced reductions in anxiety (∼89%). Participants in all studies demonstrated reductions in baseline to final results in pain, anxiety,...

Bayesian polynomial neural networks and polynomial neural ordinary differential equations

Sat, 9 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Symbolic regression with polynomial neural networks and polynomial neural ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are two recent and powerful approaches for equation recovery of many science and engineering problems. However, these methods provide point estimates for the model parameters and are currently unable to accommodate noisy data. We address this challenge by developing and validating the following Bayesian inference methods: the Laplace approximation, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling methods, and variational inference. We have found the Laplace approximation to be the best method for this class of problems. Our work can be easily extended to the broader class of symbolic neural networks to which the polynomial neural network belongs.

Airflow Modeling for Citrus under Protective Screens

Fri, 8 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study explores the development and validation of an airflow model to support climate prediction for Citrus Under Protective Screens (CUPS) in California. CUPS is a permeable screen structure designed to protect a field of citrus trees from large insects including the vector that causes the devastating citrus greening disease. Because screen structures modify the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, relative humidity, airflow), farm management and treatment strategies (e.g., pesticide spraying events) must be modified to account for these differences. Toward this end, we develop a model for predicting wind speed and direction in a commercial-scale research CUPS, using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. We describe the model and validate it in two ways. In the first, we model a small-scale replica CUPS under controlled conditions and compare modeled and measured airflow in and around the replica structure. In the second, we model the full-scale CUPS and use...

OpenPiton4HPC: Optimizing OpenPiton Toward High-Performance Manycores

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

OpenPiton4HPC: Optimizing OpenPiton Toward High-Performance Manycores

The Efficacy of the Connect America Fund in Addressing US Internet Access Inequities

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Efficacy of the Connect America Fund in Addressing US Internet Access Inequities

Regulation of CSF and Brain Tissue Sodium Levels by the Blood-CSF and Blood-Brain Barriers During Migraine

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissue sodium levels increase during migraine. However, little is known regarding the underlying mechanisms of sodium homeostasis disturbance in the brain during the onset and propagation of migraine. Exploring the cause of sodium dysregulation in the brain is important, since correction of the altered sodium homeostasis could potentially treat migraine. Under the hypothesis that disturbances in sodium transport mechanisms at the blood-CSF barrier (BCSFB) and/or the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are the underlying cause of the elevated CSF and brain tissue sodium levels during migraines, we developed a mechanistic, differential equation model of a rat's brain to compare the significance of the BCSFB and the BBB in controlling CSF and brain tissue sodium levels. The model includes the ventricular system, subarachnoid space, brain tissue and blood. Sodium transport from blood to CSF across the BCSFB, and from blood to brain tissue across the BBB were...

Stress affects navigation strategies in immersive virtual reality

Mon, 1 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

There are known individual differences in both the ability to learn the layout of novel environments and the flexibility of strategies for navigating known environments. However, it is unclear how navigational abilities are impacted by high-stress scenarios. Here we used immersive virtual reality (VR) to develop a novel behavioral paradigm to examine navigation under dynamically changing situations. We recruited 48 participants (24 female; ages 17–32) to navigate a virtual maze (7.5 m × 7.5 m). Participants learned the maze by moving along a fixed path past the maze’s landmarks (paintings). Subsequently, participants experienced either a non-stress condition, or a high-stress condition tasking them with navigating the maze. In the high-stress condition, their initial path was blocked, the environment was darkened, threatening music was played, fog obstructed more distal views of the environment, and participants were given a time limit of 20 s with a countdown timer...

Comparison of Rapid-, Kaolin-, and Native-TEG Parameters in Burn Patient Cohorts With Acute Burn-induced Coagulopathy and Abnormal Fibrinolytic Function

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Although use of thromboelastography (TEG) to diagnose coagulopathy and guide clinical decision-making is increasing, relative performance of different TEG methods has not been well-defined. Rapid-TEG (rTEG), kaolin-TEG (kTEG), and native-TEG (nTEG) were performed on blood samples from burn patients presenting to a regional center from admission to 21 days. Patients were categorized by burn severity, mortality, and fibrinolytic phenotypes (Shutdown [SD], Physiologic [PHYS], and Hyperfibrinolytic [HF]). Manufacturer ranges and published TEG cutoffs were examined. Concordance correlations (Rc) of TEG parameters (R, α-angle, maximum amplitude [MA], LY30) measured agreement and Cohen's Kappa (κ) determined interclass reliability. Patients (n = 121) were mostly male (n = 84; 69.4%), with median age 40 years, median TBSA burn 13%, and mortality 17% (n = 21). Severe burns (≥40% TBSA) were associated with lower admission α-angle for rTEG (P = .03) and lower MA for rTEG (P = .02) and kTEG...

Challenges and Opportunities for Beyond-5G Wireless Security

Tue, 4 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Challenges and Opportunities for Beyond-5G Wireless Security

Cohort: Software-Oriented Acceleration for Heterogeneous SoCs

Wed, 8 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Philosophically, our approaches to acceleration focus on the extreme. We must optimise accelerators to the maximum, leaving software to fix any hardware-software mismatches. Today's software abstractions for programming accelerators leak hardware details, requiring changes to data formats and manual memory and coherence management, among other issues. This harms generality and requires deep hardware knowledge to efficiently program accelerators, a state which we consider hardware-oriented. This paper proposes Software-Oriented Acceleration (SOA), where software uses existing abstractions, like software shared-memory queues, to interact with accelerators. We introduce the Cohort engine which exploits these queues' standard semantics to efficiently connect producers and consumers in software with accelerators with minimal application changes. Accelerators are even usable in chains which can be runtime reconfigured by software. Cohort significantly reduces the burden to add new accelerators...

Zoomie: A Software-like Debugging Tool for FPGAs

Wed, 8 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Zoomie: A Software-like Debugging Tool for FPGAs

Non-Abelian braiding of graph vertices in a superconducting processor

Mon, 1 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Indistinguishability of particles is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics1. For all elementary and quasiparticles observed to date—including fermions, bosons and Abelian anyons—this principle guarantees that the braiding of identical particles leaves the system unchanged2,3. However, in two spatial dimensions, an intriguing possibility exists: braiding of non-Abelian anyons causes rotations in a space of topologically degenerate wavefunctions4–8. Hence, it can change the observables of the system without violating the principle of indistinguishability. Despite the well-developed mathematical description of non-Abelian anyons and numerous theoretical proposals9–22, the experimental observation of their exchange statistics has remained elusive for decades. Controllable many-body quantum states generated on quantum processors offer another path for exploring these fundamental phenomena. Whereas efforts on conventional solid-state platforms typically involve Hamiltonian dynamics...

A Computational Model of Phosphene Appearance for Epiretinal Prostheses