New study finds blind people have the potential to use their 'inner bat' to locate objects

New study finds blind people have the potential to use their 'inner bat' to locate objects

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

New research from the University of Southampton has shown that blind and visually impaired people have the potential to use echolocation, similar to that used by bats and dolphins, to determine the location of an object.

The study, which is published in the journal Hearing Research, examined how hearing, and particularly the hearing of echoes, could help blind people with spatial awareness and navigation. The study also examined the possible effects of hearing impairment and how to optimise echolocation ability in order to help improve the independence and quality of life of people with visual impairments.

Researchers from the University of Southampton's Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) and University of Cyprus conducted a series of experiments with sighted and blind human listeners, using a 'virtual auditory space' technique, to investigate the effects of the distance and orientation of a reflective object on ability to identify the right-versus-left position of the object. They used sounds with different bandwidths and durations (from 10?400 milliseconds) as well as various audio manipulations to investigate which aspects of the sounds were important. The virtual auditory space, which was created in ISVR's anechoic chamber, allowed researchers to remove positional clues unrelated to echoes, such as footsteps and the placement of an object, and to manipulate the sounds in ways that wouldn't be possible otherwise (e.g. get rid of the emission and present the echo only).

Dr Daniel Rowan, Lecturer in Audiology in ISVR and lead author of the study, says: "We wanted to determine unambiguously whether blind people, and perhaps even sighted people, can use echoes from an object to determine roughly where the object is located. We also wanted to figure out what factors facilitate and restrict people's abilities to use echoes for this purpose in order to know how to enhance ability in the real world."

The results showed that both sighted and blind people with good hearing, even if completely inexperienced with echolocation, showed the potential to use echoes to tell where objects are. The researchers also found that hearing high-frequency sounds (above 2 kHz) is required for good performance, and so common forms of hearing impairment will probably cause major problems.

Dr Daniel Rowan adds: "Some people are better at this than others, and being blind doesn't automatically confer good echolocation ability, though we don't yet know why. Nevertheless, ability probably gets even better with extensive experience and feedback.

"We also found that our ability to use echoes to locate an object gets rapidly worse with increasing distance from the object, especially when the object is not directly facing us. While our experiments purposely removed any influence of head movement, doing so might help extend ability to farther distances. Furthermore, some echo-producing sounds are better for determining where an object is than others, and the best sounds for locating an object probably aren't the same as for detecting the object or determining what, and how far away, the object is."

The knowledge gained from this study will help researchers to develop training programmes and assistive devices for blind people and sighted people in low-vision situations. The team is also extending their research to investigate finding of objects in three-dimensional space and why some blind people seem to be able to outperform others, including sighted people.

###

University of Southampton: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/

Thanks to University of Southampton for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 40 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128327/New_study_finds_blind_people_have_the_potential_to_use_their__inner_bat__to_locate_objects

Scandal denver broncos new england patriots Zayn Malik miss america 2013 Oscar Nominations ABC Family

NASA's IRIS mission readies for a new challenge

May 21, 2013 ? NASA is getting ready to launch a new mission, a mission to observe a largely unexplored region of the solar atmosphere that powers its dynamic million-degree outer atmosphere and drives the solar wind.

In late June 2013, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, will launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. IRIS will advance our understanding of the interface region, a region in the lower atmosphere of the sun where most of the sun's ultraviolet emissions are generated. Such emissions impact the near-Earth space environment and Earth's climate.

The interface region lies between the sun's 11,000-degree Fahrenheit, white-hot, visible surface, the photosphere, and the much hotter multi-million-degree upper corona. Interactions between the violently moving plasma and the sun's magnetic field in this area may be the source of the energy that heats the corona to some hundreds and occasionally thousands of times hotter than the sun's surface.

IRIS will orbit Earth and use its ultraviolet telescope to obtain high-resolution solar images and spectra. IRIS observations along with advanced computer models will deepen our understanding of how heat and energy move through the lower atmosphere of the sun and other sun-like stars.

For more information about NASA's IRIS mission, please visit: http://www.nasa.gov/iris

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130521134305.htm

Sim City Manchester United Alvin Lee mila kunis hugo chavez jamie lynn spears Chavez Dead

Olympia Circuits shows Arduino datalogger and Arno Add-Ons at Maker Faire 2013

Olympia Circuits is best known for its Arno board and Arno Shield, which are designed to ease the Arduino learning curve by providing a bevy of pre-wired sensors and controls along with detailed instructions for several DIY projects. The company announced a couple of new products at Maker Faire this past weekend: the Arno Digital RGB Add-On and the SODA HE-1.0 Arduino datalogger. With the former, your Arno simply gains three RGB LEDs, while the latter stands for "Simple, Open Data Acquisition, High Efficiency." It's an Arduino board with screw terminals designed around Atmel's ATmega32u4 that features a real-time clock (RTC) with battery backup, a high-precision ADC and a microSD card slot. The RTC can either wake the entire board or trigger an interrupt at set intervals, which makes the board very power efficient when used in the field. Olympia Circuits will be updating its website with more info shortly (including availability and pricing). Until then, don't miss our hands-on gallery below.

Gallery: Olympia Circuits at Maker Faire 2013

Filed under: Misc

Comments

Source: Olympia Circuts

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/XWpY_xtU3C4/

texas news kim mulkey sarah palin today show dallas tornado video 1940 census instagram for android dallas news

#7: Levi's Women's 542 Plus-Size Short ~ Denim Store 2013

Do you think about getting?#7: Levi's Women's 542 Plus-Size Short?and you simply looking the best deal this product? or you want to find some reviews from people who have used this product before you buy it?

If so then you are at the right place. I'll give you some tips before you buy this product. So you are not disappointed after buying it and in accordance with the product you need. You can also find price comparisons from sellers that I met, so you really get the best price currently for this great product.

(3)

Buy new: $36.99

(Visit the Best Sellers in Denim list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)

The Internet is a great research tool but sometimes all of the information can make you feel like your head is goung to explode. Fortunatey we have done some research for you. If you interest to buy this product, Add To Your Cart and get today special offers for

Don't Miss this Amazing Deal!?Just a few more days before prices go up again!!?Purchase now to ensure you get the best price

Source: http://denimstyle2013.blogspot.com/2013/05/7-levis-womens-542-plus-size-short.html

Dick Van Dyke pro bowl victoria azarenka Royal Rumble 2013 senior bowl norovirus Eclampsia

Lynn R. Goldman: Ending the Silence on Mental Illness

As the dean of the George Washington (GW) University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS), I often walk to my day's appointments in the District of Columbia. Not unlike any other large urban area, I often pass men and women who seem to be suffering from severe mental illness. Like many of us, I have a close family member with mental illness. So I am aware of the difficult life journeys that may have led them to this point.

That is why I applaud President Obama's budget proposal, which calls for $235 million in new mental health initiatives, including $130 million for a program that would help train teachers and adults to recognize the first signs of mental illness in children -- and refer them to get help.

The push to provide young people with better care for mental disorders couldn't come at a better time. This month, the nation celebrates "May Is Mental Health Month," a campaign that calls attention to the fact that a staggering 1 in 5 Americans suffered from some form of mental illness during 2011.

We know that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness start by age 14, and three-quarters by age 24. Research also tells us there are long delays between the onset of symptoms and treatment. Those lags can increase the risk of lifelong consequences resulting from missed opportunities to treat children and teens and support their transition to adulthood.

A new study of 11 states by the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS), a nonpartisan policy center based at SPHHS, suggests that system-wide shortfalls in mental health care have left many American children and young adults without adequate treatment. Fewer than 10 percent of children who needed mental health services got them on a timely basis and less than half of those diagnosed with a serious mental disorder ever got treatment from a specialty mental health provider.

The gaps in the nation's mental health care system are widely attributed to a lack of insurance coverage, a shortage in trained mental health professionals, inadequate research and the overreliance on quick-fix solutions for complex conditions.

The truth is we still do not understand the complicated mix of genetics, environmental triggers and other factors that underlie the development of many brain disorders, including mental illness. President Obama's BRAIN initiative, a partnership between government, private industry and scientists, will map neural networks in the brain and promises to provide fundamental knowledge to help pave the way to a better understanding of how to prevent and treat mental illness.

With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the GW study points to some innovative solutions that might provide children with better access to treatment in the here and now. For example, West Virginia has a state-wide system that uses schools to identify children who are in trouble -- and get them into treatment earlier. Massachusetts has expanded access to children's mental health screenings; Minnesota is working to reduce the shortages of mental health professionals in rural areas of the state.

We need more innovative solutions coming out of the states but the new federal initiative will help strengthen our system so that no child gets left out.

Teachers, parents, public health professionals and members of the college community must also join in this movement. For example, colleges must step up their efforts to identify and provide help to students who are showing signs of depression and other mental disorders. Every year about 1,100 college students commit suicide, a public health problem that will be addressed by George Washington University experts and students at a Congressional briefing to be hosted on May 22 by Rep. Grace Napolitano.

Prevention and fast access to care is one key to preventing such tragedies. This semester, the George Washington University Counseling Center created a system to ensure that at-risk students can get care right away, providing walk-in appointments for students who want to speak to a counselor. The center also supports a crisis line that students can call to speak to a trained mental health counselor.

The truth is that from the college campus to the workplace, we are all members of a national and increasingly global community. We must all learn the signs of depression and other mental disorders and reach out to someone in trouble. We can all weigh into the national debate on mental health care. And we must all address the shame and stigma that have kept mental illness cloaked in secrecy and have made it difficult for people to speak out about these common conditions and to get help. One voice at a time, we can build a better mental health care system, one that ensures that we all stay healthy and thrive.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

For more by Lynn R. Goldman, click here.

For more on mental health, click here.

?

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lynn-r-goldman/mental-health-stigma_b_3292364.html

lamar d antoni fashion star andrew bird lizzie borden lizzie borden iona

Car bombs in Baghdad, south Iraq kill at least 40

BAGHDAD (AP) ? A wave of car bombings across Baghdad's Shiite neighborhoods and in the southern city of Basra killed at least 40 people on Monday, striking at market places and crowded bus stops during the busy morning hours, officials said.

The attacks are the latest in a recent spike of bombings that has hit both Sunni and Shiite civilian targets over the past week. The bloodshed has raised fears of a return to the widespread sectarian violence of 2006-2007 that brought the country to the edge of civil war.

In the Iraqi capital, nine car bombs went off at bus stops, open-air markets and in the streets of Shiite areas, killing 27 people and wounding 116, according to police officials.

The deadliest attacks came in the northern Sabi al-Boor neighborhood and in Baghdad's eastern suburb of Kamaliya. Seven people were killed in each of those attacks.

In the southern city of Basra, two car bombs ? one near a restaurant and the other at the city's main bus station ? killed at least 13 and wounded 40, according to the provincial police spokesman, Col. Abdul-Karim al-Zaidi, and the head of city's health directorate, Riadh Abdul-Amir.

The blast at the Basra bus station ripped through food stalls that serve falafel and eggs to travelers. Slippers lay scattered on the bloodstained pavement.

A Basra resident, Talib Dakhil, said he was at the station when the explosion went off. "This will not discourage us from continuing out life," he said. "We will continue challenging terrorism, whatever happens."

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts but such large-scale bombings bear the hallmarks of al-Qaida in Iraq.

Hospital officials in Baghdad and Basra confirmed the casualty tolls. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

In Baghdad, Malik Ibrahim blamed the government and political parties for the bloodshed and the lack of security in the country.

"How long do we have to continue living like this, with all the lies from the government," asked the 23-year-old Baghdad resident. "Whenever they say they have reached a solution, the bombings come back stronger than before."

"We're fed up with them and we can't tolerate this anymore," he added.

Tensions have been intensifying in Iraq since the country's minority since Sunnis began protesting what they say is mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government, including random detentions and neglect.

The protests, which began in December, have largely been peaceful, but the number of attacks rose sharply after a deadly security crackdown on a Sunni protest camp in the country's north on April 23.

Majority Shiites control the levers of power in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. Wishing to rebuild the nation rather than revert to open warfare, they have largely restrained their militias over the past five years or so as Sunni extremist groups such as al-Qaida have targeted them with occasional large-scale attacks.

___

Associated Press writer Nabil Al-Jurani in Basra contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/car-bombs-baghdad-south-iraq-kill-least-40-100002324.html

arizona cardinals Big Bird Adam Greenberg Fall Leaves Jim Lehrer 666 Park Avenue Kara Alongi

Small Fla. city wonders who won Powerball jackpot

A woman prepares to choose her numbers on a lottery ticket Saturday, May 18, 2013, in the Chinatown district in Oakland, Calif. A record Powerball jackpot has climbed to $600 million, and lottery officials speculated the jackpot would continue to soar in the run-up to Saturday?s drawing. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

A woman prepares to choose her numbers on a lottery ticket Saturday, May 18, 2013, in the Chinatown district in Oakland, Calif. A record Powerball jackpot has climbed to $600 million, and lottery officials speculated the jackpot would continue to soar in the run-up to Saturday?s drawing. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Armous Peterson figures out what numbers he is going to play in the Powerball lottery at Jimmy's Mart on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Columbia, S.C. Peterson keeps track of what numbers he plays from week to week. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Armous Peterson fills out his slip for the Powerball lottery at Jimmy's Mart on Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Columbia, S.C. Peterson keeps track of what numbers he plays from week to week. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Kelly Branscom, of Zionsville, buys 2 Powerball lottery tickets, one for her and one for her cat Token, from a walk up window at a Hess gas station on the corner of Brodhead Avenue and Broadway, Saturday, May 18, 2013 in Bethlehem, Pa.. At left, is Alex Lopez, of Bethlehem, with Powerball tickets in hand. (AP Photo/The Express-Times, Stephen Flood)

A clerk dispenses a Powerball Lottery ticket in Oklahoma City, Friday, May 17, 2013. Powerball officials say the jackpot has climbed to an estimated $600 million, making it the largest prize in the game's history and the world's second largest lottery prize.(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. (AP) ? Some lucky person walked into a Publix supermarket in suburban Florida over the past few days and bought a ticket now worth an estimated $590.5 million ? the highest Powerball jackpot in history.

But it wasn't Matthew Bogel. On Sunday, he loaded groceries into his car after shopping at the Publix. He shook his head when asked about the jackpot.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" he said. "That's so much money."

It's an amount too high for many to imagine. Compare it to the budget for the city of Zephyrhills: This year's figure is just more than $49 million. The winning Powerball jackpot is 12 times that.

Whoever has the ticket hadn't come forward as of Sunday afternoon.

"This would be the sixth Florida Powerball winner and right now, it's the sole winner of the largest ever Powerball jackpot," Florida Lottery executive Cindy O'Connell told The Associated Press. "We're delighted right now that we have the sole winner."

Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous said that there are a lot of rumors about who won, but the store doesn't know. "We're excited for the winner or winners," she said.

Florida Lottery spokesman David Bishop said Sunday afternoon that it was doubtful the winner would come forward that day. The ticket-holder can't claim the prize until Monday when the agency opens, he said.

"It never happens this quickly," Bishop said. "If they know they won, they're going to contact their attorney or an accountant first so they can get their affairs in order."

O'Connell said Florida has had more Powerball winners than any other state but did not give any indication whether anyone had stepped forward with the winning ticket in Saturday's drawing.

But plenty of people in Zephyrhills ? population 13,337 ? are wondering whether it's someone they know.

Joan Albertson drove to the Publix early Sunday morning with her camera in hand, in case the winner emerged. She said she had bought a ticket at a store across the street, and the idea of winning that much money was still something of a shock.

"Oh, there's so much good that you could do with that amount of money." Albertson said. "I don't even know where to begin."

Zephyrhills is a small city in Pasco County, about 30 miles northeast of downtown Tampa. Once a rural farming town, it's now known as a hotbed for skydiving activity, and the home to large retiree mobile home parks and Zephyrhills bottled water.

And now, one lucky lottery ticket.

"I'm getting text messages and messages from Facebook going, 'uh, did you win the lottery?'" Sandra Lewis said. "No, I didn't win, guys. Sorry."

Sara Jeltis said her parents in Michigan texted her with the news Sunday morning.

"Well, it didn't click till I came here," she said, gesturing to the half-dozen TV live trucks humming in the Publix parking lot. "And I'm like, wow I can't believe it, it's shocking! Out of the whole country, this Publix, in little Zephyrhills would be the winner."

With four out of every five possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, lottery executives said Saturday that someone was almost certain to win the game's highest jackpot, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars ? and that's after taxes.

The winning numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball of 11.

Estimates had earlier put the jackpot at around $600 million. But Powerball's online site said Sunday that the jackpot had reached an estimated $590.5 million.

The world's largest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012.

Terry Rich, CEO of the Iowa Lottery, initially confirmed that one Florida winning ticket had been sold. He told AP that following the Florida winner, the Powerball grand prize was being reset at an estimated jackpot of $40 million, or about $25.1 million cash value.

The chances of winning the prize were astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That's how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play. But lottery officials estimated that about 80 percent of those possible combinations had been purchased recently.

While the odds are low for any one individual or individuals, O'Connell said, the chance that one hits paydirt is what makes Powerball exciting.

"There is just the chance that you will have the opportunity, and Florida is a huge Powerball state," O'Connell said. "We have had more winners than any other state that participates in Powerball."

The longshot odds didn't deter people across Powerball-playing states ? 43 plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands ? from lining up at gas stations and convenience stores Saturday.

Clyde Barrow, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in the gaming industry. He said one of the key factors behind the ticket-buying frenzy is the size of the jackpot ? people are interested in the easy investment.

"Even though the odds are very low, the investment is very small," he said. "Two dollars gets you a chance."

Lewis, who went to the Publix on Sunday to buy water, said she didn't play ? and she isn't upset about it.

"Life goes on," she said, shrugging. "I'm good."

___

Rodriguez reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writer Kelli Kennedy in Miami contributed to this report.

___

Follow Tamara Lush at http://twitter.com/tamaralush.

Follow Barbara Rodriguez at http://twitter.com/bcrodriguez.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-19-Powerball%20Jackpot/id-65e0342b085f460a9aff267c482a02a5

Donna Savattere deer antler spray Jason London rick ross yahoo finance iOS 6.1 BlackBerry