VISUAL REHABILITATION IN LOW VISION PATIENTS WITH AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Using optical visual aids, visual rehabilitation was performed in 14 low vision patients(25 eyes) with age-related macular degeneration. With distance aids, visual acuity improvement appeared in 24 eyes(95%) out of the 25 eyes. Twelve eyes(48%) obtained a visual acuity equal to or better than 0.4. With near visual aids, near acuity of all eyes(100%) was improved. Thirteen eyes(52%) got the near vision equal to or better than 0.5. Ten patients could read No.5 Chinese Reading Card. The reading success rat...

AB097.Barriers and facilitators related to the use of optical low vision aids,a scoping review

Background:In recent decades,several studies have been performed in the field of(non-)use of assistive technology devices(ATs)and have found that many variables are likely to be involved in the decision-making process of whether a person with a disability uses or abandons their aids.In low vision rehabilitation,high variability rates and a variety of reasons for non-use of low vision aids has been reported.Determinants of non-use of ATs have previously been categorized into personal factors,ATs factors,environmental factors of the user,and intervention factors.It is probable that some of these factors are also associated with the use of optical low vision aids(OLVAs).Thus,using a framework about adherence with medical interventions,the aim of this scoping review was to explore barriers and facilitators related to OLVAs(non-)use.Methods:Existing guidelines of the scoping review Methods were used to examine and summarize the extent,range,and nature of findings regarding factor categories associated to OLVAs usage.Searches were conducted using the following online databases:Embase,MedLine,and ERIC without limitation on publication dates.A combination of key words and MeSH terms was used based upon the identified core concepts of the research question:(I)low vision;(II)assistive technology;and(III)adherence.A charting form,a flow chart of the study selection process,and a combination of a descriptive numerical analysis and a thematic analysis of 24 studies were performed.Results:The results of this review indicate high variability rates(range:13-50%,M=24%,SD=10%)of people possessing OLVAs but not using them.Most authors do not use a precise definition of“non-use”,and when a definition is provided,the terminology is inconsistent.As expected,the four categories of variables identified are likely to be involved in OLVAs’(non-)use:(I)the largest number of concerns were personal factors.Several aspects regarding personal characteristics were identified,such as demographic,physical,psychological,social-emotional,and occupational factors.Some variables,such as age,diagnosis and visual acuity were reported as contradictorily influencing the OLVAs’usage;(II)ATs factors were associated with quality,appearance,practical aspects of use and the very type of OLVAs;(III)environmental factors referred to social support,physical barriers,expectations of the social environment,presence of a helper,and stigmatization;(IV)finally,intervention factors consisted of taking into account user’s opinions,positive health care experiences,instruction and training,provision processes,delivery periods,and follow-up services.Conclusions:This scoping review provides the preliminary evidence that factors related to OLVAs non-use could be classified into the same four typical categories described in the theory of non-adherence.These results suggest that strategies intended to enhance adherence might be for OLVAs should focus on these four aspects of device use.

Validity and reliability study of Turkish version on low vision with quality of life questionnaire

AIM:To adapt the low vision-related quality of life(LVQOL) instrument into Turkish language and to assess its validity and reliability.METHODS:The study was conducted in 387 patients attending the Centre of Low Vision Rehabilitation,Faculty of Medicine,Ankara University.For statistical analyses,the Spearman's correlation coefficient,Cronbach's alpha coefficient and Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA) were used.RESULTS:According to results of CFA,the item in the 'Adjustment' subscale because of having the factor loading below 0.40,was excluded from the questionnaire.The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed according to Cronbach's alpha coefficients.The reliability of the 'Distance Vision,Mobility,and Lighting' subscale was ?琢=0.863;of the 'Adjustment' subscale was ?琢=0.694;'Reading and Fine Work' was ?琢=0.791,and 'Activities of Daily Living' was ?琢= 0.770.So these results indicate that the questionnaire is reliable to measure the vision related quality of life of low-vision patients.The correlations between the subscales were also analyzed,and the correlation between 'Adjustment' and 'Reading and Fine Work' was found to be the lowest(rs=0.336,P <0.001),whereas the strongest correlation was found between the 'Reading and Fine Work',and 'Activities of Daily Living'.Additionally,the 'Adjustment' dimension showed the strongest correlation with only 'Distance Vision,Mobility,and Lighting' dimension.CONCLUSION:After removing the last item in the second dimension,the Turkish adaptation of all dimensions of the LVQOL has been shown to be reliable,valid and suitable for use in patients with low vision in Turkey.

"Made in China" Reflects Low Added-value in Global Industrial Divisions

The Belle Corporation is a Chinese domestic shoe maker and seller. It also belongs to an industry that has come to be representative of the ubiquitous "Made in China" label. One of the main reasons the company is favored by global investors is due to its unique business pattern-a pattern that sets manufacturing as its base and is active in exploring industrial chain downstream links and establishing its own individual retail channels. Ever since its first inception in the stock market, Belle has set out to acquire several upstream manufacturing companies, indicating its desire for increasing channel terminals. Using a vertically integrated competition strategy, Belle stands out amongst its rivals as being particularly successful in the non-mainstream manufacturing sector. Consequently, its business practices can be used as a model for other domestic manufacturing companies in their efforts to meet the challenges posed by globalization.

Prevalence and risk factors for eye diseases, blindness, and low vision in Lhasa, Tibet

AIM: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for eye diseases, blindness, and low vision in Tibet, and to assist the development of eye disease prevention and treatment schemes.METHODS: We carried out a survey of eye diseases among a population living at high altitude. A total of 1 115 Tibetan permanent residents aged 40 years or older from the towns and villages of Qushui County, Lhasa Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, participated in this study. All participants completed a detailed questio-nnaire, and underwent presenting and pinhole visual acuity tests,and a comprehensive ophthalmic examination.RESULTS: There were 187 blind eyes (8.43%), 231 eyes with low vision (10.41% ). The leading cause of visual impairment was cataract of 55.0% (101/187) blindness and of 50.2% (116/231) low vision, followed by fundus lesions of 22.9% blindness and 23.8% low vision, while only a low prevalence of glaucoma of 9.6% blindness and 1.7% low vision was observed. The analysis of 2 219 eyes showed that the most common external eye disease was pterygium (27.2%) in Tibet.CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of blindness and low vision in the Tibetan population at high altitude is a serious public health issue. There is a need to establish and maintain an appropriate effective eye care program in Tibet.

Responsiveness and minimal clinically important difference of the Chinese version of the Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire after cataract surgery

AIM: To investigate the Chinese version of the Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire(CLVQOL) as an instrument for obtaining clinically important changes after cataract surgery.METHODS: Patients underwent cataract surgery in Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, who fit the inclusion criteria were recruited. Two CLVQOLs were administered, including a preoperative CLVQOL and a CLVQOL at the end of the 3 mo follow-up period, and were completed using face-to-face interviews or phone interviews conducted by trained investigators. The minimal clinically important difference(MCID) was calculated using an anchor-based method and a distribution method. In addition, the responsiveness of the questionnaire was measured.RESULTS: A total of 155 residents were enrolled. The average visual acuity(VA) preoperatively was 0.08(SD=0.05), and it increased to 0.47(SD=0.28) at the end of followup. Statistically significant positive changes in the CLVQOL scores indicated significant improvement of vision related quality of life after cataract surgery. With the larger value between the two results as the final value, the MCID values of the CLVQOL(scores of the four scales as well as the total score) were 8.94, 2.61, 4.34, 3.10 and 17.63, respectively. The CLVQOL has both good internal and external responsiveness.CONCLUSION: CLVQOL scores are appropriate instruments for obtaining clinically important changes after cataract surgery. This study is an effective exploration for establishingcataract surgery efficacy standards, which helps clinical and scientific research workers in ophthalmology to gain a more in-depth understanding when using CLVQOL.

Functional outcome of the low vision aids for visual impairment secondary to central nervous system tumors in children

To assess functional outcomes of optical low vision aids(LVAs) for pediatric visual impairment due to central nervous system(CNS) tumors. A prospective case study was conducted on 15 children with history of CNS tumors with mean age of 10.47±1.85 y. Lighthouse distance, near visual acuity tests, cycloplegic refraction, reading speed measurement and visual field examination were done. Prescription of far and near LVAs followed by training sessions. LVPrasad-functional vision questionnaire was done to evaluate performance. Visual impairment was moderate(13.3%), severe(73.3%), profound(6.7%) and near blindness in 6.7%. Telescopes prescribed in 33.4%, video magnifier in 46.7%. Questionnaire scores were significantly improved for distant rather than near tasks(P≤0.05) after training. LVAs rehabilitation is an effective method of improving vision in pediatric visual defects secondary to CNS tumors.

Profile of Low Vision Patients in a Resource-Poor Underserved Setting of a Developing Country

Objectives: To identify causes of low vision among the patients in the Eye clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of all new consecutive low vision patients seen at the eye clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital-(UNTH) Ituku-Ozalla. All patients with low vision were evaluated by the researcher and the findings entered on a research protocol. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to generate frequency and percentage distributions and analytical statistics to test for significance of observed inter-group differences. In all comparisons, statistical significance was indicated by p < 0.05. Results: A total of 197 patients were seen comprising of 120 males and 77 females (M:F = 1.6:1) aged 39.3 ± 22.9 SD years. The main causes of low vision in the study population were glaucoma (36.0%), followed by oculocutaneous albinism (14.7%). The mean presenting distant VA was logMAR 1.1 (95% CI), while the mean near VA is logMar 1.0 (6/60, 20/200). After refraction, the mean distant VA was logMar 1.0, using unpaired t-test, the difference between the distant presenting and refracted VA were not statistically significant. 57.9% had distant VA after optical low vision assessment of logMar 0.9 - logMar - 0.2 while the mean distant VA was logMar 0.8 which was statistically significant. Near vision after optical assessment improved with a mean of logMar 0.8, which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Glaucoma was the commonest cause of low vision in this study. Optical low vision aids improved the visual functions of majority of the patients in this study.

A Solution for Scalable Routing in Depth Divisions-Based DUSNs via Adding a Scalable Parameter to Control Depth Clusters: Creating an Energy Efficient and Low Delay NI-Independent Communication Protocol

Due to effectiveness of network layer on general performance of networks, designing routing protocols is very important for lifetime and traffic efficiency in wireless sensor networks. So in this paper, we are going to represent an efficient and scalable version of depth-based routing (DBR) protocol that is limited by depth divisions-policy. In fact the new version is a network information independent routing protocol for acoustic communications. Proposed method by use of depth clustering is able to reduce consumed energy and end-to-end delay in dense underwater sensor networks (DUSNs) and this issue is proved by simulation.

The Contrast Sensitivity Function in Low Vision

The contrast sensitivity of 51 low vision patients (95 eyes) showed a substantial decrease in all spatial frequencies. The peak contrast sensitivity was shifted to 1 C/D from the normal 3-4 C/D. The high-frequency cut off is correlated to the visual acuity positively. Of the 33 patients, the preferred eye was the eye with better peak sensitivity in 28 patients (84%), while the preferred eye was the eye with better visual acuity in 22 patients (66%). It seems that the peak sensitivity is more important t...

Quantitative Evaluation of Flicker ERG Waveforms in Low Vision Patients

Flicker electroretinograms(FERGs)of 30Hz were recorded for 46eyes(23 cases)of low vision,including 38 eyes with retinal diseases and 8eyes with optic neuropathy,and for 39 normal eyes(33 cases).The recordedwave forms were analysed by two methods:(1)to measure the peak to peakamplitude and pseudophase directly,and(2)to measure the amplitude andphase of fundamental response component(30Hz)by discrete Fourier trans-form(DFT).The abnormality ratios between these two methods were com-pared in low vision pati...

Prevalence of Charles Bonnet syndrome in low vision:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Charles Bonnet syndrome(CBS)is characterized by vivid lifelike visual hallucinations and is typically seen in individuals with visual impairment.In this systematic review,we summarize current knowledge on the prevalence of CBS in patients with low vision.Methods:We searched 11 literature databases on 21 April 2021 for studies on the prevalence of CBS in low vision populations.Our protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database(reg.No.CRD42021255021).Eligible studies were defined as those on a population of low vision patients wherein the prevalence of CBS was evaluated(without any further restriction on the method for diagnosis of CBS).No restriction was enforced on study design,but we expected observational cross-sectional studies due to the nature of our research question.Two authors independently extracted data and evaluated risk of bias of individual studies using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality checklist for cross-sectional studies.Studies underwent qualitative review in the text and quantitatively in a prevalence meta-analysis using the random-effects model.Sensitivity analysis was made to evaluate the robustness of the summary estimate.Results:We identified 11 studies,which summarized data on 4,521 individuals with visual impairment.Diagnosis of CBS was based on screening questions or interviews,which in positive cases often was explored in more detail with follow-up questions or interviews.Most studies either had normal mental state as a participant eligibility criterion or as a part of the diagnosis of CBS.The pooled prevalence of CBS in low vision patients aged≥40 years was 19.7%(95%CI:13.8%to 26.4%).The sensitivity analysis showed certain robustness in the summary prevalence estimate wherein prevalence estimates ranged from 16.9%to 22.5%.Conclusions:CBS is a prevalent condition in patients with low vision at a rate of approximately one in five patients.Considering that an estimated 239 million individuals have moderate visual impairment or worse,we estimate a global number of patients with CBS at approximately 47.2 million.

AB030.Usability of ArtontheBrain:A visual-arts based mobile health solution to promote quality of life in older adults with low vision due to age-related macular degeneration

Background:Taking part in productive and enjoyable recreational activities has been shown improve quality of life for people of all ages and capabilities.However,vision loss can have a significant impact on participation in important leisure activities.This is especially the case for the elderly,whose lowered mobility is further impacted by vision loss.Technology can offer solutions to bridging some barriers caused by these deficits by bringing leisure activities to the user in the form of mobile applications.As such,the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the accessibility and usability of the ArtOnTheBrain application,a visual art based mobile health solution to promote brain health and well-being,by older adults with low vision due to age-related macular degeneration(AMD).Methods:There were a total of 16 participants(age range,65-93 years,M=79,10 males).All had a diagnosis of AMD with visual acuities in the better eye between 20/60 and 20/200.Additionally,all participants had accessed rehabilitation services and most had experience using a computer at home.Using an Apple iPad Air(2013),they were asked to interact with the ArtOnTheBrain website’s Learn(e.g.,Listen to artwork description)and Play(e.g.,complete a word-search game)features with either the Safari or Google Chrome Internet apps.Using the Concurrent Think Aloud method,participants were asked to continuously comment on their activities and experiences with the app and verbalize their internal monologue while being audio and video recorded.These recordings were later transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative description and thematic analysis.Results:Participants’behaviours and verbal feedback were divided based on whether they presented as barriers or facilitators.Beginning with barriers,these were mostly related to the accessibility of the visual aspects of the applications interface(i.e.,contrast and font size),whereby participants requested additional control over the magnification options,both for text as well as images of the artwork.The main facilitator was the audio option built into the Learn tab,which allowed participants to listen to the artwork descriptions.Facilitators also included the aesthetics of the app,the perceived boost in confidence in interacting with technology,and the educational and leisure benefits.Conclusions:Older adults with low vision are faced with a decreased ability to engage in leisure activities.The development of technologies aimed at increasing the accessibility of leisure activities for these individuals is an important step in increasing their quality of life.As such,despite some of the accessibility challenges,the majority of participants viewed ArtontheBrain positively.Identifying the barriers and facilitators to its use is an important step in the development of this application in order to optimize its accessibility for older adults with low vision.Future work to be done with this application will be to evaluate the cognitive impact of ArtontheBrain on low vision users.

A Low Complexity VCS Method for PAPR Reduction in Multicarrier Code Division Multiple Access

This paper investigates a peak to average power ratio （PAPR） reduction method in multicarrier code division multiple access （MC-CDMA） system. Variable code sets （VCS）, a spreading codes selection scheme, can improve the PAPR property of the MC-CDMA signals, but this technique requires an exhaustive search over the combinations of spreading code sets. It is observed that when the number of active users increases, the search complexity will increase exponentially. Based on this fact, we propose a low complexity VCS （LC-VCS） method to reduce the computational complexity. The basic idea of LC-VCS is to derive new signals using the relationship between candidature signals. Simulation results show that the proposed approach can reduce PAPR with lower comtational pucomplexity. In addition, it can be blindly received without any side information.

基于Vision Transformer的虹膜——人脸多特征融合识别研究

为了提高生物特征识别系统的准确性和鲁棒性,本文研究基于计算机视觉的虹膜—人脸多特征融合识别方法。本文对面部图像中虹膜区域进行提取以及预处理,采用对比度增强和归一化操作,加强了特征提取的一致性,提升了图像质量。为了获取丰富的深度特征,本文使用Vision Transformer模型对预处理后的虹膜和面部图像进行特征提取。利用多头注意力机制将虹膜和面部的多模态特征信息进行融合,再利用全连接层进行分类识别。试验结果表明,该方法识别性能优秀,识别准确性显著提升。

基于Vision Transformer的小麦病害图像识别算法

小麦白粉病、赤霉病和锈病是危害小麦产量的三大病害。为提高小麦病害图像的识别准确率,构建一种基于Vision Transformer的小麦病害图像识别算法。首先,通过田间拍摄的方式收集包含小麦白粉病、赤霉病和锈病3种病害在内的小麦病害图像,并对原始图像进行预处理,建立小麦病害图像识别数据集;然后,基于改进的Vision Transformer构建小麦病害图像识别算法,分析不同迁移学习方式和数据增强对模型识别效果的影响。试验可知,全参数迁移学习和数据增强能明显提高Vision Transformer模型的收敛速度和识别精度。最后,在相同时间条件下,对比Vision Transformer、AlexNet和VGG16算法在相同数据集上的表现。试验结果表明,Vision Transformer模型对3种小麦病害图像的平均识别准确率为96.81%,相较于AlexNet和VGG16模型识别准确率分别提高6.68%和4.94%。

基于Vision Transformer与迁移学习的裤装廓形识别与分类

针对裤装廓形识别与分类模型的分类不准确问题,文章采用带有自注意力机制的Vision Transformer模型实现裤装廓形图像的分类,对于图片背景等无关信息对廓形识别的干扰,添加自注意力机制,增强有用特征通道。为防止因裤型样本数据集较少产生过拟合问题,可通过迁移学习方法对阔腿裤、喇叭裤、紧身裤、哈伦裤4种裤装廓形进行训练和验证,将改进的Vision Transformer模型与传统CNN模型进行对比实验,验证模型效果。实验结果表明:使用Vision Transformer模型在4种裤装廓形分类上的分类准确率达到97.72%,与ResNet-50和MobileNetV2模型相比均有提升,可为服装廓形的图像分类识别提供有力支撑,在实际服装领域中有较高的使用价值。

细粒度图像分类上Vision Transformer的发展综述

细粒度图像分类(fine-grained image classification,FGIC)一直是计算机视觉领域中的重要问题。与传统图像分类任务相比,FGIC的挑战在于类间对象极其相似,使任务难度进一步增加。随着深度学习的发展,Vision Transformer(ViT)模型在视觉领域掀起热潮,并被引入到FGIC任务中。介绍了FGIC任务所面临的挑战,分析了ViT模型及其特性。主要根据模型结构全面综述了基于ViT的FGIC算法,包括特征提取、特征关系构建、特征注意和特征增强四方面内容,对每种算法进行了总结,并分析了它们的优缺点。通过对不同ViT模型在相同公用数据集上进行模型性能比较,以验证它们在FGIC任务上的有效性。最后指出了目前研究的不足,并提出未来研究方向,以进一步探索ViT在FGIC中的潜力。

Collaborative positioning for swarms:A brief survey of vision,LiDAR and wireless sensors based methods

As positioning sensors,edge computation power,and communication technologies continue to develop,a moving agent can now sense its surroundings and communicate with other agents.By receiving spatial information from both its environment and other agents,an agent can use various methods and sensor types to localize itself.With its high flexibility and robustness,collaborative positioning has become a widely used method in both military and civilian applications.This paper introduces the basic fundamental concepts and applications of collaborative positioning,and reviews recent progress in the field based on camera,LiDAR(Light Detection and Ranging),wireless sensor,and their integration.The paper compares the current methods with respect to their sensor type,summarizes their main paradigms,and analyzes their evaluation experiments.Finally,the paper discusses the main challenges and open issues that require further research.

基于Vision Transformer的阿尔茨海默病分类研究

为了有效地提升对阿尔茨海默病(AD)的磁共振成像(MRI)图像分类准确率,提出一种LC(Layer-Cut)-ViT方法。该方法通过引入Vision Transformer(ViT)的自注意力机制对MRI图像进行层切分,使模型能更好地理解图像的全局信息,同时突出切片间的特征关系。此外,通过配准、颅骨分离算法提取MRI图像的脑部组织部分,进一步提升模型的性能。实验结果显示,所提方法对阿尔茨海默病的MRI图像具有较好的分类能力。