Search Results (1,026)

Various accelerometers offer to monitor sleep efficiency in dogs, but the underlying proprietary algorithms are not usually revealed. The aim of this pilot study was to achieve insights on the performance of an omnidirectional accelerometer to document sleeping and resting periods in dogs with a simple binary cut-off (0 cpm; ≥1 cpm) and the interference of movements. All data were acquired with a neck collar-mounted accelerometer (Actical^®; Philips Respironics Inc., Murrysville, PA, USA) that provides access to raw data. Ten privately owned dogs (6 dogs with and 4 dogs without movements during sleep) were monitored shortly before, during and after their sleeping and resting periods. Experienced observers documented any visible movement and the corresponding behavioral state continuously for each minute as apparent sleep (eyes closed, regular breathing pattern), rest (eyes open), awake and alert. Total observation time was 2633 min, and 32 sleeping and resting periods were monitored. Zero accelerometer counts per minute documented the combined sleeping and resting periods with a sensitivity of 94.0% and specificity of 96.1% but could not differentiate between apparent sleeping and resting with eyes closed or open. Mild movements during sleep did not interfere with the recordings. The pilot data obtained in this study supports further investigation of this approach to document sleeping and resting periods over prolonged periods in individual dogs. Full article

The rural landscape, as the core constituent unit of rural space, is vital for promoting sustainable rural development and achieving rural revitalization goals. However, current research is often limited to single groups, neglecting differences in visual behaviors (VBs) and landscape preferences (LPs) among diverse groups. Thus, this study employed eye-tracking technology combined with a landscape preference questionnaire to investigate the VBs and LPs of 160 participants when viewing rural landscapes. The results indicate that there is a notable correlation between VBs and LPs (p < 0.01), and the two aspects mutually influence each other. Moreover, groups with different demographic characteristics exhibit significant differences in both VBs and LPs. Among them, the score for LPs in the group of farmers, service sector workers, and retirees is significantly higher than that in the group of students, while the mean fixation duration is significantly lower than that in the group of students. Based on these research findings, this study suggests that, during the process of rural landscape design, full consideration should be given to the VBs and LPs of diverse groups with different demographic characteristics to enhance the inclusivity of rural landscape design and facilitate the realization of diversified and sustainable rural development. Full article

The entrainment behavior of solid particles from the top liquid surface into molten steel exerts a crucial influence on rapid slagging and efficient desulfurization during the refining process. A Euler–Euler mathematical model was established to describe the multiphase flow field and the entrainment behavior of solid particles in a bottom-blown ladle. This model was validated by comparison with water model experiments. The effects of bottom-blowing tuyere number, gas flow rate, and solid particle size on the flow field and particle entrainment behavior were investigated. It was found that increasing the gas flow rate enhances the participation of particles in the ladle; however, the entrainment effect changes minimally when the gas flow rate exceeds 192 Nm³/h. Increasing the number of tuyeres adversely affects particle entrainment and mixing efficiency, while simultaneously expanding the size of the “open eyes”. The particle size of the refining slag has a significant impact on the entrainment effect: when the particle size exceeds 10 mm, the particles are hardly entrained in the ladle. Reducing the particle size is more conducive to increasing the entrainment amount, but excessively small particles will significantly enlarge the size of the “open eyes”. Full article

Effective ocular drug delivery is still a challenge for pharmaceutical technologists due to the complex elimination mechanisms of the eye. In situ gels and polymeric micelles are among the pharmaceutical technologies that may enable us to overcome these challenges. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the ocular applicability of in situ gels and polymeric micelles, as well as their combinations, containing a steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, dexamethasone. The developed formulations were compared on the basis of their physicochemical characteristics, rheological behavior, mucoadhesion, in vitro drug release profile, and in vitro and ex vivo permeability. The developed formulations exhibited moderate stability according to the zeta potential measurements; however, they demonstrated appropriate mucoadhesion and sustained drug release. Furthermore, the results of the permeability studies suggest that combining thermoresponsive in situ gels and polymeric micelles represents a promising strategy for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of ocular drug delivery. Full article

The integration of virtual reality, digital twins, and spatial behavior-tracking technologies is reshaping cultural exhibition architecture, shifting the design focus from functional efficiency to immersive, user-centered experiences. However, the behavioral dynamics within these interactive environments remain insufficiently addressed. This study proposes a behavior-oriented spatial typology grounded in Bitgood’s attention–value model, which maps the psychological stages—Attraction, Hold, Engagement, and Exit—onto four spatial categories: Threshold Space, Transitional Space, Narrative Focus Space, and Closure Space. Each represents a distinct phase of perceptual and behavioral response along the exhibition sequence. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining eye-tracking experiments with structured questionnaires to capture both physiological reactions and subjective evaluations. Key spatial variables—enclosure (X₁), visual corridors (X₂), spatial scale (X₃), and light–shadow articulation (X₄)—were analyzed using multiple regression to assess their impact on interest and dwell time. The results show that enclosure (α = −0.094; β = −0.319) and light–shadow articulation (α = −0.057; β = 0.156), respectively, decreased interest and increased dwell time, while spatial scale (α = 0.042; β = 0.186) positively affected both. Visual corridors had minimal influence (α = −0.007; β = 0.022). These spatial effects align with the proposed typology: Threshold Spaces support rapid orientation and exploratory behavior, while Transitional Spaces aid navigation but reduce sustained attention. Narrative Focus Spaces enhance cognitive engagement and decision making, and Closure Spaces foster emotional resolution and extended presence. These findings validate the proposed typology and establish a quantifiable link between spatial attributes and visitor behavior, offering a practical framework for optimizing immersive exhibition sequences. Full article

Despite extensive research on green consumption, consumer purchase intentions for bamboo products under China’s “replacing plastic with bamboo” policy remain underexplored, given growing plastic pollution concerns. Research remains focused on established green products (e.g., green agriculture, energy-efficient appliances, new energy vehicles), overlooking consumer behavior and cognition toward emerging bamboo alternatives. This study employs eye-tracking technology to examine purchase intentions and visual attention allocation mechanisms for bamboo versus plastic products, analyzing the role of green consumption values (GCVs). Using a 2 (material: bamboo/plastic) × 2 (GCVs: high/low) mixed design, we recorded fixation duration, fixation count, and heatmaps from 70 participants. Behavioral results revealed significantly higher purchase intention for bamboo products, particularly among high-GCV consumers. Eye-tracking data showed greater visual attention (fixation duration/count) to bamboo products, with high-GCV participants exhibiting significantly stronger attentional bias toward bamboo. Findings demonstrate that bamboo’s eco-friendly attributes enhance both purchase intention and visual attention allocation, validating material salience in green decision-making. High GCVs strengthen automatic attentional bias toward sustainable materials, reinforcing purchase inclinations. This research provides empirical support for VBN theory at the cognitive level and offers policy-relevant insights for promoting “Bamboo Instead of Plastic” initiatives. Full article

AI-powered full-site web generation tools promise to democratize website creation for novice users. However, their actual usability and accessibility for novice users remain insufficiently studied. This study examines interaction barriers faced by novice users when using Wix ADI to complete three tasks: Task 1 (onboarding), Task 2 (template customization), and Task 3 (product page creation). Twelve participants with no web design background were recruited to perform these tasks while their behavior was recorded via screen capture and eye-tracking (Tobii Glasses 2), supplemented by post-task interviews. Task completion rates declined significantly in Task 2 (66.67%) and 3 (33.33%). Help-seeking behaviors increased significantly, particularly during template customization and product page creation. Eye-tracking data indicated elevated cognitive load in later tasks, with fixation count and saccade count peaking in Task 2 and pupil diameter peaking in Task 3. Qualitative feedback identified core challenges such as interface ambiguity, limited transparency in AI control, and disrupted task logic. These findings reveal a gap between AI tool affordances and novice user needs, underscoring the importance of interface clarity, editable transparency, and adaptive guidance. As full-site generators increasingly target general users, lowering barriers for novice audiences is essential for equitable access to web creation. Full article

Exhibition design in museum environments serves as a vital mechanism for enhancing cultural engagement, enriching visitor experience, and promoting heritage preservation. Despite the growing number of museums, improvements in exhibition quality remain limited. In this context, understanding exhibition visual content becomes fundamental to shaping visitor experiences in cultural heritage settings, as it directly influences how individuals perceive, interpret, and engage with displayed information. However, due to individual differences in cognitive processing, standardized visualization strategies may not effectively support all users, potentially resulting in unequal levels of knowledge acquisition and engagement. This study presents a quasi-experimental eye-tracking investigation examining how visualizer–verbalizer (V–V) cognitive styles influence content comprehension in a historical museum context. Participants were classified as visualizers or verbalizers via standardized questionnaires and explored six artifacts displayed through varying information modalities while their eye movements—including fixation durations and transition patterns—were recorded to assess visual processing behavior. The results revealed that participants’ comprehension performance was strongly associated with their visual attention patterns, which differed systematically between visualizers and verbalizers. These differences reflect distinct visual exploration strategies, with cognitive style influencing how individuals allocate attention and process multimodal exhibition content. Eye movement data indicated that visualizers engaged in broader cross-modal integration, whereas verbalizers exhibited more linear, text-oriented strategies. The findings provide empirical evidence for the role of cognitive style in shaping visual behavior and interpretive outcomes in museum environments, underscoring the need for cognitively adaptive exhibition design. Full article

Background/Objectives: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by emotional instability, impulsive behavior, and impaired interpersonal relationships. It is associated with a high prevalence of childhood trauma and neurobiological changes. This study aimed to compare ophthalmologic parameters, namely, optic nerve sheath diameter, intraocular pressure, and dry eye, in patients with BPD with healthy controls and to investigate the relations between these parameters and childhood trauma. Methods: This study included 51 female patients with BPD between the ages of 18 and 35 years, who were not using psychotropic medication, and 51 healthy controls matched for age and educational level. Optic nerve sheath diameter, intraocular pressure, and tear break-up time were measured, and trauma history was evaluated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. Independent t-test and Pearson correlation analysis were used in statistical analyses. Results: Patients with BPD were found to have significantly higher mean optic nerve sheath diameter scores (left: 3.94 ± 0.43, right: 3.97 ± 0.47) compared with healthy controls (left: 3.76 ± 0.44, right: 3.78 ± 0.45) (p < 0.05). The groups showed no significant difference in intraocular pressure and dry eye parameters (p > 0.05). A significant positive correlation was noted between emotional abuse scores and the optic nerve sheath diameter of the left eye in patients with BPD (p < 0.05; r = 0.364). Conclusions: An increased optic nerve sheath diameter may be a potential peripheral biomarker reflecting chronic stress or changes in intracranial physiology in patients with BPD. This increase is particularly associated with a history of emotional abuse. Ophthalmological parameters may contribute to understanding the neurobiological basis of BPD and serve as peripheral biomarkers or indicators of neurobiological changes. Full article

This study focuses on exploring the differences in driving abilities in emergency traffic situations between older drivers (aged 60–70) and young drivers (aged 20–35) in a simple traffic environment. Two typical emergency scenarios were designed in the experiment: Scenario A (intrusion of electric bicycles) and Scenario B (pedestrians crossing the road). The experiment employed a driving simulation system to synchronously collect data on eye movement characteristics, driving behavior, and physiological metrics from 30 drivers. Two-factor covariance analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were conducted on the experimental data. The comprehensive study results indicated that the older group exhibited better driving performance in emergency scenarios compared to the younger group. Specifically, in Scenario A, the older group had a faster first fixation time on the AOI compared to the younger group, a faster braking reaction time, a higher maximum brake pedal depth, and a higher skin conductance level. In Scenario B, the older group’s driving performance was similar to that in Scenario A, with better performance than the younger group. The study reveals that in some simple driving tasks, young-old drivers (60–70 years) can compensate for their physiological decline through self-regulation and self-restraint, thereby exhibiting safer driving behaviors. Full article

Background: Neurodivergent students, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), frequently encounter challenges in several areas of foreign language (FL) learning, including vocabulary acquisition. This exploratory study aimed to investigate real-time English as a Foreign Language (EFL) word recognition using eye tracking within the Visual World Paradigm (VWP). Specifically, it examined whether gaze patterns could serve as indicators of successful word recognition, how these patterns varied across three distractor types (semantic, phonological, unrelated), and whether age and vocabulary knowledge influenced visual attention during word processing. Methods: Eye-tracking data were collected from 17 children aged 6–10 years with ADHD or ASD while they completed EFL word recognition tasks. Analyses focused on gaze metrics across target and distractor images to identify percentile-based thresholds as potential data-driven markers of recognition. Group differences (ADHD vs. ASD) and the roles of age and vocabulary knowledge were also examined. Results: Children with ADHD exhibited increased fixations on phonological distractors, indicating higher susceptibility to interference, whereas children with ASD demonstrated more distributed attention, often attracted by semantic cues. Older participants and those with higher vocabulary scores showed more efficient gaze behavior, characterized by increased fixations on target images, greater attention to relevant stimuli, and reduced attention to distractors. Conclusions: Percentile-based thresholds in gaze metrics may provide useful markers of word recognition in neurodivergent learners. Findings underscore the importance of differentiated instructional strategies in EFL education for children with ADHD and ASD. The study further supports the integration of eye tracking with behavioral assessments to advance understanding of language processing in atypical developmental contexts. Full article

Understanding human perceptual strategies in high-stakes environments, such as crime scene investigations, is essential for developing cognitive models that reflect expert decision-making. This study presents an immersive experimental framework that utilizes virtual reality (VR) and eye-tracking technologies to capture and analyze visual attention during simulated forensic tasks. A360° panoramic crime scene, constructed using the Nikon KeyMission 360 camera, was integrated into a VR system with HTC Vive and Tobii Pro eye-tracking components. A total of 46 undergraduate students aged 19 to 24–23, from the National University of Singapore in Singapore and 23 from the Central Police University in Taiwan—participated in the study, generating over 2.6 million gaze samples (IRB No. 23-095-B). The collected eye-tracking data were analyzed using statistical summarization, temporal alignment techniques (Earth Mover’s Distance and Needleman-Wunsch algorithms), and machine learning models, including K-means clustering, random forest regression, and support vector machines (SVMs). Clustering achieved a classification accuracy of 78.26%, revealing distinct visual behavior patterns across participant groups. Proficiency prediction models reached optimal performance with a random forest regression ($R^2$ = 0.7034), highlighting scan-path variability and fixation regularity as key predictive features. These findings demonstrate that eye-tracking metrics—particularly sequence-alignment-based features—can effectively capture differences linked to both experiential training and cultural context. Beyond its immediate forensic relevance, the study contributes a structured methodology for encoding visual attention strategies into analyzable formats, offering valuable insights for cognitive modeling, training systems, and human-centered design in future perceptual intelligence applications. Furthermore, our work advances the development of autonomous vehicles by modeling how humans visually interpret complex and potentially hazardous environments. By examining expert and novice gaze patterns during simulated forensic investigations, we provide insights that can inform the design of autonomous systems required to make rapid, safety-critical decisions in similarly unstructured settings. The extraction of human-like visual attention strategies not only enhances scene understanding, anomaly detection, and risk assessment in autonomous driving scenarios, but also supports accelerated learning of response patterns for rare, dangerous, or otherwise exceptional conditions—enabling autonomous driving systems to better anticipate and manage unexpected real-world challenges. Full article

Accurately discerning the authenticity of facial expressions is crucial for inferring others’ psychological states and behavioral intentions, particularly in shaping interpersonal trust dynamics among elementary school children. While existing literature remains inconclusive regarding school-aged children’s capability to differentiate between genuine and posed facial expressions, this study employed happy and sad facial stimuli to systematically evaluate their discrimination accuracy. Parallel to behavioral measures, children’s gaze patterns during authenticity judgments were recorded using eye-tracking technology. Results revealed that participants demonstrated higher accuracy in identifying genuine versus posed happy expressions, whereas discrimination of sad expressions proved more challenging, especially among lower-grade students. Overall, facial expression recognition accuracy exhibited a positive correlation with grade progression, with visual attention predominantly allocated to the Eye-region. Notably, no grade-dependent differences emerged in region-specific gaze preferences. These findings suggest that school-aged children display emotion-specific recognition competencies, while improvements in accuracy operate independently of gaze strategy development. Full article

Lighting influences broiler production, health, and behavior. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of three light wavelengths (White [350–780 nm], Blue [450 nm], and Green [560 nm]) on broiler production, activity, fear, stress, blood cell profiles, and tibiotarsi (tibia) morphology. Day-of-hatch male broiler chicks (N = 600) were housed in pens (N = 12) with one lighting treatment for 42 days. Body weight and feed consumption were recorded on day (D) 0, 14, 28, and 42, and the feed conversion ratio was calculated. The Tonic Immobility test was used to assess the latency (seconds) to right from the testing cradle (D12 and D33). Blood was drawn for leukocyte and plasma corticosterone concentrations (D21 and D41). Accelerometers were attached at 2 and 5 weeks of age to measure activity. On D41, thermal images of the head were taken to measure surface temperatures (eye and beak), the bursa of Fabricius (bursa) was extracted for relative bursa weight, and the right and left tibias were extracted for tibia morphology. After sampling, the remaining broilers were processed. Activity was greatest in Green light at Week 2 (261.17 ± 8.52 m/s², p < 0.0001), and activity was lowest in White light at Week 5 (98.99 ± 8.52 m/s², p < 0.0001). Broilers under Blue light had lower concentrations of lymphocytes (8.62 ± 0.40 × 10³ cells/µL, p = 0.01) and T cells (7.16 ± 0.33 × 10³ cells/µL, p = 0.008) compared to White light. Breast yields were greatest (26.89 ± 0.13%, p = 0.01) in the White treatments compared to Green and Blue treatments. These results suggest that blue light may negatively impact immune health, while green light increases activity, without decreasing production performance, and white light can improve carcass traits. Therefore, lighting color can be strategically used to target welfare or production goals. Full article

This empirical pilot study explored the use of wearable eye-tracking technology to gain objective insights into interpersonal interactions, particularly in healthcare provider training. Traditional methods of understanding these interactions rely on subjective observations, but wearable tech offers a more precise, multimodal approach. This multidisciplinary study integrated counseling perspectives on therapeutic alliance with an empirically motivated wearable framework informed by prior research in clinical psychology. The aims of the study were to describe the complex data that can be achieved with wearable technology and to test our primary hypothesis that the therapeutic alliance in clinical training interactions is associated with certain behaviors consistent with stronger interpersonal engagement. One key finding was that a single multimodal feature predicted discrepancies in client versus therapist working alliance ratings (b = −4.29, 95% CI [−8.12, −0.38]), suggesting clients may have perceived highly structured interactions as less personal than therapists did. Multimodal features were more strongly associated with therapist rated working alliance, whereas linguistic analysis better captured client rated working alliance. The preliminary findings support the utility of multimodal approaches to capture clinical interactions. This technology provides valuable context for developing actionable insights without burdening instructors or learners. Findings from this study will motivate data-driven methods for providing actionable feedback to clinical trainees. Full article