Selectively manipulating softness perception of materials through sound symbolism.

Cross-modal interactions between auditory and haptic perception manifest themselves in language, such as sound symbolic words: crunch, splash, and creak. Several studies have shown strong associations between sound symbolic words, shapes (e.g., Bouba/Kiki effect), and materials. Here, we identified these material associations in Turkish sound symbolic words and then tested for their effect on softness perception. First, we used a rating task in a semantic differentiation method to extract the perceived softness dimensions from words and materials. We then tested whether Turkish onomatopoeic words can be used to manipulate the perceived softness of everyday materials such as honey, silk, or sand across different dimensions of softness. In the first preliminary study, we used 40 material videos and 29 adjectives in a rating task with a semantic differentiation method to extract the main softness dimensions. A principal component analysis revealed seven softness components, including Deformability, Viscosity, Surface Softness, and Granularity, in line with the literature. The second preliminary study used 27 onomatopoeic words and 21 adjectives in the same rating task. Again, the findings aligned with the literature, revealing dimensions such as Viscosity, Granularity, and Surface Softness. However, no factors related to Deformability were found due to the absence of sound symbolic words in this category. Next, we paired the onomatopoeic words and material videos based on their associations with each softness dimension. We conducted a new rating task, synchronously presenting material videos and spoken onomatopoeic words. We hypothesized that congruent word-video pairs would produce significantly higher ratings for dimension-related adjectives, while incongruent word-video pairs would decrease these ratings, and the ratings of unrelated adjectives would remain the same. Our results revealed that onomatopoeic words selectively alter the perceived material qualities, providing evidence and insight into the cross-modality of perceived softness.

Hand explorations are determined by the characteristics of the perceptual space of real-world materials from silk to sand.

Perceiving mechanical properties of objects, i.e., how they react to physical forces, is a crucial ability in many aspects of life, from choosing an avocado to picking your clothes. There is, a wide variety of materials that differ substantially in their mechanical properties. For example, both, silk and sand deform and change shape in response to exploration forces, but each does so in very different ways. Studies show that the haptic perceptual space has multiple dimensions corresponding to the physical properties of textures, however in these experiments the range of materials or exploratory movements were restricted. Here we investigate the perceptual dimensionality in a large set of real materials in a free haptic exploration task. Thirty-two participants actively explored deformable and non-deformable materials with their hands and rated them on several attributes. Using the semantic differential technique, video analysis and linear classification, we found four haptic dimensions, each associated with a distinct set of hand and finger movements during active exploration. Taken together our findings suggest that the physical, particularly the mechanical, properties of a material systematically affect how it is explored on a much more fine-grained level than originally thought.

Seeing through transparent layers.

The human visual system is remarkably good at decomposing local and global deformations in the flow of visual information into different perceptual layers, a critical ability for daily tasks such as driving through rain or fog or catching that evasive trout. In these scenarios, changes in the visual information might be due to a deforming object or deformations due to a transparent medium, such as structured glass or water, or a combination of these. How does the visual system use image deformations to make sense of layering due to transparent materials? We used eidolons to investigate equivalence classes for perceptually similar transparent layers. We created a stimulus space for perceptual equivalents of a fiducial scene by systematically varying the local disarray parameters reach and grain. This disarray in eidolon space leads to distinct impressions of transparency, specifically, high reach and grain values vividly resemble water whereas smaller grain values appear diffuse like structured glass. We asked observers to adjust image deformations so that the objects in the scene looked like they were seen (a) under water, (b) behind haze, or (c) behind structured glass. Observers adjusted image deformation parameters by moving the mouse horizontally (grain) and vertically (reach). For two conditions, water and glass, we observed high intraobserver consistency: responses were not random. Responses yielded a concentrated equivalence class for water and structured glass.

Specular motion and 3D shape estimation.

Dynamic visual information facilitates three-dimensional shape recognition. It is still unclear, however, whether the motion information generated by moving specularities across a surface is congruent to that available from optic flow produced by a matte-textured shape. Whereas the latter is directly linked to the first-order properties of the shape and its motion relative to the observer, the specular flow, the image flow generated by a specular object, is less sensitive to the object's motion and is tightly related to second-order properties of the shape. We therefore hypothesize that the perceived bumpiness (a perceptual attribute related to curvature magnitude) is more stable to changes in the type of motion in specular objects compared with their matte-textured counterparts. Results from two two-interval forced-choice experiments in which observers judged the perceived bumpiness of perturbed spherelike objects support this idea and provide an additional layer of evidence for the capacity of the visual system to exploit image information for shape inference.

Effects of surface reflectance on local second order shape estimation in dynamic scenes.

In dynamic scenes, relative motion between the object, the observer, and/or the environment projects as dynamic visual information onto the retina (optic flow) that facilitates 3D shape perception. When the object is diffusely reflective, e.g. a matte painted surface, this optic flow is directly linked to object shape, a property found at the foundations of most traditional shape-from-motion (SfM) schemes. When the object is specular, the corresponding specular flow is related to shape curvature, a regime change that challenges the visual system to determine concurrently both the shape and the distortions of the (sometimes unknown) environment reflected from its surface. While human observers are able to judge the global 3D shape of most specular objects, shape-from-specular-flow (SFSF) is not veridical. In fact, recent studies have also shown systematic biases in the perceived motion of such objects. Here we focus on the perception of local shape from specular flow and compare it to that of matte-textured rotating objects. Observers judged local surface shape by adjusting a rotation and scale invariant shape index probe. Compared to shape judgments of static objects we find that object motion decreases intra-observer variability in local shape estimation. Moreover, object motion introduces systematic changes in perceived shape between matte-textured and specular conditions. Taken together, this study provides a new insight toward the contribution of motion and surface material to local shape perception.

The role of hypoxia related angiogenesis in uterine smooth muscle tumors.

Mechanisms of hypoxia-related angiogenesis are important for uterine smooth muscle tumors. Factors that are related to angiogenesis during hypoxia include vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), T-cell intracellular antigen1 (TIA1), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) and thrombospondin 1 (TSP1). We investigated immunoreactivities of VEGF, HIF1α, TIA1, eIF2α and TSP1 using an indirect immunoperoxidase method for formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tumors that had been diagnosed as leiomyoma (LMY), cellular leiomyoma (CLM) or leiomyosarcoma (LMS). TSP1 immunoreactivity was scored as moderate, mild or minimal, while VEGF, eIF2α and TIA1 immunoreactivities were scored as mild, moderate and strong in LMY, CLM and LMS samples, respectively. HIF1α immunoreactivity was scored as mild to minimal in LMY, CLM and LMS samples, but showed no statistically significant differences among samples. Although angiogenic factors showed strong immunohistochemical staining intensity in LMS, anti-angiogenic factors showed minimal immunohistochemical intensity. There was no difference in HIF-1α immunoreactivity compared to LMY, CLM and LMS samples. We suggest that HIF1α protein synthesis could be suppressed by eIF2α and TIA1. Furthermore, VEGF could be activated by pathways such as COX2, Ras, NF-ĸB or c-myc instead of HIF1α. Angiogenesis could trigger and accelerate tumor development; therefore, anti-angiogenic therapy could be useful for treatment of tumors.

Perceptual learning of second order cues for layer decomposition.

Luminance variations are ambiguous: they can signal changes in surface reflectance or changes in illumination. Layer decomposition-the process of distinguishing between reflectance and illumination changes-is supported by a range of secondary cues including colour and texture. For an illuminated corrugated, textured surface the shading pattern comprises modulations of luminance (first order, LM) and local luminance amplitude (second-order, AM). The phase relationship between these two signals enables layer decomposition, predicts the perception of reflectance and illumination changes, and has been modelled based on early, fast, feed-forward visual processing (Schofield et al., 2010). However, while inexperienced viewers appreciate this scission at long presentation times, they cannot do so for short presentation durations (250 ms). This might suggest the action of slower, higher-level mechanisms. Here we consider how training attenuates this delay, and whether the resultant learning occurs at a perceptual level. We trained observers to discriminate the components of plaid stimuli that mixed in-phase and anti-phase LM/AM signals over a period of 5 days. After training, the strength of the AM signal needed to differentiate the plaid components fell dramatically, indicating learning. We tested for transfer of learning using stimuli with different spatial frequencies, in-plane orientations, and acutely angled plaids. We report that learning transfers only partially when the stimuli are changed, suggesting that benefits accrue from tuning specific mechanisms, rather than general interpretative processes. We suggest that the mechanisms which support layer decomposition using second-order cues are relatively early, and not inherently slow.

Granulosa cell tumors of the ovary: review of 43 cases.

PURPOSE: Granulosa cell tumors of the ovary (OGCT) are rarely seen tumors and display a quite interesting behavior profile. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of stage, histological type (juvenile or adult type) and treatment on the prognosis of this disease. METHODS: Forty-three females with OGCT operated between January 1990 and June 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. Radical surgery was performed to 37 patients (86%) without fertility desire, whereas conservative surgery was performed to 6 patients with early-stage disease and fertility desire. RESULTS: Thirty-nine (90.6%) patients had stage I disease, whereas 4 (9.4%) had advanced-disease stage (stage II 2 and stage III 2 patients). All of the patients were surgically treated, but conservative surgery was applied to only 6 cases. Postoperative chemotherapy was administered to 18 cases and the remaining 25 cases were put under follow-up without chemotherapy. Recurrence was observed in 8 cases and 1 of these cases was of juvenile type. Mean time to recurrence was 55.14±32.18 months (range 15-122). Tumor stage was the most important prognostic factor, with 5-year overall survival of 96.77% in local disease, and 66.67% in advanced-stage disease (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: OGCT can recur many years after primary therapy. Consequently these patients must be followed-up for long periods of time. Disease stage at diagnosis was the most important factor affecting the recurrence rate and prognosis. The evaluation of all factors affecting survival needs further studies with larger numbers of patients.

Umbilical metastasis of serous component as a first sign of mixed type epithelial ovarian cancer.

Umbilical metastasis (Sister Mary Joseph's nodule) of malignant neoplasms is a rare condition. These nodules usually arise from the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract and may present the first sign of a previously unknown primary tumor. We describe a 49-year-old woman presenting with Sister Mary Joseph's nodule as the first sign of an extremely aggressive Stage IV mixed type epithelial ovarian carcinoma, who died 15 months after the initial diagnosis. This is the first case of a Sister Mary Joseph's nodule from a serous component of a Stage IV mixed type epithelial ovarian cancer.

Immunolocalizations of VEGF, its receptors flt-1, KDR and TGF-beta's in epithelial ovarian tumors.

OBJECTIVE: Angiogenesis is an essential factor for growth, differentiation, invasion and metastasis of tumors. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the immunolocalizations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), its receptors flt-1, KDR/flk-1, and transforming growth factor-beta's (TGF-beta) in epithelial ovarian tumors, utilizing indirect immunohistochemistry to understand the role of the angiogenic events in ovarian neoplasia. METHODS: Tissue blocks from 40 patients who had ovarian pathology (borderline serous-mucinous tumor and malignant serous-mucinous adenocarcinoma of the ovary) were included in this study. All formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin or primary antibodies against VEGF, flt-1, KDR/flk-1, TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2 and TGF-beta3 using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase method. H-SCORE, a semi-quantitative grading system, was used to compare immunohistochemical staining intensities. RESULTS: Positive VEGF immunoreactivity was concentrated in the epithelial and stromal parts of all the ovarian samples and the endothelial cells in the stroma were also stained. Increased immunoreactivity of VEGF was observed in malignant ovarian adenocarcinomas compared to the borderline tumors of the ovary. VEGF receptors, flt-1 and KDR/flk-1 immunoreactivities were detected not only in vascular endothelial cells, but also in tumor cells at malignant sites. Immunoreactivities of VEGF and its receptors were coexpressed in tumor cells of the ovarian carcinoma. While immunoreactivities of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 were both overexpressed in malignant ovarian carcinomas, immunoreactivity of TGF-beta3 was still mild. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that overexpression of VEGF, its receptors flt-1, KDR/flk-1 and TGF-beta interaction may play an important role in the ovarian cancer biology, with potential effects on tumor growth and angiogenesis. New therapeutic strategies using VEGF and TGF-beta antagonists could obtain an additional approach to the treatment ovarian carcinoma by inhibiting angiogenesis.

Tumor volume estimation by the percentage carcinoma method in uterine cervix carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the capacity of the percentage carcinoma method to predict tumor volume in cervical carcinoma and generate a mathematical equation for calculation of tumor volume. STUDY DESIGN: Thirteen radical hysterectomy specimens were studied. The actual tumor volume was assessed by stereology. A factor was generated by the formula tumor volume = factor x percentage carcinoma x number of blocks. The percentage carcinoma was calculated by the grid method. Then tumor volume was estimated by the same formula. The relationship between actual and estimated tumor volumes was analyzed by Spearman's correlation. RESULTS: Correlation of the tumor volumes assessed by the two methods was excellent (r = .945) and statistically significant (P = .01). CONCLUSION: Percentage carcinoma assessed by the grid ratio method is highly predictive of tumor volume, but care must be taken not to overstate the importance of our results due to the small number of patients. The prediction of outcome in cervical carcinoma by means of percentage carcinoma should be evaluated in large clinical studies.