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Senate Veterans Affairs Committee members are assessing allegations from whistleblowers that have told the panel about nominee Ronny Jackson's questionable behavior including excessive drinking and a "toxic" work environment under his leadership, according to two former White House medical staff members who have spoken with the committee.
Both sources who spoke with CNN told the committee about behavior they observed while working in the White House medical unit.
Lawmakers who spoke with CNN expressed worries that this could represent a pattern of behavior and not a collection of isolated incidents.
In addition, committee staff have been in contact with individuals associated with additional allegations regarding the handling of prescriptions by the White House Medical Unit and a workplace survey that was done because of issues in the unit under Jackson, according to congressional sources. The accounts come from former and at least one current associate of Jackson, according to the sources.
The accusations have roiled the nomination process leading to the postponement of a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Wednesday's hearing. However the committee has not substantiated the claims, with little documentation available to back the claims.
Jackson told reporters on Tuesday that he "can answer the questions absolutely."
"I'm looking forward to rescheduling the hearing and answering everyone's questions," Jackson said Tuesday afternoon on Capitol Hill as he left a meeting with committee member Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican.
Trump defended Jackson at a news conference Tuesday as "one of the finest people I have ever met," and said it is "totally his decision" on whether Jackson wants to withdraw.
Details from 2012
A 2012 Navy Medical Inspector General review of White House medical operations recommended the Navy "consider" replacing either Jackson or another military physician of equal rank, or both according to an administration official who is directly knowledgeable about the report.
The six-page report was ordered as a review of White House medical operations when staffers reported low morale because of bickering between the two men who were both Navy captains at the time. The official emphasized the report only recommended the change in personnel be "considered," but didn't make it a mandatory order.
It likely would have been up to the Obama White House to make a change if it wanted to, the official said. The two men did not apparently get along because they were of equal rank and struggled for control of the operation. The official said it became clear that "line of authority" needed to be established.
The report ended with a strong critique of the other doctor saying the medical staff believed he was "irrevocably damaged his ability to effectively lead and serve."
The report did not ultimately effect his promotion.
A senior administration official downplayed the accusation of a toxic work environment surrounding Jackson, saying a workplace survey was done in 2012 after the doctor was promoted and some people in his office complained about the work environment. That report didn't address alcohol or patient care, according to the official, who saw the document but declined to release it publicly.
The White House Medical Unit oversees the medical care for the President, his family and administration aides. It includes a team of doctors and nurses and operates from a suite of offices in the basement of the White House residence.
The Veterans Affairs Committee's top Democrat, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, told CNN that the FBI background investigation into Jackson is "clean" – and that there are no issues of concern in his background check. They are still inquiring about the complaints that have been made to the committee to see if they can be corroborated. The White House is only allowing the committee chair and ranking member to review the FBI background check, per a source familiar with the matter.
Hearing postponed
Lawmakers leading the confirmation announced on Tuesday morning that the hearings will be delayed indefinitely following allegations related to improper conduct in various stages of Jackson's career.
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson and Tester of Montana, made the announcement on Capitol Hill. The two committee leaders said they want more information about the allegations of misconduct involving Jackson. They declined to discuss the nature of the allegations – and both men stopped short of calling on him to withdraw.
Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota and member of the VA committee, told reporters that over the weekend, Isakson held a call with GOP members on the VA committee to brief them on what he was learning about Jackson. Rounds said that it was clear from the call that Isakson and Tester had been communicating with each other about what they were learning.
CNN reported Monday that lawmakers from both parties on the committee are raising concerns about allegations involving Jackson and are reviewing them to determine if they are substantial enough to upend his nomination. Committee members have been told about allegations related to improper conduct in various stages of his career, two sources said.
Combine that series of allegations that one GOP senator told CNN would be "devastating" if true, with overall ambivalence that bordered on opposition by Republicans and things are not in a good place for Jackson.
Two sources with knowledge told CNN that Isakson called the White House at one point in the past few days to outline the depth of the concern raised about Jackson in the allegations. Those sources told CNN that while there was no explicit demand to pull the nomination, it was their understanding that message was intended. Isakson's office denied the senator ever directly suggested or intended to convey to the White House that they consider pulling the nomination.
Isakson called White House Chief of Staff John Kelly on Monday night to inform him Jackson's hearing would be postponed.
GOP aides that spoke with CNN Monday night were characterizing this nomination going down as a "when," not "if," situation.
Democrats huddled privately over these allegations Monday night.
The bigger issue: the allegations are a trigger, not the sole reason, for Republicans to bail on this nomination. For weeks committee Republicans have been grumbling about the White House dropping Jackson, who they viewed as unsuited for the job, on their respective laps.
Several GOP aides described their bosses as willing to hold off from criticism until the hearing in deference to the President's selection. Now they're confronted with these allegations and Jackson doesn't have many allies on the Hill willing to protect him.
Monday's news left lawmakers and their staff scrambling, as both sides are trying to figure out what's true. As one senior Republican aide put it: "A mess. A complete, utter mess."
But at least one Republican did not yet see this as the end of the line for Jackson's nomination.
Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma told reporters, "I think he's damaged right now but he's resurrectable."
This story has been updated to include additional developments and information.
CNN's Barbara Starr, Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak, Ted Barrett and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.


text: Life's too short to be anything but cozy! Inspired by our love for lounging and hanging out at home, we made the comfiest Fleece Onesies and PJ sets ever! Our Fleece Adult Onesies are made from our super soft tapestry blanket material and each one features a colorful print, making them so fun to wear! Our Cami PJ Sets are everyone's new favorite pajamas! They're so soft and comfy… perfect for slipping into after a long day or sleeping in a little later than normal on weekends. There are so many little details you'll love like a delicate lace trim and lettuce edge bottom. The best part is, you feel so put together even when you're just going to bed! Natural Life Onesies for women and Cami PJ Sets are perfect for sleepovers, movie nights, bachelorette parties and wedding day getting ready outfits. Since you can never have too many cozy pajamas, they really do make the perfect gift for anyone on your list!

subset: commoncrawl


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The Hub would love to hear from you. Email your letters, articles, photos, drawings, cartoons, YouTube or Vimeo links to [email protected].
On behalf of the Trilliums, Jacks in the Pulpit, Hepaticas, Spring Beauties and all their friends, thank you to the elusive volunteers who pull Garlic Mustard plants in Memorial Park.
Diversity is key to a healthy woodland; Garlic Mustard threatens that.
Twice as many plants have been bagged this year than last.
This plant is extraordinarily prolific and adaptable; seeds can survive in Southern Ontario for up to 30 years. One clump of plants can produce 62,000 seeds per square meter.
Before you chow down on your next doughnut, take a good hard look. That's
Ontario's economy you're eating. Look at the middle. What do you see? Nothing, right? That's where the middle class used to be.
Those jobs - nearly 300,000 in Ontario alone - disappeared in the Great Recession. Gone like the bits from the middle of your doughnut.
Now look at the glaze on top. That's the one per cent. They've done OK. Better than OK. Theirs is the only income that has actually gone up.
I understand , from Mr. Walker's impassioned speech at one of the all candidate meetings, that he feels very strongly that the College of Trades was completely out of line for raising the Licensing fees for trades from $60 every three years to $120 per year. Granted, there was no apparent warning before this hike and that must have been a shock.
However, let's put this in perspective.
An auto mechanic/plumber/drywaller/carpenter makes about $65 to $120 per hour. Therefore, they have to work 1.5 to 2 hours to pay their new yearly license fees.
Dental assistants/hygienists make $20 per hour and their fees are $135 per year, so they have to work 6.2 hours to pay their fees.
Congratulations on producing such a much-needed local news facility.
On first review, I find the style and features of the website very pleasing, and I look forward to following stories that are important to me as an Owen Sound resident.
I have only one suggestion, and that is to ask that a date-time be added to the header are of all stories. As your database grows, I think that this could be a useful feature.
I wish you all success with the Hub.
Alan Brand,
Owen Sound
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is held by content creators


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Celebs News
Uk based musician and ex husband of socialite and business woman Olinda Chapel, Tytan has finally moved on and is ready to share his new love with the world. Tytan who left Olinda Chapel almost 2 years ago has shared the first glimpse of his new love. Tytan has not revealed her name but sources close to tytan have told waltermagaya.com that the lady in big into photography and video production and owns her own company.Tytan Posted the Image below on his Instagram.
Tytan added the following Caption to his message Laugh A Lot More Now And I'm Grateful🙏🏾♥
Let's not wait to feel pity for someone in order to be nice and considerate towards that person


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Browning teacher wins Montana Global Educator of the Year award
Diana Burd, a Blackfoot language teacher at the Cuts Wood Immersion School in Browning, has won the Montana World Affairs Council's Global Educator of the Year award.
Burd, 79, who has been teaching Blackfoot for 45 years, uses songs, stories and games to help students learn the language in new ways. She also consults developers of mobile language apps, helps organizations with translations and collaborates with other tribes to promote and preserve Indigenous languages.
"It's very rewarding," Burd said. "I've worked many years in education, and it made me feel really good to receive this recognition. It inspires me to continue teaching."
Burd said preserving the Blackfoot language is critical in understanding the tribe's culture and tradition.
More:Blackfeet Community College to offer free online Piikani language course, open to public
"If you lose the language, you lose a lot of meaning in our cultural ways. People have taken everything from us, but they can't take our language. Our language is our way of life, it's who we are and it's our culture - it means so much, it's almost hard to describe," she said.
During the 1800s and 1900s, Native American children were forced to attend boarding schools, where they were physically and emotionally abused for speaking Indigenous languages. While many people stopped speaking Native languages, elders, like Burd, preserve this knowledge, which, in many cases, is not written down.
Burd teaches 32 students at Cuts Wood School, and she hopes her teaching will inspire them to promote the language.
"These children that I teach, they can teach their siblings and their folks, and they can carry it on. It's like a domino effect. It has to be carried on. It's my passion to teach the language to others," she said.
More:As COVID-19 spreads, Blackfeet Nation rallies to protect elders, preserve culture
The Montana World Affairs Council established the award to celebrate and recognize local teachers who go above and beyond to educate their students and communities.
Executive Director Chris Hyslop said while the application process is "very competitive," Burd stood out.
"She has lived a lifetime of commitment to her work and the idea of promoting and preserving Indigenous languages. The ways she continues to find engaging ways to keep students interested really stands out," he said.
Hyslop said the preservation of Indigenous languages benefits everyone, not just tribal members.
"What (Burd) does is important to all of us, no matter who we are. These Indigenous languages are a cultural gem, a cultural resource we can all learn from," he said.
The Montana World Affairs Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering global awareness and understanding in Montana's classrooms and communities.
To learn more, visit www.montanaworldaffairs.org.
Nora Mabie can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Facebook @NoraMabieJournalist or on Twitter @NoraMabie. To support coverage of tribes in Montana, subscribe today.


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Orthodontics in Barranquilla
Enjoy an aligned and harmonious smile. The position of your teeth is a very important factor in the appearance of a person's face. An orthodontic treatment is an excellent option to improve the position and alignment of teeth by making the other bones of the face to align in the correct position to look in harmony with the rest of the factions. At our dental center, we have a group of suitable specialists that will recommend you the best orthodontic system in Barranquilla in order for you to achieve the perfect smile.
Register here and schedule an assessment appointment.
At what age can I start this treatment?
The age to start orthodontic treatment is around 11 years of age, which is when all the final teeth are usually in the mouth. However, there are those who begin treatment at the age of 5, when a preventive orthodontics is needed, basically to correct bad habits.
What are the type of orthodontics?
There are different kinds of orthodontics, the first is orthopedic orthodontics that serves to prevent future anomalies guiding the proper growth of the jaws. Then we have the corrective orthodontics used when there is already an anomaly in the position of the teeth, can be with conventional metal brackets, aesthetic brackets, of self-ligating or also with invisible orthodontics.
When should I get braces?
Orthodontics is a treatment that not only looks for a nice smile, but also pursues oral health objectives, not only to fix crooked teeth, but also to solve the problems of having a bad bite. All those who have a dental malocclusionshould undergo orthodontic treatment. Since a bad bite translates into poor hygiene, tooth enamel wear, cavities, chewing problems, among others.
What orthodontic type should I get?
Orthodontics has evolved so much that we have a range of options for you to choose the one that best suits your lifestyle. Traditional braces, for example, have the advantage of being more resistant and at a cheaper price. If your priority is aesthetics and you want to align your teeth in a more "disguised" way, you can opt for aesthetic brackets, of self-ligating or lingual brackets. If you are a person who works on your image, on television or you are a public figure, you probably want to use invisible orthodontics, this consists of using removable transparent retainersthat fit the size of the teeth, provide absolute comfort and are equally effective.
How much does an orthodontics treatment cost in Barranquilla?
Each treatment is personalized, therefore, costs may vary. It is necessary for the patient to attend a valuation consultation in order to know the detailed estimate for their treatment.
What can and cannot eat when I have braces?
When starting an orthodontic treatment it is normal to experience discomfort from the pressure exerted by the new braces on the teeth, so it requires a period of adaptation where we recommend avoiding certain hard foods to prevent pain, damage to the dental appliances and hygiene of the patient. It is not a question of restricting many foods, but rather of changing the preparation and way of consuming them. We recommend soft foods such as purees, cooked foods, soups, salads, fruits (crushed or cut into small pieces depending on the type of fruit), soft meats, juices, fish, among others.


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One of the more difficult parts of developing a data architecture for a new project is choosing which technologies to use. You'll have application developers that have their opinions, management with a different view, and legacy technology already in place. The people supporting the infrastructure, of course, would like you to stick with something you already have. If you do go with something new, then you need to define how that interfaces with your existing platforms and figure out who will support it. Additionally, you need to take into account the likely future requirements that will come along after the new project is implemented.
We're mostly DB2 people here, so we'll start with the assumption that you have one or more databases in DB2. In many ways, DB2 provides an ideal repository for business applications to reliably store data for business critical operations. Let's keep our businesses running and continue with DB2 for our operational data.
With DB2, we have the ability to query data during live production activity with little impact to operations. We can search using primary and alternate keys supported by indexes that are built simply by defining them as part of the database. These indexes, however, do not support massive index searching where the data we're looking for could be in other fields (perhaps inside a VARCHAR column used to store comment text) or across an unexpected set of fields. As the requests for this capability are made, we could add more indexes, but that would impede performance in other ways and these requirements are not usually part of the main business applications. If we could get our data into an optimized index/search platform then we can meet this need if it comes along.
A second issue with DB2 is the desire to purge off older transactions so that we can maintain good performance in our running systems. Here we tend to strike a balance between keeping data available for reporting purposes and removing it quickly to optimize performance. Many years ago, we'd unload these from the database and store them on tape datasets. More recently, DB2 archive tables have become an option. But it can be less expensive to store those archival transactions in a data lake. As a bonus, we can offload data more quickly if the data lake can handle the reporting workload. So, some type of big data technology will be useful and if it also supports the index/search capability then we're on our way to augmenting DB2. We'll add a data lake to our configuration to support long-term storage and large search capabilities.
Now we need an efficient means of copying our data from DB2 into the data lake. The first approach often selected involves using a database extract tool to make a point in time copy of the original. Basically, dump the data from the tables and load it into a new set. If the original is infrequently updated, this can be a useful mechanism for copying data. It does not require much more than a client network connection to the source. But we probably want a good portion of our data to flow from the source into the target.
A second possibility we can use to get a flow of data is using data replication tools. The good part of data replication tools is that we don't have to modify the source application to get the data. The tools usually have a log scraper on the source end to pull recent updates, a queue transport layer, and a target update component. The difficulties of replication tools include high administrative costs, difficulty creating something other than a copy of the original, and difficulty dealing with transactional consistency across tables. Full data replication is expensive to operate in a high-volume environment.
A third possibility is modifying the source application to send appropriate data updates and build something that can take these transmitted records and store them. There are tools that will work with streaming technologies to pull the records, invoke optional encapsulated data translation logic, and store the results in one or more targets. We've also used this method to successfully replicate DB2 for z/OS data into DB2 for LUW in a high-volume environment.
The data lake can probably handle much of our reporting needs, but it isn't always the fastest way to produce reports or run business intelligence queries. A data warehouse still makes sense as a place to implement complex queries. This could, of course, be in another copy of DB2 or in a different RDBMS depending on your environment. If we chose the third data replication option, we can try to use the streaming data to feed both the data lake and a data warehouse. If we chose to use a data replication product, then we're probably going to want to land the data somewhere and build transformation routines from that.
What do we have so far? We have our primary application database, one of three replication mechanisms, a way to stream the data from the source to multiple targets, a data lake target with indexing capability, and a data warehouse. We can draw this up as a conceptual data architecture showing the critical flow of data and the systems involved. If you already have a set of technologies that integrate with all of these in your environment, you may be in luck and can just go with those. Or, you may need to re-evaluate each of the products to verify it will work for your project if there are questions about scalability, reliability, or availability. For projects that don't need all of the components (e.g., there's no need for data warehouse integration) you can mark those components as being potential future growth options.
At this point you should be able to do very rough cost estimates on a proof of concept to prove out the choices that relate to the project. The proof of concept would address the feasibility of using the selected product (or products) for each purpose. It should verify that the new products interact properly with the products that already exist. This is a good opportunity to discover the size of the environment that will be needed to support the production implementation so you can be sure the project has enough funding to be implemented.
The key to getting your product decisions right is to think beyond the immediate project. Consider the ways your business tends to grow from simple projects into complex interrelated systems. Prove the products do what they are supposed to do and integrate the way you need them to. Push for the solution that gets you to the right solution rather than a quick solution that will need to be rewritten.
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UK: light goes out in House of Commons
By Eszter Zalan
British prime minister Boris Johnson insisted in the early hours of Tuesday (10 September) that he would not request an extension to the Brexit deadline.
His defiant comments came hours after a law came into force outlawing a no-deal Brexit and demanding that he asks for a delay in Britain's withdrawal from the EU until 2020 - prompting concerns about Johnson's commitment to the rule of law.
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British MPs also once again rejected Johnson's call for a snap election as a five-week suspension of parliament began.
"This government will press on with negotiating a deal, while preparing to leave without one," Johnson told MPs.
"I will go to that crucial summit on 17 October and no matter how many devices this parliament invents to tie my hands, I will strive to get an agreement in the national interest ... This government will not delay Brexit any further," he said.
Johnson was also heavily criticised for ignoring the new law and curbing any parliamentary oversight by suspending the parliament until 14 October.
Responding to concerns the government could ignore the legislation, foreign minister Dominic Raab earlier told MPs that the government would respect the rule of law, but added, "sometimes it can be more complex because there are conflicting laws or competing legal advice."
A snap election would be "constitutionally the correct course of action" and the only way to break the deadlock in parliament, Raab said.
But MPs refused, for the second time, Johnson's call for a general election, meaning the prime minister lost all six votes in the parliament since MPs returned from their summer break last week.
Johnson accused opposition Labour of "preposterous cowardice" and negating their constitutional duty by not agreeing to a general election.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn argued that Labour is not "walking into traps laid by this prime minister" and that a no-deal Brexit needed to be taken off the table.
Corbyn also called on Johnson to respect the rule of law and ask for an extension from EU leaders.
What next?
Johnson's team have, in theory, several avenues to avoid asking for a delay.
For instance, Johnson could call for a no-confidence vote on his government, or he could resign, or ask a renegade EU member, such as Poland, to block the extension request - although breaking EU unity that would be a highly risky move for any EU member state.
France's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned over the weekend that the EU will not deal Brexit endlessly, and Dutch trade minister Sigrid Kaag said on Monday also said the EU is growing impatient with London.
However, if Johnson were to ask for a delay, the EU would be expected to grant it as the bloc does not want to be blamed for a no-deal rupture.
The EU has also been frustrated by London's lack of concrete proposals on the Irish border question, and its apparent unwillingness to engage in meaningful negotiations.
Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier will brief leaders of the European Parliament's political groups on Tuesday about the recent developments.
Earlier on Monday, Johnson met with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar in Dublin, where the British prime minister promised proposals on the Irish border issue without giving any details.
"I want to find a deal, I want to get a deal," Johnson said, adding that there was plenty of time to find one before the mid-October EU summit.
"We are open to alternatives, but they must be realistic ones, legally-binding and workable, and we haven't received such proposals to date," Varadkar said.
There were dramatic scenes in the House of Commons as the parliament started its prorogation on Monday night.
Opposition MPs for a brief period tried to prevent John Bercow, the speaker of the house, from leaving his post in an attempt to stop the suspension process.
Signs saying "silenced" were held up by the group in front of Bercow.
Conservative MPs left the chamber amid cries of "Shame on you!" from opposition Labour MPs.
Bercow, who announced that he would step down at the end of October as speaker of the House of Commons, also criticised the parliament's suspension.
"[It is] not a normal prorogation. It is not typical. It is not standard. It's one of the longest for decades and it represents an act of executive fiat," he told MPs.
Lawmakers also passed a motion on Monday calling for the Johnson's government to reveal documents discussing the suspension of parliament, and publish the government's no-deal planning.


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ABSTRACT: We establish concavity and convexity theorems for a number of operator-valued maps involving TracySingh products and Khatri-Rao products of positive operators on a Hilbert space. Operator means serve as useful tools
for some convexity results. We also investigate certain maps dealing with positive operator-monotone functions. In
this case, the concavity and the convexity of such maps are examined through suitable integral representations of the
operator-monotone functions on the unit interval with respect to finite Borel measures.
Download PDF 46 Downloads 3139 Views
* Corresponding author, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Received 12 Nov 2018, Accepted 27 Mar 2019


text: Proverbs 14:26 and more!! Please Pray for Israel and our Christian Earth and USA ( Proverbs 14:26 KJV ) "In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and HIS children shall have a Place of Refuge."!! ( John 15:9-10 KJV ) "As the Father hath Loved Me, so have I Loved you: Continue ye in My Love. If ye Keep My Commandments, ye shall abide in My Love; even as I have Kept My Father's Commandments, and Abide in His Love."!! ( Revelation 22:14 KJV ) "Blessed are they that DO HIS Commandments, that they may have Right to the Tree of Life, and may Enter in through the Gates into the City."!! Jesus ( Yeshua ) Christ said: "Think not that I AM Come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I AM Not Come to destroy, but to Fulfil." ( Matthew 5:17 KJV )!! ( Genesis 12:2-3 KJV ) "And I Will Make of thee a Great Nation, and I Will Bless thee, and Make thy Name Great; and thou shalt be a Blessing: And I Will Bless them that Bless thee ( Israel and USA ), and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all Families of the Earth be Blessed."!! May GOD BLESS Israel-Yisrael / USA and our Christian Earth!! ( John 10:27-30 KJV ) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and My Father are ONE."!! ( Joshua 24:15 KJV ) "And if it seem evil unto you to Serve the LORD, Choose you this day whom ye will Serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and My House, We Will Serve the LORD."!! ( Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV ) "Trust in the LORD ( ADONAI ) with all thine Heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways Acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct thy Paths."!! TRUST in the LORD Jesus-Yeshua Christ with All Thine HEART and SOUL!! ( Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV ) "And thou shalt LOVE the LORD thy GOD with all thine HEART, and with all thy SOUL, and with all thy MIGHT."!! ( Romans 8:28 KJV ) "And we know that all things work together for Good to them that LOVE GOD, to them who are the Called According to HIS Purpose."!!( John 14:6 KJV ) "Jesus-Yeshua Saith unto him, I AM the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE: no man ( or anyone ) Cometh unto the FATHER, but by ME."!! ( I John 5:7 KJV ) "For there are THREE that bear record in Heaven, the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST: and these THREE are ONE."!! There is Only ONE TRUE GOD The FATHER / ONE SON ( Yeshua-Jesus Christ ) / and ONE HOLY GHOST ( HOLY SPIRIT ) PRAISE Them ALL as They're THREE in ONE!! United We STAND with Israel / Judeo-Christian Nation United States of America, and our Christian Earth, Divided We FALL!! I am Pro-Israel / Pro-USA / Pro-Life!! ( Mark 3:25 KJV ) "And if a house DIVIDED against itself, that House Cannot Stand."!! Please Pray for Israel / Judeo–Christian Nation United States of America, and our Christian Earth Everyday "Pray Without Ceasing." ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV )!! ( Psalms 33:12 KJV ) "Blessed is the Nation whose GOD is the LORD; and the People whom He hath Chosen for His Own Inheritance."!! ( Psalms Chapter 117 KJV ) "O Praise the LORD, all ye Nations: Praise Him, all ye people. For His Merciful Kindness is Great Toward us: and the Truth of the LORD Endureth For ever. Praise ye the LORD." !! Honor Ye the LORD Praise Ye the LORD Forevermore!! May Our ONE TRUE GOD the FATHER who art in HEAVEN ABOVE Bless All my Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus-Yeshua, and my Messianic Jewish Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus-Yeshua who STAND with the Holy Land of Israel and Our Judeo–Christian Nation United States of America and our Christian Earth!!Our ONE True GOD'S LOVE 💕 is ETERNAL THROUGH HIS SON Jesus-Yeshua Christ for Today and Everyday Forevermore!! ( Revelation 22:20 KJV ) "He which Testifieth these things Saith, Surely I Come quickly. Amen. Even so, Come, LORD Jesus-Yeshua."!! Jesus ( Yeshua ) Christ IS KING of kings and LORD of lords, HE is the ALPHA and OMEGA, HE is the FIRST and the LAST, HE is the BEGINNING and END!! Glory Glory Hallelujah and Maranatha, and HE Loves You All, Amen–Amein!! Love Always and Shalom ( Peace ), YSIC \o/ Kristi Ann aka MsGuidedAngel!! Please Share This Story Now on Your Sites Below as LORD Jesus-Yeshua Leads!!Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)MoreClick to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google Plus (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Related


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This 28 March 2015 video says about itself:
Hidden Camera Exposes Criminal Animal Abuse at Chicken Slaughterhouse
New hidden-camera video from inside Maple Lodge Farms—Canada's biggest poultry producer—reveals disgusting cruelty to animals, including workers violently slamming birds upside down into metal shackles and breaking their wings and legs, chickens cut open while still conscious and breathing, and animals arriving at the slaughterhouse frozen solid after they were trucked through freezing weather.
Take action here.
Some estimates say about half of all human food is wasted.
And that does not even take into account the billions of lives of animals, wasted already even before they might become food.
Translated from Dutch Vroege Vogels radio today:
Every year, 81 million animals are slaughtered in the Netherlands at a premature age, [Dutch pro-animals organisation] Wakker Dier reports after research. According to the organization, farmers, because of the high price pressure, quickly choose premature deaths for animals that are no longer profitable. "Because of the capitalism in the supermarket business, livestock husbandry has become so penny-pinching that animal lives are no longer worth anything", said a Wakker Dier spokesperson.
Millions butchered
Each year 34 million egg laying hens are slaughtered when they start molting, because they would lay slightly fewer eggs afterwards. In addition, 39 million roosters are gassed annually because they are male and therefore can not lay eggs. They also grow too slowly for meat production. Meat chicks, cows, pigs, goats, sheep and rabbits are also killed prematurely.
Wakker Dier put together figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the National Service for the Enterprising Netherlands. The animals which die annually by fires or are killed due to culling during animal disease epidemics have been left out.
So, 81 million animals' lives annually, not counting fire deaths and culling during epidemics. Only in the Netherlands, not a really big country. I would not be surprised if that would mean many billions all over the world.
If anti-Semites/Islamophobes posing as being 'pro-animals' would start fighting this shame instead of exclusively fighting Jewish kosher/Islamic halal food, small minorities in most countries, then the world would be a lot better place.


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Derek Jeter participated in his 14th and final MLB All-Star Game last night, racking up a double, a single, and a run scored. Both his hits were opposite-field, trademark inside-out base knocks that have become synonymous with the Yankee captain over the years. His All-Star Game average is now the second-highest ever, at .481 (13-27 all-time). On the defensive end, Jeter made a terrific diving snag on just the second pitch of the game, but the throw was closely beat out by Pirates speedster Andrew McCutchen.
In the top of the fourth inning, American League manager John Farrell of the Boston Red Sox replaced Jeter with White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Jeter had already taken the field when the substitution was made, allowing him to bask in a rousing ovation from the players and fans as he returned to the dugout to Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York." It was a great moment.
Check out all of Jeter's All-Star Game highlights below, or skip to the 2:50 mark to watch his exit.


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Millions of people are blind worldwide. Sensory substitution (SS) devices (e.g., vOICe) can assist the blind by encoding a video stream into a sound pattern, recruiting visual brain areas for auditory analysis via crossmodal interactions and plasticity. SS devices often require extensive training to attain limited functionality. In contrast to conventional attention-intensive SS training that starts with visual primitives (e.g., geometrical shapes), we argue that sensory substitution can be engaged efficiently by using stimuli (such as textures) associated with intrinsic crossmodal mappings. Crossmodal mappings link images with sounds and tactile patterns. We show that intuitive SS sounds can be matched to the correct images by naive sighted participants just as well as by intensively-trained participants. This result indicates that existing crossmodal interactions and amodal sensory cortical processing may be as important in the interpretation of patterns by SS as crossmodal plasticity (e.g., the strengthening of existing connections or the formation of new ones), especially at the earlier stages of SS usage. An SS training procedure based on crossmodal mappings could both considerably improve participant performance and shorten training times, thereby enabling SS devices to significantly expand blind capabilities.
Sensory substitution is used to aid the sensory-impaired such as the blind by encoding the information inaccessible to the lost sense into stimuli of another modality1. Devices such as these have translated images into either sound or tactile sensations. The vOICe device is an auditory sensory substitution device that translates vertical position to frequency, left-right position to scan time (encoded in stereo) and brightness to sound loudness1 (as shown in Fig. 1a).
Both blindfolded sighted and blind participants can recognize and localize natural and artificial objects with sensory substitution, given that participants have training (training has a wide range of durations and can last up to years) and use top-down attention (Note: training on sensory substitution has not yet been fully optimized or systematized and therefore is quite variable in duration and outcomes)2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Whereas visual perception in the sighted is often effortless and automatic, the interpretation of SS has so far been laborious, requiring a top-down cognitive process (particularly at the beginning of training) providing a barrier to widespread usage by a substantial fraction of the blind population. Meanwhile, neural imaging studies (PET and fMRI) on SS have shown the presence of crossmodal interactions or plasticity, but uncertainty remains as to whether SS is driven by a top-down or a bottom-up process2,6. TMS studies indicate that visual area activation from sensory substitution is causally linked to blind users' SS task performance9,10 showing that the SS-based perceptual process could be bottom-up but not necessarily effortless. There is not yet (as far as we can tell) a clear indication (among behavior or imaging studies) that sensory substitution interpretation can be intuitive11,12,13. Pre-existing crossmodal interactions (or crossmodal mappings) may allow sensory substitution to be intuitive, however, their impact on sensory substitution interpretation has not yet been explored in depth. In fact, pre-existing crossmodal interactions may be as important to SS interpretation (particularly at the beginning of training), as crossmodal plasticity and learning.
Crossmodal correspondence literature has shown that intrinsic mappings exist between visual and auditory stimuli14. If intrinsic mappings are included in the sensory substitution device encoding, they may allow participants to perform sensory substitution tasks without any training, effort, or knowledge of the device encoding. The encoding of vOICe is based on long-evidenced correspondences across vision and audition, such as the matching of brightness and loudness intensity15, spatial height and pitch height16 and, spatial frequency and amplitude-modulation (AM) rate17. In addition, other features of the vOICe encoding are intuitive, for example the scanning of a scene from left to right is similar to reading written English (and the blind read braille left to right as well). Therefore, participants with no knowledge about the vOICe device may in principle be able to use crossmodal correspondences to naively match images with their correct vOICe sounds. Certain stimuli such as textures may have strong intrinsic crossmodal associations and similar structure across modalities (as shown in Fig. 1b) and thus may also be correctly interpreted by naive participants.
For clarity, we will refer to all crossmodal interactions existing before these experiments as pre-existing crossmodal interactions; therefore, pre-existing as used herein does not necessarily mean innate. All crossmodal changes engendered through training in these experiments will be referred to as crossmodal plasticity.
We address two crossmodal mapping problems in this paper: the engineering issue of optimally encoding vision into audition (V → A) and the psychological/neural decoding of SS via crossmodal correspondences (A → V). We began by studying the psychological/neural decoding of SS with the existing vOICe device encoding (Fig. 1), to determine if vOICe can be intuitive. The results then suggested optimal methods for the encoding of vision into audition. In other words, once we know what works in vOICe, we can then accentuate those characteristics to make even more intuitive device encodings and training procedures.
Experiment 1 will show that SS can be intuitive to the entirely naive untrained observers, a key finding of this paper. Experiments 2 through 4 will study in detail why this is true and Expt. 5 will critically extend this result to the blind. Experiments 2 through 5 all support and fortify the result in Expt. 1. A note to blind readers, this set of experiments test for accuracy and automaticity for interpreting images with vOICe, therefore it is a start to making the vOICe device more intuitive, however it cannot entirely address (as no single study can) the vOICe device's challenges with cluttered environments and dynamic attention allocation.
Expt. 1: Matching Images and vOICe Sounds
The role of crossmodal correspondences was tested with sighted participants in a bimodal matching experiment (Fig. 2a). Participants heard one sound and were asked to match it to one of three presented images (three alternative forced-choice paradigm; 3AFC). Naive participants were not told the vOICe encoding scheme, nor that the sounds were from the vOICe. Images were grouped in sets of three or four images, of which three were displayed as choices for any given trial. This image grouping was used so that particular image features and types could be tested separately. Image types ranged from natural to artificial images and from simple to complex images. Image sets included vertical bar textures of different thicknesses, circular patterns of different element sizes and images of natural textures (Fig. 3). A total of 24 image sets were tested (Fig. 3).
Vertical bar texture images can be matched to the related vOICe sounds by an analytic strategy such as counting the number of elements (similar to the spatial frequency and AM rate correspondence17) (Fig. 1b); likewise, the circular patterns (Fig. 3a, second column) could be paired by equating the rate of change of the sound with element size (similar to the Bouba-Kiki effect18). Texture discrimination may rely on fine repetitive patterns of sound changes (along both the pitch and the time axes).
Naive sighted participants (N = 5 to 7 participants, varied across stimulus sets) performed significantly above chance (p < 0.002, with Bonferroni multiple comparisons correction) in 16 of 24 images sets tested, trained sighted participants (N = 5) in 18 of 24 image sets (all data in Fig. 3) and both the naive and trained participants in 14 of 24 image sets (the naive and trained were not significantly different in any image set). If just non-modified natural stimuli are counted, 5 of 7 image sets were significantly above chance (p < 0.002, with Bonferroni multiple comparisons correction) for the naive sighted and 6 of 7 image sets for the trained sighted. When all the stimuli are pooled, both groups revealed well-above-chance performance (Naive: p < 2.09 × 10−121; Trained: p < 9.15 × 10−119) and the between-group difference is not significant (Welch's t-test, p < 0.71).
The result that select natural stimuli could be intuitive with sensory substitution, with or without training, was unexpected. This is especially true considering that natural images are typically considered cluttered and complex and thus hard to interpret. Natural stimuli (such as natural textures) have more spatial frequency and brightness variations than the typical simplified lab image (a vertical line, for example). The majority of participants being trained on sensory substitution, as reported in the literature, begin with a simplified lab environment, such as a white isolated object on a black background and only experience a natural environment with the device after several training sessions. Our study indicates that this approach may not be optimal, due to the implicit assumption that natural stimuli can only be interpreted with training. We have found that some natural stimuli (such as natural textures) are rich in crossmodal correspondences and therefore are easy to interpret with vOICe. This finding suggests that training participants with a crossmodal-correspondence-rich environment that includes not only simplified lab stimuli/tasks but also natural texture tasks may prove to be a more effective strategy.
Several studies have concluded that crossmodal plasticity strengthens visual activation during SS interpretation and that in fact crossmodal plasticity is essential to the interpretation ability of SS2,9,13,19,20. In a few cases, intrinsic crossmodal correspondences are mentioned13,21, or indirect visualization is argued for sighted subjects6. The current dataset supports a diminished role of crossmodal plasticity in that trained participants did not significantly outperform the naive in any of the image sets (p < 0.002, with Bonferroni multiple comparisons correction) (Table S3). The similarity in recognition performance between the naive and trained indicates that pre-existing crossmodal connections (i.e., crossmodal mappings) were potentially equally important to SS interpretation as crossmodal plasticity (engendered through training). This set of data could be interpreted along the metamodal or multisensory theory of the brain - "metamodal" meaning that sensory regions process a particular type of information (such as shape) rather than a particular modality2,19,22. Our results show multisensory processing of vOICe information via crossmodal correspondences support the metamodal concept that all sensory information is processed in a multisensory context rather than in separate modalities. These conclusions are not due to a ceiling effect (because in 6 of the image sets, the trained did not perform significantly above chance). Therefore the claim that SS pattern interpretation is primarily based on crossmodal plasticity (at least in sighted participants) should be significantly constrained by the data presented in this study.
A key question is what determines the degree of intuitiveness (i.e., the intrinsic mapping) in the stimulus images. For example, may it be conceivable that image complexity be negatively correlated with participants' performance? To address this question we correlated image complexity measures with the bimodal matching accuracy. The filters used and results are detailed in the supplementary information. Another way to investigate the reason for vOICe sound intuitiveness is by manipulation of the crossmodal mappings used in the vOICe audio-visual encoding; Expt. 2 will use this approach.
Expt. 2: Matching Images to a Variety of Audio-to-Visual Device Encodings
Crossmodal mappings underlie the intuitiveness of vOICe encoding. While this is a logical conclusion from the results in Fig. 3, it is not explicitly proven that crossmodal mappings are the elements that make vOICe understandable to the entirely naive. Further, it is unclear whether the current vOICe encoding scheme (i.e., from height to pitch, from left-right to time) is the optimal encoding scheme. Also, it is unclear which crossmodal mappings are the most critical for intuitiveness. To address these issues, we reversed the direction of each of the primary vOICe encodings or crossmodal mappings and then tested the reversed encodings in comparison to the original vOICe encodings. If the encoding/crossmodal mapping inversion significantly reduces the participants' accuracy at matching images and sounds, then that crossmodal mapping dimension (but with the original direction) is important to effortlessly interpret vOICe. In other words, we are investigating which engineering encoding parameter combinations make the psychological decoding more intuitive but within the same parameter dimensions as the original (vOICe).
The same bimodal-matching task as Expt. 1 was used for testing alternative vOICe audiovisual mappings. Participants tested all different mappings (including the original vOICe audiovisual mapping) in one session. Four image sets for each crossmodal mapping were tested in one block of trials, with the order of the mapping blocks in random order (the image sets used were chosen for image diversity and significant AV matching performance in Expt. 1). Any degradation in performance due to the confusion of testing many different AV mappings in one session will apply to the original mapping and the modifications and therefore will be irrelevant to the comparison. Untrained naive participants were tested due to our aim of directly testing the mapping intuitiveness.
Results from 8 sighted naive participants indicate that two crossmodal correspondence inversions have a significantly reduced matching accuracy compared to the original encoding (Fig. 4). Matching for reversed brightness and loudness mapping was significantly less accurate for two images sets (p < 0.0031, with Bonferroni correction): Interfaces (Welch's t-test, p < 7.28 × 10−4) and Natural Textures (Welch's t-test, p < 0.002) (third and fourth image sets in Fig. 4). The reversal of the vertical and horizontal coordinates also degraded performance significantly (i.e., scanning top to bottom and mapping high-low pitches from right to left in reverse encoding; scanning left to right and mapping high-low pitches from top-bottom in original) for one image set: Bars of Different Thickness (Welch's t-test, p < 2.62 × 10−13) (first image set in Fig. 4). When all the image sets are summed together, matching for both the brightness and loudness mapping (Welch's t-test, p < 1.60 × 10−5) and the orientation of image coordinates (Welch's t-test, p < 4.36 × 10−8) when inverted were significantly less accurate than the original vOICe encoding.
The implication of the crossmodal mapping tests is that two encoding elements are particularly important to image interpretation with vOICe: Brightness correlating with loudness and the coordinates of the encoding (i.e., scanning from left to right with high pitch at the top as with vOICe, rather than scanning from top to bottom with high pitch at the right).
A reversal or 180 degree rotation of an encoding can apparently be tolerated with these image stimuli (i.e., high-low pitches from bottom to top instead of top to bottom, or scanning right to left instead of left to right). It is likely that this toleration of reversal and 180-degree rotation is due to the left-right and top-bottom symmetry of several of the images used. A 90 degree rotation of the encoding is problematic to interpretation (The "90 degree rotation" means the x and y axis switch: scanning from top to bottom with high-low pitches from right to left, rather than scanning from left to right with high-low pitches from top to bottom as with vOICe). The problem of switching the x and y axis encodings further emphasizes the anisotropy of the vOICe encoding (unlike vision) and the importance of displaying information on the x axis with vOICe where the highest (temporal) resolution occurs (rather than on the y (pitch) axis). In particular, the images that test well with vOICe have information displayed horizontally and when the encoding axes are switched, the critical information in the x direction is less detectable by the lower y-axis encoding resolution, thereby reducing accuracy. A comparison of the vertical bar texture naive percent correct (86%) (Fig. 3a) and the horizontal bar texture percent correct (22%) (Fig. 3b) with the vOICe encoding verifies this point.
The brightness-loudness correspondence makes sense, as bright objects in dark areas are the most interesting in natural scenes (rather than vice versa, although with a variety of exceptions). The auditory system is acutely able to recognize the presence of sounds and is less able to recognize the absence of sounds. These facts suggest that the brightness to loudness translation highlights the most important image elements (i.e., the bright elements), whereas the reverse encoding (darkness translates to loudness) obscures the most important elements. Brown et al. studied an exception to this rule, brightness to loudness correlation in auditory SS with dark objects on a light surface. They found the reverse encoding (darkness to loudness) more useful for locating the uncommon dark object13.
The testing of vOICe mapping elements showed that crossmodal correspondences underlie vOICe intuitiveness. In particular, naive participants' ability to match images and vOICe sounds is due in part to two key crossmodal mappings: the brightness to loudness mapping and the orientation of the vOICe mapping. In Expt. 3, we will next investigate if these intuitive vOICe sounds can be processed without attention, or automatically.
Expt. 3: Matching Images to vOICe Sounds while Performing a Distractor Task
The naive interpretation of vOICe demonstrated in Expt. 1 above indicates that knowledge of the explicit audiovisual vOICe encoding scheme is not needed for vOICe interpretation. Instead, implicit crossmodal mappings allow the naive interpretation of vOICe sounds. Therefore, the automaticity of the naive interpretation of vOICe depends on the automaticity of the crossmodal correspondences. Crossmodal correspondences (or mappings) can be automatic or not automatic depending on the type of crossmodal mapping and task23. One automaticity criterion is attention-load insensitivity, which can be tested by distraction tasks23. While the load-insensitivity of crossmodal mappings does not yet appear to have been studied directly, dual task designs have been used to study the impact of high attention load on crossmodal interactions. Alsius and colleagues showed that reduced attention resources limited the McGurk effect24. Eramudugolla, et al. indicated that the ventriloquist aftereffect can occur under attention load, but is modulated by it25. Helbig and Ernst demonstrated that the weighting of visual and haptic stimuli is independent of attention load26. These mixed results indicate that some but not all multimodal interactions are load-insensitive.
We tested the load-sensitivity of vOICe interpretation with a distractor task in audition or vision during vOICe sound interpretation (N = 8). Participants counted backward silently in sets of 7 from a displayed random number (audio distractor), while the vOICe sound played (Fig. 2b). Participants then matched the vOICe sound to one image of three displayed images that seemed to best match it (3AFC, same design as the bimodal matching experiment with just the counting distractor added). The same participants also performed a visual search distractor task (distraction by serial visual search of the letter F among a set of E's) of similar design to the counting distractor (Fig. 2c) and the original bimodal experiment (i.e., no distractor) (Note: the original data in Expt. 3 is the same as Expt. 2 original data) (Fig. 2a). Only one of the dual task matching accuracies was significantly different from the original vOICe bimodal matching task for the 4 image sets tested (Fig. 5) (N = 8) (p < 0.006, with Bonferroni correction) (Natural textures, visual search, p < 0.005). When the data are pooled across image sets, both the visual and auditory distractor task accuracies were not significantly different from the original bimodal matching task when a Welch's t-test is used (p < 0.006, with Bonferroni correction) (auditory distractor: p < 0.008, visual distractor: p < 0.006). When pooled, both distractors are also significantly different than chance (auditory distractor: p < 8.36 × 10−23, visual distractor: p < 4.54 × 10−21).
These results indicate that attention does not play significant role in the processing of vOICe sounds tested but also that vOICe processing can be modulated to some degree by attention.
Expt. 4: Matching Remembered Labels to vOICe Sounds
Experiment 4 relates the crossmodal matching results to the more conventional, unimodal vOICe training tasks. The vOICe training tasks are mimicked in Experiment 4 with a label memory task (learn and then reiterate a label associated with a given vOICe sound). The performance at the crossmodal matching task and vOICe training (label memory) task were correlated, showing that crossmodal matching used in this paper is related to traditional vOICe training. Details about this experiment are in the supplemental information.
Expt. 5: Matching Tactile Patterns to vOICe Sounds in the Blind
Naive sighted participants perform remarkably well matching visual images to sounds (Exp. 1–4). But the real question more directly relevant to sensory substitution to aid the blind should be whether naive blind participants can use crossmodal mappings to match tactile patterns (in place of images) to vOICe sounds. Thus, we tested both blind and sighted participants on matching sounds to tactile (relief) patterns (Fig. 6a), in a procedure analogous to the original auditory-visual Expt. 1. The relief patterns (in which relief height represented image brightness) corresponded to the visual images described above for lines of different thicknesses and circle patterns of different sizes.
Blind participants performed above chance (33%) both before and after training at matching vOICe sounds to the tactile patterns. Following vOICe training, the blind performed significantly above chance for both textures tested (p < 0.004, with Bonferroni correction) (Fig. 6b, Bars of different thickness: Blind naive (N = 4) 46% and p < 0.09, Blind trained (N = 4) 65% and p < 4.77 × 10−5, Sighted naive (N = 4) 79% and p < 6.30 × 10−10; Dots of different sizes: Blind naive (N = 4) 44% and p < 0.16, Blind trained (N = 4) 58% and p < 0.001, Sighted naive (N = 4) 67% and p < 1.41 × 10−5). When the subject groups were compared for each image set, only the blind naive and the sighted naive were significantly different from each other for 1 out of 2 of the texture sets (p < 0.004, with Bonferroni correction) (Bars of different thickness: p < 6.04 × 10−4 for Welch's t-test). When the data are pooled among the texture sets the blind naive and sighted naive are significantly different (p < 5.90 × 10−5, Welch's t-test) from each other, respectively.
Although the blind data for tactile-auditory matching is weaker than the sighted data for auditory-visual matching, it may be in part due to the inclusion of congenitally blind participants. The blind group included two late blind participants and two congenitally blind participants; the late blind performing the better of the two blindness types (average across image sets: Late blind naive (N = 2) 50%, Congenitally blind naive (N = 2) 40%, Late blind trained (N = 2) 71%, Congenitally blind trained (N = 2) 52%). The late blind may have performed better because of past visual experiences, which enhanced their spatial perception and increased the pre-existing spatial crossmodal mappings. In addition, the late blind will also likely have a hidden vision-audition intrinsic mapping from past visual experience that does not appear on the tactile-audition matching test performance. Such a hidden visual-auditory mapping may assist in the learning of vOICe by the late blind. However, due the small number of subjects the only definite conclusion from this experiment is that the blind can match tactile patterns to sounds following vOICe training and experience with the matching task (the task was performed by same participants before training).
General Discussion
Sensory substitution has been assumed to be top-down controlled (particularly in initial stages) and to require extensive attention. This assumption is not always true. Entirely naive participants were found to match vOICe sounds to images significantly above chance (Expt. 1). Therefore, explicit knowledge of the vOICe vision-to-auditory encoding scheme was not required for interpretation of vOICe sounds. In addition, the similarity of the naive and trained performance in these experiments indicates that pre-existing crossmodal interactions (or mappings) may play an equal role in SS pattern recognition as crossmodal plasticity.
The intuitive interpretation of vOICe sounds was shown to be due to intrinsic crossmodal mappings associated with the vOICe encoding scheme by generating significant decrements in matching performance when the vOICe encoding scheme was reversed (Expt. 2). In particular, we investigated engineering encoding parameter combinations that made the psychological decoding more intuitive. It was shown that brightness to loudness mapping and time to horizontal/frequency to vertical mapping are important for naive crossmodal interpretation of vOICe sounds. This result shows that crossmodal mappings are important to vOICe interpretation, while it leaves open the question as to whether attention is needed to interpret vOICe via crossmodal correspondence. To answer this question, a dual task design was used to test the attention load susceptibility of matching vOICe sounds to the correct images (Expt. 3). The use of crossmodal mappings in naive vOICe interpretation was shown to be partially automatic (i.e., relatively insensitive to attentional load). Therefore, the use of crossmodal mappings to interpret vOICe does not always require significant attention resources, suggesting a similarity to visual experience in the sighted. Furthermore, the auditory-visual intrinsic mappings were shown to impact auditory sensory substitution training implying relevance of these results to training protocols (Expt. 4). Finally, the key results were extended to blind participants (the target users of vOICe) with a vOICe sound to tactile pattern matching task (Expt. 5).
Sensory substitution training has been based on the hidden assumption that the primitives of sensory substitution perception will be the same as the primitives of vision, such as dots, lines and intersections. The visual primitives are often defined as visual elements that are perceptually processed effortlessly and automatically27. While sensory substitution is vision-like, it may have crossmodally intuitive primitives that are different from the classical visual primitives. In particular, not all of the visual primitive stimuli were intuitive to interpret with vOICe (e.g., shape texture (naive, 51%) and horizontal bar texture (naive, 22%) (Column 3 of Fig. 3a,b) are not significant). Training protocols that are specially designed to access intrinsic mappings as primitives may enable faster training and greater ease of use. If intuitive stimuli such as textures are the starting point of vOICe training, followed by a gradual increase of image complexity (closer to real-world), participants may learn to use devices more effectively and effortlessly within a shorter training period. For example, pattern recognition of intuitive stimuli could progress to localization of intuitive stimuli on a black background and then to identification and localization of intuitive stimuli within a natural scene. In fact, the identification of subtle texture interfaces has already been tested on naive sighted participants with some success (all of Fig. 3c). This approach differs significantly from the conventional (more effort-demanding) training in which trainees first learn visual geometric primitives and then more natural cluttered scenes constructed from these primitives, with extensive efforts2,10,19.
The results of these experiments have profound implications as to how different modalities are intrinsically mapped in the brain, significantly extending previous findings on synaesthesia and intrinsic correspondence. In particular, both texture and natural stimuli employed in the current study demonstrate that crossmodal mapping strength is resistant to the complexity of the encoded images (i.e., even at high image complexity, vOICe sound matching was above chance; Supplementary Fig. S1). A load-sensitivity criterion for automaticity was tested herein on crossmodal mappings for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Previously, auditory-visual correspondences have shown some evidence of being goal-directed (i.e., not automatic), but to the contrary are speeded up in the Implicit Associations Test (i.e., automatic)23,56. Expt. 3 used a distraction task to strengthen the case that crossmodal mappings can be automatic with both visual and auditory distractors, indicating partial attentional load independence. Finally, it was shown that crossmodal mappings between audition and tactile perception exist in the blind (Fig. 6b). Despite losing one sense (vision) with the consequence of extensive cortical reorganization, multimodal interactions among the remaining senses stay intact. This result is important to a complete understanding of neural processing in the blind.
While the result that sensory substitution with texture stimuli could be intuitive is exciting, this does not mean that the sensory substitution training is not necessary, nor the question about the optimal training is solved. Rather, this study indicates that some static stimuli (single images and sounds, rather than real-time video-to-sound conversion) when using a forced-choice paradigm (i.e. multiple choice) can be intuitive. In order for these results to aid the blind, further research applying these principles to dynamic training paradigms needs to be attempted (as suggested earlier).
Crossmodal mappings enable sensory substitution interpretation and if used in device training and design could dramatically improve functional outcomes. In particular, the matching of engineered SS audio-visual mappings to intrinsic sensory mappings is important to improving the intuitiveness of sensory substitution. The widespread usage of sensory substitution may be enabled by the use of optimal training paradigms that induce vigorous crossmodal plasticity. Furthermore, even better devices and treatments may be generated by a deeper understanding of sensory integration in the brain via crossmodal mappings.
Experiment 1
The role of crossmodal correspondences was tested with naive (N = 5 to 7) and trained sighted (N = 5) participants in a bimodal matching task (Expt. 1) (one participant also performed Expt. 4, Table S2). First, all stimuli were presented as a preview (a set of three or four images in random order, 4 seconds each, then a set of three or four vOICe sounds in random order, 1 second each) and then participants heard one sound from the preview and were asked to match one of three presented images to the sound (3AFC) (the preview and test are repeated for each image set). Naive participants were not told the vOICe encoding scheme, nor that the sounds were from the vOICe device. Participants were asked to match the sound to the image that carried the same information; if uncertain, participants were told to guess. Feedback on performance was not provided to participants. Images were compared in sets of three or four so that particular image features and types could be tested separately. Image types ranged from natural to artificial images and from simple to complex images. Image sets included vertical bar textures of different thicknesses, circular patterns of different element sizes and images of natural textures (Fig. 3). All images were presented in grayscale, as vOICe sounds do not convey color information. A total of 24 image sets were tested; all images are included in Fig. 2. The naive sighted participants are different than the trained participants. The vOICe frame rate (or refresh rate) was 1 Hz for all of the experiments, including Expt. 1 and subject training. A t-test was used to determine significance relative to chance (MATLAB t-test function (ttest), two-tailed test, an alpha of 0.05); all data were tested for normality using the three-sigma rule and passed. Naive and trained data (including the pooled t-test) were compared with a Welch's t-test (MATLAB ttest2 function, two-tailed test, an alpha of 0.05, unequal variances), where the variances are not assumed to be the same.
We should note that literature studies with task performance improvement with SS, repeat the task in each training session generating task familiarity learning and use a real-time device generating hand-camera orientation learning. Our task removed the task familiarity learning and hand-camera orientation learning, in order to isolate recognition ability improvement.
The trained sighted participants for Expt. 1 were trained for 8 days, about 1 hour per day on the vOICe device. The vOICe training covered basic object localization and recognition, as well as two constancy tasks (rotation and shape constancy). Training with sensorimotor feedback was used to make the training as close to real world usage as possible within laboratory and safety limits. The training was also used in different constancy experiment, which required many different types of training designs for sensorimotor evaluations of participants and the specific testing protocol. Therefore this constancy training on vOICe, which was detailed and extensive, was also used as a vOICe familiarization protocol for this study. More details are in the supplemental information.
Experiment 2
The crossmodal mappings underlying vOICe interpretation were tested on naive sighted participants (N = 8) (Expt. 2). Participants performed a bimodal matching task of the same design as the original (detailed above) but with different encoding schemes to test the value of different crossmodal mappings. Different encoding paradigms were generated by altering the images input into the vOICe encoding software (for example: the inverted coding of dark regions louder than bright regions was generated by inverting image brightness before processing the image with vOICe software). The encoding inversions tested were: Dark regions louder than bright regions, scanning right to left, high frequency on the bottom and scanning top to bottom with high frequency on the right (Fig. 1a depicts the original vOICe encoding). The order of testing of the different encoding inversions on participants was randomized. All participants completed all five of the different encoding types (one original and four inversions) in one session. A Welch's t-test was used to determine significance relative to the original mapping percent correct (MATLAB ttest2 function, two-tailed test, an alpha of 0.05, unequal variances); all data were tested for normality using the three-sigma rule and passed.
Experiment 3
Automaticity of vOICe interpretation via an attention load experiment was tested with a dual task design (Expt. 3). In the first task of Expt. 3, participants counted backward in sets of 7 from a displayed random number, while listening to the vOICe sound played (vOICe sound started 10 seconds after counting started) (N = 8) (same participants as Expt. 2, one participant in common with Expt. 4, Table S2). Participants then matched the vOICe sound to one image of three images displayed (3AFC, same design and image specifications as the bimodal matching experiment). The same participants also performed the original bimodal experiment (i.e., with no counting) in the same session, which was used for comparison (N = 8). As with the original experiment, all images and sounds were displayed before the experiment began in random order. A subset of the same participants performed a visual search distraction task in a second session (N = 6) (one participant in common with Expt. 4, Table S2). These participants searched for an F within 50 E's randomly placed in a 100 by 100 location grid within a 1000 × 1000 pixel display field. E and F locations were jittered vertically and horizontally by up to 50 pixels. An F was present in half of the trials and absent in half. The visual search image was 25.4 cm by 25.4 cm and each letter was 0.6 cm by 1.3 cm on the screen. Participants sat about 63.5 cm from the 27 inch (68.6 cm) iMac screen where the images were presented. The vOICe sound played at the beginning of the visual search task. The participant was instructed to continue searching while the sound was played. Participants responded if an F was present or absent (pressed 1 if present and 2 if absent). Participants then matched the vOICe sound to one image of three images displayed (3AFC, same design and image specifications as the bimodal matching experiment). As with the original experiment, all images and sounds were displayed before the experiment began in random order. A t-test was used to determine significance relative to the original mapping percent correct (Welch's t-test: MATLAB ttest2 function, two-tailed test, an alpha of 0.05, unequal variances). A t-test was used to determine significance relative to chance (MATLAB t-test function (ttest), two-tailed test, an alpha of 0.05); all data were tested for normality using the three-sigma rule and passed.
Experiment 4
Sighted naive participants also performed a vOICe memory task (mimicking the vOICe training tasks) (N = 8) (Expt. 4) (one participant also performed Expt. 1, another different participant performed Expts 2 and 3, Table S2). Initially, the sounds from vOICe were played in random order twice and a label (1 through 4) was given to each of the sounds. Then in each trial one of the sounds was played again and the participant responded with the number that matches that sound. This memory task was performed on the same sets of images that were used for the bimodal matching task (only image sets with four images were used in this experiment). A correlation analysis calculated the p-value for Pearson's correlation using a Student's t distribution (MATLAB corr function, two-tailed test); all data were tested for normality using the three-sigma rule and passed.
Experiment 5
Auditory to tactile mappings were tested via a bimodal matching task (Expt. 5) (naive sighted N = 4, naive blind N = 4, trained blind N = 4 (2 late blind participants and 2 congenitally blind participants)). It is useful to note that the blind subjects were tested naively, then trained and tested again post-training, therefore total number of subjects remained as N = 4 (this method was required because of the difficulty of recruiting blind participants) (Table S2)). The setup of the experiment was similar to the visual auditory bimodal matching. As a preview, three to four tactile patterns (10.2 cm by 8.3 cm) were explored and the associated vOICe sounds were played in random order. Participants then listened to one of the vOICe sounds and matched it to one of three tactile patterns presented on a desk surface (3AFC). Participants were asked to match the sound to the tactile pattern that carried the same information. The auditory-tactile matching task instructions were read aloud to the blind or blindfolded sighted and the participant's responses (conveyed orally) were recorded by the experimenter. Tactile stimuli were placed in front of the participants on a desk surface for exploration by the participant. Tactile patterns used were generated from black and white images containing two brightness levels by adhering cardstock to the white regions, thereby raising them relative to the black regions. The blind participants were trained for 10 days, 1 hour per day on the vOICe device. The vOICe training covered basic object localization and recognition, as well as on two constancy tasks (rotation and shape constancy). Additional vOICe training information is in the supplemental information. A t-test was used to determine significance relative to chance (MATLAB t-test function (ttest), two-tailed test, an alpha of 0.05); all data were tested for normality using the three-sigma rule and passed. The blind and sighted subject groups were compared with a Welch's t-test (including the pooled t-test) (MATLAB ttest2 function, two-tailed test, an alpha of 0.05, unequal variances), where the variances are not assumed to be the same.
General Methods
Additional methods information is provided in the supplemental information. Caltech Internal Review Board approved all experiments in this study. Informed consent was obtained from all study participants and all experiments were performed in accordance with approved guidelines. All t-tests perform the statistical comparison on data pooled across trials.
Additional Information
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We are grateful for a fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program and research grants from the Della Martin Fund for Discoveries in Mental Illness and from the Japan Science and Technology Agency, Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology. We appreciate Yuqian Zheng's support with training participants on the vOICe device and Carmel Levitan's and Armand R. Tanguay, Jr.'s comments on the manuscript. We would also like to thank Peter Meijer, Luis Goncalves and Enrico Di Bernardo from MetaModal LLC for the use of several of the vOICe devices used in this study.
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Cite this article
Stiles, N., Shimojo, S. Auditory Sensory Substitution is Intuitive and Automatic with Texture Stimuli. Sci Rep 5, 15628 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep15628
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep15628
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Yvonne Nelson reveals name of her daughter?
A lot seems to be going on with star actress and producer, Yvonne Nelson to the extent that she revealed the name of her daughter without many noticing.
Click here for the latest entertainment news in Ghana
Having been honoured at the 2017 edition of the Girl Talk Concert which was held at the National Theatre, last Wednesday, Yvonne was already in the news in the week.
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She calling out GHONe TV presenter, Berla Mundi, on Friday for 'gossiping' about her on one of her shows ensured that she dominated the entertainment news headlines over the weekend.
But in the midst of the controversy, the beautiful actress dropped hints of what we assume is the name of her first child with a 'prophecy' of her becoming great.
Moments after 'attacking' Berla Mundi in a tweet, she tweeted, "RYN ROBERTS .....you'll be great in JESUS Name. Amen".
And two days later, she also tweeted an Instagram link of photos of her being honoured at the Girl Talk concert saying "Thank you @GirlTalk_World #humbled. Ryn will surely see this one day"
Apart from the suggestive posts of she referring to her daughter, our checks reveal Ryn is a Welsh name which means Ruler and since the father of the child, Jamie Roberts is known to be of Irish descent, it is only logical to deduce its the child's name.
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Yvonne Nelson, has been one of the most popular actress in Ghana in the last decade
Having featured in over 100 film productions and also owning her own production company, YN productions, she could be described as very successful in her field of work and she a staunch following.
After months of speculations, Yvonne confirmed the birth her daughter in November and it was greeted with mixed reactions.
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While many thought, she, as a role model, should not have given birth out of wedlock, others thought it was her own life and as such not a big deal.
Later information suggesting her partner, Jamie may have been married deepened criticisms but it looks like the two are so much in love and are forging ahead despite the many criticisms.
Your stories and photos are always welcome.
Send us a message via our official Facebook page to get it published on YEN.com.gh.
She founded the Yvonne Nelson Glaucoma Foundation in 2010 to help create awareness about the disease.
With support from other Ghanaian celebrities, she recorded an all-star charity single, and shot a video to help educate people.
Source: YEN.com.gh


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will using unequal lengths of coax between a diversity wireless microphone receiver and its antennas cause problems?
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