Multimodal "Sensory Illusions" for Improving Spatial Awareness in Virtual Environments

Inaccurate judgement of distances in virtual environments (VEs) restricts their usefulness for engineering development, in which engineers must have a good understanding of the spaces they are designing. Multimodal feedback can improve depth perception in VEs, but this has yet to be implemented and tested in engineering applications with systems which provide haptic feedback to the body. The project reported in this paper will develop a multimodal VE to improve engineers’ understanding of 3D spaces. It will test the concept of “sensory illusions” where the point of collision in the VE differs to the point of haptic feedback on the body. This will permit the use of fewer vibrotactile devices and therefore the development of a more wearable system. This paper describes related work in multisensory and tactile stimulation which suggests that our perception of a stimulus is not fixed to the point of contact

Mortality and causes of death in patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis: Survey study based on the clinical experience of specialists in Australia, Europe and the USA

Background: There is a paucity of data on mortality and causes of death (CoDs) in patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM), a rare, progressive, degenerative, inflammatory myopathy that typically affects those aged over 50 years. Objective: Based on patient records and expertise of clinical specialists, this study used questionnaires to evaluate physicians’ views on clinical characteristics of sIBM that may impact on premature mortality and CoDs in these patients. Methods: Thirteen physicians from seven countries completed two questionnaires online between December 20, 2012 and January 15, 2013. Responses to the first questionnaire were collated and presented in the second questionnaire to seek elaboration and identify consensus. Results: All 13 physicians completed both questionnaires, providing responses based on 585 living and 149 deceased patients under their care. Patients were reported to have experienced dysphagia (60.2%) and injurious falls (44.3%) during their disease. Over half of physicians reported that a subset of their patients with sIBM had a shortened lifespan (8/13), and agreed that bulbar dysfunction/dysphagia/oropharyngeal involvement (12/13), early-onset disease (8/13), severe symptoms (8/13), and falls (7/13) impacted lifespan. Factors related to sIBM were reported as CoDs in 40% of deceased patients. Oropharyngeal muscle dysfunction was ranked as the leading feature of sIBM that could contribute to death. The risk of premature mortality was higher than the age-matched comparison population. Conclusions: In the absence of data from traditional sources, this study suggests that features of sIBM may contribute to premature mortality and may be used to inform future studies

Valid and reliable instruments for arm-hand assessment at ICF activity level in persons with hemiplegia: a systematic review

Contains fulltext : 110141.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Loss of arm-hand performance due to a hemiparesis as a result of stroke or cerebral palsy (CP), leads to large problems in daily life of these patients. Assessment of arm-hand performance is important in both clinical practice and research. To gain more insight in e.g. effectiveness of common therapies for different patient populations with similar clinical characteristics, consensus regarding the choice and use of outcome measures is paramount. To guide this choice, an overview of available instruments is necessary. The aim of this systematic review is to identify, evaluate and categorize instruments, reported to be valid and reliable, assessing arm-hand performance at the ICF activity level in patients with stroke or cerebral palsy. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed to identify articles containing instruments assessing arm-hand skilled performance in patients with stroke or cerebral palsy. Instruments were identified and divided into the categories capacity, perceived performance and actual performance. A second search was performed to obtain information on their content and psychometrics. RESULTS: Regarding capacity, perceived performance and actual performance, 18, 9 and 3 instruments were included respectively. Only 3 of all included instruments were used and tested in both patient populations. The content of the instruments differed widely regarding the ICF levels measured, assessment of the amount of use versus the quality of use, the inclusion of unimanual and/or bimanual tasks and the inclusion of basic and/or extended tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Although many instruments assess capacity and perceived performance, a dearth exists of instruments assessing actual performance. In addition, instruments appropriate for more than one patient population are sparse. For actual performance, new instruments have to be developed, with specific focus on the usability in different patient populations and the assessment of quality of use as well as amount of use. Also, consensus about the choice and use of instruments within and across populations is needed

Lipid Gain in Mythimna unipuncta Moths Raised on Sucrose and Glucose Based Comparative Diets

Enriching the isotopic composition of diet is a tool that is used very readily to determine different patterns of nutrient sourcing and availability. This isotopic enrichment can be done on some sugars. In the wild, many lepidoptera feed on nectar primarily comprised of sucrose, yet isotopically enriched glucose is more widely available due to ease of enrichment and associated price. This experiment tests if true armyworm (Mythimna unipuncta) gain mass similarly when raised on diets with varying sucrose and glucose concentrations

Voltammetric monitoring of photochemical reactions: The photosubstitution of group VIA hexacarbonyls

Voltammetry at an irradiated platinum channel electrode is used to monitor photosubstitution reactions of the Group VIA hexacarbonyls, M(CO)6 (M = Cr,Mo,W), in acetonitrile solution, in which up to three CO ligands are replaced by solvent molecules. It is shown that this methodological approach can be used to suggest reaction mechanisms and to quantify rates of photoreactions, so giving estimates of quantum yields

ORGANOMETALLIC PHOTOELECTROCHEMISTRY - OXIDATION OF FAC-TRICARBONYLCHLORO[BIS(DIPHENYLPHOSPHINO)METHANE]MANGANESE(I)

The electrochemical oxidation of fac-tricarbonylchloro[bis(diphenylphosphino)methane]manganese(I) (FCM) has been studied at an irradiated (390-nm) channel electrode. Photocurrent measurements made as a function of variable mass transport, combined with simultaneous photoelectrochemical ESR measurements, have shown that new electrode reaction pathways appear under illumination. Specifically, first, light can induce a fac to mer isomerization in the molecule which leads to oxidation at potentials lower than those required in the dark, and this process has been quantitatively interpreted as a photo-CE (C = chemical step; E = electrode step) mechanism. Second, the direct oxidation of FCM is modified under illumination with enhancement of the current flowing. A modified disproportionation mechanism was found to uniquely and quantitatively describe the process. In both cases the relevant rate constants are reported. © 1993 American Chemical Society

ORGANOMETALLIC PHOTOELECTROCHEMISTRY - OXIDATION OF FAC-TRICARBONYLCHLORO[BIS(DIPHENYLPHOSPHINO)METHANE]MANGANESE(I)

The electrochemical oxidation of fac-tricarbonylchloro[bis(diphenylphosphino)methane]manganese(I) (FCM) has been studied at an irradiated (390-nm) channel electrode. Photocurrent measurements made as a function of variable mass transport, combined with simultaneous photoelectrochemical ESR measurements, have shown that new electrode reaction pathways appear under illumination. Specifically, first, light can induce a fac to mer isomerization in the molecule which leads to oxidation at potentials lower than those required in the dark, and this process has been quantitatively interpreted as a photo-CE (C = chemical step; E = electrode step) mechanism. Second, the direct oxidation of FCM is modified under illumination with enhancement of the current flowing. A modified disproportionation mechanism was found to uniquely and quantitatively describe the process. In both cases the relevant rate constants are reported. © 1993 American Chemical Society