"Lend Me a Hand" – Extending the Reach of Seated VR Players in Unmodified Games Through Remote Co-Piloting

Playing virtual reality (VR) games while seated can be challenging because many games are designed for a mobile, standing player. Sitting down not only limits mobility but also the reach of the player. This is particularly problematic if the player does not have a choice in whether they play seated or standing because it then becomes an accessibility issue. We have taken the concept of co-piloting (controls shared across multiple input devices and players) and applied it to VR with the aim of extending the reach of the VR player. To demonstrate the feasibility of the concept, a software prototype was developed that allowed a second, remote, player to take over the VR player’s controllers and help them reach out. Because the prototype manipulates the SteamVR middleware and not the game, it can be used with any application that runs on SteamVR. A small formative study was conducted to inform further research and proof the concept

Dynamic contour tonometry versus Goldmann applanation tonometry: challenging the gold standard

The accurate measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) is fundamental to almost any ophthalmic examination. Dynamic contour tonometry (DCT) was introduced 5 years ago as an entirely novel contact tonometry principle designed to measure IOP largely independently of corneal properties. Since then, many studies have compared the performance of this tonometer to the Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) and other tonometers in healthy eyes, as well as eyes with glaucoma or corneal diseases, and after corneal surgery. There is now strong evidence that DCT measures IOP very accurately, with very low inter- and intraobserver variability. This article summarizes the findings of these studies and analyzes the role of DCT in challenging GAT as the gold-standard tonometer for IOP measurements

Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis on thin sections and unimpregnated soil material.

A combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXRA) was used in the study of soil materials. The investigation in situ of components in thin sections was used to estimate chemical elements with atomic numbers 11 upwards, from sodium on. EDXRA could detect chemical elements up to magnifications of X 10 000. The composition of amorphous and micro-crystalline materials cannot be estimated in thin sections by light microscopy but by this technique was clearly displayed. Composition of loose soil material can also be investigated. The material that could be studied by SEM-EDXRA did not need high polishing of the thin section, and the plastic used for impregnation of the soil material was not affected by the investigation.Identification of chemical elements in situ, high resolution of the topographic image and relatively short testing times for the elements make this combination of techniques useful for soil research. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Tectonics of a K+ channel: The importance of the N-terminus for channel gating

AbstractThe small K+ channel Kcv represents the pore module of complex potassium channels. It was found that its gating can be modified by sensor domains, which are N-terminally coupled to the pore. This implies that the short N-terminus of the channel can transmit conformational changes from upstream sensors to the channel gates. To understand the functional role of the N-terminus in the context of the entire channel protein, we apply combinatorial screening of the mechanical coupling and long-range interactions in the Kcv potassium channel by reduced molecular models. The dynamics and mechanical connections in the channel complex show that the N-terminus is indeed mechanically connected to the pore domain. This includes a long rang coupling to the pore and the inner and outer transmembrane domains. Since the latter domains host the two gates of the channel, the data support the hypothesis that mechanical perturbation of the N-terminus can be transmitted to the channel gates. This effect is solely determined by the topology of the channel; sequence details only have an implicit effect on the coarse-grained dynamics via the fold and not through biochemical details at a smaller scale. This observation has important implications for engineering of synthetic channels on the basis of a K+ channel pore

The backbone of the climate network

We propose a method to reconstruct and analyze a complex network from data generated by a spatio-temporal dynamical system, relying on the nonlinear mutual information of time series analysis and betweenness centrality of complex network theory. We show, that this approach reveals a rich internal structure in complex climate networks constructed from reanalysis and model surface air temperature data. Our novel method uncovers peculiar wave-like structures of high energy flow, that we relate to global surface ocean currents. This points to a major role of the oceanic surface circulation in coupling and stabilizing the global temperature field in the long term mean (140 years for the model run and 60 years for reanalysis data). We find that these results cannot be obtained using classical linear methods of multivariate data analysis, and have ensured their robustness by intensive significance testing.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

The effect of different types of hepatic injury on the estrogen and androgen receptor activity of liver

Mammalian liver contains receptors for both estrogens and androgens. Hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy in male rats is associated with a loss of certain male-specific hepatic characteristics. In this study we investigated the effects of lesser forms of hepatic injury on the levels of estrogen and androgen receptor activity in the liver. Adult male rats were subjected to portacaval shunt, partial portal vein ligation, hepatic artery ligation, or two-thirds partial hepatectomy. Another group of animals was treated with cyclosporine. At the time of sacrifice the livers were removed and used to determine the estrogen and androgen receptor activity in the hepatic cytosol. A significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the hepatic cytosolic androgen receptor activity and a slight increase in the estrogen receptor activity occurred following total portosystemic shunting. Partial ligation of the portal vein, which produces a lesser degree of portosystemic shunting, had no effect on the levels of the estrogen and androgen receptor activity present within hepatic cytosol. Cyclosporine-treated animals had significantly greater (p < 0.01) levels of estrogen receptor activity in the hepatic cytosol compared to vehicle-treated control animals. Levels of estrogen and androgen receptor activity within the hepatic cytosol remained unchanged after ligation of the hepatic artery. The reduction in the cytosolic estrogen and androgen receptor activity in the liver after partial hepatectomy was confirmed. In summary, certain types of hepatic injury are associated with profound changes in the estrogen and androgen receptor content within the liver. © 1989 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted