2,864 research outputs found
HandPainter â 3D sketching in VR with hand-based physical proxy
3D sketching in virtual reality (VR) enables users to create 3D virtual objects intuitively and immersively. However, previous studies showed that mid-air drawing may lead to inaccurate sketches. To address this issue, we propose to use one hand as a canvas proxy and the index finger of the other hand as a 3D pen. To this end, we first perform a formative study to compare two-handed interaction with tablet-pen interaction for VR sketching. Based on the findings of this study, we design HandPainter, a VR sketching system which focuses on the direct use of two hands for 3D sketching without requesting any tablet, pen, or VR controller. Our implementation is based on a pair of VR gloves, which provide hand tracking and gesture capture. We devise a set of intuitive gestures to control various functionalities required during 3D sketching, such as canvas panning and drawing positioning. We show the effectiveness of HandPainter by presenting a number of sketching results and discussing the outcomes of a user study-based comparison with mid-air drawing and tablet-based sketching tools
Agenesis of the Gallbladder: A Phantom Menace
Objective: Gallbladder agenesis (GBA) is a rare congenital disorder with an estimated incidence of about 0.06%. Despite the absence of a gallbladder, these patients may present with symptoms mimicking biliary colic or cholecystitis. Ultrasound findings and liver function tests are often misleading. Some of these patients undergo laparoscopy without successful identification of gallbladder and paradoxically report symptom relief.
Case: We present a case of GBA in a 54 year-old female, who presented with right-sided abdominal pain. The clinical history and examination were consistent with biliary colic. Initial investigations, including liver function tests, upper endoscopy and ultrasound did not demonstrate upper gastrointestinal pathology and did not clearly identify a gallbladder. Subsequent HIDA scan and CT of the abdomen did not visualize a gallbladder. An MRCP confirmed gallbladder agenesis. The patient was managed conservatively and was symptom free on discharge and follow-up.
Discussion: We wish to highlight four learning points: 1. Patients with gallbladder agenesis often present with biliary symptoms. 2. Ultrasound and CT of the liver may not always identify this anomaly. 3. MRCP is the gold standard for making a diagnosis of gall- bladder agenesis. 4. Surgeons must have a high index of suspicion of GBA when the gallbladder is poorly visualized or not identified on ultrasound.
Starch grains from human teeth reveal the plant consumption of proto-Shang people (c. 2000â1600 BC) from Nancheng site, Hebei, China
Bioarchaeolog
Input-to-state stability of infinite-dimensional control systems
We develop tools for investigation of input-to-state stability (ISS) of
infinite-dimensional control systems. We show that for certain classes of
admissible inputs the existence of an ISS-Lyapunov function implies the
input-to-state stability of a system. Then for the case of systems described by
abstract equations in Banach spaces we develop two methods of construction of
local and global ISS-Lyapunov functions. We prove a linearization principle
that allows a construction of a local ISS-Lyapunov function for a system which
linear approximation is ISS. In order to study interconnections of nonlinear
infinite-dimensional systems, we generalize the small-gain theorem to the case
of infinite-dimensional systems and provide a way to construct an ISS-Lyapunov
function for an entire interconnection, if ISS-Lyapunov functions for
subsystems are known and the small-gain condition is satisfied. We illustrate
the theory on examples of linear and semilinear reaction-diffusion equations.Comment: 33 page
Symmetry between absorption and amplification in disordered media
We address the issue of whether amplification, like absorption, suppresses
wave transmission at large gain, as has been claimed in previous studies of
wave propagation in active random media. A closer examination reveals that the
paradoxical symmetry between absorption and amplification is an artifact of
unphysical solutions from the time-independent wave equation. Solutions from
the time-dependent equation demonstrate clearly that when gain is above the
threshold, the amplitude of both the transmitted and the reflected wave
actually increases with time, apparently without bound. The implications of the
current finding is discusse
Excitons in type-II quantum dots: Finite offsets
Quantum size effects for an exciton attached to a spherical quantum dot are
calculated by a variational approach. The band line-ups are assumed to be
type-II with finite offsets. The dependence of the exciton binding energy upon
the dot radius and the offsets is studied for different sets of electron and
hole effective masses
Four ultra-short period eclipsing M-dwarf binaries in the WFCAM Transit Survey
We report on the discovery of four ultra-short period (P<0.18 days) eclipsing
M-dwarf binaries in the WFCAM Transit Survey. Their orbital periods are
significantly shorter than of any other known main-sequence binary system, and
are all significantly below the sharp period cut-off at P~0.22 days as seen in
binaries of earlier type stars. The shortest-period binary consists of two M4
type stars in a P=0.112 day orbit. The binaries are discovered as part of an
extensive search for short-period eclipsing systems in over 260,000 stellar
lightcurves, including over 10,000 M-dwarfs down to J=18 mag, yielding 25
binaries with P<0.23 days. In a popular paradigm, the evolution of short period
binaries of cool main-sequence stars is driven by loss of angular momentum
through magnetised winds. In this scheme, the observed P~0.22 day period
cut-off is explained as being due to timescales that are too long for
lower-mass binaries to decay into tighter orbits. Our discovery of low-mass
binaries with significantly shorter orbits implies that either these timescales
have been overestimated for M-dwarfs, e.g. due to a higher effective magnetic
activity, or that the mechanism for forming these tight M-dwarf binaries is
different from that of earlier type main-sequence stars.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables Accepted for publication in MNRA
IDBA-tran: a more robust de novo de Bruijn graph assembler for transcriptomes with uneven expression levels
published_or_final_versio
A co-designed mHealth programme to support healthy lifestyles in MÄori and Pasifika peoples in New Zealand (OL@-OR@):A cluster-randomised controlled trial
Š 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license Background: The OL@-OR@ mobile health programme was co-designed with MÄori and Pasifika communities in New Zealand, to support healthy lifestyle behaviours. We aimed to determine whether use of the programme improved adherence to health-related guidelines among MÄori and Pasifika communities in New Zealand compared with a control group on a waiting list for the programme. Methods: The OL@-OR@ trial was a 12-week, two-arm, cluster-randomised controlled trial. A cluster was defined as any distinct location or setting in New Zealand where people with shared interests or contexts congregated, such as churches, sports clubs, and community groups. Members of a cluster were eligible to participate if they were aged 18 years or older, had regular access to a mobile device or computer, and had regular internet access. Clusters of MÄori and of Pasifika (separately) were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the intervention or control condition. The intervention group received the OL@-OR@ mHealth programme (smartphone app and website). The control group received a control version of the app that only collected baseline and outcome data. The primary outcome was self-reported adherence to health-related guidelines, which were measured with a composite health behaviour score (of physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, and fruit and vegetable intake) at 12 weeks. The secondary outcomes were self-reported adherence to health-related behaviour guidelines at 4 weeks; self-reported bodyweight at 12 weeks; and holistic health and wellbeing status at 12 weeks, in all enrolled individuals in eligible clusters; and user engagement with the app, in individuals allocated to the intervention. Adverse events were not collected. This study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12617001484336. Findings: Between Jan 24 and Aug 14, 2018, we enrolled 337 MÄori participants from 19 clusters and 389 Pasifika participants from 18 clusters (n=726 participants) in the intervention group and 320 MÄori participants from 15 clusters and 405 Pasifika participants from 17 clusters (n=725 participants) in the control group. Of these participants, 227 (67%) MÄori participants and 347 (89%) Pasifika participants (n=574 participants) in the intervention group and 281 (88%) MÄori participants and 369 (91%) Pasifika participants (n=650 participants) in the control group completed the 12-week follow-up and were included in the final analysis. Relative to baseline, adherence to health-related behaviour guidelines increased at 12 weeks in both groups (315 [43%] of 726 participants at baseline to 329 [57%] of 574 participants in the intervention group; 331 [46%] of 725 participants to 369 [57%] of 650 participants in the control group); however, there was no significant difference between intervention and control groups in adherence at 12 weeks (odds ratio [OR] 1¡13; 95% CI 0¡84â1¡52; p=0¡42). Furthermore, the proportion of participants adhering to guidelines on physical activity (351 [61%] of 574 intervention group participants vs 407 [63%] of 650 control group participants; OR 1¡03, 95% CI 0¡73â1¡45; p=0¡88), smoking (434 [76%] participants vs 501 [77%] participants; 1¡12, 0¡67â1¡87; p=0¡66), alcohol consumption (518 [90%] participants vs 596 [92%] participants; 0¡73, 0¡37â1¡44; p=0¡36), and fruit and vegetable intake (194 [34%] participants vs 196 [30%] participants; 1¡08, 0¡79â1¡49; p=0¡64) did not differ between groups. We found no significant differences between the intervention and control groups in any secondary outcome. 147 (26%) intervention group participants engaged with the OL@-OR@ programme (ie, set at least one behaviour change goal online). Interpretation: The OL@-OR@ mobile health programme did not improve adherence to health-related behaviour guidelines amongst MÄori and Pasifika individuals. Funding: Healthier Lives He Oranga Hauora National Science Challenge
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