A Dose of Reality: Overcoming Usability Challenges in VR Head-Mounted Displays

We identify usability challenges facing consumers adopting Virtual Reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) in a survey of 108 VR HMD users. Users reported significant issues in interacting with, and being aware of their real-world context when using a HMD. Building upon existing work on blending real and virtual environments, we performed three design studies to address these usability concerns. In a typing study, we show that augmenting VR with a view of reality significantly corrected the performance impairment of typing in VR. We then investigated how much reality should be incorporated and when, so as to preserve users’ sense of presence in VR. For interaction with objects and peripherals, we found that selectively presenting reality as users engaged with it was optimal in terms of performance and users’ sense of presence. Finally, we investigated how this selective, engagement-dependent approach could be applied in social environments, to support the user’s awareness of the proximity and presence of others

Development of novel untargeted SPE-NMR protocols for metabolite annotation

Metabolite identification and annotation procedures are necessary for the discovery of biomarkers indicative of diet, lifestyle, and disease. NMR spectroscopy remains a powerful tool in metabolic profiling — however, despite its reproducibility, ease of use, and quantitative data generation, its relatively limited sensitivity remains a bottleneck; low-concentration compounds become indistinguishable from noise, and the signals of more concentrated compounds regularly obscure those of less concentrated compounds. The aim of the project was to develop SPE-NMR protocols utilising different cartridge chemistries, using both natural and artificial urine mixtures, to produce unique retention profiles useful for metabolic profiling. These methods can then be incorporated as part of an analyst’s ‘toolbox’ for metabolite identification and structural elucidation. Different cartridge sorbents and conditions were utilised in order to produce unique retention profiles for different compound classes. Each elution demonstrated differing retention profiles for each method — replicates of the same method, however, had little difference between spectra, guaranteeing the reproducibility of the spectra. We found that application of the developed SPE methods to biofluids (such as urine) can be used to selectively retain metabolites based on compound taxonomy or other key functional groups, reducing peak overlap through concentration and fractionation of unknowns, and hence promising greater control over the metabolite annotation/identification process. Several NMR peaks demonstrating the presence of 3-hydroxyhippurate, unreported in literature or databases, were revealed through the use of the developed methods on human urine — a range of analytical methods were subsequently utilised in order to annotate the revealed peaks. Finally, standard operating procedures were written and validated for an automated SPE system, such that the SPE methods can be more generally used by researchers; this automated procedure was used to attempt to selectively retain specific glucuronide metabolites found in human urine, with retention being demonstrated where the moiety contains aromatic or otherwise significantly hydrophobic functional groups.Open Acces

Interface Roughness Effects in Ultra-Thin Tunneling Oxides

Advanced MOSFET for ULSI and novel silicon-based devices require the use of ultrathin tunneling oxides where non-uniformity is often present. We report on our theoretical study of how tunneling properties of ultra-thin oxides are affected by roughness at the silicon/oxide interface. The effect of rough interfacial topography is accounted for by using the Planar Supercell Stack Method (PSSM) which can accurately and efficiently compute scattering properties of 3D supercell structures. Our results indicate that while interface roughness effects can be substantial in the direct tunneling regime, they are less important in the Fowler-Nordheim regime

Experimental and theoretical study of ultra-thin oxides

We report on an experimental and theoretical study of transport through thin oxides. The experimental study was carried out on the tunnel switch diode (TSD) which consists of an MOS junction on top of a pn junction. The properties of the TSD depends critically on the properties of the tunnel oxide layer. Our results indicate that these devices can exhibit two different modes of behaviour depending on the stress history of the oxide. An unstressed device exhibits a thyristor-like I-V characteristic with fairly low current density. As the oxide is stressed, however, the I-V characteristic discontinuously shifts into a higher-current thyristor-like mode in which current transport appears to be highly non-uniform and depends strongly on stress history. This suggests a possible structural change in the oxide layer which is not completely destructive in that the device continues to function. We present a possible theoretical model of such a structural change in which microscopic filaments are generated in the oxide. Calculations of J-V curves for such structures with varying filament heights qualitatively match stressed MOS I-V curves found in the literature and qualitatively explain the dual-mode behaviour of the TSD

Macroscopic and microscopic studies of electrical properties of very thin silicon dioxide subject to electrical stress

The electrical characteristics of various size tunnel switch diode devices, composed of Al/SiO2/n-Si/p+-Si layers, which operate with a range of parameters (such as current densities in excess of 104 A/cm2) that stress the oxide layer far beyond the levels used in typical thin oxide metal-oxide semiconductor research have been examined. It is found that the first time a large current and electric field are applied to the device, a "forming" process enhances transport through the oxide in the vicinity of the edges of the gate electrode, but the oxide still retains its integrity as a tunnel barrier. The device operation is relatively stable to stresses of greater than 107 C/cm2 areally averaged, time-integrated charge injection. Duplication and characterization of these modified oxide tunneling properties was attempted using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to stress and probe the oxide. Electrical stressing with the STM tip creates regions of reduced conductivity, possibly resulting from trapped charge in the oxide. Lateral variations in the conductivity of the unstressed oxide over regions roughly 20–50 nm across were also found

Australian water consumer outlook 2015

Executive Summary Do we think and talk about water only when we are in drought? Do we complain about the price of water, but are happy to pay $3 a bottle for it at the shop? Do urban residents think differently about water to people living in rural and regional areas? Do consumers know enough about our water resources to understand if governments and industry are protecting our water supply in the future? These questions and more are explored in the Australian Water Consumer Outlook. As the driest inhabited continent on earth, it’s critical we engage with and understand the attitudes of water consumers, water industry and government, and make water policy a priority. Although many utilities undertake customer satisfaction surveys they often don’t ask broader questions to gain an understanding of the consumer make-up and leadership of the industry. Further, each of these surveys is conducted independently of each other, making it difficult to identify trends and variances of perceptions nationally. The Australian Water Consumer Outlook presents the findings of the Australian Water Consumer Survey. The Survey was conducted online between 27 July and 3 September 2015 and received 3948 responses. The data gathered for the Australian Water Consumer Outlook provides a basis for further community-informed policy debate. • State based reports are also available at AWA\u27s websit

Public Acceptance of Internet Censorship in Indonesia

The rapid uptake of digital technologies promises great benefits for citizens to transact and communicate in a free and open space. Yet this freedom may also lead governments to impose regulation and to attempt to filter content that may be considered offensive or politicised in nature. We empirically study public perceptions of internet censorship, perceived personal consequences of internet filtering and the use of tools to circumvent censorship through a survey of 112 residents of Indonesia, analysing our results with PLS structural equation modelling. Our findings show that perceived need for filtering, as well as social norms strongly influence public attitudes. We also find that uncertainty avoidance – a cultural trait - also influences these attitudes. However, the use of circumvention tools is determined by perceived personal consequences rather than attitude. Our findings address the lack of research in this space while addressing implications for government and policymakers

Processing of Advanced Infrared Materials

Infrared transparent glassy and crystalline materials often have unique and complex processing requirements but are an important class of materials for such applications as optical windows, lenses, waveplates, polarizers and beam splitters. This thesis investigates two specific materials, one amorphous and one crystalline, that are candidates for use in the short and midwave-infrared and mid and longwave infrared, respectively. It is demonstrated that an innovative uniaxial sintering process, which uses a sacrificial pressure-transmitting medium, can be used to fully densify a 70TeO2-20WO3-10La2O3 (TWL) glass powder. The characteristics of the sintered TWL glass is compared to that of a parent glass produced through a conventional melt/quench process to ascertain the impact of process-specific property changes on the resulting material. Additionally, the design, construction and characterization of a custom-made transparent Bridgman crystal growth furnace is undertaken to enable growth of highly birefringent tellurium single crystal. The key obstacles that need to be overcome to scale up the size of the grown crystals are summarized with the end goal of producing commercial grade optical elements

Employment and Disability Policy: the role of the psychologist

Persons with minor or major disabilities represent a significant portion of the U.S. working-age population. Based on the 1993 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), approximately 30 million (19%) men and women 18 to 64 years of age report some type of physical or mental limitation. For approximately 55% of these individuals (about 10% of those 18 to 64), the limitations are severe

Refining Outreach to Woodland Owners in West Virginia--Preferred Topics and Assistance Methods

Four hundred and fourteen private forest landowners in West Virginia responded to a questionnaire assessing their forest management assistance topics and delivery methods of interest. Logistic regression was used to analyze 39 independent variables in relation to the dependent variables of wanting a specific topic of forestry assistance or not. Ownership of property for investment, cultivation of wildlife food crops, and receiving assistance from the West Virginia State Division of Forestry were recurrent significant variables characterizing landowners wanting a specific assistance topic. These results can be used to develop forestry assistance programs that achieve landowner objectives and good forest management