An evaluation of discrete and continuous mid-air loop and marking menu selection in optical see-through HMDs

© 2019 Copyright held by the owner/author(s). This paper investigates discrete and continuous hand-drawn loops and marks in mid-air as a selection input for gesture-based menu systemsonoptical see-through head-mounteddisplays (OST HMDs). We explore two fundamental methods of providing menu selection: the marking menu and the loop menu, and a hybrid method which combines the two. The loop menu design uses a selection mechanism with loops to approximate directional selections in a menu system. We evaluate the merits of loop and marking menu selection in an experiment with two phases and report that 1) the loop-based selection mechanism provides smooth and effective interaction; 2) users prioritize accuracy and comfort over speed for mid-air gestures; 3) users can exploit the flexibility of a final hybrid marking/loop menu design; and, finally, 4) users tend to chunk gestures depending on the selection task and their level of familiarity with the menu layout

Does the aldosterone: renin ratio predict the efficacy of spironolactone over bendroflumethiazide in hypertension? A clinical trial protocol for RENALDO (RENin-ALDOsterone) study

<p>Background: High blood pressure is an important determinant of cardiovascular disease risk. Treated hypertensives do not attain a risk level equivalent to normotensives. This may be a consequence of suboptimal blood pressure control to which indiscriminate use of antihypertensive drugs may contribute. Indeed the recent ALLHAT[1]study suggests that thiazides should be given first to virtually all hypertensives. Whether this is correct or whether different antihypertensive therapies should be targeted towards different patients is a major unresolved issue, which we address in this study.</p> <p>The measurement of the ratio of aldosterone: renin is used to identify hypertensive subjects who may respond well to treatment with the aldosterone antagonist spironolactone. It is not known if subjects with a high ratio have aldosteronism or aldosterone-sensitive hypertension is debated but it is important to know whether spironolactone is superior to other diuretics such as bendroflumethiazide in this setting.</p> <p>Methods/design: The study is a double-blind, randomised, crossover, controlled trial that will randomise 120 hypertensive subjects to 12 weeks treatment with spironolactone 50 mg once daily and 12 weeks treatment with bendroflumethiazide 2.5 mg once daily. The 2 treatment periods are separated by a 2-week washout period. Randomisation is stratified by aldosterone: renin ratio to include equal numbers of subjects with high and low aldosterone: renin ratios.</p> <p>Primary Objective – To test the hypothesis that the aldosterone: renin ratio predicts the antihypertensive response to spironolactone, specifically that the effect of spironolactone 50 mg is greater than that of bendroflumethiazide 2.5 mg in hypertensive subjects with high aldosterone: renin ratios.</p> <p>Secondary Objectives – To determine whether bendroflumethiazide induces adverse metabolic abnormalities, especially in subjects with high aldosterone: renin ratios and if baseline renin measurement predicts the antihypertensive response to spironolactone and/or bendrofluazide.</p> <p>Discussion: The numerous deleterious effects of hypertension dictate the need for a systematic approach for its treatment. In spite of various therapies, resistant hypertension is widely prevalent. Among various factors, primary aldosteronism is an important cause of resistant hypertension and is now more commonly recognised. More significantly, hypertensives with primary aldosteronism are also exposed to various other deleterious effects of excess aldosterone. Hence treating hypertension with specific aldosterone antagonists may be a better approach in this group of patients. It may lead on to better blood pressures with fewer medications.</p&gt

Cost of Capital and Bursa Malaysia Listed Company

This study estimates the cost of capital of 226 securities listed in the Bursa Malaysia. The study's sample covers the period from January 1992 to August 2005. The cost of capital using Ordinary Least Squares Regression is first obtained. Next, the cost of capital using the 3 techniques which are the Scholes-Williams, the Dimson and Fowler-Rorke beta estimators for correction for nonsynchronous bias due to thin trading is applied. This study differs from the previous studies as this extends by using the market risk premium to calculate the beta while the previous studies used the market return to estimate the betas. The results show that the cost of capital using the Fowler-Rorke 1 lag/lead specification of the Market is best for the Malaysian security market. In this study, we found that the hotel sector has the higest average cost of capital with a value of 8.13 percent. In addition, we also found that 210 companies have recorded negative average annual returns minus cost of capital. The stability tests using the Cross-Sectional Correlation Coefficient and the t-test show that at 0.05 level of significance, there is stability for betas across the two subperiods

The genus Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) in Malaysia, including new records and a key to species inferred from morphology-based phylogeny

Species of the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia are known to produce domoic acid that is responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). To investigate the potential risk of ASP and species occurrence of toxic or potentially toxic Pseudo-nitzschia in Malaysian waters, plankton samples were collected from 17 locations. Samples were examined through transmission electron microscopy. Species of Pseudo-nitzschia were identified on the basis of the frustule morphology and morphometric measurements. Twentytwo well-described species were recorded, of which 14 are new records for Malaysia. A new morphotype, closely resembling species in the pseudodelicatissima complex, was also discovered. The morphotype differs from other species in the complex by its lower densities of fibulae and striae. Nine of the species have previously been associated with ASP events worldwide. Our study recorded for the first time high species richness of Pseudo-nitzschia in the confined coasts of Malaysia. In addition, we performed a morphology-based phylogeny and proposed a key to Pseudo-nitzschia species, with a special emphasis on the poroid structure of the striae, to aid in species identification

Harmful Algal Blooms in Malaysian Waters

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) events have been increasingly reported in the country, not only of the frequency and severity of the events, but also involved more species than previously known. In this paper, a decadal review of HABs events in Malaysia is summarized. Bloom events caused by harmful dinoflagellate species including the shellfish poisoning events were highlighted. Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is no longer restricted to Sabah coasts and Pyrodnium bahamense. Bloom of Alexandrium minutum was reported for the first time in the Peninsula with six persons hospitalized including one casualty after consuming the contaminated benthic clams. Algal blooms that are associated with incidence of massive fish kills have been reported from both east and west coasts of the Peninsula in conjunction to finfish mariculture loses. The culprits of these bloom events have been identified as the dinoflagellates, Cochlodinium polykrikoides, Neoceratium furca, Prorocentrum minimum, Noctiluca scintillans and a raphidophyte, Chatonella ovata. In this paper, some of these HABs species were characterized morphologically and genetically, including their toxicity. Therefore, with the increase of coastal utilization and eutrophication, prevention, management and mitigation strategies, such as site selection, moving pens, clay spraying should be adopted to minimize the impact of these natural events

PI3K-C2 alpha Knockdown Results in Rerouting of Insulin Signaling and Pancreatic Beta Cell Proliferation

Insulin resistance is a syndrome that affects multiple insulin target tissues, each having different biological functions regulated by insulin. A remaining question is to mechanistically explain how an insulin target cell/tissue can be insulin resistant in one biological function and insulin sensitive in another at the same time. Here, we provide evidence that in pancreatic beta cells, knockdown of PI3K-C2 alpha expression results in rerouting of the insulin signal from insulin receptor (IR)-B/PI3K-C2 alpha/PKB-mediated metabolic signaling to IR-B/Shc/ERK-mediated mitogenic signaling, which allows the beta cell to switch from a highly glucose-responsive, differentiated state to a proliferative state. Our data suggest the existence of IR-cascade-selective insulin resistance, which allows rerouting of the insulin signal within the same target cell. Hence, factors involved in the rerouting of the insulin signal represent tentative therapeutic targets in the treatment of insulin resistance.11108Ysciescopu

Pregnant Dutch Women Have Inadequate Iodine Status and Selenium Intake

Iodine and selenium are essential for thyroid hormone synthesis. Iodine and selenium interact. Pregnancy increases the maternal iodine requirement. We previously reported inadequate iodine status in pregnant Dutch women. Since little is known about their selenium intake, we investigated the iodine status and selenium intake in relation to iodine and selenium supplement use during pregnancy. Iodine status was established in 201 apparently healthy pregnant women as 24 h iodine excretion (24H-UIE; sufficient if median ≥225 µg), iodine concentration (24H-UIC; ≥150 µg/L) and iodine/creatinine ratio (24H-UICR; ≥150 µg/g). Selenium intake was calculated from 24 h selenium excretion. Iodine status in pregnancy proved insufficient (medians: 24H-UIE 185 µg; 24H-UIC 95 µg/L; 24H-UICR 141 µg/g). Only women taking 150 µg iodine/day were sufficient (median 24H-UIE 244 µg). Selenium intake was below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR; 49 µg/day) in 53.8%, below the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA; 60 µg/day) in 77.4% and below the Adequate Intake (AI; 70 µg/day) in 88.7%. Combined inadequate iodine status and selenium intake <RDA was found in 61%. Women who want to become pregnant should, consistently with WHO and ETA recommendations, be advised to use a 150 µg iodine-containing supplement. Concomitant selenium supplementation should be added to this advice, at least in The Netherlands

Harmful microalgae assemblage in the aquaculture area of Aman Island, Northen Strait of Malacca

A field survey was carried out in Aman Island, the northern Strait of Malacca, to investigate the occurrence of harmful microalgae. The area is known for marine finfish cage-culture and blood cockle farming. Plankton samples were collected fortnightly between July 2011 and September 2013. A total of 58 phytoplankton genera were recorded; 37 belong to the diatoms, and 21 genera were dinoflagellates. Harmful microalgae species were identified microscopically, of which nine are bloom-forming species that responsible for fish kills. These included Akashiwo sanguinea, Chaetoceros affinis, Cha. curvisetus, Cha. laevis, Ceratium furca, C. fusus, Cochlodinium sp., Karlodinium australe and Noctiluca scintillans. Three Alexandrium species were identified from the samples, i.e. A. leei, A. affine and Alexandrium sp. Pulau Aman; some species in the genus have been known to associate with Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP)-toxin producers were also encountered in the water samples, viz. Dinophysis acuminata, D. caudata, Dinophysis sp. and Prorocentrum micans. The harmful diatom, Pseudo-nitzschia spp. that associated with Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP), was commonly found in the water samples. Cell abundance of each harmful microalga was enumerated. The results showed that cell densities of harmful microalgae were relatively low throughout the sampling period. The microalgae community was dominated by Ceratium furca in May 2012, with cell densities exceeding 70,000 cells L-1; no fish kill event was reported during the time. Even though no fish kill or shellfish poisoning was reported in the area, he presence of harmful microalgae albeit at low cell densities, may pose a potential threat to human health and seafood biosecurity. Therefore, regular phytoplankton monitoring is necessary to safeguard human health and seafood industries in the country

Phytoplankton community changes in Kuantan Port (Malaysia), with emphasis on the paralytic-shellfish toxin-producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamiyavanichii

The Kuantan Port (Pahang, Malaysia, South China Sea) is a multi-cargo port located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The port has served as an important seaway to major ports in Asia-Pacific regions. In November 2013 and August 2014, two incidents of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) have been consecutively reported in the Port. In this study, a field investigation was undertaken in the Port from April 2015 to May 2016 as an effort to continuously monitor the occurrence of HAB species following the PSP episodes in the year 2013–2014. Phytoplankton and hydrographic samples were collected for quantitative and qualitative assessments in a monthly interval. To precisely quantify the PSP-toxins producing species Alexandrium tamiyavanichii, a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was applied to detect the motile cells and cysts. The results revealed the presence of A. tamiyavanichii but with extremely low cell abundances (<0.1% of the total abundances). The species was found co-existed with other Alexandrium species. Alexandrium abundance was associated with salinity and nitrogen to phosphorus ratios but negatively correlated with PO4-P and NH4-N as revealed in the canonical correspondence analysis. Low cell abundances of diarrhetic-shellfish toxins producing dinoflagellates (Dinophysis spp.) and fish-killing species (Prorocentrum sigmoides, Akashiwo sanguinea, Noctiluca scintillans, Chattonella spp.) were also encountered in the port. The results of this study would provide useful baseline information for the assessment and management of ballast water in Malaysian ports and its territorial waters