Object selection and scaling using multimodal interaction in mixed reality

Mixed Reality (MR) is the next evolution of human interacting with the computer as MR has the ability to combine the physical environment and digital environment and making them coexist with each other. Interaction is still a huge research area in Augmented Reality (AR) but very less in MR, this is due to current advanced MR display techniques still not robust and intuitive enough to let the user to naturally interact with 3D content. New techniques on user interaction have been widely studied, the advanced technique in interaction when the system able to invoke more than one input modalities. Multimodal interaction undertakes to deliver intuitive multiple objects manipulation with gestures. This paper discusses the multimodal interaction technique using gesture and speech which the proposed experimental setup to implement multimodal in the MR interface. The real hand gesture is combined with speech inputs in MR to perform spatial object manipulations. The paper explains the implementation stage that involves interaction using gesture and speech inputs to enhance user experience in MR workspace. After acquiring gesture input and speech commands, spatial manipulation for selection and scaling using multimodal interaction has been invoked, and this paper ends with a discussion

A DMRG Study of Low-Energy Excitations and Low-Temperature Properties of Alternating Spin Systems

We use the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) method to study the ground and low-lying excited states of three kinds of uniform and dimerized alternating spin chains. The DMRG procedure is also employed to obtain low-temperature thermodynamic properties of these systems. We consider a 2N site system with spins $s_1$ and $s_2$ alternating from site to site and interacting via a Heisenberg antiferromagnetic exchange. The three systems studied correspond to $(s_1 ,s_2 )$ being equal to $(1,1/2),(3/2,1/2)$ and $(3/2,1)$; all of them have very similar properties. The ground state is found to be ferrimagnetic with total spin $s_G =N(s_1 - s_2)$. We find that there is a gapless excitation to a state with spin $s_G -1$, and a gapped excitation to a state with spin $s_G +1$. Surprisingly, the correlation length in the ground state is found to be very small for this gapless system. The DMRG analysis shows that the chain is susceptible to a conditional spin-Peierls instability. Furthermore, our studies of the magnetization, magnetic susceptibility $\chi$ and specific heat show strong magnetic-field dependences. The product $\chi T$ shows a minimum as a function of temperature T at low magnetic fields; the minimum vanishes at high magnetic fields. This low-field behavior is in agreement with earlier experimental observations. The specific heat shows a maximum as a function of temperature, and the height of the maximum increases sharply at high magnetic fields. Although all the three systems show qualitatively similar behavior, there are some notable quantitative differences between the systems in which the site spin difference, $|s_1 - s_2|$, is large and small respectively.Comment: 16 LaTeX pages, 13 postscript figure

AR-TO-KID: A speech-enabled augmented reality to engage preschool children in pronunciation learning

AR-TO-KID is an application produced for preschool children between ages five to six years old with an Augmented Reality (AR) application. The significant purpose of AR-TO-KID is to improve the pronunciation of the children in English. Hence, this paper discusses an AR application with speech input. The detection of the children speech input when they need to pronounce the words correctly, and they need to have critical thinking to identify the environment suit with the 3D objects that they will utter the word. Educational technology should be interactive and attractive for 5 to 6 years old preschool children learning; however, some at preschool teachers still used the conventional methods in teaching and children are not fully engaged with the method. Therefore, this project is to design and develop an interactive AR tool called AR-TO-KID for preschool children in pronunciation learning and teaching. This paper presents the evaluation and testing for preschool children with non-native English speaking. The article ends with results and discussion

Mesenchymal stromal cells rescue disc degeneration and function via suppression of fibrotic events

DMM 2011 entitled: Re-engineering Regenerative MedicinePoster Session - Orthopedic Regeneration: no. 92Chronic back pain and neuropathological conditions such as spondylomyelopathy and radiculopathy are associated with degeneration of the intervertebral discs in spinal column. Human and animal studies imply a role of fibrosis in the degeneration process. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess anti-fibrotic activities. We investigated if MSCs elicit disc regeneration through modulating fibrotic events. Skeletally mature rabbits with injury-induced lumbar disc degeneration were randomized to receive intradiscal engraftment of bone marrow-derived MSCs or control vehicle. Disc degeneration status was evaluated by MRI and radiographs. We showed that MSCs regenerated the disc along with a recovery …postprin

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Formulasi Dan Analisis Harga Pokok Bibit Serta Harga Maksimum Bibit Dan Pakan Pada Usaha Ternak Ayam Ras Petelur

The main objective of this study is to analyze the unit cost of day old chicks of layer and the break event point of small eggs farm. The data was taken from the survey conducted in 1990 and 1993 in West Java. The data was collected through indepth study in the poultry breeding farms and the egg production farms. The result showed that the unit cost of day old chicks is Rp 617 per chick where as the actual price is much higher i.e. p 1350 per chicks. This information showed that the small farmer have paid high marketing cost. The research has also shown that the break even level of eggs farm is mainly depend on feeding price and egg price. The ratio of egg price to feed price at the break event point 2,57

Dividend policy of publicly quoted companies in emerging markets : the case of Jordan

The determinants of corporate dividend policy remain controversial despite half a century of active research. Over that time a number of competing theories of dividend policy have been proposed, but no consensus has been reached about their explanatory power. This thesis examines the determinants of dividend policy of publicly quoted companies in Jordan as a case study of an emerging market. The study uses a firm-level panel data set of all publicly traded firms on the Ammam Stock Exchange between 1989 and 2000. Nine research hypotheses are developed, which are used to represent the main theories of corporate dividends. The results of studies conducted in this thesis suggest that the proportion of stocks held by insiders and state ownership significantly affect the amount of dividends paid, but not the decision to pay dividends. Larger, mature, profitable firms with less investment opportunities are more likely to pay dividends. These factors are found to also positively affect the level of dividends. Results provide no support for the signalling hypothesis. The thesis concludes with a discussion of some of the implications of all results and suggestions for further research

A review on multimodal interaction in mixed reality environment

Mixed Reality (MR) environment proposes to blend together virtual and real environments where both world coexist and can respond to each other. As MR has the understanding of real environment, it is possible for user to use their surrounding as a means to interact with the virtual content. The user interaction in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are widely explored however very less in MR. Interaction must be intuitive as possible to produce natural user interaction. Multimodal interaction is an advanced interaction techniques when involve the combination of more than one input modalities such as speech with gesture, gaze and gesture, and gaze with speech. The inputs or sensory however are not restricted to just two modalities. Therefore this paper presents a review on multimodal interaction in MR environments