TransparentHMD: Revealing the HMD User's Face to Bystanders

While the eyes are very important in human communication, once a user puts on a head mounted display (HMD), the face is obscured from the outside world's perspective. This leads to communication problems when bystanders approach or collaborate with an HMD user. We introduce transparentHMD, which employs a head-coupled perspective technique to produce an illusion of a transparent HMD to bystanders. We created a self contained system, based on a mobile device mounted on the HMD with the screen facing bystanders. By tracking the relative position of the bystander using the smartphone's camera, we render an adapting perspective view in realtime that creates the illusion of a transparent HMD. By revealing the user's face to bystanders, our easy to implement system allows for opportunities to investigate a plethora of research questions particularly related to collaborative VR systems

Investment in and use of English: a case study of Egyptian Twitter users

The rise of popularity in Social Network Platforms has led language researchers to explore the effectiveness of Social Network Sites (SNS) in providing learners with opportunities for language practice and learning. In the literature, there has been a consensus towards the usefulness of SNS tools in language learning and practice (Reinhardt, 2019). On the other hand, coined in the 90s by Bonny Norton, investment has been a growing concept in SLA. Investment in L2 learning has been demonstrated through qualitative studies exploring the intersection of socio-economic factors and language learning in different contexts. To refine the notion of investment to better accommodate the constant changes of globalization and digital platforms, Darvin and Norton (2015) developed a model of investment to encompass ideology, capital, and identity, emphasizing the role of these aspects in affording learners with ways to position themselves in their communities. While most of the literature explores investment in L2 learning in ESL contexts, studies on investment in EFL contexts are limited. The present qualitative study explores four Egyptian Twitter users’ use of English to better position themselves and express their identities on Twitter. Approximately 3000 tweets are gathered from Twitter and coded in relation to the topics they tweet about and the language they tweet in. After coding the tweets, interviews were conducted with the participants to further triangulate the data exploring their experiences in relation to the topics they tweet about and the languages they tweet in. Results show that while Arabic is their native language, using English has afforded them a different identity, one that offers opportunities for self-expression and acceptance of change and other cultures. The implication of this study highlights how the L2 can afford learners opportunities to position themselves inside and outside the language classroom, which may affect their investment in their L2

Evaluation of rapid low-cost colorimetric methods for diagnosis of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in limited-resource settings

One third of the world\u27s population is currently infected with tuberculosis (TB), a consuming airborne disease whose main causative agent is Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The majority of these patients are found in the world\u27s poorest areas. Treatment of TB is a lengthy and demanding process utilizing a cocktail of powerful drugs; however, multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB) strains, defined by resistance to both isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF), are now emerging worldwide and threatening disease control efforts. The major problem facing efforts to combat MDR-TB spread is its early detection. Conventional fairly affordable methods for drug resistance detection are based on solid culture and are highly time consuming (3-6 weeks in addition to initial pathogen culturing). On the other hand, the more rapid liquid culture-based automated systems are costly to set up and maintain while the very rapid molecular assays (hours to few days) are simply too complex and unaffordable and non-sustainable in limited resource settings. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of two liquid culture-based colorimetric assays for detection of drug resistance; nitrate reducate assay (NRA) and colorimetric redox indicator (CRI) methods for detection of MDR-TB. The assays were tested on mycobacterial isolates from Egyptian patients and their performance was compared with microscopic observation drug susceptibility assay (MODS) and the commercial automated culture system MGIT 960. Concordance was 96.7% for CRI and 93.3%, at almost one-tenth of the MGIT cost, and close to that of MODS without the need for an inverted microscope. The NRA format used in this study is more convenient and higher in throughput than the initially developed format. Additionally, DNA was extracted from the mycobacterial isolates and16S rDNA was amplified and sequenced to gain insight on the molecular diversity of Egyptian strains. Moreover, the molecular basis of strain resistance was investigated by DNA sequencing of the genes most commonly containing resistance conferring mutations. Analysis of the 16S rDNA sequencing results confirmed the identity of the samples as mycobacterium tuberculosis and suggested possible presence of two different strains. On the other hand, the analysis of the resistance related genes found common resistance conferring mutations in the MDR samples

A hybrid neutrosophic group ANP-TOPSIS framework for supplier selection problems

One of the most significant competitive strategies for organizations is sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). The vital part in the administration of a sustainable supply chain is the sustainable supplier selection, which is a multi-criteria decision-making issue, including many conflicting criteria.</div

Trends towards IOT in Egypt: Cloud Computing System Implementation in Egypt – Challenges and Benefits

This research aims to investigate the benefits of implementing the cloud computing system over the currently used IT system, as well the challenges of applying Cloud computing that companies in Egypt could face. This research applies mixed methods of research. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of research are used in the form of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, respectively. The semi-structured interview was targeting the supply chain and IT managers of three different companies at Coca Cola Egypt, Nestle Egypt and Carrefour Egypt. A SWOT analysis was conducted to serve as a guide to many companies in Egypt that are willing to implement such a system and can then avoid the weakness points and the threats that they could be faced with during the implementation. The importance of this research adds to the literature by focusing on the application of IOT in Egypt in terms of the implementation of a cloud computing system in Egypt and it analyzes whether it could increase the efficiency of the companies in Egypt