Frames of Reference in Mobile Augmented Reality Displays.

In 3 experiments, the authors investigated spatial updating in augmented reality environments. Participants learned locations of virtual objects on the physical floor. They were turned to appropriate facing directions while blindfolded before making pointing judgments (e.g., "Imagine you are facing X. Point to Y"). Experiments manipulated the angular difference between the learning heading and the imagined heading and between the actual heading and the imagined heading. The effect of actual-imagined on pointing latency was observed for naive users but not for users with brief training or instructions concerning the fact that objects can move with body movements. The results indicated that naive users used an environment-stabilized reference frame to access information arrays, but with experience and instruction the nature of the representation changed from an environment stabilized to a body stabilized reference frame. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Femoral artery pseudoaneurysms: risk factors, prevalence, and treatment options

Femoral artery pseudoaneurysms (PSA or false aneurysm) develop in about 1% of patients undergoing procedures that require femoral artery cannulation. PSA prolong hospitalization, consuming health-care resources, and result in significant morbidity. We designed a study to review the prevalence, risk factors, and treatment of PSA. We performed a retrospective, case-controlled study of patients diagnosed with PSA at a large, urban, tertiary-care teaching hospital. We reviewed 48 patients with PSA for our study. The estimated prevalence of PSA was 0.28%, with identical rates found for procedures done in the interventional radiology department and in the cardiac catheterization suite. Logistic regression identified three independent risk factors for developing PSA: being female (odds ratio 2.62), having an intervention performed (odds ratio 3.22), and not having a closure device used (odds ratio 10.2). Patients with PSA had longer hospital length of stay than that of patients without PSA. We found no statistically significant difference in failure or complication rates for the four treatment options and that spontaneous resolution of PSA does not correlate with its size. Thrombin injection and observation are effective, low-complication treatment options.     

Effect of functionalization and boron and nitrogen substitution on some properties of carbon nanotubes

Molecular orbital calculations of the ionization potential of single wall carbon nanotubes having donor NH₂ and acceptor NO₂ groups bonded to the side walls and ends and boron and nitrogen substituted for carbon show substantial increases in ionization potential compared to carbon nanotubes with no functional groups and no carbon substitutions. The presence of a carbon vacancy on the side wall also causes a substantial increase in the ionization potential. The effect of tube length on the ionization energy is also calculated. The calculations also suggest that at appropriate levels of boron and nitrogen doping the armchair carbon nanotubes could be high temperature organic ferromagnetic materials.     

The MUC2 gene product: a human intestinal mucin

Sera from 82 cases of leptospirosis (confirmed by micro-agglutination tests or IFAT) and 108 patients with other diseases were investigated using the microcapsule agglutination test (MCAT) for leptospirosis. The overall sensitivity (90.2%), specificity (96.3%), positive predictive value (94.9%), negative predictive value (92.9%), and accuracy of the MCAT (93.7%) were encouraging. MCAT is simple, can be performed by unskilled personnel with minimum laboratory facilities, and produces results in 3 h. MCAT would be a reliable serodiagnostic test for rapidly screening individuals for leptospirosis, in various geographical areas of Thailand.     

Variability in the interpretation of thorax radiography in a primary care medical community and its reference radiologists

OBJECTIVE: To know the variability in the interpretation (normal/pathological) of posteroanterior view chest radiograph and the associated factors between a medical primary care community and a Gold Standard (GS) from 3 reference radiologists. DESIGN: Crossover study. SETTING: Primary care. Teaching health centers of Elche. METHODS: Interobserver percentage agreement (IPA) and Kappa statistic (K) were used to analyse the interobserver agreement (IA) between the GS and every of the participants in interpretation of 100 radiographs. Intraobserver variability was assessed with a second review. Using uni and multivariant analysis some possibly associated factors were studied. RESULTS: Overall IPA and K were 71.3% (CI 95%: 69.2-73.3) and 0.41 (CI 95%: 0.36-0.46) respectively. Time employed in radiographs reading and time passed after medicine studies finished were independently and significantly associated to higher and lower interobserver agreement results respectively, whereas recent professional experience, permanent job and age were not associated. Professional training is the variable that most explain the inter and intraobserver variability. CONCLUSIONS: Overall IA is acceptable. The IA showed by the participants trained under the MIR system is good but the IA achieved by the rest of participants is not acceptable. It is necessary a training which increase the clinical competence, as it does MIR training.     

Interpretation of chemically created periapical lesions using direct digital imaging

Perchloric acid (70%) was used to create simulated periapical lesions in tooth sockets of 15 dentate cadaver jaw specimens. Using the Trophy USA direct digital radiographic system, linear images were captured at selected time intervals after initial acid application and altered by contrast reversal, pseudocolor enhancement, and two forms of histogram equalization. The 525 total images were randomized for display on a computer monitor for evaluation by five endodontists. Images were evaluated twice by each rater, with viewings 1 to 2 wk apart. Statistical analysis determined interrater variability, intrarater reproducibility, and the relative merits of each enhancement technique. At 8, 12, 16, and 24 h after acid application, both techniques of histogram equalization yielded a statistically significant improvement over reverse contrast in perception of periapical patholais. Linear and pseudocolor-enhanced images were also significantly more diagnostic than reverse contrast at 12, 16, and 24 h. Intrarater reproducibility showed moderate agreement, but analysis showed only a fair level of interrater agreement.     

Investigations of two-stage-pseudospark switches for high-currentapplications

To avoid the lowering of the holdoff voltage due to the electrode erosion in one stage high current pseudospark switches (PSS), a two stage PSS with no axial aperture in the intermediate electrode was tested. For investigations a pulse generator was used generating peak currents up to 120 kA at a maximum voltage of 30 kV with a period length of 5 μs of a weakly damped sine wave with 90% current reversal. In comparison with a one stage PSS the breakdown characteristic was shifted to higher pressure. With a free floating intermediate electrode, the device could not be triggered, however, with additional capacities of a few nF between the three electrodes the discharge was ignited. The discharge in the second gap is triggered by the pseudospark discharge in the cathode gap, discharging the auxiliary capacities. Simultaneously, observation of both gaps with fast shutter photography showed an independent movement of the discharges in the two gaps. In the cathode gap as current increases, the discharge moves away from the center to the plane electrode surface as has been observed in the one stage PSS. However, in the anode gap the discharge moves away from the center after a contraction to the center. The two discharges are transmitted to metal vapor arc type discharges as the erosion patterns prove. With this kind of a two stage PSS holdoff voltages exceeding 35 kV would be possible. The characteristic switch data, i.e., delay and jitter, are nearly equal to a one stage PSS     

Teaching severely self-abusive and aggressive autistic residents to exit to fire alarms

Fifty-two case-hardened, severely self-abusive and aggressive autistic and retarded students, living in six different community residences, were trained to exit their residences, without the presence or assistance of staff, when a fire alarm sounded at night. On a pretest, prior to an 11-week period of intensive environmental and behavioral interventions, only 25% of the students exited within 2 1/2 minutes and independent of staff assistance. At posttest, 100% exited successfully, in a mean evacuation time of 60 seconds. The study was conducted at the Behavior Research Institute (BRI).