Publications by authors named "Alexandra Watkins"
Article Synopsis
- Humans combine visual and sensory information to perceive gravity, which is challenging in Mixed/Augmented Reality (MR/AR) due to the need for realistic integration of virtual elements with real ones.
- *Current force feedback devices struggle with MR/AR experiences, but minimal haptic feedback can enhance the perception of weight in virtual environments, improving user experience.
- *The research developed a compensation scheme for virtual weights to improve accuracy in mixed real-virtual environments, showing promising results for future MR/AR designs that align with human sensory perceptions.*
Over four million older adults living in long-term care (LTC) communities experience loneliness, adversely impacting their health. Increased contact with friends and family is an evidence-based intervention to reduce loneliness, but in-person visits are not always possible. Augmented Reality (AR)-based telepresence activities can offer viable alternatives with increased immersion and presence compared to video calls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUser-Avatar interaction within augmented reality applications is rapidly increasing in frequency. Applications routinely place users in rooms with other, remote users embodied by photorealistic avatars, or require users to work with an avatar of a remote user to complete a task. During these types of interactions, it is often required to modify or redirect the posture of an avatar to achieve goals such as contact with or pointing at an object or maintaining eye gaze with the local user.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Previous studies have shown that a child's risk of developing atopic disease is impacted by both genetic and environmental factors. Because small children spend the majority of their time in their homes, exposure to microbial factors in their home environment may be protective or risk factors for development of atopic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis.
Methods: Dust samples from the homes of 86 Black South African children 12 to 36 months old were collected for analysis of the bacterial microbiome.
Background: The prevalence of allergic diseases differs in urban and rural populations.
Objective: We sought to assess associations between environmental and dietary factors with allergic diseases in urban and rural South African children.
Methods: Toddlers aged 12 to 36 months were assessed for food allergen and aeroallergen sensitization, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and challenge-proved food allergy.
Unlabelled: This study describes and compares allergic diseases and sensitization in urban and rural children in the SAFFA study cohort as well as infant feeding patterns and nutritional status. We assessed the relationship between nutritional status, breastfeeding, complementary feeding patterns, and atopic diseases including aeroallergen and food allergen sensitization, self-reported atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and challenge-proven food allergy (FA).
Methodology: A total of 1185 urban and 398 rural toddlers aged 12-36 months were screened for food sensitization (FS) and FA using skin prick testing and oral food challenges.
Background: Food sensitization and challenge-proved food allergy (FA) have not been compared in urban and rural settings.
Objective: We sought to determine and compare the prevalence of food sensitization and challenge-proved IgE-mediated FA in urban and rural South African toddlers aged 12 to 36 months.
Methods: This cross-sectional study of unselected children included 1185 participants in urban Cape Town and 398 in the rural Eastern Cape.
Background: Few studies exist on food sensitization and challenge-proven food allergy in low- and middle-income countries.
Objective: To describe the study design and methodology to recruit infants from an African population for skin prick testing and oral food challenges and the use of preliminary data to investigate the extent to which the study sample is representative of the target population.
Methods: Children 12 to 36 months old were recruited from childcare education facilities in Cape Town.