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Research on augmented reality (AR) in education is gaining momentum worldwide. This field has been actively growing over the past decades in terms of the research and development of new technologies. Reviews in the field of AR in education consist of systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (around 45), surveys (around 33), and only one bibliometric analysis. However, these reviews do not provide a general synthesis of the research published in the field to depict its evolution over the years. This study used the metadata of articles from a 25-year period (1995-2020) to conduct a bibliometric analysis. A total of 3,475 studies were considered. In this study, we used tools such as the Scopus database, the bibliometrix R package, and the VOSviewer analysis tool. The analysis of the literature is based on the metadata, author, content, and citation information extracted from the dataset. In addition, we focus on comparing literature published mainly in journals (articles, articles in press, and reviews) and those published in other sources (conference papers, books, and book chapters). Practitioners could use the results of this study to make decisions about the adoption of AR technologies in education.

Surprisingly, distance education is quite an old concept. Its origins date back to the first correspondence-based course, which took place via the postal service in Boston, USA, in the 18th century. Rapid technological developments, especially in video and audio streaming, have increased the availability of such courses and moved learning into the virtual world. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are witnessing an accelerated revolution in the learning process, as nearly all forms of education have been shifted online. Will this have a destructive effect on the human psyche? Is humanity sufficiently aware and ready for such a dramatic change? Will we return to physical in-classroom studies, or is remote distance education set to become the new norm? In particular, in medicine, computer science, fine arts, or architectural design, such a rapid change in the way students learn can be quite challenging. In this paper, we provide an overview of the history of distance learning, taking into account teachers' and students' points of view in both secondary and higher education.

The paper presents the results of an investigation into the virtual teamwork of culturally mixed teams engaged in common projects in international settings. Data was collected from students attending four different universities on four continents (Asia, Europe, North America, and South America). They worked for a semester, in virtual teams, to solve problems for real businesses in Asia and/or Latin America. Each team worked with a specific client that asked them to make recommendations and develop action plans. A model was developed to understand the way satisfaction with teamwork outcome, as dependent variable, is fostered on antecedents such as global identification, collective mind, and team cohesiveness. The analysis, exploratory as structured, was conducted using the partial least squares method provided by SmartPLS. Results show the similarities and differences in behavior for different groups of students coming from different countries and their implications for teaching teams in a multicultural virtual environment.

Virtual exchange (VE) is an umbrella term used to refer to the engagement of groups of students in sustained online intercultural interaction and collaboration with international partners under the guidance of their teachers. In the computer-assisted language learning literature, telecollaboration and eTandem approaches to VE have been researched extensively. However, this research has principally focused to date on learner gains and the impact on teachers has been much less explored. This paper identifies the impact of VE on foreign language teachers' practices and their professional development by examining the results of a qualitative study of 31 teacher trainers who engaged their classes in VE projects as part of a large-scale European project. The findings of the study suggest that participation in VE projects provides teachers with valuable experience in continued professional development and methodological innovation. In particular, VE was seen to open up opportunities for teachers to develop new professional partnerships, collaborative academic initiatives, to develop their own online collaboration skills, and also to introduce more innovative approaches in their current teaching practice.

The recent phenomenon of worldwide declining enrolments in engineering-related degrees has led to the gradual decrease in the number of engineering graduates. This decrease occurs at a time of increasing demand in the labour market for highly qualified engineers, who are necessary for the implementation of fundamental societal functions. This paper initially presents a survey of practices, which are currently employed by academic institutions in Europe in order to increase the attractiveness of their engineering studies. It then provides a detailed analysis of the benefits and proliferation of distance education to increase attractiveness of engineering studies based on a set of interviews. Results of this study highlight a lack of a distance-learning dimension in the implementation of engineering studies in the European Area and discusses in detail ways in which distance learning can be utilised in engineering studies for the benefit of increasing their attractiveness. It has also been noted that institutions employing distance learning as part of their engineering studies, see this as highly beneficial for their students but also for the academic institution itself with some reservations in terms of the pedagogical adequacy of materials and instructional approaches used in distance education courses.

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to present and compare collective efforts of higher education institutions working through regional networks in introducing and promoting education for sustainable development (ESD) and environmental education (EE) in two most significant EU boarder regions. Efforts to support EE/ESD in higher education are usually undertaken at individual universities and, in some cases, at national level, still remaining very fragmented; therefore, the examples of University networks in the Baltic and the Mediterranean regions are of particular interest and importance. Both regions have regional conventions, protocols and strategies for the relevant seas, bringing EU and neighbouring countries of the regions together for the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development (SD) within which EE and ESD are embedded. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents the driving forces for the establishment, evolution and design of relevant activities of these two networks, making also a few inter-comparisons and recommendations for further improvements. Findings: Both regions, the Baltic and the Mediterranean, have multiple needs and high potential for more efficient linking of SD with higher education. Early enough it was realised that regional networking could stimulate countries and universities towards this task. Two networks were set up: the Baltic University Programme (starting already in 1991) and the Mediterranean Universities Network for SD focusing on ESD (starting in 2007). The paper reviews main activities of the networks together with lessons learned and gives directions for their future operations. Originality/value: This paper is one of the rare case studies related to higher education networking on ESD and demonstrates how networking on ESD, apart from enhancing professional development, supports also SD and promotes cooperation and peace in regions that have a history of frequently turbulent relationships.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the current and potential value of the European Virtual Seminar on Sustainable Development (EVS) as an opportunity for professional development in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for teaching staff at university level. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents and reflects on the specific case of EVS, including its competence-based approach and educational staff roles. Particular attention is paid to the development of ESD competences of tutors through participation in EVS, based on the UNECE (2011) competence framework and supported by the results from a small-scale questionnaire. Three major aspects of EVS as a professional opportunity in ESD are elaborated: EVS as an on-the-job training opportunity, EVS as an international staff mobility opportunity and EVS as an active learning and innovation community. Findings: EVS is an effective opportunity for developing a range of ESD competences, especially for junior university staff. The contribution of EVS to professional development in ESD currently extends to a partnership of ten universities from across Europe, but given its features, the EVS approach has the potential to be adopted at a much larger scale. Possible limitations in scaling up are rigid rules for integration of new courses in curricula and the need to form new EVS-like partnerships. Practical implications: This case study of EVS shows that Web-based, internationally networked courses with a pedagogical approach and design focused on ESD have a large potential in providing effective opportunities for the development of teachers' ESD competences, but to realize this potential, active uptake of the approach by the existing networks for ESD in higher education is needed. Originality/value: The paper presents a promising option to address the observed lack of opportunities within university curricula to acquire and practice ESD competences for teaching staff.

The Model International Criminal Court (MICC) was launched in 2005 and has been pushing boundaries of non-formal education. Topics such as crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide were adapted to a methodology and pedagogy suitable for high school students. This non-formal education project has also sparked successful spin-off educational programs such as the Model International Criminal Court Western Balkans (MICC WeB). This paper engages with the subject of teaching about sexual violence within the context of educating youth about crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide through exploring teachers' and students' reaction to these topics within the MICC educational program context. It also explores history teachers' readiness and critical pedagogy ability to use the MICC educational materials related to sexual violence in their history education curricula within the official educational systems in various countries throughout Europe.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools and processes are increasingly adopted and implemented in the construction industry. Consequently, BIM education is considered increasingly important in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) education. While most of the research and literature on BIM education in engineering studies has focused on BIM implementation strategies, processes, benefits, and challenges, there is limited study on students' perception towards the implementation of BIM courses, or about online BIM learning platforms, or about the BIM tools themselves. Therefore, this paper takes the first steps towards addressing this gap. This study analyses students' (57 students) perception and sentiments towards the use of an online BIM learning platform and explores the potential implications of the findings for BIM education. The findings suggest that online BIM learning platforms are highly rated by students as a positive learning experience, indicating the need for greater integration of such tools and approaches in AEC courses.

Virtual reality-based technologies have been used in dentistry for almost two decades. Dental simulators, planning software and CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) systems have significantly developed over the years and changed both dental education and clinical practice. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of VRBT among dental students and educators in one European dental school using a paper-based questionnaire and the KAP among students and dental practitioners from 35 countries using an online survey. Dental students, educators and practitioners have overall positive attitudes towards VRBT but very few have used VRBT in education and practice. The majority of respondents plan to use VRBT in their future clinical practice and believe that those technologies will be widely adopted by dental practices within 22 years. Learning about VRBT and using them as part of undergraduate and continued education programmes could affect dental practitioners' willingness to implement new technologies and enhance critical assessment of new trends in dentistry.

In this present study the ability of the SimSphere Soil Vegetation Atmosphere Transfer (SVAT) model in estimating key parameters characterising land surface interactions was evaluated. Specifically, SimSphere's performance in predicting Net Radiation (Rnet), Latent Heat (LE), Sensible Heat (H) and Air Temperature (Tair) at 1.3 and 50m was examined. Model simulations were validated by ground-based measurements of the corresponding parameters for a total of 70 days of the year 2011 from 7 CarboEurope network sites. These included a variety of biomes, environmental and climatic conditions in the models evaluation. Overall, model performance can largely be described as satisfactory for most of the experimental sites and evaluated parameters. For all model parameters compared, predicted H fluxes consistently obtained the highest agreement to the in-situ data in all ecosystems, with an average RMSD of 55.36Wm-2. LE fluxes and Rnet also agreed well with the in-situ data with RSMDs of 62.75 and 64.65Wm-2 respectively. A good agreement between modelled and measured LE and H fluxes was found, especially for smoothed daily flux trends. For both Tair 1.3m and Tair 50m a mean RMSD of 4.14 and 3.54 °C was reported respectively. This work presents the first all-inclusive evaluation of SimSphere, particularly so in a European setting. Results of this study contribute decisively towards obtaining a bet ter understanding of the model's structure and its correspondence to the real world system. Findings also further establish the model's capability as a useful teaching and research tool in modelling Earth's land surface interactions. This is of considerable importance in the light of the rapidly expanding use of the model worldwide, including ongoing research by various Space Agencies examining its synergistic use with Earth Observation data towards the development of operational products at a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hardware-based courses in computer science studies require much effort from both students and teachers. The most important part of students' learning is attending in person and actively working on laboratory exercises on hardware equipment. This paper deals with a specific group of students, those who are marginalized by not being able to regularly attend lessons and perform the laboratory exercises. This group of "busy students" includes older students, and those who travel, are employed or are parents. In particular it describes how such students achieved impressive results in a hardware-based course by using Open Educational Resources (OER). These facilitated students' learning process and gave busy students the opportunity to organize their learning time so as to work on the hardware courses remotely from home when they had time and opportunity. The results of the evaluation show significant improvements, both in grade distribution and course throughput, after implementing the new Open Educational Resources approach.

Questions concerning the use of evidence in policy making increasingly attract the interest of both policymakers and researchers. It is broadly recognized that the development of integrated policy frameworks can be facilitated by the use of quantitative analytical methods, such as system modeling, computer simulation, trend analysis, and scenario analysis. Although policy projections based on these methods cannot provide direct solutions to policy problems, they can help to minimize the undesirable effects of a policy choice. This paper presents the concept design of a policy projection tool that estimates the macro-level effects of patient charges. In particular, the paper explores the usefulness of system dynamics modeling for the development of the projection tool. The overall objective of the policy projection tool is to generate evidence relevant for the analysis of patient payment policies. Based on the concept projection tool, a simplified consumption-revenue module is developed for the estimation of the annual health care consumption and the revenue from patient payments during one year. The module is applied to data from six Central and Eastern European countries to test its accuracy. The results from the module testing provide directions for further modeling steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical analysis of regional convergence is normally based on data collected at a geographical scale corresponding to states or large regions (NUTS-2 or NUTS-3 for the case of Europe). However, it could be more realistic to consider that the dynamics generating economic growth take place at a smaller spatial scale. Potential heterogeneity across local areas might be not correctly quantified if the analysis is made at an aggregated geographical scale, which produces the so-called modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). The objective of this paper is to explore to which extent MAUP has an effect on convergence analysis, in particular in the empirical estimation of $$\beta $$ -convergence equations. First, we show how aggregation of spatial data can generate a problem of bias in the OLS estimator of $$\beta $$ -convergence equations from cross-sectional data, as well as inflating its variance. Second, by means of a numerical simulation, we quantify the effect of geographical aggregation on the estimates of $$\beta $$ -convergence. Our experiment is based on real spatial structures of aggregated and disaggregated data for different countries, and it numerically illustrates how a modification in the spatial scale has a significant effect on this type of studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean basin is the richest biodiversity region in Europe and a global hotspot of biological diversity. In spite of that, anthropogenic climate change is one of the most serious concerns for nature conservation in this region. One of the climatic threats is represented by shifts of the Mediterranean climate and expansion of the arid climate. In this paper, we present an assessment of changes in the spatial range of the Mediterranean climate in Europe and the conversion into arid climate under different greenhouse gas forcings, namely RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. We used 11 simulations in two future 30-year periods of state-of-the-art regional climate models from EURO-CORDEX. Our results indicate that by the end of the century under RCP8.5 the present Mediterranean climate zone is projected to contract by 16%, i.e. an area (~ 157,000 km2) equivalent to half the size of Italy. This compares with the less severe scenario RCP4.5 that projected only a 3% reduction. In addition, the Mediterranean climate zone is projected to expand to other zones by an area equivalent to 24 and 50% of its present extent under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. Our study indicates that expansion of the arid zone is almost always the cause for contraction of the Mediterranean zone. Under RCP8.5 the arid zone is projected to increase by more than twice its present extent, equivalent to three times the size of Greece. Results of this study are useful for identifying (1) priority zones for biodiversity conservation, i.e. stable Mediterranean climate zones, (2) zones requiring assisted adaptation, such as establishment of new protected areas, implementation of buffer zones around protected areas and creating ecological corridors connecting stable Mediterranean zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we characterize the seasonal and inter-annual variabilities of cloud fraction profiles in both observations and simulation since they are critical to better assess the impact of clouds on climate variability. The spaceborne lidar onboard CALIPSO, providing cloud vertical profiles since 2006, is used together with a 23-year WRF simulation at 20 km resolution. A lidar simulator helps to compare consistently model with observations. The bias in observations due to the satellite under-sampling is first estimated. Then we examine the vertical variability of both occurrence and properties of clouds. It results that observations indicate a similar occurrence of low and high clouds over continent, and more high than low clouds over the sea except in summer. The simulation shows an overestimate (underestimate) of high (low) clouds comparing to observations, especially in summer. However the seasonal variability of cloud vertical profiles is well captured by WRF. Concerning inter-annual variability, observations show that in winter, those of high clouds is twice the low clouds one, an order of magnitude that is is well simulated. In summer, the observed inter-annual variability is vertically more homogeneous while the model still simulates more variability for high clouds than for low clouds. The good behavior of the simulation in winter allows us to use the 23 years of simulation and 8 years of observations to estimate the time period required to characterize the natural variability of the cloud fraction profile in winter, i.e. the time period required to detect significant anomalies and trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients, physicians, and health care providers in Europe have more than 10 years of experience with biosimilars. However, there are still debates if switching between a biosimilar and its reference product influences the efficacy of the treatment. In this paper, we address this uncertainty by developing a formal statistical test that can be used for showing that switching has no negative impact on the efficacy of biosimilars. For that, we first introduce a linear mixed-effects model that is used for defining the null hypothesis (switching influences the efficacy) and the alternative hypothesis (switching has no influence on the efficacy). Using this as the foundation of our work, we propose several approaches for testing for changes in the efficacy of the treatment due to switching and discuss the properties of these tests in an extensive simulation study. It is shown that all these methods have advantages and disadvantages and the decision regarding which method is preferred depends on the expectation of a switching assessment. To demonstrate the applicability of the methods in practice, the approaches were applied to the data of the EGALITY study, which compares the reference product Enbrel® (Amgen) with the approved biosimilar Erelzi® (Sandoz). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Development of method for design a two-level active shielding system for an industrial frequency magnetic field based on a quasi)static model of a magnetic field generated by power line wires and compensating windings of an active shielding system, including coarse open and precise closed control. Methodology. At the first level rough control of the magnetic field in open-loop form is carried out based on a quasi-static model of a magnetic field generated by power line wires and compensating windings of an active shielding system. This design calculated based on the finite element calculations system COMSOL Multiphysics. At the second level, a stabilizing accurate control of the magnetic field is implemented in the form of a dynamic closed system containing, in addition plant, also power amplifiers and measuring devices of the system. This design calculated based on the calculations system MATLAB. Results. The results of theoretical and experimental studies of optimal two-level active shielding system of magnetic field in residential building from power transmission line with a «Barrel» type arrangement of wires by means of active canceling with single compensating winding are presented. Originality. For the first time, the method for design a two-level active shielding system for an power frequency magnetic field based on a quasi-static model of a magnetic field generated by power line wires and compensating windings of an active shielding system, including coarse open and precise closed control is developed. Practical value. It is shown the possibility to reduce the level of magnetic field induction in residential building from power transmission line with a «Barrel» type arrangement of wires by means of active canceling with single compensating winding with initial induction of 3.5 µT to a safe level for the population adopted in Europe with an induction of 0.5 µT. References 53, figures 9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses about the photovoltaic (PV) generator/inverter power sizing factor in grid-connected PV systems. The optimal sizing factor is defined as sizing factor value that maximizes the yearly energy injected to the grid. The criteria obtained for the sizing factor choice come from the estimation of the injected energy by means of a set of Matlab-based simulations. These simulations involve a simulation-oriented model of the PV conversion chain elements, the environmental data of several European sites as well as the PV installation mounting type, the PV cell materials characteristics, the inverter efficiency and the estimation of DC power losses. The simulation results show, among others, that the current practice of under-sizing the inverter maximum power, with respect to the PV generator nominal power, may not be the best choice in terms of yearly produced energy. These results also evidence the strong impact of both the PV generator operating temperature and inverter efficiency in the choice of the optimal inverter power sizing, and on the yearly energy injected to the grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous paradigms for presence research were primarily established in the context of virtual reality (VR). The objective of this paper is to introduce a new agenda for research on presence suitable for the domain of mixed reality (MR). While established assumptions and methods of presence research from VR are applicable to MR experiences, we argue that they are not necessarily meaningful or informative. Specifically, a shift of attention is needed away from psycho-physiological studies coming from a laboratory experiment tradition, toward an ecological-cultural approach that is applicable in real world situations and relies on ethnographic rather than fully controlled methods. We give a series of examples taken from the work on the European integrated research project IPCity, and discuss the implications of our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of many factors, including the European Union's aim to increase the share of electrical energy from renewable sources, the number of distributed-generation (DG) devices in Europe is significantly increasing. Increasing numbers of DG units may cause problems with power quality (PQ). In this paper, a PQ-management algorithm is presented that reduces or even solves this problem in low-voltage grids. This algorithm will be implemented as one of several software modules in a system for distributed power operation and PQ management in low-voltage grids. PQ management in this context means maintaining PQ within prescribed limits by optimizing the control of generators, storage units, and controllable loads. Significant advantages of the presented approach are that the algorithm is universal and that it adapts its control variables automatically. Therefore, a detailed analysis of the grid in advance is not necessary. Furthermore, local PQ control of distributed resources can work autonomously and continuously without triggering by external signals, which is advantageous in the case of loss of communications. Various simulations to validate the effectiveness and stable operation of the algorithm were performed and results presented that show a marked improvement in PQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since the Regional Acidification Information and Simulation Model (RAINS) has been constructed, the treatment of uncertainty has remained an issue of major interest. In a recent review of the model performed for the Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) programme of the European Commission, a more systematic and structured uncertainty analysis has been recommended. This paper aims at contributing to the scientific debate how this can be achieved. Because of its complex structure on the one hand and limited research resources (time, computational capacities) on the other hand a full-blown uncertainty analysis in RAINS is hardly feasible. Therefore, all types of uncertainty require more efficient ways for uncertainty analysis. With respect to parameter uncertainty, we propose to focus research efforts for uncertainty analysis on key parameters. Among different approaches to select key parameters that have been discussed in the literature screening methods seem to be particularly appropriate for complex, deterministic Integrated Assessment models such as RAINS. Surprisingly, in Integrated Assessment modelling for air pollution problems of screening design have not been taken up so far. As a case study we consider the emission module of RAINS. We show that its structure allows for a straightforward and effective screening procedure [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of elderly patients requiring hospitalisation in Europe is rising. With a greater proportion of elderly people in the population comes a greater demand for health services and, in particular, hospital care. Thus, with a growing number of elderly patients requiring hospitalisation competing with non-elderly patients for a fixed (and in some cases, decreasing) number of hospital beds, this results in much longer waiting times for patients, often with a less satisfactory hospital experience. However, if a better understanding of the recurring nature of elderly patient movements between the community and hospital can be developed, then it may be possible for alternative provisions of care in the community to be put in place and thus prevent readmission to hospital. The research in this paper aims to model the multiple patient transitions between hospital and community by utilising a mixture of conditional Coxian phase-type distributions that incorporates Bayes' theorem. For the purpose of demonstration, the results of a simulation study are presented and the model is applied to hospital readmission data from the Lombardy region of Italy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement in resolution of climate models has always been mentioned as one of the most important factors when investigating past climatic conditions, especially in order to evaluate and compare the results against proxy data. Despite this, only a few studies have tried to directly estimate the possible advantages of highly resolved simulations for the study of past climate change. Motivated by such considerations, in this paper we present a set of high-resolution simulations for different time slices of the mid-to-late Holocene performed over Europe using the state-of-the-art regional climate model COSMO-CLM. After proposing and testing a model configuration suitable for paleoclimate applications, the aforementioned midto- late Holocene simulations are compared against a new pollen-based climate reconstruction data set, covering almost all of Europe, with two main objectives: testing the advantages of high-resolution simulations for paleoclimatic applications, and investigating the response of temperature to variations in the seasonal cycle of insolation during the mid-tolate Holocene. With the aim of giving physically plausible interpretations of the mismatches between model and reconstructions, possible uncertainties of the pollen-based reconstructions are taken into consideration. Focusing our analysis on near-surface temperature, we can demonstrate that concrete advantages arise in the use of highly resolved data for the comparison against proxyreconstructions and the investigation of past climate change. Additionally, our results reinforce previous findings showing that summertime temperatures during the mid-to-late Holocene were driven mainly by changes in insolation and that the model is too sensitive to such changes over Southern Europe, resulting in drier and warmer conditions. However, in winter, the model does not correctly reproduce the same amplitude of changes evident in the reconstructions, even if it captures the main pattern of the pollen data set over most of the domain for the time periods under investigation. Through the analysis of variations in atmospheric circulation we suggest that, even though the wintertime discrepancies between the two data sets in some areas are most likely due to high pollen uncertainties, in general the model seems to underestimate the changes in the amplitude of the North Atlantic Oscillation, overestimating the contribution of secondary modes of variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Airtankers are able to drop volumes of liquid (suppressant or fire retardant) varying from less than 1 m3 to several tens of cubic metres directly on a fire or with the objective to form barriers of retardant to stop or reduce fire propagation. Aims: The objective of this work is to demonstrate that Computational Fluid Dynamics can be used to provide a deep understanding of liquid fragmentation and dispersion when liquid is dropped from an aircraft. Methods: A numerical investigation based on the Volume of Fluid method is used for the analysis of airtanker performance and applied here to the biggest airtankers used in Europe: the Canadair CL-415 and Dash-8. Key results: Numerical simulations are used to provide an accurate description of tank discharge as well as to study liquid ejection, fragmentation and atomisation in air. From the results, the vertical penetration and lateral expansion of the liquid are described using simple modelling. Conclusions: From the numerical simulation, the main characteristics of liquid atomisation and dispersion in air are described and modelled. Implications: Computational Fluid Dynamics is an efficient tool that may help to optimise airtanker performance. A numerical investigation of liquid (water and retardant) drop from Canadair CL-415 and Dash-8 airtankers is presented. Numerical simulations are reported for the tank discharge as well as for the description of the liquid cloud, characterised by vertical penetration of the liquid, its lateral expansion and the process of atomisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first ensemble modelling experiment in relation to birch pollen in Europe. The sevenmodel European ensemble of MACC-ENS, tested in trial simulations over the flowering season of 2010, was run through the flowering season of 2013. The simulations have been compared with observations in 11 countries, all members of the European Aeroallergen Network, for both individual models and the ensemble mean and median. It is shown that the models successfully reproduced the timing of the very late season of 2013, generally within a couple of days from the observed start of the season. The end of the season was generally predicted later than observed, by 5 days or more, which is a known feature of the source term used in the study. Absolute pollen concentrations during the season were somewhat underestimated in the southern part of the birch habitat. In the northern part of Europe, a recordlow pollen season was strongly overestimated by all models. The median of the multi-model ensemble demonstrated robust performance, successfully eliminating the impact of outliers, which was particularly useful since for most models this was the first experience of pollen forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The sizing of a small-scale linear Fresnel reflector directly influences its primary cost as well as the annual energy output and, hence, its financial attractiveness. In addition, the area required for its installation is a critical parameter in most of the applications. This paper presents the analysis of the effects of the longitudinal movement on the performance of small-scale linear Fresnel reflectors. Our design, patented in year 2017, shows to be really innovative when compared to the existing designs shown in the literature. The three-movement option marks the novelty of the design. The effect of three parameters (i.e. energy absorbed by the absorber tube, primary cost, and reflector area ratio) is evaluated for two locations in Europe. Different configurations are analyzed and compared with the typical configuration of a large-scale linear Fresnel reflector. Numerical simulations were carried out using a MATLAB code to calculate the energy absorbed by the absorber tube, the primary cost, and the reflector area ratio. The comparison of the configurations provided insight into how latitude impacts on the results. It will be demonstrated that both the energy absorbed by the absorber tube and the primary cost increase with longitudinal movement, while the reflector area ratio decreases. Highlights • An analysis of the effects of the longitudinal movement on the performance of SSLFRs is presented. • Two locations in Europe are evaluated. • Both the energy absorbed and the primary cost increase with longitudinal movement. • The reflector area ratio decreases with longitudinal movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the approach taken to iteratively evaluate a set of VR/AR (virtual reality / augmented reality) applications for five different manual-work applications - terrestrial spacecraft assembly, assembly-line design, remote maintenance of trains, maintenance of nuclear reactors, and large-machine assembly process design - and examines the evaluation data for evidence of the effectiveness of the evaluation framework as well as the benefits to the development process of feedback from iterative evaluation. ManuVAR is an EU-funded research project that is working to develop an innovative technology platform and a framework to support high-value, high-knowledge manual work throughout the product lifecycle. The results of this study demonstrate the iterative improvements reached throughout the design cycles, observable through the trending of the quantitative results from three successive trials of the applications and the investigation of the qualitative interview findings. The paper discusses the limitations of evaluation in complex, multi-disciplinary development projects and finds evidence of the effectiveness of the use of the particular set of complementary evaluation methods incorporating a common inquiry structure used for the evaluation - particularly in facilitating triangulation of the data.

Despite clinical guidelines and the possibility of diagnostic vascular imaging, creation and maintenance of a vascular access (VA) remains problematic: avoiding short- and long-term VA dysfunction is challenging. Although prognostic factors for VA dysfunction have been identified in previous studies, their potential interplay at a systemic level is disregarded. Consideration of multiple prognostic patient specific factors and their complex interaction using dedicated computational modeling tools might improve outcome after VA creation by enabling a better selection of VA configuration. These computational modeling tools are developed and validated in the ARCH project: a joint initiative of four medical centers and three industrial partners (FP7-ICT-224390). This paper reports the rationale behind computational modeling and presents the clinical study protocol designed for calibrating and validating these modeling tools. The clinical study is based on the pre-operative collection of structural and functional data at a vascular level, as well as a VA functional evaluation during the follow-up period. The strategy adopted to perform the study and for data collection is also described here.

Although task analysis of pedestrian detection can provide us with useful insights into how a driver may behave in emergency situations, the cognitive elements of driver decision-making are less well understood. To assist in the design of future Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, such as Autonomous Emergency Brake systems, it is essential that the cognitive elements of the driving task are better understood. This paper uses verbal protocol analysis in an exploratory fashion to uncover the thought processes underlying behavioural outcomes represented by hard data collected using the Southampton University Driving Simulator. Practitioner Summary:This research assessed the appropriateness of verbal protocol analysis (VPA) in investigating driver behaviour in addition to quantitative data collected using Southampton University's Driving Simulator. VPA proved to be a useful extension tool in validating and enhancing hard data. A number of practical recommendations have been offered to guide future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simulation of urban mobility is a modeling challenge due to the complexity and scale. The complexity in modeling a social agent is due to three reasons: (i) the agent is behaviorally complex itself due to several interrelated/overlapping modeling aspects; (ii) the setting in which a social agent operates usually demands a multi-resolution approach; and (iii) the consideration of real spatial and population data is the underpinning that has to be realized. In this paper, we propose an agent-based parallel geo-simulation framework of urban mobility based on necessary modeling aspects. The aspect-oriented modeling paradigm relates the models vertically as well as horizontally and highlights the situations requiring multi-resolution interfacing. The framework takes into consideration the importance of technological footprints embedded with social behavior along with essential space and mobility features keeping focus on the importance of the city-scale scenario. We have used a real, high-quality raster map of a medium-sized city in central Europe converting it into a cellular automata (CA). The fine-grained CA readily supports pedestrian mobility and can easily be extended to support other mobility modes. The urban mobility simulation is performed on a real parallel and distributed hardware platform using a CA compatible software platform. Considering city-wide mobility in an emergency scenario, an analysis of the simulation efficiency and agent behavioral response is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The virtual physiological human (VPH) initiative encompasses a wide range of activities, including structural and functional imaging, data mining, knowledge discovery tool and database development, biomedical modelling, simulation and visualization. The VPH community is developing from a multitude of relatively focused, but disparate, research endeavours into an integrated effort to bring together, develop and translate emerging technologies for application, from academia to industry and medicine. This process initially builds on the evolution of multi-disciplinary interactions and abilities, but addressing the challenges associated with the implementation of the VPH will require, in the very near future, a translation of quantitative changes into a new quality of highly trained multi-disciplinary personnel. Current strategies for undergraduate and on-the-job training may soon prove insufficient for this. The European Commission seventh framework VPH network of excellence is exploring this emerging need, and is developing a framework of novel training initiatives to address the predicted shortfall in suitably skilled VPH-aware professionals. This paper reports first steps in the implementation of a coherent VPH training portfolio.

Introduction: With PACS and medical imaging technology maturing, the importance of organizational maturity and effective deployment of PACS in the hospital enterprise are becoming significant., Objective: The objective of this paper is twofold. Firstly, PACS literature on maturity and evolvability in the hospital enterprise is analyzed, resulting in an overview of the relevant developments concerning maturity of PACS. Secondly, this paper looks at the development of a maturity model for PACS technology., Methods and Results: Using structured search queries, we identified 34 papers reporting relevant aspects of maturity and evolvability of PACS. From the results of a meta-analytic review on PACS maturity and evolvability, we propose a model--the PACS maturity model (PMM)--that describes five levels of PACS maturity and the corresponding process focus., Conclusion: We argue that this model can help hospitals to gain insights into their (strategic) objectives for growth and maturity with regard to PACS, the electronic patient record (EPR) and other health information systems. Moreover, the proposed model can be applied as a valuable tool for organizational assessments, monitoring and benchmarking purposes. Hence, the PMM contributes to an integral alignment model for PACS technology.

The Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) is an initiative, strongly supported by the European Commission (EC), that seeks to develop an integrated model of human physiology at multiple scales from the whole body through the organ, tissue, cell and molecular levels to the genomic level. VPH had its beginnings in 2005 with informal discussions amongst like-minded scientists which led to the STEP project, a Coordination Action funded by the EC that began in early 2006. The STEP project greatly accelerated the progress of the VPH and proved to be a catalyst for wide-ranging discussions within Europe and for outreach activities designed to develop a broad international approach to the huge scientific and technological challenges involved in this area. This paper provides an overview of the VPH and the developments it has engendered in the rapidly expanding worldwide activities associated with the physiome. It then uses one particular project, the Living Human Project, to illustrate the type of advances that are taking place to further the aims of the VPH and similar initiatives worldwide.

Industrial countries are faced with a growing elderly population. Homecare systems with assistive smart house technology enable elderly to live independently at home. Development of such smart home care systems is complex and expensive and there is no common reference model that can facilitate service reuse. This paper proposes reusable actor and service models based on a model-driven development process where end user organizations and domain healthcare experts from four European countries have been involved. The models, specified using UML can be reused actively as assets in the system design and development process and can reduce development costs, and improve interoperability and sustainability of systems. The models are being evaluated in the European IST project MPOWER.

Interventional Radiology (IR) procedures are minimally invasive, targeted treatments performed using imaging for guidance. Needle puncture using ultrasound, x-ray, or computed tomography (CT) images is a core task in the radiology curriculum, and we are currently developing a training simulator for this. One requirement is to include support for physically-based simulation of x-ray images from CT data sets. In this paper, we demonstrate how to exploit the capability of today's graphics cards to efficiently achieve this on the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and compare performance with an efficient software only implementation using the Central Processing Unit (CPU).

There are several measures that summarize the mortality experience of a population. Of these measures, life expectancies are generally preferred based on their simpler interpretation and direct age standardization, which makes them directly comparable between different populations. However, traditional life expectancy estimations are highly inaccurate for smaller populations and consequently are seldom used in small-area applications. In this paper, the authors compare the relative performance of traditional life expectancy estimation with a Bayesian random-effects approach that uses correlations (i.e., borrows strength) between different age groups, geographic areas, and sexes to improve the small-area life expectancy estimations. In the presented Monte Carlo simulations, the Bayesian random-effects approach outperforms the traditional approach in terms of bias, root mean square error, and coverage of the 95% confidence intervals. Moreover, the Bayesian random-effects approach is found to be usable for populations as small as 2,000 person-years at risk, which is considerably smaller than the minimum of 5,000 person-years at risk recommended for the traditional approach. As such, the proposed Bayesian random-effects approach is well-suited for estimation of life expectancies in small areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of derailment safety of new railway vehicle designs is a fundamental concern worldwide. Although the methods used for assessment in different countries and regions vary considerably, the fundamental mechanisms being addressed are the same. This paper provides a detailed review of the current state-of-the-art methods for derailment safety assessment in several regions and countries including Europe, UK, USA, and Russia. Brief overviews of the methods used in China, Korea, and Japan are also included. Similarities and differences are discussed, including testing and computer simulations. References are provided for the origins of the methods and safety performance criteria used in each region. Recommendations are made for improving the assessment methods, especially the use and validation of computer simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Building energy use accounts for almost 50% of the total CO2 emissions in the UK. Most of the research has focused on reducing the operational impact of buildings, however in recent years many studies have indicated the significance of embodied energy in different building types. This paper primarily focuses on illustrating the relative importance of operational and embodied energy in a flexible use light distribution warehouse. The building is chosen for the study as it is relatively easy to model and represents many distribution centres and industrial warehouses in Europe. A carbon footprinting study was carried out by conducting an inventory of the major installed materials with potentially significant carbon impact and material substitutions covering the building structure. Ecotect computer simulation program was used to determine the energy consumption for the 25 years design life of the building. This paper evaluates alternative design strategies for the envelope of the building and their effects on the whole life emissions by investigating both embodied and operational implications of changing the envelope characteristics. The results provide an insight to quantify the total amount of CO2 emissions saved through design optimisation by modeling embodied and operational energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]