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Virtual models have the potential to transform architectural design processes by introducing a novel form of participation of project stakeholders. With the concepts of material participation and digital materiality, this research shows how virtual models in meetings called ‘virtual safaris’ set up a space for participation by providing a tangible architectural demonstration. In virtual safaris, virtual models allow participants to imagine and co-design their experience in the future space instead of trying to interpret architectural plans, resulting in more detailed and concrete feedback. Based on observed virtual safaris and interviews, we categorised the participatory aspects of virtual models and safaris into technical features of the virtual models, experiential features of virtual safaris, and organising and arranging virtual safaris. We consider these categories as intertwined, specifying aspects of material participation. They highlight both the complexities of actual usage of virtual reality in co-design and the additional value of virtual safaris as a participatory setting. We conclude that ways of organising and arranging virtual safaris are central for achieving the transformation potential of virtual reality. We also highlight crucial aspects of meetings utilising virtual reality for practitioners and researchers in construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid advances in AI technology have important implications for, and effects on, brands and advertisers. Increasingly, brands are creating digital models to showcase clothing and accessories in a similar way to human models, with AI used to customize various body types, ages, sizes, and skin tones. However, little is known about how the underrepresented consumers respond to a brand's intention to use AI‐generated models to represent them. We explore this by conducting four studies. We find evidence that a brand's intention to use AI‐generated (vs. human) models negatively affects brand attitude (study 1). We further investigate this effect using two different underrepresented consumer groups: LGBTQIA+ consumers (study 2) and consumers with disabilities (study 3). We show the effect to be serially mediated by consumers' perception of greater threat to their self‐identity and a lower sense of belonging, subsequently having a negative effect on brand attitude. Finally, we show that the perception of a brand's motivation for representing diverse consumer groups can attenuate these negative effects (study 4). Specifically, when consumers believe a brand is intrinsically motivated to use AI‐generated diversity representations, they report a significantly lower social identity threat which in turn is associated with a significantly higher sense of belonging to the brand. Our research findings suggest that a brand's well‐meaning intentions to represent diversity can in fact have negative effects on the very consumers whom a brand is trying to attract. While catering to diversity is of critical importance, our results indicate that brand managers should exercise caution when using AI to appeal to diverse groups of potential consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The global building sector plays a pivotal role in addressing sustainability, climate change, and carbon neutrality. This study introduces the original concept of virtual building models (VBMs) throughout the lifecycle of the building industry, considering the unique characteristics of this industry. VBMs are defined as mathematical models that represent the physical behavior of buildings throughout their lifecycle. These models consist of subvirtual models that represent the physical operational environments of the target building, encompassing physical variables, equipment, systems, indoor environments, and structural and material behaviors. This concept can contribute to achieving the existing concepts of building information modeling, digital twins, and cyber-physical systems within building operations, communities, and environments. In this study, building models are categorized into five aspects: virtual model environments, types, interactions, integrations, and levels of detail (LODs). The LODs are classified into five levels (LOD100, LOD200, LOD300, LOD350, and LOD400) depending on the primary environments of the virtual models and their coverage across the entire building. Virtual modeling methodologies are proposed considering the virtual model aspects to achieve higher or intended LOD states from both academic and industrial perspectives. Finally, future research directions are discussed to drive the concept of virtual buildings to shape the future of the building industry through digital transformations.

With the advent and development of information technology in industry and product design, product design-driven big data has evolved; Digital twin, a new emerging and fast-growing technology which connects the physical and virtual world, has attracted much attention recently, the digital twin approach has become one of the most important technological trends in recent years, The basic idea of a digital twin approach is that it is a system that includes a real environment with physical components and systems and a digital environment with digital sensors to receive data sent from the corresponding physical environment, where the digital environment reflects the real environment with relevant characteristics that depend on the stages of the entire product's life cycle Such as design, manufacture, production, quality inspection, and maintenance. Etc., where the stages are monitored and analyzed to improve quality and discover problems that require solving, which enables to reduce costs and time and provide the physical product with better work policies.An approach is presented to apply digital twin technology during the various stages of product design through communication and co-evolution between the physical product and its digital representation during the stages of the product lifecycle, where Converting Big data into a small set of information that the designer can use directly to support effective decision-making In the design process, as well as integrating a variety of different data about the product, the user and the environment effectively to respond to the requirements of the users .Digital twin technology increases the flexibility, adaptability and intelligence of the product since by applying digital twin technology the real product has a digital image consisting of different models, and these models have five main functions: To reproduce accurately the characteristics, behavior and rules of the physical product to create an accurate digital image; The independent operation of the models by simulating the different behaviors of the product, which can then be used to guide the operation of the physical product; Remote control of the status of components; Predictability of problems before they occur; Check performance before product design and production is finished.

This study seeks to identify the ontological and epistemological foundations of linguistic theory, in light of recent developments in scientific practice that takes language as its object. It requires a reconsideration of the existential concept of language and raises the issue of the existence of ontological and epistemological constants in linguistic theory. Taking into consideration the difference in the nature of linguistic sound and meaning. The approach adopted is historical and comparative, examining the major ontological and epistemological milestones. At the ontological level, the study notes that René Descartes linked the existence of language to mental existence, but the theory of relativity and statistical theory have transformed language into a virtual digital system, calling into question its ontological framework. Not to mention the fact that language is no longer merely a mental product, as evidenced by the existence of automatically generated linguistic texts. Epistemologically, the verification of linguistic knowledge has evolved, moving from logical proof to experimentation, and is now tied to utility and added value, with the virtual simulation of artificial intelligence as the environment for experimentation and proof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural history museums (NHM) are important for students' learning and motivation. However, the lack or scarcity of NHMs in countries with emerging markets may hamper the learning process. Virtual 3D models represent an important tool to counterbalance the lack of access of students to NHMs. Our study aims to understand if the use of 3D models may help in the motivation and learning of zoology. The study comprised three groups: (i) control group , where the participants only received classes of frontal teaching; (ii) practice group , where participants received, in addition to traditional classes, practical classes with biological material; (iii) 3D model group , where participants received the traditional class plus practical classes with 3D models of amphibian species. We used pre-questionnaires and post-questionnaires as an educational assessment method. Then we performed a two-way ANOVA test between the experimental groups. All three groups showed equivalent levels of motivation after the classes. Nevertheless, the 3D model and Practice groups showed a significant (p < 0.001) increase in learning performance when compared to the control group, demonstrating the relevance of 3D models in the teaching of zoology especially in institutions distant from large biological collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) is still limited when the recipient's iliac vessels present atherosclerotic plaques. To overcome this limitation, three-dimensional (3D) imaging reconstruction was employed using augmented reality (AR) to intraoperatively locate the plaques, driving the surgeon during the crucial steps of kidney transplantation. The use of 3D AR in RAKT is a pioneering technique that has the potential to expand the indication to the robotic approach in patients with atheromatic plaques. Robotic-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) has shown solid results as a minimally invasive alternative to the standard open approach (open kidney transplantation [OKT]). However, RAKT is still limited in those cases where the recipient's iliac vessels present atherosclerotic plaques, frequently found in elder patients and in those subjected to long-term hemodialysis. Unlike OKT, where the surgeon can palpate the arterial plaques, in minimally invasive surgery the haptic feedback is missing, making the vascular clamping and arteriotomy unsafe. To employ three-dimensional (3D) imaging reconstruction using augmented reality (AR) to intraoperatively locate the plaques during the crucial steps of kidney transplantation. Our study was conducted according to the Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, and Long-term follow-up (IDEAL) model for surgical innovation. Three-dimensional virtual models were obtained from high-accuracy computed tomography scan imaging and superimposed on the vessels during RAKT using the Da Vinci console software. Three-dimensional AR–guided robotic-assisted kidney transplantation. The correspondence of virtual models with the real anatomy of patients was assessed comparing vessels' and plaques' measures. We tested the possibility of using the AR in the setting of vascular surgery by checking the correspondence of the virtual models to the real vessels. During the accuracy assessment, we investigated the anatomy of the iliac plaques and the capacity of the virtual models to correctly represent them. Finally, we tested the efficacy of the virtual model superimposition on the real vessels with plaques during RAKT in the recipients of living donor grafts. The main limitation consists in training needed to correctly superimpose virtual models on the real field. The employment of 3D AR allowed surgeons to overcome one of the main limitations of RAKT, setting the foundation to expand its indications to patients with advanced atheromatic vascular disease. The use of three-dimensional augmented reality guidance during kidney transplantation (KT) has the potential to "navigate" the surgeon during KT, allowing a safer procedure in patients with atheromatic vascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spanish Courel Mountains UNESCO Global Geopark has strong educational and touristic resources despite limited preservation of Paleozoic invertebrate fossil assemblages within metamorphic rocks. The paleontological sites are managed by means of their inventory and integration in a Geographical Information System, the construction of virtual 3D fossil models, the creation of a fossil collection exhibition, the transport of large boulders with fossils to places such as tourist offices, and hiking trails to see ichnofossils. To enable geoconservation, the Palaeozoic paleontological sites are neither promoted nor frequently visited. Fossils found in the Geopark by paleontologists and fortuitously by local people or hikers are deposited and safeguarded in the Geological Museum and are available for eventual exhibition and paleontological studies.

This study aimed to qualitative analyze the cusp variation pattern of the mandibular second premolars using a three-dimensional virtual models, and to analyze the left-right bilateral symmetry with a quantitative analysis of the tooth surface area according to the cusp variation. 127 virtual mandibular second premolars were prepared and individual absolute/relative cusp area, total crown area and groove form were analyzed using RapidForm2004(INUS technology INC, Seoul, Korea). Independent t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test and chi-square were performed. As a result, the groove form showed high bilateral symmetry between the left and right sides. Based on the left side of groove form, the bilateral symmetry was 100.0% for the U pattern, and 73.7% for the H patterned, and 78.9% for the Y pattern(p<.001). The finding could be as a meaningful reference for manufacturing CAD/CAM dental prostheses, and it is expected that further studies will be conducted on more samples including the mandibular second premolar immediately after eruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Frailty is a common clinical syndrome in ageing population that carries an increased risk for adverse health outcomes including falls, hospitalization, disability, and mortality. As these outcomes affect the health and social care planning, during the last years there is a tendency of investing in monitoring and preventing strategies. Although a number of electronic health record (EHR) systems have been developed, including personalized virtual patient models, there are limited ageing population oriented systems. Methods We exploit the openEHR framework for the representation of frailty in ageing population in order to attain semantic interoperability, and we present the methodology for adoption or development of archetypes. We also propose a framework for a one-to-one mapping between openEHR archetypes and a column-family NoSQL database (HBase) aiming at the integration of existing and newly developed archetypes into it. Results The requirement analysis of our study resulted in the definition of 22 coherent and clinically meaningful parameters for the description of frailty in older adults. The implemented openEHR methodology led to the direct use of 22 archetypes, the modification and reuse of two archetypes, and the development of 28 new archetypes. Additionally, the mapping procedure led to two different HBase tables for the storage of the data. Conclusions In this work, an openEHR-based virtual patient model has been designed and integrated into an HBase storage system, exploiting the advantages of the underlying technologies. This framework can serve as a base for the development of a decision support system using the openEHR’s Guideline Definition Language in the future.

The construction industry continues to seek innovative ways to safely, timely and cost-effectively deliver construction projects. Several efforts have been made to automate construction processes but marginial success has been achieved in effectively reducing the long standing risks suffered by the industry. While industry 4.0 promises to improve project efficiency, reduce waste and improve productivity, the transition to this will depend on the successful adoption of many emerging technologies such as virtual design modeling technologies, sensing technologies, data analysis, storage and communication technologies, human-computer interaction technologies, and robotics. To accelerate innovation, digital twins and cyber-physical systems will be a necessity to advance automation and real-time control with these technologies. While digital twin represents a digital replica of the asplanned and as-built facility, cyber physical systems involve integration of physical systems with their digital replica through sensors and actuators. Despite evidence of the efficacy of cyber-physical systems and digital twins for reducing non-fatal injuries, enhancing safety management, improving progress monitoring and enhancing performance monitoring and control of facilities, their adoption in the construction industry is still in its infancy. This paper sheds light on the opportunities offered by cyber-physical systems and digital twins in other industry sectors and advocates for their increased deployment in the construction industry. This paper describes cyber-physical integration of emerging technologies with the physical construction or constructed facility as the next generation digital twin and cyber-physical systems. Potential scenarios of next generation cyber physical system and digital twin for improving workforce productivity, health, and safety, lifecycle management of building systems, and workforce competency are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reworking, the lack of compatibility in the projects and delays are some of the problems in the construction industry. Companies have been reevaluating their management methods, seeking new tools that minimize these obstacles. BIM is a concept that allows to analyze all the processes of the building through a virtual model, before being built. The objective of the work is to demonstrate the feasibility of this technology and contribute to its dissemination. For the study, three research methods were used: analysis of the CBIC collection - Implementation of BIM for Builders and Developers; Open BIM seminar where the comments of the speakers were discussed and the cases of success of BIM use and; use of a questionnaire applied to engineers, architects and designers. The evaluation was positive even with the difficulties in the implementation of BIM. The use of BIM in the management of works, generates more control and prevents adversities during the construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method of supporting of urgent anti-crisis solution in managing of complex organizational and technical systems of responsible purpose, for example, in managing of projects / programs / portfolios, is proposed. Since anti-crisis decisions have to be made in the shortest possible time, and the parameters of both managed processes and the crises that they encounter differ in marginal multifactoriality and stochasticity until complete uncertainty, it is proposed to use approaches based on organizationalorganizational- based optimization. However, when making anti-crisis decisions, sometimes you have to neglect the accuracy and adequacy of the models used to identify the direction and parameters of actions that can save the process as a whole. The method is to temporarily replace organizational models that are inaccessible to the person involved in anti-crisis planning (by presence, time complexity, inaccuracy, stochasticity, etc.) with virtual physical (eg thermophysical) solutions to the problem of optimization of anti-crisis actions at this level and return to organizational models. Examples of organizational-hydraulic, organizational-electrical, and organizational-mechanical analogies are discussed, as well as the use of such analogies in process optimization and model simplification. For organizational-thermophysical analogy, experimental confirmation of the hypothesis and the proposed model was performed. A positive example of the use of the proposed method in the practice of project management is given. An approach to the designation of the relevant variables is proposed, which allows to distinguish them from the conventional notation of physical quantities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Frailty is a common clinical syndrome in ageing population that carries an increased risk for adverse health outcomes including falls, hospitalization, disability, and mortality. As these outcomes affect the health and social care planning, during the last years there is a tendency of investing in monitoring and preventing strategies. Although a number of electronic health record (EHR) systems have been developed, including personalized virtual patient models, there are limited ageing population oriented systems.Methods: We exploit the openEHR framework for the representation of frailty in ageing population in order to attain semantic interoperability, and we present the methodology for adoption or development of archetypes. We also propose a framework for a one-to-one mapping between openEHR archetypes and a column-family NoSQL database (HBase) aiming at the integration of existing and newly developed archetypes into it.Results: The requirement analysis of our study resulted in the definition of 22 coherent and clinically meaningful parameters for the description of frailty in older adults. The implemented openEHR methodology led to the direct use of 22 archetypes, the modification and reuse of two archetypes, and the development of 28 new archetypes. Additionally, the mapping procedure led to two different HBase tables for the storage of the data.Conclusions: In this work, an openEHR-based virtual patient model has been designed and integrated into an HBase storage system, exploiting the advantages of the underlying technologies. This framework can serve as a base for the development of a decision support system using the openEHR's Guideline Definition Language in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the significant ways to save energy use in buildings is to implement advanced energy retrofits in existing buildings. Improving energy performance of buildings through advanced energy retrofitting requires a clear understanding of the cost and energy implications of design alternatives from various engineering disciplines when different retrofit options are considered. The communication of retrofit design alternatives and their energy implications is essential in the decision-making process, as it affects the final retrofit selections and hence the energy efficiency of the retrofitted buildings. The objective of the research presented here was to identify a generic list of information requirements that are needed to be shared and collectively analyzed by integrated design teams during advanced energy retrofit design review meetings held in immersive settings. While identifying such requirements, the authors used an immersive environment based iterative requirements elicitation approach. The technology was used as a means to better identify the information requirements of integrated design teams to be analyzed as a group. This paper provides findings on information requirements of integrated design teams when evaluating retrofit options in immersive virtual environments. The information requirements were identified through interactions with sixteen experts in design and energy modeling domain, and validated with another group of participants consisting of six design experts who were experienced in integrated design processes. Industry practitioners can use the findings in deciding on what information to share with integrated design team members during design review meetings that utilize immersive virtual environments.

In order to provide restorations and dental prostheses that are esthetically pleasing, functional and in harmony with a patient's occlusion, practitioners must have a thorough knowledge of dental anatomy. Recent studies have shown that virtual three‐dimensional (3D) models greatly enhance educational outcomes in dental anatomy courses. This article describes a novel educational technique and uses videos and web‐based portals to demonstrate how to create a virtual 3D tooth model from a scan of a natural tooth for use in dental anatomy courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-Destructive Testing using optical methods such as Thermography and Laser Shearography are gaining importance in the inspection of aerospace composite structures due to their non-contact, area based and non-hazardous nature. Here we address the problem of fully covering a curved panel using a robotic system which holds the NDT system up against the panel, and stitching the acquired images together so that the images with defects can be visualized in a single model. A formal way of defining view-points in 3D based on the structure's 3D model and stitching the gathered image data back onto the 3D model has been lacking in the literature. We present algorithms for defining a set of viewpoints for robotic systems using Area based NDT and for doing full 3D image stitching on the pointcloud generated from the 3D model of the structure. A virtual model or digital twin of the inspection process taking into account the details of the structural panel, robot and camera model is developed and used for getting inputs from the user for the viewpoint planning process as well as displaying the output after image stitching. We show excellent results for synthetic image capturing process as well as good results while using a prototype 5-axis cartesian robot with an IP camera to represent the NDT system. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Intraoral scanners and their use in everyday clinical procedures are more and more common in dentistry. Virtual models and 3d printed models obtained by the intraoral scanning are used in clinical work. Plaster models used in orthodontics for diagnostic purposes and for making orthodontics appliances are progressively substituted by this types of models. The aim of this work is to determine if there is a difference in the width of the dental arch measured on plaster, 3D printed and virtual models. Materials and Methods: 20 patients were selected who have plaster, virtual and printed models of both jaws. All patients had permanent dentition and all teeth between molars in both jaws. The mentioned models were measured twice with a time interval of one month due to the reliability of the measurements. Specific points were marked on all models on the upper and lower jaw, for easier and more precise measurement of the width of the dental arch. Jaws impressions were taken to all patients by alginate (Cavex Holland BV) and models were made by plaster type III (Kulzer). Intraoral scans were taken by intraoral scanner Omnicam Ac (Dentsply Sirona), then they were converted in STL format. STL models were printed in Draft Resin (Formlabs) by 3D printer (Formlabs, 3B). The plaster and printed models were measured by digital caliper (YATO), the virtual models were measured in orthodontics software OnyxCeph. Results: Statistically significant correlations of a high degree were found between the first and repeated measurements and a very high, statistically significant degree of agreement between the different measurements were found. Conclusion: Plaster, printed and virtual models are equally precise regarding dental arch width in all models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that 20-30% of denture users have been dissatisfied with their dentures. Aim: To evaluate the stress pattern under elastic and viscoelastic denture liners using 3-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and its clinical correlation using a questionnaire. Materials and Methods: The study had both in-vitro and in-vivo phases. In in-vitro phase fabrication of a virtual parametric model of edentulous maxilla and dentures with overlying mucosa was made. A virtual load of 166N was analyzed at three points (Point A=anterior ridge, Point B=right posterior ridge and Point C=left posterior ridge). For the in-vivo phase, 20 edentulous patients were provided conventional complete dentures (Group-I). The dentures were lined with silicone (elastic) liners (Group-II) and acrylic resins (viscoelastic) liners (Group-III) at regular (2 months) intervals. After each reline, the patients were evaluated using food eating ability and denture assessment questionnaires. The results were statistically analyzed. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 15.0 statistical analysis software. Other than standard statistical test Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Post-Hoc tests (Tukey-HSD) were used. Results: At loading, the in-vitro result for Groups–II and III revealed pressures of 0.074231N and 0.0678364N at Point A, 0.098764N and 0.093642N at Point B, and 0.099876N and 0.093746N at Point C respectively. The in-vivo study revealed that the mean quality of life score for different groups ranged from 23.65±4.00 (Group I) to 33.10±6.15 (Group III). The mean quality of life score for Group II was 29.50±5.08. Conclusion: The viscoelastic liner provided the most uniform stress distribution and performed better than an elastic liner with hard, firm and soft foods.

For more than a decade research has shown that 4D Building Information Modelling (BIM) can improve construction planning, scheduling and production control as well as the onsite management of safety, workspaces and waste. The increasing use of 4D BIM in construction highlights opportunities for utilising these capabilities in new digital management systems replete with role reorganization, new practices and workflows, and not solely as a tool for constructability analysis and onsite monitoring of construction progress. Continued focus on construction-based environmental impacts provides an impetus to leverage 4D BIM to improve communication and information flow throughout environmental planning and management tasks. This paper explores how environmental planning and management can be supported by 4D capabilities. 4D modelling and analysis technologies combined with structured workflows are presented as the basis for developing a tailored framework for environmental planning and management. Five functional prerequisites necessary to the collaborative development and onsite monitoring of environmental management systems are identified before laying out the directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bolton analysis is used to determine anomalies with respect to the dental mass, for diagnosis and treatment planning purposes, the possibility of using a digital method was introduced and tested to measure the size of the mesiodistal tooth. In this way, digital dental technology has made digital study models become popular in orthodontics., Objective: to evaluate the degree of reliability of the evaluation of the Bolton analysis in three-dimensional virtual models versus plaster models through a review of the literature., Materials and Methods: A search was carried out in the primary databases of the international scientific literature on health sciences: Medline, through PubMed, SciELO, Lilacs, and Embase. Review articles published between the year 2000 and October 2021 were included., Results: The desktop scanner was the best option for digitizing dental models, but this does not detract from CBCT and intraoral laser scanners, which are still an option. Reasonable validity for digitizing 3D models with results within the "clinically acceptable" range was found., Conclusions: 3D digital models generated with intraoral and extraoral scanners are reliable and accurate compared to conventional impressions and save time, in most cases statistically significant differences were found, but of little clinical relevance., Competing Interests: Potenciales conflictos de intereses: El autor declara no tener ningún conflicto de intereses

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that 20-30% of denture users have been dissatisfied with their dentures. Aim: To evaluate the stress pattern under elastic and viscoelastic denture liners using 3-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis (EFA) and its clinical correlation using a questionnaire. Materials and Methods: The study had both in-vitro and in-vivo phases. In in-vitro phase fabrication of a virtual parametric model of edentulous maxilla and dentures with overlying mucosa was made. A virtual load of 166N was analyzed at three points (Point A=anterior ridge, Point B=right posterior ridge and Point C=left posterior ridge). For the in-vivo phase, 20 edentulous patients were provided conventional complete dentures (Group-I). The dentures were lined with silicone (elastic) liners (Group-II) and acrylic resins (viscoelastic) liners (Group-III) at regular (2 months) intervals. After each reline, the patients were evaluated using food eating ability and denture assessment questionnaires. The results were statistically analyzed. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 15.0 statistical analysis software. Other than standard statistical test Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Post-Hoc tests (Tukey-HSD) were used. Results: At loading, the in-vitro result for Groups-II and III revealed pressures of 0.074231N and 0.0678364N at Point A, 0.098764N and 0.093642N at Point B, and 0.099876N and 0.093746N at Point C respectively. The in-vivo study revealed that the mean quality of life score for different groups ranged from 23.65±4.00 (Group I) to 33.10±6.15 (Group III). The mean quality of life score for Group II was 29.50±5.08. Conclusion: The viscoelastic liner provided the most uniform stress distribution and performed better than an elastic liner with hard, firm and soft foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case study of a project for the geometric documentation of a roman mausoleum from the 4th century is used as the overarching element in order to put forward a reflection on some of the steps for the process of documentation itself, as well as on the utility of the outcomes. The main issues considered are: (1) documentation project, (2) three-dimensional modeling, (3) use of different kinds of two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations, (4) Augmented Reality and (5) archive and dissemination of information.

The experience of our environment is based on the informationthat reach us by means of our sensory organs, andwhich are subsequently processed in our brains. Digital interpretationimplemented to mathematical models of the studiedsubjects brings us to the so-called virtual reality that allows us toreplace some natural human senses, in this case the visualones, by computer-generated infonnation. The procedure is expandedto three-dimensional (3D) scanning i. e. searching ofthe special form of the obse1ved subject/object, then digital recordingof the space point cloud (pixels) which correspond tothe item, then vectorisation of the fonn, rendering and finallyanimation. In this way, by watching the display, the impressionof the virtual environment can be generated in the human perception.Moreover, in this way the human model can be realizedin a characteristic way in such a virtual space. The implementationof this virtual reality, in accordance with the possibilitiesthat it provides, has been the subject of very intensive researchin the world, and in Croatia as well. The work presentssome possibilities of applying virtual reality in the field of ergonomicanalysis of the collision process of two vehicles.

The region of Lublin has a rich tradition of the usage of timber in construction. A few dozen years ago wood was still the predominant building material in villages, towns and on the outskirts of big cities. Small multicultural towns were a characteristic element of the cultural landscape of the region. The wooden buildings of these towns compose one of the most unique phenomena in Polish and architecture. To this day some examples of particular small towns’ buildings were preserved. The main aim of the project is to create digital 3D reconstructions of five small towns of the Lublin region and a model illustrating wooden architecture of the Norwegian town of Larvik in different historical periods. All models will be accesible online on multimedia service dedicated to wooden architecture and methods of its conservation and will have connection with inventory of the most representative monuments of wooden architecture of the Lublin region, uploaded and shared via the Internet.

Off-centre loads acting on hydraulic forging presses have a major impact on their engineering properties. If the tilting moments resulting from such loads are absorbed using an appropriate and effective design, the deformation of the press frame and pressures in crosshead guides can be minimized. The present paper compares values obtained from several variants of virtual models of an open-die forging hydraulic press under off-centre load. The objective was to evaluate the effect of the design solution of crosshead guides on the behaviour of the frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual debugging of control programs for numerically controlled metal-cutting machines is considered. The milling of slots in a gas-turbine compressor disk is simulated on a three-dimensional copy of a DMU 50 numerically controlled five-coordinate vertical-milling machine. The text of the control program is verified and optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the development of representational competence among organic chemistry students by using 3D (concrete and virtual) models as aids for teaching students to translate between multiple 2D diagrams. In 2 experiments, students translated between different diagrams of molecules and received verbal feedback in 1 of the following 3 intervention conditions: with concrete models, with virtual models, or without models. Following the intervention, diagram translation accuracy was measured in 3 posttests, which were with models, without models, and after a 7-day delay. The virtual models in the 2 experiments differed in the level of congruence between the actions performed with the input device and the resulting movement of the virtual model. Study 1 used a low congruence interface and Study 2 used a high congruence interface. Students learned more when models were available. In terms of learning outcomes, model-based feedback was superior to verbal-feedback alone, models served as a learning scaffold rather than a crutch, and learning with model-based feedback was resilient over a 7-day delay. Finally, concrete and virtual models were equivalent in promoting learning, and actioncongruence of the interface did not affect learning. The results are discussed with respect to their implications for instruction in organic chemistry and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissolution of the conventional breaking points in the construction and completion phases of a building's delivery has blurred 'the distinction between the production of design intent and the transmission of information'. Here Richard Garber, Director of the School of Architecture at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), advocates that architects should use this as an opportunity to widen their remit, gaining agency and with it responsibility and the financial rewards to practice. Here he draws from the examples of UNStudio, GLUCK+ and his own New-York based practice, GRO Architects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, there has been an increasing interest in the preservation of natural dentition and the proper occlusion related to tooth wear for quality of life. To overcome the problems of the existing qualitative tooth wear analysis method, virtual three-dimensional models have been used. This study was designed to develop and validate a new quantitative method using tooth wear measurement parameters with angles obtained from virtual vectors and planes of the three-dimensional models. Sixteen parameters were evaluated in the virtual models of 20 students (7.57±1.55 years old) and 20 adults (56.85±6.34 years old). There were 12 angle and 4 height parameters, and the number of parameters measured from the virtual planes and vectors were 10 and 6, respectively. For each parameter, means and standard deviations were calculated, and an unpaired sample t test was performed to compare the young and the adult groups. Also, differences between the means were determined and expressed as percentages. The results were statistically significant between the two groups (P<0.001). In general, parameters using virtual vectors showed greater change than virtual plane. Although there were statistically significant differences among all parameters using virtual planes (P<0.001), the changes of the three angles were similar, except distolingual cusp angle. It was found that the parameters using virtual vectors were effective and tooth wear took place in both buccal and lingual cusps. Likewise, the validation of the new measurement parameters suggests that they can also be applied in the assessment of tooth wear related to dental biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]