Search Results (76)

Background: The reported data on African universal neonatal hearing screening (UNHS) practices tend to be quite scarce, despite the developments in hearing screening the last two decades. The objective of this systematic review was (a) to identify the most recent (in a 20-year span) literature information about NHS/UNHS programs in Africa and (b) to provide data on the procedures used to assess the population, the intervention policies, and on the estimated prevalence of congenital hearing loss with an emphasis on bilateral hearing loss cases. Methods: Queries were conducted via the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases for the time window of 2004–2024. The mesh terms used were “OAE”, “universal neonatal hearing screening”, “congenital hearing loss”, “well babies”, and “Africa”. Only research articles and review papers were considered as good candidates. The standard English language filter was not used, to identify information from non-English-speaking scientific communities and groups. Results: Data from 15 papers were considered, reflecting the neonatal hearing practices of nine African states. No country-wide NHS programs were reported. The various screening realities are implemented within big urban centers, leaving the residents of rural areas unassisted. For the latter, proposals based on tele-medicine protocols have been suggested. The data on HL prevalence are also incomplete, but the available data refer to rates from 3 to 360 subjects per 1000. These data cannot be taken at face value but within the small sample size context in which they were acquired. Regarding the causes of HL, very few data have been reported; consanguinity is the most attributed factor, at least in the Sub-Saharan African states. For the majority of the programs, no data were reported on hearing loss prevalence/incidence or on any strategies to restore hearing. Conclusions: The information on the African neonatal hearing screening are quite scarce, and it is an urgent need to convince audiologists from the African localized programs to publish their hearing screening data. Full article

In this paper, a workflow for creating advanced aerodynamics design dashboards is proposed. A CAD modeler is directly linked to the CFD simulation results so that the designer can explore in real time, assisted by virtual reality (VR), how shape parameters affect the aerodynamics and choose the optimal combination to optimize performance. In this way, the time required for the conception of a new component can be drastically reduced because, even at the preliminary stage, the designer has all the necessary information to make more thoughtful choices. Thus, this work sets a highly ambitious and innovative goal: to create a smart design dashboard where every shape parameter is directly and in real-time linked to the results of the high-fidelity analyses. The OPAM (Open Parametric Aircraft Model), a simplified model of the Boeing 787, was considered as a case study. CAD parameterization and mesh morphing were combined to generate the design points (DPs), while Reduced Order Models (ROMs) were developed to link the results of the CFD analyses to the chosen parameterization. The ROMs were exported as FMUs (Functional Mockup Units) to be easily managed in any environment. Finally, a VR design dashboard was created in the Unity environment, enabling the interaction with the geometric model in order to observe in a fully immersive and intuitive environment how each shape parameter affects the physics involved. The MetaQuest 3 headset has been selected for these tests. Thus, the use of VR for a design platform represents another innovative aspect of this work. Full article

Paranasal sinus surgery, a common treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis, requires exceptional precision due to the proximity of critical anatomical structures. To ensure accurate instrument control and clear visualization of the surgical site, surgeons utilize computer-aided surgical navigation (CSN). A key component of CSN is the registration process, which is traditionally reliant on manual or marker-based techniques. However, there is a growing shift toward marker-less registration methods. In previous work, we investigated a mesh-based registration approach using a Mixed Reality Head-Mounted Display (MR-HMD), specifically the Microsoft HoloLens 2. However, this method faced limitations, including depth holes and invalid values. These issues stemmed from the device’s low-resolution camera specifications and the 3D projection steps required to upscale RGB camera spaces. In this study, we propose a novel automated marker-less registration method leveraging Neural Radiance Field (NeRF) technology with an MR-HMD. To address insufficient depth information in the previous approach, we utilize rendered-depth images generated by the trained NeRF model. We evaluated our method against two other techniques, including prior mesh-based registration, using a facial phantom and three participants. The results demonstrate our proposed method achieves at least a 0.873 mm (12%) improvement in registration accuracy compared to others. Full article

Several studies have explored the use of hologram technology in architecture and urban design, demonstrating its feasibility. Holograms can represent 3D spatial data and offer an immersive experience, potentially replacing traditional methods such as physical 3D and offering a promising alternative to mixed-reality display technologies. Holograms can visualize realistic scenes such as buildings, cityscapes, and landscapes using the novel view synthesis technique. This study examines the suitability of spatial data collected through the Gaussian splatting method for tabletop hologram visualization. Recent advancements in Gaussian splatting algorithms allow for real-time spatial data collection of a higher quality compared to photogrammetry and neural radiance fields. Both hologram visualization and Gaussian splatting share similarities in that they recreate 3D scenes without the need for mesh reconstruction. In this research, unmanned aerial vehicle-acquired primary image data were processed for 3D reconstruction using Gaussian splatting techniques and subsequently visualized through holographic displays. Two experimental environments were used, namely, a building and a university campus. As a result, 3D Gaussian data have proven to be an ideal spatial data source for hologram visualization, offering new possibilities for real-time motion holograms of real environments and digital twins. Full article

This technical paper delves into the creation and application of an enhanced mathematical model for semi crystalline thermoplastics based on the Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) Two Domain Tait Equation. The model is designed to incorporate the impact of the cooling rate on the specific volume of the material. This is achieved by utilizing Flash differential scanning calorimetry (fDSC) measurements, thereby ensuring a direct correlation to the actual behavior of the material in reality. The practical application of the model in the context of injection molding simulation was also considered. This was done by integrating the mathematical model into the Moldflow software via the Solver API. The paper underscores the discontinuity issue inherent in the traditional Tait equation with cooling rates and proposes a solution that guarantees a correct transition from the liquid to the solid phase, even at high cooling rates and pressures. The results demonstrated a realistic PVT curve across a wide range of cooling rates and high pressures. The model was put to the test using a 3D tetrahedron meshed calculation model in the injection molding simulation. This study marks a significant step forward in the simulation of injection molding processes, as it successfully bridges the gap between real material properties and simplified simulation, paving the way for more accurate and efficient simulations in the future. Full article

The structural diagnosis of monumental buildings necessitates organizing diverse cross-disciplinary data. The H-BIM procedure employs 3D digital models to create a comprehensive virtual repository, offering advantages in documentation access, interoperability, intervention design, cost evaluation, and maintenance management. This work proposes an approach to combining different models while addressing interoperability challenges by best exploiting their positive characteristics. After evaluating the advantages and limitations of textured-mesh and NURBS-based models, and virtual reality environments based on specific comparison criteria, an integrated system of these models within the H-BIM framework is proposed. The latter is applied to study the relevant case of the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Pisa, Italy. The integrated H-BIM model is designed primarily to facilitate the structural diagnosis of the monument, and illustrates how combining different 3D representations, each providing multiple information with different levels of detail, enhances its capabilities. This integration results in a more effective tool for the multidisciplinary conservation of cultural heritage, accommodating a wide range of data beyond structural aspects, thus fostering collaboration among professionals from various fields of expertise. Full article

MHealth strategies have been used in various health areas, and mobile apps have been used in the context of health self-management. They can be considered an adjuvant intervention in oral health literacy, mainly for people with special health needs. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the improvement of oral health literacy in patients with special needs when using digital platforms. A systematic literature review, based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines, was the main research method employed in this study. A search was undertaken in PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases, according to the relevant Mesh descriptors, their synonyms, and free terms (Entry Terms). Studies published between the years 2012 and 2023 were included. Two researchers independently assessed the quality of the included studies by completing the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale questionnaire. The analysis corpus comprised 5 articles among the 402 articles selected after applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria (k = 0.97). The evidence from the considered articles is consensual regarding the effectiveness of using new technologies and innovations in promoting oral health literacy in patients with special health needs. The interventions were based on using the Illustration Reinforcement Communication System, inspired by the Picture Exchange Communication System, Nintendo^® Wii™ TV, virtual reality, smartphones, with software applications to read messages sent, Audio Tactile Performance technique, and Art package. One study had a low-quality assessment, and four had a high quality. The evidence from the articles included in this systematic review is consistent regarding the effectiveness of using new technologies and innovations in promoting oral health literacy in patients with special health needs. Full article

In the contemporary era, the further exploitation of deep-sea resources has led to a significant expansion of the role of ships in numerous domains, such as in oil and gas extraction. However, the harsh marine environments to which ships are frequently subjected can result in structural failures. In order to ensure the safety of the crew and the ship, and to reduce the costs associated with such failures, it is imperative to utilise a structural health monitoring (SHM) system to monitor the ship in real time. Displacement reconstruction is one of the main objectives of SHM, and the inverse finite element method (iFEM) is a powerful SHM method for the full-field displacement reconstruction of plate and shell structures. However, existing inverse shell elements applied to curved shell structures with irregular geometry or large curvature may result in element distortion. This paper proposes a high-precision iFEM for curved shell structures that does not alter the displacement mode of the element or increase the mesh and node quantities. In reality, it just modifies the methods of calculation. This method is based on the establishment of a local coordinate system on the Gaussian integration point and the subsequent alteration of the stiffness integration. The results of numerical examples demonstrate that the high-precision iFEM is capable of effectively reducing the displacement difference resulting from inverse finite element method reconstruction. Furthermore, it performs well in practical engineering applications. Full article

Grief is a natural and self-limited adaptation process to a new reality that emerges after a significant loss (whether real or perceived), with a broad variety of manifestations that exert an impact on a grieving person’s health. The study aim was to synthesize the evidence available about the interventions carried out by Primary Health Care nurses, by means of an individual approach to reduce maladaptive grief or maladaptive grief risk. A scoping review was conducted (November and December 2023) through searches in Medline, Cinahl, Web of Science, ProQuest and Scopus using MeSH terms combined with Booleans. Primary research of any design in adult people undergoing grief situations and receiving professional assistance by nurses in the primary, home and community care contexts published after 2009 in English, Spanish or Portuguese languages were included. Excluded publications were those conducted in in-hospital clinical settings and which did not correspond to research designs or the gray literature. The screening process was carried out by two reviewers using the appropriate JBI critical appraisal tools for each design and discrepancies were resolved by a third reviewer. A total of n = 10 studies were included (n = 4 qualitative, n = 2 RCTs, n = 1 quasi-experimental, n = 2 cross-sectional observational, and n = 2 mixed methods). The qualitative studies identified topics and subtopics of professionals’ and families’ experiences of grief. The observational studies analyzed symptoms and factors associated with the grieving process. Interventions consisted of cognitive–behavioral therapies delivered by psychological specialists who assessed the severity of grief in a range of cultural contexts using different instruments. The evidence retrieved from the studies that address the reduction in maladaptive grief or maladaptive grief risk is not conclusive. There is a need to increase both the number and the methodological quality of studies assessing the effectiveness of Nursing care in Primary Health Care for individuals experiencing maladaptive grief or maladaptive grief risk. Further research should focus on experimental studies, developing specific interventions conducted by nurses to address individual’s grief and prevent maladaptive grief. Full article

Introduction: The spinal rehabilitation process plays a crucial role in SCI patients’ lives, and recent developments in VR have the potential to efficiently engage SCI patients in therapeutic activities and promote neuroplasticity. Objective: The primary objective of this study is to assess a complete review of the extended impacts of VR-assisted training on spine rehabilitation in SCI patients. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) through a single database search in PubMed/Medline between the dates 1 January 2010 and 1 February 2024. MESH terms and keywords were combined in the following search strategy: (Augmented Reality OR VR OR Virtual Reality) AND (Spine OR Spinal) AND Rehabilitation. Included articles were written in English, involved adults with SCI, included an intervention with VR, AR, or any mixed reality system, and assessed changes in outcomes after the intervention. Results: The search produced 257 articles, and 46 of them were allocated for data extraction to evaluate 652 patients. Both when VR training was analyzed and reviewed separately, and when compared to traditional training, the findings exhibited predominantly promising outcomes, reflecting a favorable trend in the study. VR technologies were used in different settings and customizations, and the medium total time of VR training among the studies was 60.46 h per patient. Conclusions: This auspicious outcome of the study further motivates the intervention of VR and AR in the rehabilitation of SCI patients along with ameliorating their overall holistic well-being. Full article

The accurate reconstruction of indoor environments is crucial for applications in augmented reality, virtual reality, and robotics. However, existing indoor datasets are often limited in scale, lack ground truth point clouds, and provide insufficient viewpoints, which impedes the development of robust novel view synthesis (NVS) techniques. To address these limitations, we introduce a new large-scale indoor dataset that features diverse and challenging scenes, including basements and long corridors. This dataset offers panoramic image sequences for comprehensive coverage, high-resolution point clouds, meshes, and textures as ground truth, and a novel benchmark specifically designed to evaluate NVS algorithms in complex indoor environments. Our dataset and benchmark aim to advance indoor scene reconstruction and facilitate the creation of more effective NVS solutions for real-world applications. Full article

RGB-D image mapping is an important tool in applications such as robotics, 3D reconstruction, autonomous navigation, and augmented reality (AR). Efficient and reliable mapping methods can improve the accuracy, real-time performance, and flexibility of sensors in various fields. However, the currently widely used Truncated Signed Distance Field (TSDF) still suffers from the problem of inefficient memory management, making it difficult to directly use it for large-scale 3D reconstruction. In order to address this problem, this paper proposes a highly efficient and accurate TSDF voxel fusion method, RGBTSDF. First, based on the sparse characteristics of the volume, an improved grid octree is used to manage the whole scene, and a hard coding method is proposed for indexing. Second, during the depth map fusion process, the depth map is interpolated to achieve a more accurate voxel fusion effect. Finally, a mesh extraction method with texture constraints is proposed to overcome the effects of noise and holes and improve the smoothness and refinement of the extracted surface. We comprehensively evaluate RGBTSDF and similar methods through experiments on public datasets and the datasets collected by commercial scanning devices. Experimental results show that RGBTSDF requires less memory and can achieve real-time performance experience using only the CPU. It also improves fusion accuracy and achieves finer grid details. Full article

Shape modeling is a dynamic area in computer graphics with significant applications in computer-aided design, animation, architecture, and entertainment. Virtual sculpting, a key paradigm in free-form modeling, has traditionally been performed on desktop computers where users manipulate meshes with controllers and view the models on two-dimensional displays. However, the advent of Extended Reality (XR) technology has ushered in immersive interactive experiences, expanding the possibilities for virtual sculpting across various environments. A real-time virtual sculpting system implemented in a Virtual Reality (VR) setting is introduced in this paper, utilizing quasi-uniform meshes as the foundational structure. In our innovative sculpting system, we design an integrated framework encompassing a surface selection algorithm, mesh optimization technique, mesh deformation strategy, and topology fusion methodology, which are all tailored to meet the needs of the sculpting process. The universal, user-friendly sculpting tools designed to support free-form topology are offered in this system, ensuring that the meshes remain watertight, manifold, and free from self-intersections throughout the sculpting process. The models produced are versatile and suitable for use in diverse fields such as gaming, art, and education. Experimental results confirm the system’s real-time performance and universality, highlighting its user-centric design. Full article

Made in languaging aims to help ecolinguists with recrafting ideation and human practices. Inspired by Alexander and Stibbe, I turn to how ecolinguistic expertise can favour life-sustaining relations. In approaching normative goals, I start with how knowledge is made, self-sustains and is disseminated. Ecolinguistic analysis of languages, discourse and narratives can thus be enriched by tracing how practices inform languaging. In turning to epistemic agency, I emphasise the following: (1) building corpora popularia, organised bodies, in order to enhance life-sustaining relations; (2) illuminating life from the inside; and (3) developing bioecological awareness. I contend that, while all living beings use coordinative activities to bring forth what appears to us, humans also use wording types and practices. As we use the already known, languaging enables subjecthood, a person’s little worlds, and a group’s common realities. Hence, what appears as (and to) experience is made in languaging. When linked to normative concerns, the resulting middle worlds also offer means of putting knowledge to work. As in social epistemology, one might regard ‘wealth and well-being’ as a marker of public good. Yet, critical work shows, appeal to these values is anthropomorphic. In order to encompass nonhumans and the biogenic, one can reject market orientatation by tracing languaging, and knowing, back to living. In showing benefits of so doing, I contrast two evolving wording types. The case of growthism, I suggest, attests to praxis and contrasts starkly with the ideational value of life-sustaining relations. Yet, in both cases, languaging meshes practices, happenings and the effects of action. The move shows how one can challenge the hypostatisation of ideology by pursuing how epistemic agency can contribute to the future of evolution. Full article

The urgent need for research and study with nondestructive and noninvasive methods and the preservation of cultural heritage led to the development and application of methodologies for the multi-level digitization of cultural elements. Photogrammetry and three-dimensional scanning offer photorealistic and accurate digital representations, while X-rays and computed tomography reveal properties and characteristics of the internal and invisible structure of objects. However, the investigation of and access to these datasets are, in several cases, limited due to the increased computing resources and the special knowledge required for their processing and analysis. The evolution of immersive technologies and the creative industry of video games offers unique user experiences. Game engines are the ideal platform to host the development of easy-to-use applications that combine heterogeneous data while simultaneously integrating immersive and emerging technologies. This article seeks to shed light on how heterogeneous digital representations of 3D imaging and tomography can be harmoniously combined in a virtual space and, through simple interactions, provide holistic knowledge and enhanced experience to end users. This research builds on previous experience concerning the virtual museum for the Antikythera Mechanism and describes a conceptual framework for the design and development of an affordable and easy-to-use display tool for combined representations of heterogeneous datasets in the virtual space. Our solution was validated by 62 users who participated in tests and evaluations. The results show that the proposed methodology met its objectives. Apart from cultural heritage, the specific methodology could be easily extended and adapted for training purposes in a wide field of application, such as in education, health, engineering, industry, and more. Full article