scholarly journals Antioxidants, Dietary Fatty Acids, and Sperm: A Virtual Reality Applied Game for Scientific Dissemination

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Giulia Collodel ◽  
Maurizio Masini ◽  
Cinzia Signorini ◽  
Elena Moretti ◽  
Cesare Castellini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Dietary Fatty Acids ◽  
Simulation Game ◽  
3D Space ◽  
Dietary Choices ◽  
Sperm Plasma Membrane ◽  
The University

Fatty acid (FA) profile appears to be critical to infertility, and the effects of dietary FAs on sperm FA content are a current focus of studies in the field of nutrition and reproduction. Starting from a validated “OXISTRESS” model in which modification of FA content results to influence reactive oxygen species, antioxidants, isoprostanes, cytokines, sperm kinetic, and acrosome reaction, we developed a virtual reality game where the player, in order to improve the health of some virtual spermatozoa, is called to take dietary choices and then discover their consequences on the main biological aspects. In the LabVR of the University of Siena, a team of VR environment designer and developer used Unity development engine to make the experience run on Oculus Quest and a wireless 6DOF (six degrees of freedom of movement in 3D space) VR Headset. In the game, the player is immersed in the epididymis and observes closer how dietary n-3 may change the sperm plasma membrane and consequently modify sperm traits. A simulation game in the virtual reality may represent a tool to give greater visibility to scientific data in the relevance of appropriate dietary habits in the human health.

scholarly journals Applying Touchscreen Based Navigation Techniques to Mobile Virtual Reality with Open Clip-On Lenses

Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngwon Ryan Kim ◽  
Hyeonah Choi ◽  
Minwook Chang ◽  
Gerard J. Kim
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Head Rotation ◽  
Display Device ◽  
Interaction Technique ◽  
Six Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
3D Space ◽  
To Come ◽  
3D Applications ◽  
Navigation Method

Recently, a new breed of mobile virtual reality (dubbed as “EasyVR” in this work), has appeared in the form of conveniently clipping on a non-isolating magnifying lenses on the smartphone, still offering a reasonable level of immersion to using the isolated headset. Furthermore, such a form factor allows the fingers to touch the screen and select objects quite accurately, despite the finger(s) being seen unfocused over the lenses. Many navigation techniques have existed for both casual smartphone 3D applications using the touchscreen and immersive VR environments using the various controllers/sensors. However, no research has focused on the proper navigation interaction technique for a platform like EasyVR which necessitates the use of the touchscreen while holding the display device to the head and looking through the magnifying lenses. To design and propose the most fitting navigation method(s) with EasyVR, we mixed and matched the conventional touchscreen based and headset oriented navigation methods to come up with six viable navigation techniques—more specifically for selecting the travel direction and invoking the movement itself—including the use of head-rotation, on-screen keypads/buttons, one-touch teleport, drag-to-target, and finger gestures. These methods were experimentally compared for their basic usability and the level of immersion in navigating in 3D space with six degrees of freedom. The results provide a valuable guideline for designing/choosing the proper navigation method under different navigational needs of the given VR application.

scholarly journals Peppy

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-50
Author(s):  
David Doak ◽  
Gareth Denyer ◽  
Juliet Gerrard ◽  
Joel Mackay ◽  
Jane Allison
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Protein Secondary Structure ◽  
Peptide Backbone ◽  
Molecular Forces ◽  
And Function ◽  
The University

Science students are traditionally taught protein structure and function through textbook pictures and/or physical model building. This is not effective for most students because conceiving large, complex three-dimensional chemicals structure and dynamic molecular interactions requires a very high degree of abstract thought, imagination and extrapolation. It is intuitively reasonable to believe that a virtual reality approach would aid appreciation of nanoscale molecular structure, function and dynamics. I will describe the Virtual Reality (VR) tool, “Peppy” (1), that we have developed for exploring the molecular forces which drive protein secondary structure. Peppy allows students to build, visualise and manipulate polypeptides within the six degrees of freedom that characterises the VR environment. Peppy not only recreates traditional secondary structures dependent on hydrogen- bonding in a generic peptide backbone, it also permits students to insert any and all of the 20 amino acids and to examine the effect of the shapes and electrostatic forces of these on secondary structure. The highly extrapolative environment created by Peppy is extended with features that encourage student engagement, such as a selfie camera, interactive Ramachandran plot, and even features to emphasise the dynamics of a vibrant macromolecular structure. Being able to physically and directly grab and manipulate the atoms and angles with the virtual hand enhances the connection of students with the molecules and results in an exploration experience unmatched by traditional 3D visualisation software. I will also describe the testing and iterative improvement of Peppy during deployment to large undergraduate classes at the University of Sydney, which boasts the Immersive Learning Lab, with 26 VR (Oculus Rift) headsets. Remarkably, even students with no prior VR experience are able to interact with Peppy in an engaged and meaningful way within just 10 minutes and, after less than an hour many are able to build highly complex multi-peptide structures such as β-barrels or experiment with long peptides containing a variety of side chains and disulphide bonds. The experience resonates with the students well after the session, as evidenced by their reflections and follow-up questions regarding the physics of the simulation and ideas for extension of the software.

scholarly journals Smart-E An Autonomous Omnidirectional Underwater Robot

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Meyer ◽  
Kristian Ehlers ◽  
Christoph Osterloh ◽  
Erik Maehle
Keyword(s):  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Computer Engineering ◽  
Six Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
3D Space ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Minimal Configuration ◽  
Six Dof ◽  
Underwater Movement ◽  
The University

AbstractThe survey of waterbodies or underwater installations is a challenging task. To reduce the danger for divers, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) can be deployed. These requires a high manoeuvrability and agility in order to provide access in hard-to-reach areas. Smart-E is an omnidirectional AUV designed and developed at the Institute of Computer Engineering of the University of Luebeck. The drive is realized by the minimal configuration of three thrusters that are arranged at 120º to each other. To achieve omnidirectional movement in the 3D space, each motor pivots through 180º around its radial axis with the aid of a servo motor. This leads to a manoeuvrability of six degrees of freedom (DOF). Smart-E is equipped with various sensors like a pressure and temperature sensor, a 360º scanning sonar, an IMU-AHRS system and a tilt camera unit at the bottom. Besides the autonomous behaviors, the main challenge is to control all six DOF of the AUV to achieve a smooth and controllable omnidirectional underwater movement even in rough environments.

scholarly journals Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a Novel 3D 3-Fingered Electrothermal Microgripper with Multiple Degrees of Freedom

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 444
Author(s):  
Guoning Si ◽  
Liangying Sun ◽  
Zhuo Zhang ◽  
Xuping Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Polyimide Film ◽  
Zebrafish Embryos ◽  
Multiple Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Electrothermal Actuator ◽  
3D Space ◽  
Pick And Place

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and testing of a novel three-dimensional (3D) three-fingered electrothermal microgripper with multiple degrees of freedom (multi DOFs). Each finger of the microgripper is composed of a V-shaped electrothermal actuator providing one DOF, and a 3D U-shaped electrothermal actuator offering two DOFs in the plane perpendicular to the movement of the V-shaped actuator. As a result, each finger possesses 3D mobilities with three DOFs. Each beam of the actuators is heated externally with the polyimide film. The durability of the polyimide film is tested under different voltages. The static and dynamic properties of the finger are also tested. Experiments show that not only can the microgripper pick and place microobjects, such as micro balls and even highly deformable zebrafish embryos, but can also rotate them in 3D space.

Why they shared: recovering early arguments for sharing social scientific data

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-119
Author(s):  
Emily Hauptmann
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Financial Stability ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Ethical Imperative ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
The University ◽  
University Consortium

ArgumentMost social scientists today think of data sharing as an ethical imperative essential to making social science more transparent, verifiable, and replicable. But what moved the architects of some of the U.S.’s first university-based social scientific research institutions, the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (ISR), and its spin-off, the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), to share their data? Relying primarily on archived records, unpublished personal papers, and oral histories, I show that Angus Campbell, Warren Miller, Philip Converse, and others understood sharing data not as an ethical imperative intrinsic to social science but as a useful means to the diverse ends of financial stability, scholarly and institutional autonomy, and epistemological reproduction. I conclude that data sharing must be evaluated not only on the basis of the scientific ideals its supporters affirm, but also on the professional objectives it serves.

scholarly journals Developing Educational Games for Preschool Children to Improve Dietary Choices and Exercise Capacity

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3340
Author(s):  
Veronica Piziak
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Family Participation ◽  
Culturally Appropriate ◽  
School Year ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Dietary Choices ◽  
Hispanic Populations ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Summer Session

This article describes the processes used to develop two different types of games used to improve the consumption of healthful foods and increase exercise in preschool Hispanic populations. They were created to meet criteria for effectiveness: age and culturally appropriate, fun, and foster family participation. The first, a pictorial bilingual food bingo game, emphasized vegetable and water consumption and the limitation of sugar-sweetened beverages. A population was selected to study the effectiveness in changing dietary habits, and we were able to show a significantly improved consumption of vegetables at home after using the game during the school year. Next, we developed bilingual video games used to teach nutrition and enhance exercise. The animal characters and narrative were created to allow immersion. The concept was that the animals needed the children’s help to obtain food, exercise tasks were assigned, and nutritional foods were discussed. Focus groups were reviewed for the effectiveness of the concept, ease of usability, and appropriateness for the target audience. The videos were tested in a summer session, and teachers concluded that after two viewings the children enhanced their exercise, bonded to the animals, and were answering the nutrition questions correctly.

Virtual Reality Interface Using PDA for Street View Color Design

2005 ◽  
Vol 277-279 ◽  
pp. 318-323
Author(s):  
Yang Hee Nam
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Virtual Reality Technology ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Color Design ◽  
3D Space ◽  
Street View ◽  
Cad Cam ◽  
Realistic View ◽  
Cam Software

Architectural design is one of those areas that have actively employed interactive design tools such as CAD/CAM software. In order to add a realistic view of the design results in the 3D work process, there have been several recent attempts to employ a virtual reality technology that allows architects to explore design in 3D space. However, VR’s weakness is that common interaction tasks, such as navigation and selection, are still not supported conveniently in 3D space. In addition, VR devices are generally unfamiliar to the average person and are too expensive to use. This paper presents a VR framework that makes the design task easily achieved by employing a PDA interface for a VR interaction applied to street-view emotional color design problems.

scholarly journals Repurposing virtual reality assets: from health sciences to Italian language learning

2020 ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
Alessia Plutino ◽  
Tiziana Cervi-Wilson ◽  
Billy Brick
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
Health Care Students ◽  
Italian Language ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Modern Language ◽  
The University

This paper reports on the rationale for the implementation of a pilot project using a scenario-based Virtual Reality (VR) resource, originally developed by Health Sciences at Coventry University and now being repurposed for Italian language learning as a collaborative project with Modern Languages and Linguistics at the University of Southampton. The original aim of the resource was to prepare health care students for home visits by allowing them to experience a semi-linear conversation with a virtual Non-player Character (NPC). The authors will discuss how they are planning to repurpose the resource for Italian language learning and teaching and will analyse the potential pedagogical uses within the modern language curriculum, including emotional language, employability skills, and the year abroad.

Dietary habits and nutritional status in students of the university corporation Rafael Núñez, Cartagena-Colombia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabián Espitia-Almeida ◽  
Martha Mora-García ◽  
Alexandra Coquel-Bru ◽  
Christian Orozco-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Abdominal Circumference ◽  
Hip Circumference ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to determine the eating habits and physical activity in students of the Rafael Núñez University. Design/methodology/approach Descriptive cross-sectional study, based on the application of a survey on eating habits and physical activity. Furthermore, height, weight, hip circumference and abdominal circumference were also recorded. Findings Total, 170 students were included, 29 (17.1%) males and 141 (82.9%) females, with a mean age of 20.0 ± 5.2 years. Among the students, 22 (12.9%) were underweight, 95 (55.9%) were normal weight, 40 (23.5%) were overweight and 13 (7.7%) with obesity. Regarding eating habits, the majority preferred to consume three daily meals: breakfast 140 (82.3%), lunch 170 (100%) and dinner 96 (56.5%). Regarding fruits intake, 18 (15.9%) males reported consuming them seven days a week, and 54 (31.2 %) females reported consuming them occasionally. In physical activity, most of the population (n = 103, 60.6%) exercises with a frequency of one to three days/week. Originality/value The authors’ work is original and has not been sent to another magazine.

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