Classification of COVID-19 cases from chest CT volumes using hybrid model of 3D CNN and 3D MLP-Mixer

This paper proposes an automated classification method of COVID-19 chest CT volumes using improved 3D MLP-Mixer. Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads over the world, causing a large number of infected patients and deaths. Sudden increase in the number of COVID-19 patients causes a manpower shortage in medical institutions. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system provides quick and quantitative diagnosis results. CAD system for COVID-19 enables efficient diagnosis workflow and contributes to reduce such manpower shortage. In image-based diagnosis of viral pneumonia cases including COVID-19, both local and global image features are important because viral pneumonia cause many ground glass opacities and consolidations in large areas in the lung. This paper proposes an automated classification method of chest CT volumes for COVID-19 diagnosis assistance. MLP-Mixer is a recent method of image classification using Vision Transformer-like architecture. It performs classification using both local and global image features. To classify 3D CT volumes, we developed a hybrid classification model that consists of both a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) and a 3D version of the MLP-Mixer. Classification accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated using a dataset that contains 1205 CT volumes and obtained 79.5% of classification accuracy. The accuracy was higher than that of conventional 3D CNN models consists of 3D CNN layers and simple MLP layers. © 2023 SPIE.

COVID-19 airborne transmission risk calculation using CO2 concentrations in a 3D office environment

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of deaths worldwide along with detrimental socioeconomic consequences. Existing evidence suggests that the rate of indoor transmission is directly linked with the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) conditions. Most of the existing methodologies for virus transmissibility risk estimation are based on the well-known Wells-Riley equation and assume well-mixed, uniform conditions;so spatiotemporal variations within the indoor space are not captured. In this work, a novel fine-grained methodology for real-time virus transmission risk estimation is developed using a 3D model of a real office room with 31 occupants. CONTAM-CFD0 software is used to compute the airflow vectors and the resulting 3D CO2 concentration map (attributed to the exhalations from the occupants). Simulation results are also provided that demonstrate the efficacy of using CO2 sensors for estimating the infection risk in real-time in the 3D office environment. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.

Comparing the Use of Virtual Models vs. Fieldwork in Developing Geomatics Skills in Undergraduate Engineering Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Undergraduate students enrolled in Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Urban Planning (CAU) must develop competencies in Geomatics and Topography (G&T) as part of their learning process. During this time, theoretical concepts are traditionally taught with field practice using specialized tools such as a theodolite, laser level, and total station. Due to the environmental restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional field practice (TFP) was suspended, preventing access to equipment and study areas. The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Reality (VR), have been explored in the last decade for educational purposes. This paper studies the benefits of using these tools for developing G&T skills. This research aimed to assess students' learning outcomes using a traditional G&T teaching method and a new methodology based on Virtual Field Practice (VFP) for CAU students. The methodology provides a virtual study area for the CAU student by integrating point clouds derived from photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning. It also assesses their learning results and compares them against a control group using a validated instrument. Findings suggest continuing with fieldwork for a greater understanding and correct application of G&T concepts by students, and using virtual models as an efficient way to complement the acquisition of spatial information in the teaching-learning process. Until the publication of this article, we found no evidence in the literature at the undergraduate level of applying exercises like those proposed. © 2023 IEEE.

Fabrication, Testing, and 3D Comprehensive Analysis of Swept-Tip Tiltrotor Blades

This paper covers the design, fabrication, testing, and modeling of a family of Froude-scale tiltrotor blades. They are designed with the objective of gaining a fundamental understanding of the impact of a swept tip on tiltrotor whirl flutter. The goal of this paper is to describe the development of the blades needed for this purpose. The rotor is three bladed with a diameter of 4.75 ft. The blades have a VR-7 profile, chord of 3.15 inches, and linear twist of −37◦ per span. The swept-tip blades have a sweep of 20◦ starting at 80%R. The blade properties are loosely based on the XV-15 design. A CATIA and Cubit-based high-fidelity three-dimensional (3D) finite element model is developed. It accurately represents the fabricated blade and is analyzed with X3D. Experiments in a vacuum chamber were carried out to demonstrate the structural integrity of the blades. Measured frequencies and strains were validated with X3D predictions proving the fidelity of the 3D model. Thus, even though the wind tunnel facilities were closed due to COVID-19, hover and forward flight calculations for the blade stress could be performed using the high-fidelity 3D structural model. The results prove the blades have sufficient structural integrity and stress margins to allow for wind tunnel testing. © 2023 Vertical Flight Society.

Classification of Lung CT Scan Images using Machine Learning

Timely discovery of COVID-19 may safeguard numerous diseased people. Several such lung diseases can turn to be life threatening. Early detection of these diseases can help in treating them at an early stage before it becomes threatening. In this paper, the proposed 3D CNN model helps in classifying the CT scans as normal and abnormal, which can then be used to treat the patients after recognizing the diseases. Chest X-ray is fewer commanding in the initial phases of the sickness, while a CT scan of the chest is advantageous even formerly symptoms seem, and CT scan accurately identify the anomalous features which are recognized in images. Besides this, using the two forms of images will raise the database. This will enhance the classification accuracy. In this paper the model used is a 3D CNN model;using this model the predictions are done. The dataset used is acquired from NKP Salve Medical Institute, Nagpur. This acquired dataset is used for prediction while an open source database is used for training the CNN model. After training the model the prediction were successfully completed, with these proposed 3D CNN model total accuracy of 87.86% is achieved. This accuracy can further be increased by using larger dataset. © 2022 IEEE.

Computational analysis of a new biomimetic active ventilation paradigm for indoor spaces

Purpose: Ventilation of indoor spaces is required for the delivery of fresh air rich in oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide, pollutants and other hazardous substances. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the topic of ventilating crowded indoors to the front line of health concerns. This study developed a new biologically inspired concept of biomimetic active ventilation (BAV) for interior environments that mimics the mechanism of human lung ventilation, where internal air is continuously refreshed with the external environment. The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed proof-of-concept of the new BAV paradigm using computational models. Design/methodology/approach: This study developed computational fluid dynamic models of unoccupied rooms with two window openings on one wall and two BAV modules that periodically translate perpendicular to or rotate about the window openings. This study also developed a time-evolving spatial ventilation efficiency metric for exploring the accumulated refreshment of the interior space. The authors conducted two-dimensional (2D) simulations of various BAV configurations to determine the trends in how the working parameters affect the ventilation and to generate initial estimates for the more comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) model. Findings: Simulations of 2D and 3D models of BAV for modules of different shapes and working parameters demonstrated air movements in most of the room with good air exchange between the indoor and outdoor air. This new BAV concept seems to be very efficient and should be further developed. Originality/value: The concept of ventilating interior spaces with periodically moving rigid modules with respect to the window openings is a new BAV paradigm that mimics human respiration. The computational results demonstrated that this new paradigm for interior ventilation is efficient while air velocities are within comfortable limits. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Augmented reality visualisation and interaction for COVID-19 Ct-scan NN automated segmentation: A validation study

Although medical imaging technology has persisted in evolving over the last decades, the techniques and technologies used for analytical and visualisation purposes have remained constant. Manual or semi-automatic segmentation is, in many cases, complicated. It requires the intervention of a specialist and is time-consuming, especially during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has had devastating medical and economic consequences. Processing and visualising medical images with advanced techniques represent medical professionals’breakthroughs. This paper studies how augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) can transform medical practice during COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 pandemic. Here we report an augmented reality visualisation and interaction platform;it covers the whole process from uploading chest Ct-scan images to automatic segmentation-based deep learning, 3D reconstruction, 3D visualisation, and manipulation. AR provides a more realistic 3D visualisation system, allowing doctors to effectively interact with the generated 3D model of segmented lungs and COVID-19 lesions. We use the U-Net Neural Network (NN) for automated segmentation. The statistical measures obtained using the Dice score, pixel accuracy, sensitivity, G-mean, and specificity are 0.749, 0.949, 0.956, 0.955, and 0.954, respectively. The user-friendliness and usability are objectified by a formal user study that compared our augmented reality-assisted design to the standard diagnosis setup. One hundred and six doctors and medical students, including eight senior medical lecturers, volunteered to assess our platform. The platform could be used as an aid diagnosis tool to identify and analyse the COVID-19 infectious or as a training tool for residents and medical students. The prototype can be extended to other pulmonary pathologies. IEEE

Online 8-Form Tai Chi Chuan Training and Evaluation System Based on Pose Estimation

Exercise at home has already been a common behavior in the current world, especially in the post-COVID-19 era, even some athletes need to do physical fitness at home to keep their state due to the quarantine. So, the importance of online physical training and evaluation is highly increasing. In this work, we build an online 8-form Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) training and evaluation system, which provides a platform for coaches and users to conduct TCC training and evaluation online. Coaches formulate an evaluation rule and upload coaching videos to the platform, then users watch videos online and submit their own recordings, finally, users will get a score of their recordings. To complete this task, we propose a video capture method to record users' sports exercise videos from different perspectives, construct a 3D pose estimation model to identify human pose from captured video, and propose an evaluation model which can judge users' performance and assign a score to each video. To test our proposed models, we make a dataset consisting of key pose frames of TCC, and the key pose frames are extracted from users' TCC exercise videos. We use the dataset to train our models and assign scores to key poses, then compare the results with scores given by professional TCC players. In addition, we add all key pose scores from every single user together and obtain the whole score of an exercise video. The experiment results show that the error between scores assigned by our models and scores given by professional players does not exceed 1.6 in most scoring of a whole exercise video, and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is about 0.75 in the scoring of each key pose. © 2022 IEEE.

Human Lung Non-Invasive Anomaly Detection through UWB Microwave Imaging and Diagnosis of COVID-19: A Possible Application

This study shows a prototype for detecting lung effects using microwave imaging. Continuous monitoring of pulmonary fluid levels is one of the most successful approaches for detecting fluid in the lung;early Chest X-rays, computational tomography (CT)-scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the most commonly used instruments for fluid detection. Nonetheless, they lack sensitivity to ionizing radiation and are inaccessible to the general public. This research focuses on the development of a low-cost, portable, and noninvasive device for detecting Covid-19 or lung damage. The simulation of the system involved the antenna design, a 3D model of the human lung, the building of a COMSOL model, and image processing to estimate the lung damage percentage. The simulation consisted of three components. The primary element requires mode switching for four array antennas (transmit and receive). In the paper, microwave tomography was used. Using microwave near-field imaging, the second component of the simulation analyses the lung's bioheat and electromagnetic waves as well as examines the image creation under various conditions;many electromagnetic factors seen at the receiving device are investigated. The final phase of the simulation shows the affected area of the lung phantom and the extent of the damage. © 2023 IEEE.

Augmented Reality in Education: An Interactive way to Learn

In recent times the world has gone through a situation where the people were forced to be in a lockdown amidst the covid-19 pandemic. Various business fields were affected by this phenomenon, some business units have evolved through this staying at home and carrying the work culture. One of the most affected fields was education where the children were made to attend online classes and read from E-textbooks. People are being educated from various methods including offline classroom lectures, physical textbooks etc. The choice of learning methodology is dependent on an individual's access to various technologies, environment, and a person's surroundings. Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that enables the superimposing of artificially made 3D models on top of reality. This paper describes Augmented Reality (AR), how it can be used for interactive education, and help children visualize the concepts for gaining an improved understanding over the educational concepts. © 2022 IEEE.

The Initial Development and Practice of Training Materials Using 3D Printer to Employment Support for Inclusive Society

In Japan, in the field of employment of person of with disabilities, the number of employments is increasing but still there is a problem that there are only a few employment types and industries. [1] In real time, COVID-19 infection control measures in addition to the use of ICT have accelerated new work styles. Also, 3D printers are creating new designs and manufacturing styles. [2], [3] Based on these, the purpose of this research is to develop the training materials so that person with disabilities can become operator of 3D printer and get the work. Finally, the use of it might make inclusive society. The research method is to develop training material and then conduct experiments to use it to verify the training effect. The training material is a video format consisting of slides and audio that can replay and stop by learners. Also, the training content is a basic knowledge of 3D printers and actual modeling operations. In the experiments, learners use the material and make a model and then they answered the questionnaire survey. As a result, by the cross tabulation of the frequency of reviewing the manual and the feeling about the speed of the manual was demonstrated that the speed of manual, contents and understanding of explanation are appropriate without the extreme repetition. In conclusion, it was found that manuals with video and audio were easier to understand in those icons could be shown when necessary. However, there are problems that it would not be possible to respond flexibly in the case of an operation error and in the case of lengthy process. © 2022 IEEE.

Czochralski (CZ) process modification with cooling tube in the response to market Global silicon shortage

Recently, the silicon wafer producers, affected by Covid-19 and USA-China competition, looks for new production processes to increase the production. On the other hand, the common parts of CZ puller such as heater, crucible and thermal shield are optimized over time and now the common CZ process is reached to limitation for further improvement. Here, we propose a modified CZ method by adding a cooling tube into the growth zone. The new proposed Cz method is applied to the 8″ crystal growth process. A fully 3D transition model including energy equation, Navier–Stokes equation, surface-to-surface radiation heat transfer, moving mesh and thermal stress equations is implemented. The simulation is performed for both original and new CZ method. It was proved that the new CZ method increases the pulling speed up to 25 %. To ensure about the crystal quality, the thermal stress is compared between original and new proposed CZ method. Although it was found that the thermal stress increases about twice but still the maximum von Mises stress never exceeds the critical value 25 MPa. Additionally, the power consumption is also found to enhance maximum 2 kW under new conditions. To evaluate the model the interface and heater power for the original CZ puller is compared with industrial CZ process and it shows acceptable accuracy. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.

Chulalongkorn Interactive Virtual Memorial Hall (Museum)

Chulalongkorn University Memorial Hall is an important historic landmark in Thailand that collects and displays valuable and interesting documents and items from the history of the Chulalongkorn University, which is the first university established by the Thai dynasty. Many notable historical relics from Chulalongkorn University have been displayed for visitors inside the museum, including a miniature of King Chulalongkorn's equestrian statue, a coronet (Phra Kiew), and a graduation gown. Over the past two years, due to the COVID-19 situation, the number of visitors to the museum has been restricted. Therefore, we propose to solve this problem by introducing a virtual tour using virtual reality to cope with this challenging situation. This paper presents a description related to the Chulalongkorn University memorial hall in terms of 3D models through interactions in a virtual reality world, in which users gain in-depth experience and knowledge about the history of the Thai Royal and the Chulalongkorn University. Both the internal and external of the Chulalongkorn University Memorial Hall building are reproduced in 3D models, including furniture and belongings in the hall, for simulating the entire Chulalongkorn University Memorial Hall building. In addition to visiting the historical objects in the virtual museum, these objects are interactable with multimedia descriptions which are text, images, videos, and audio commentary. It makes visitors enjoy the ambiance while visiting the virtual Chulalongkorn University Memorial Hall. In addition, it is also the preservation of valuable cultural and historical knowledge resources. © 2022 ACM.

Cricothyroidotomy Simulator: A Makerspace and Augmented Reality Approach

A cricothyroidotomy is an incision made on the cricothyroid membrane at its midline to create an airway for oxygenation and ventilation. Cricothyroidotomy is a complex procedure involving motor, psychological, and decision-making skills, amply used during the COVID-19 pandemic. This procedure requires extensive training, and simulators facilitate teaching advanced airway management techniques to health care professionals. However, upper airway simulators are expensive and limited to specialized facilities inaccessible during the COVID-19 pandemic when in-laboratory practices shifted to online synchronous and asynchronous teaching. Such a scenario sparked interest in makerspace technologies for creating cost-effective simulators. This paper presents the prototyping of a cricothyroidotomy simulator through a Design Thinking approach to ideate a cost-effective solution that contains all 3D printed structures properly representing the real anatomical parts needed for the procedure. Additionally, we propose an augmentation of the 3D printed model employing Augmented Reality (AR) to enhance how information about the procedure can be accessed without relying on traditional instruction materials. Our preliminary results have led to a makerspace cricothyrotomy simulator used in training sessions in conferences and workshops and the prototyping of an AR complementary tool. © 2022 IEEE.

Integrating computer-aided modeling into distance learning to teach molecular genetics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article presents the integration of Tinkercad, a free online modeling program that allows students to model molecular genetic concepts, into the distance learning process. The students had the opportunity to learn molecular genetics in a fun and more efficient way in spite of the limitations of the COVID-19 lockdown, and, in this respect, it can be said that the application was a good compensation for face-to-face learning.

Assembly process based on supply chain management of prefabricated houses using building information modeling

The paper analyzes the assembly process by the example of assembly-modular containers using building information modeling technologies. This paper simulates a 3D model of the Huoshenshan Hospital with a description of the assembly mechanism process based on information modeling of prefabricated buildings. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the sources on prefabricated houses and explore the concept of creating a digital prototype of a building based on Huoshenshan Hospital, using the Autodesk Revit software. The article describes the methodology of installing modular containers and assembly structures using building information modeling technologies to improve rapid construction technology. The study results showed that building object implementation directly depends on a proper model with a step-by-step mechanism for installation, which can reduce the initial project cost due to the supply of prefabricated structures on the construction site, as well as reduce the project time. The prefabricated house technology demonstrated the high efficiency of using information technology in the assembly of the Huoshenshan Hospital, with which the simulated facility was implemented in 10 days. The need for information modeling data exchange with modern gadgets and systems is investigated, which allows one to get acquainted with the object at the construction site before installation work start. © 2022 ICE Publishing: All rights reserved.

Development of an Augmented Reality Based Educational Game to Aid Elementary School Learning Using Scrum

To comply with health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, studies were conducted online. This has had a significant impact on students' motivation to learn, particularly among elementary school children. This study aims to produce an educational game with the theme of science-based augmented reality on Android devices to aid elementary-level students in their studies. By using the Augmented Reality system, students will be able to engage and interact with a 3D model of the material to be explained. The data collection and game design research method was used by implementing Scrum in the development process. This study used Scrum roles such as Product Owner, Scrum Master, Project Manager, and Development team. This study resulted in the development of an interactive augmented reality app that has successfully increased user's enthusiasm for learning. Students' interest in learning science subjects has also increased as a result of the application. This research concludes with the successful development of an augmented reality-based application on Android devices that includes quiz components and augmented reality. © 2022 IEEE.

Supplement of iron abrogates SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection in a 3D model of vascularized organoids

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cause severe outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Even though vaccination, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is still continue. It is urgent to have a model that can efficiently evaluate potential therapeutic agents to counteract SARS-CoV-2 infection. Iron is an essential molecule for maintaining homeostasis. Supplement of iron significantly to affect virus infection. But the detailed mechanisms of iron on regulating SARS-CoV-2 infection are still unveiled. The three-dimensional (3D) model is a promising system for drug screening and disease progression analysis. Organoid is a typical 3D culture system that recapitulates genetic characteristics and phenotypic features of organs within body. Vasculature is prevalent for all various organs or tumors in the body which transport nutrients, oxygen and metabolites to maintain cellular homeostasis. Thus, we have established a 3D model of vascularized organoid to evaluate the effects of iron on infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus to provide the novel therapeutic strategy in coping SARS-CoV-2 infection. © 2022 IEEE.

The Value of 3D Modeling of Cultural Heritage Monuments with the Method of Digital Photogrammetry for Use in Augmented Reality Applications

Nowadays, the need to digitize cultural heritage sites and present them to the public in original and easily accessible ways is very important. The advantages are many both in times when Museums and archeological sites are open, and in times of forced closure such as the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, there is more motivation and interest from the spectators, young and old, easy access and from remote areas, the ability to travel the collection outside the museums. Also due to the limited space of the museums there are exhibits that remain in warehouses and are not exhibited in the collections. The digital documentation enables the enrichment and display of a large volume of exhibits virtually. The dynamics of Photogrammetry with the rapid and continuous evolution of software and the ability to utilize them by many specialties gives rise to this study. The basic premise is that with simple media such as a compact camera and the right software, 3D exhibits such as the funeral masks and personal belongings of the 18 21 fighters can be reproduced, many of which are in storage. The conjuncture of 200 years since the beginning of the Greek Revolution gave even greater impetus to the investigation of ways of presenting them using AR Technology. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Use of Virtual Reality for Training on Procedures in an Intensive Care Unit during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of awareness and preparedness on the part of medical personnel. Virtual reality (VR) may be viewed as a useful tool in enabling knowledge and ability of medical practitioners in protecting themselves during the pandemic. This research describes the details of a VR application developed to train healthcare personnel in an intensive care unit (ICU) environment on some of the critical procedures related to COVID-19 patients. We discuss design considerations of VR for healthcare training as well as a process of selecting, based on expert opinion, key ICU training modules. The process of creating a 3D model of the ICU is outlined, and the major components and the use of the VR application are discussed. We find that a practical VR training program should apply a suitable VR platform and simulation techniques, while placing emphasis on addressing emerging problems and needs of healthcare personnel during the pandemic. © 2021 The Authors.