INTERFACING WITH BUILDING DATA: TOWARD AN INTEGRATED MOBILE AUGMENTED ENVIRONMENT

Communications between buildings and their occupants through multimodal Human Computer Interactions (HCI) can dramatically enhance the way buildings are experienced. Although building performance data is becoming more readily available, no research has been established to enable visualization of and interaction with this information in a robust way. This paper will present a method that will allow users to visualize and interact with building performance data in real space. It extends our research efforts to enable users to visualize such data for multiroom settings by developing methods to enable such environments to become mobile and being able to communicate with readily available building data

Mobile Robot Mapping and Immersive Building Simulation

This paper discusses a framework for integrated Augmented Reality (AR) architecture for indoor thermal performance data visualization that utilizes a mobile robot to generate environment maps. It consists of three modules: robot mapping, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, and AR visualization. The robot mapping module enables the modelling of spatial geometry using a mobile robot. In order to generate steady approximations to scanned 3D datasets, the paper presents a novel “Split and Merge Expectation-Maximization Patch Fitting ” (SMEMPF) planar approximation method. The developed SMEMPF method extends the classical Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm. It allows for precise adjustment of patches independent from the initial model. The final result is a set of patches identifying planar macro structures that consist of a collection of supported tiles. These patches are utilized to model the spatial geometry under investigation. The CFD simulation module facilitates the prediction of building performance data based on the spatial data generated using the SMEMPF method. The AR visualization module assists in interactive, immersive visualization of CFD simulation results. Such an integrated AR architecture will facilitate rapid multi-room mobile AR visualizations

HIV Knowledge and Stigmatizing Attitude towards People Living with HIV/AIDS among Medical Students in Jordan

The stigmatizing attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) can be a major barrier to effective patient care. As future physicians, medical students represent a core group that should be targeted with focused knowledge and adequate training to provide patient care without prejudice. The aim of the current study was to examine HIV/AIDS knowledge, and the stigmatizing attitude towards PLWHA, among medical students in Jordan. The current study was based on a self-administered online questionnaire, which was distributed during March–May 2021, involving students at the six medical schools in Jordan, with items assessing demographics, HIV/AIDS knowledge, and HIV/AIDS stigmatizing attitude, which was evaluated using the validated HIVstigma scale. The total number of respondents was 1362, with predominance of females (n = 780, 57.3%). Lack of HIV/AIDS knowledge among the study participants was notable for the following items: HIV transmission through breastfeeding (40.8% correct responses), HIV is not transmitted through saliva (42.6% correct responses), and vertical transmission of HIV can be prevented (48.8% correct responses). Approximately two-thirds of the respondents displayed a positive attitude towards PLWHA. For six out of the 14 HIV/AIDS knowledge items, lack of knowledge was significantly correlated with a more negative attitude towards PLWHA. Multinomial regression analysis showed that a significantly more negative attitude towards PLWHA was found among the preclinical students compared to the clinical students (odds ratio (OR): 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43–0.97, p = 0.036); and that affiliation to medical schools that were founded before 2000 was associated with a more positive attitude towards PLWHA compared to affiliation to recently founded medical schools in the country (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.42–2.42, p < 0.001). About one-third of medical students who participated in the study displayed a negative attitude towards PLWHA. Defects in HIV/AIDS knowledge were detected for aspects involving HIV transmission and prevention, and such defects were correlated with a more negative attitude towards PLWHA. It is recommended to revise the current medical training curricula, and to tailor improvements in the overall HIV/AIDS knowledge, which can be reflected in a more positive attitude towards PLWHA, particularly for the recently established medical schools in the country