Crash Course or Course Crash: Gaming, VR and a Pedagogical Approach

The human brain is wired for spatial thinking (GERSMEHL & GERSMEHL 2007), and research has demonstrated that spatial visualization abilities can be improved through education (SORBY & BAARTMANS 2000). This paper describes the uses of cutting edge technology and games to grow spatial thinking, improve spatial design, and solidify landscape planning concepts within the classroom. Specifically, this paper discusses how SimCity 2013, ESRI CityEngine and the Oculus Rift were embedded within a graduate level landscape planning course to see if it improved students understanding of spatial concepts and interest in using related new technologies. While the paper provides a narrative of the experience, some interesting results from student evaluations were discovered. Primarily, that they thoroughly enjoyed using SimCity, that CityEngine was not quite as fun, but that students wanted to spend more time using the technology

A Pedagogical Retrospective: Gamifying the Konza Prairie through an Interdisciplinary Studio

Recently we embarked on developing an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach that integrates concepts of virtual reality and gaming design to leverage these technologies’ potential to influence how we interpret, visualize, design and analyze environments. The approach was developed as part of an advanced studio at Kansas State University led by two professors and represented by students across three different disciplines: landscape architecture, education and computer science. The entire project consisted of a core studio, buttressed by a seminar and technical module. We refer to the courses and project as “Studio Konza.” This retrospective paper highlights why this effort was undertaken, what resources were required, how the game was conceptualized and developed, what milestones were achieved, and what challenges remain for continued development and application

An Empirical Assessment of the Arcpro Visual Magnitude Viewshed Plugin

Numerous viewshed analyses have been developed over the past few decades, but the uptake of these within industry has largely remained stagnant. This project involves ground-truthing one of the more recent viewshed analysis variants (Chamberlain and Meitner 2012, 2015) to assess reliability and application. This viewshed analysis was developed as a plug-in for the ESRI ArcGIS Pro software, making it readily accessible by anyone with an ArcGIS license. The validation of this software was recently conducted using an empirical approach to measure the accuracy of the analysis in the GIS versus real- world. Results demonstrate extremely high validity in controlled conditions, this degree of validity decreased substantially in highly variable terrain. This variability likely stems from measurement controls that are difficult to produce in real-world contexts. In this paper, the analysis, procedures and lessons learned are provided, as well as a call for additional empirical testing of viewshed analyses more broadly

Visualization Tools for Visual Impact Assessments: A Study of Existing Technologies

In the last few decades, digital technology has dramatically altered how visual resource management and visual impact assessments (VIAs) are conducted. The recent emergence of low-cost immersive technology offers a suite of tools that could facilitate the VIA process. However, to date there is limited empirical evidence evaluating how these emerging technologies could influence VIA. The research presented here begins to fill this gap by comparing immersive virtual environments to existing 2D photo-based methods for assessing the visual impacts of development. 23 participants familiar with VIAs rated the visual qualities of different scenes presented as 360° images, Google Earth and 2D images. Results show a high similarity in perceived impacts between 2D images and Google Earth; 360° images were rated consistently lower. Overall, participants indicated that immersive visualization may have a role in VIAs, but it is critical these technologies be evaluated against on-site assessments before being adopted

Psychosocial Treatment of Children in Foster Care: A Review

A substantial number of children in foster care exhibit psychiatric difficulties. Recent epidemiologi-cal and historical trends in foster care, clinical findings about the adjustment of children in foster care, and adult outcomes are reviewed, followed by a description of current approaches to treatment and extant empirical support. Available interventions for these children can be categorized as either symptom-focused or systemic, with empirical support for specific methods ranging from scant to substantial. Even with treatment, behavioral and emotional problems often persist into adulthood, resulting in poor functional outcomes. We suggest that self-regulation may be an important mediat-ing factor in the appearance of emotional and behavioral disturbance in these children

Identification of Potential Therapeutic Drugs for Huntington's Disease using Caenorhabditis elegans

The prolonged time course of Huntington's disease (HD) neurodegeneration increases both the time and cost of testing potential therapeutic compounds in mammalian models. An alternative is to initially assess the efficacy of compounds in invertebrate models, reducing time of testing from months to days.We screened candidate therapeutic compounds that were identified previously in cell culture/animal studies in a C. elegans HD model and found that two FDA approved drugs, lithium chloride and mithramycin, independently and in combination suppressed HD neurotoxicity. Aging is a critical contributor to late onset neurodegenerative diseases. Using a genetic strategy and a novel assay, we demonstrate that lithium chloride and mithramycin remain neuroprotective independent of activity of the forkhead transcription factor DAF-16, which mediates the effects of the insulin-like signaling pathway on aging.These results suggest that pathways involved in polyglutamine-induced degeneration are distinct from specific aging pathways. The assays presented here will be useful for rapid and inexpensive testing of other potential HD drugs and elucidating pathways of drug action. Additionally, the neuroprotection conferred by lithium chloride and mithramycin suggests that these drugs may be useful for polyglutamine disease therapy

Common, low-frequency, rare, and ultra-rare coding variants contribute to COVID-19 severity

The combined impact of common and rare exonic variants in COVID-19 host genetics is currently insufficiently understood. Here, common and rare variants from whole-exome sequencing data of about 4000 SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals were used to define an interpretable machine-learning model for predicting COVID-19 severity. First, variants were converted into separate sets of Boolean features, depending on the absence or the presence of variants in each gene. An ensemble of LASSO logistic regression models was used to identify the most informative Boolean features with respect to the genetic bases of severity. The Boolean features selected by these logistic models were combined into an Integrated PolyGenic Score that offers a synthetic and interpretable index for describing the contribution of host genetics in COVID-19 severity, as demonstrated through testing in several independent cohorts. Selected features belong to ultra-rare, rare, low-frequency, and common variants, including those in linkage disequilibrium with known GWAS loci. Noteworthily, around one quarter of the selected genes are sex-specific. Pathway analysis of the selected genes associated with COVID-19 severity reflected the multi-organ nature of the disease. The proposed model might provide useful information for developing diagnostics and therapeutics, while also being able to guide bedside disease management. © 2021, The Author(s)

Bedrock geology of DFDP-2B, central Alpine Fault, New Zealand

<p>During the second phase of the Alpine Fault, Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) in the Whataroa River, South Westland, New Zealand, bedrock was encountered in the DFDP-2B borehole from 238.5–893.2 m Measured Depth (MD). Continuous sampling and meso- to microscale characterisation of whole rock cuttings established that, in sequence, the borehole sampled amphibolite facies, Torlesse Composite Terrane-derived schists, protomylonites and mylonites, terminating 200–400 m above an Alpine Fault Principal Slip Zone (PSZ) with a maximum dip of 62°. The most diagnostic structural features of increasing PSZ proximity were the occurrence of shear bands and reduction in mean quartz grain sizes. A change in composition to greater mica:quartz + feldspar, most markedly below c. 700 m MD, is inferred to result from either heterogeneous sampling or a change in lithology related to alteration. Major oxide variations suggest the fault-proximal Alpine Fault alteration zone, as previously defined in DFDP-1 core, was not sampled.</p

Quantifying the Effects of Harvest Blokc Design on Aesthetic Preferences

In visually sensitive areas, planners use a variety of techniques to mitigate the visible effects of harvesting, including creating designs that appear more natural and less blocky. However, little empirical evidence exists about the degree to which these shapes influence preferences. We aim to fill this gap by investigating the perceptual effects of three shape characteristics: geometric primitive (circle, square, triangle, and trapezoid), complexity, and aspect ratio. Fifty-two photo-realistic images were rendered of a forest scene with a single harvest on a hillside. Forty individuals rated each image. The results indicate that geometric primitive had the largest effect on preference for harvest design of the three variables tested followed very closely by complexity. Yet, the most intriguing finding was the interaction of these two variables. In general, an increase in complexity for square and circular shapes caused higher preference ratings, while for trapezoid and triangle, this was only true as complexity progressed from low to moderate levels. The relationship between preference rating and complexity was nonlinear; the largest improvement existed at the moderate level of complexity. Operationally, this demonstrates that rounded-edged circular shapes are the most preferable but that even with a moderate level of complexity, preferences increase dramatically