Authoring and Experiencing Virtual 3D Environments

The growing popularity of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality has led to an increase in demand for 3D content. However, traditional methods for creating 3D environments are often expensive and complicated, making it difficult for non-expert users to produce their own content. This thesis addresses this issue through research focusing on two main areas: (1) the study of 3D user experiences, which helps create engaging and immersive experiences that meet users' needs and preferences and (2) increasing accessibility for content generation, which divides into creating approachable 3D user interfaces and intelligent creative tools. Our research aims to understand how users perceive and interact with immersive environments and, subsequently, to develop tools that enable users to create 3D content with ease and accessibility, even with limited experience or resources, with the help of generative models in machine learning and intuitive UI. Our project PanoTrace introduces a 3D modeling platform in VR for creating 3D scenes from 2D panoramas, providing a first example of our idea of novel approachable 3D user interfaces. Our wide-area VR walking study on the other hand falls entirely within the domain of studying 3D user experiences. It investigates the impact of natural walking versus teleportation on presence and user preference in VR experiences. We introduce the content-aware semantic editing and inpainting system (CASEIn) as an example of an intelligent creative tool. CASEIn generates high-quality results for guided image inpainting and semantic image synthesis using machine learning. Our projects DeepDive and Faded focus on accessibility for content generation by linking approachable UI design with machine learning. Faded is a memory reconstruction system that relies on our inpainting model, CASEIn, to extrapolate existing sparse information, including images and the user's memory of a space, into a cohesive 3D experience. In summary, this thesis demonstrates the feasibility and importance of approachable 3D UIs, the use of intelligent creative tools, and 3D user experience studies, all in service of enabling users to create 3D content in a more accessible way. Our research also provides insights into factors contributing to immersion, user preference, and viewing comfort in these settings

Comparative study of soil properties, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of mixed and pure afforestation of Poplar and Alder in Chamestan (Mazandaran)

Poplars are fast-growing species that were planted pure in the past. Mixed plantations of poplar with nitrogen fixing species have been recommended recently to increase the soil fertility. In this study, American poplar (Populus deltoids 77/51) has been planted with different mixture ratios with Caucasian Alder (Alnus subcordata) in randomized complete blocks with four replications in Chamestan research station, Mazandaran province, northern Iran. For further comparisons, pure stands of poplar and alder were also added to the treatment design. The plantation spacing was 4×4m. Results after 7 years showed that survival rate of poplar were greater than alder, in general. The highest rate of poplar survival was observed in the treatment of 50% poplar + 50% alder. The differences among treatments were statistically significant. The highest diameter increment was measured within poplars in the treatment of 33% poplar + 67% alder and the least in the pure poplar stand. The highest total height was measured within poplars in the treatment of 67% poplar + 33% alder. The highest volume of individuals trees were measured within poplars in the mixture of 33% poplar + 67% alder, while the highest tree volume of alder was obtained within the alder pure stand. The amount of soil nitrogen was significantly higher in the pure alder stand and mixture of 33% poplar + 67% alder, than in the soil of other treatments

Imported Lymphatic Filariasis in an Indian Immigrant to Iran

Lymphatic filariasis (LF), a nematode disease transmitted by arthropod vectors, is repeatedly reported in immigrant population. This disease is not endemic in Iran; however, different species of mosquitoes, capable of transmission of parasite mi-crofilaria, are distributed in the country. Hereby, incidental detection of an im-ported case of LF due to Wuchereria bancrofti in an Indian worker in Iran is reported. Identification of the case was performed based on morphological and morphomet-rical characteristics of microfilaria and PCR sequencing

Silage corn production in conventional and conservation tillage systems, part I: sustainability analysis using combination of GIS/AHP and multi-fuzzy modeling

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