How present am I: three virtual reality facilities testing the fear of falling

Virtual reality environments have long been used in studies related to architecture simulation. The main objective of this paper is to measure the sense of presence that different virtual reality devices provide to users so as to evaluate their effectiveness when used to simulate real environments and draw conclusions of people’s behaviours when using them. The study also aims at investigating, in a quantitative way, the influence of architectural elements on the comfort of use of a built environment, namely considering the fear of falling reported by adults while using these architectural elements. Using a between-subjects design randomly distributed between two experimental conditions (safe and unsafe), a set of three studies were conducted in three different virtual reality environments using a 5-sided-CAVE, a Powerwall or a Head Mounted Display. The study shows that immersive virtual reality devices give users a higher sense of presence than semi-immersive ones. One of the conclusions of the study is that a higher sense of presence helps to enhance the building spaces perceived impacts on users (in this case the fear of falling).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Localization and function of the renal calcium-sensing receptor

The ability to monitor changes in the ionic composition of the extracellular environment is a crucial feature that has evolved in all living organisms. The cloning and characterization of the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) from the mammalian parathyroid gland in the early 1990s provided the first description of a cellular, ion-sensing mechanism. This finding demonstrated how cells can detect small, physiological variations in free ionized calcium (Ca 2+) in the extracellular fluid and subsequently evoke an appropriate biological response by altering the secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) that acts on PTH receptors expressed in target tissues, including the kidney, intestine, and bone. Aberrant Ca 2+ sensing by the parathyroid glands, as a result of altered CaSR expression or function, is associated with impaired divalent cation homeostasis. CaSR activators that mimic the effects of Ca 2+ (calcimimetics) have been designed to treat hyperparathyroidism, and CaSR antagonists (calcilytics) are in development for the treatment of hypercalciuric disorders. The kidney expresses a CaSR that might directly contribute to the regulation of many aspects of renal function in a PTH-independent manner. This Review discusses the roles of the renal CaSR and the potential impact of pharmacological modulation of the CaSR on renal function

Human ClC-6 Is a Late Endosomal Glycoprotein that Associates with Detergent-Resistant Lipid Domains

BACKGROUND: The mammalian CLC protein family comprises nine members (ClC-1 to -7 and ClC-Ka, -Kb) that function either as plasma membrane chloride channels or as intracellular chloride/proton antiporters, and that sustain a broad spectrum of cellular processes, such as membrane excitability, transepithelial transport, endocytosis and lysosomal degradation. In this study we focus on human ClC-6, which is structurally most related to the late endosomal/lysomal ClC-7. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using a polyclonal affinity-purified antibody directed against a unique epitope in the ClC-6 COOH-terminal tail, we show that human ClC-6, when transfected in COS-1 cells, is N-glycosylated in a region that is evolutionary poorly conserved between mammalian CLC proteins and that is located between the predicted helices K and M. Three asparagine residues (N410, N422 and N432) have been defined by mutagenesis as acceptor sites for N-glycosylation, but only two of the three sites seem to be simultaneously N-glycosylated. In a differentiated human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y), endogenous ClC-6 colocalizes with LAMP-1, a late endosomal/lysosomal marker, but not with early/recycling endosomal markers such as EEA-1 and transferrin receptor. In contrast, when transiently expressed in COS-1 or HeLa cells, human ClC-6 mainly overlaps with markers for early/recycling endosomes (transferrin receptor, EEA-1, Rab5, Rab4) and not with late endosomal/lysosomal markers (LAMP-1, Rab7). Analogously, overexpression of human ClC-6 in SH-SY5Y cells also leads to an early/recycling endosomal localization of the exogenously expressed ClC-6 protein. Finally, in transiently transfected COS-1 cells, ClC-6 copurifies with detergent-resistant membrane fractions, suggesting its partitioning in lipid rafts. Mutating a juxtamembrane string of basic amino acids (amino acids 71-75: KKGRR) disturbs the association with detergent-resistant membrane fractions and also affects the segregation of ClC-6 and ClC-7 when cotransfected in COS-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that human ClC-6 is an endosomal glycoprotein that partitions in detergent resistant lipid domains. The differential sorting of endogenous (late endosomal) versus overexpressed (early and recycling endosomal) ClC-6 is reminiscent of that of other late endosomal/lysosomal membrane proteins (e.g. LIMP II), and is consistent with a rate-limiting sorting step for ClC-6 between early endosomes and its final destination in late endosomes

Virtual Space - New Tasks for Architects

The meaning of architecture is extended due to the new media. As never before, computers help architects to handle huge amounts of information or give them a freedom to handle complex shaped models. However, it is not the shapes, but the space and its qualities they are created in, that imposes a new kind of architecture. This article focuses in an abridged version on some attributes of virtual space, its expanding features for real space and what the chances for architecture might be. But - what is space? Is it something objective? How is it perceived by man? This questions have to be answered first to understand the following hypothesis.

Showing the invisible - Seven rules for a new approach of using immersive virtual reality in architecture

Virtual reality, especially in a CAVE environment can be used in different ways. In architecture up to now it is mainly used to visualize planned or ancient buildings. Based on the information approach, on the approach that VR can be used not only to show the visual appearance of things but also information, which might be invisible in real world, seven rules are set up. The rules have been applied in university courses as testbed and verified in commercial projects

Combining Realities - Designing with Augmented and Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality (AR), the layering of reality and virtuality, can be used as a tool in architecture in model scale as well as in 1:1 scale on site. By combining real architecture models with virtual representations like e.g. wind simulation an intensive understanding for impacts can be observed. Coupling AR with further virtual environments (AR and Virtual Reality) in one scenario makes AR a tangible interface for VR and on the other hand supports the group discussion of distributed teams

Predicting the Future: 25th eCAADe Conference Proceedings

Digital tools can support the whole design process from the early phases through to final production. They enable the project participants to gain a better understanding of ideas and issues throughout all project phases. The focus of the eCAADe 2007 conference is that of tools and methods that support the whole range of participants from laymen to specialists in communicating, planning, costing and realizing built projects in all of the architectural fields

The “Digital year for Architects” Experiences with an integrated teaching concept

The “digital year for architects” is an integrated course for graduate architecture students, that has been held since 1997 at Stuttgart University. Its concept is to link together traditional design teaching and working with computers. Three seminars and one design project are the framework of the course, in which the students are taught in design of e.g. image and space composition, typography, video, using virtual reality, theoretical basics for the final design project like information management or working environments, approximately a dozen software packages and finally a visionary design project. It has shown that the advantage of an integrated course compared to separate courses is the more intensive dealing with the project as well as achieving better skills when learning the new media. Not only because the project topics are different from usual architecture and more abstract, the main effect is to widen the students way of thinking and designing

Intercontinental Seating

In spring 2005, four universities and one manufacturer on three continents designed seating units in the virtual design studio “Intercontinental Seating”. With each location describing local characters and sites for the remote designers, we were able to keep focus on comparative cultural contexts in design. A central content management system (Typo3) proved to be an effective platform for project representation and communication, both for students and external critics. Further communication and presentation technologies have been tested. As a result of this workshop, the manufacturer will develop two designs with the students and intends to offer these seating units in his product portfolio