A Semantics-Based Approach for Simplifying IFC Building Models to Facilitate the Use of BIM Models in GIS

Using solid building models, instead of the surface models in City Geography Markup Language (CityGML), can facilitate data integration between Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information System (GIS). The use of solid models, however, introduces a problem of model simplification on the GIS side. The aim of this study is to solve this problem by developing a framework for generating simplified solid building models from BIM. In this framework, a set of Level of Details (LoDs) were first defined to suit solid building models—referred to as s-LoD, ranging from s-LoD1 to s-LoD4—and three unique problems in implementing s-LoDs were identified and solved by using a semantics-based approach, including identifying external objects for s-LoD2 and s-LoD3, distinguishing various slabs, and generating valid external walls for s-LoD2 and s-LoD3. The feasibility of the framework was validated by using BIM models, and the result shows that using semantics from BIM can make it easier to convert and simplify building models, which in turn makes BIM information more practical in GIS.

The External World

The Yogācāra school of Mahāyāna Buddhism denies the existence of external objects, holding that only mental entities are ultimately real. This chapter examines the arguments developed by Yogācāra philosophers for that thesis, as well as objections raised by Buddhist realists. It begins with examination of Buddhist arguments against physicalism, which were principally aimed at the Cārvāka school of Indian materialism. It then discusses the route to idealism by way of the representationalist theory of sense perception that was supported by a time-lag argument. Idealism as such was subsequently supported by appeal to parsimony, as well as by considerations to do with infinite divisibility, and arguably by the claim that physical objects and cognitions are never grasped separately.

Externalists Should Be Sense-Datum Theorists

One increasingly popular view in the philosophy of perception is externalism about sensible qualities, according to which sensible qualities such as colors, smells, tastes, and textures are features, not of our minds, but of mind-independent, external objects in the world. The primary motivation for this view is that perceptual experience seems to be transparent—that is, when we attend to sensible qualities, it seems like what we are attending to are features of external objects, not our own minds. Most (if not all) externalists are either naïve realists or externalist representationalists. However, in this article, I argue that those who are moved by the primary motivation for externalism should instead be sense-datum theorists, for externalists’ primary motivation supports the sense-datum theory, not their actually favored views. I argue that externalists should focus on different motivations, get new ones, or become sense-datum theorists.

Mortuary Landscapes Revisited: Dynamics of Insularity and Connectivity in Mortuary Ritual, Feasting, and Commemoration in Late Bronze Age Cyprus

The aim of the paper is to discuss mortuary contexts and possible related ritual features as parts of sacred landscapes in Late Bronze Age Cyprus. Since the island was an important node in the Eastern Mediterranean economic network, it will be explored whether and how connectivity and insularity may be reflected in ritual and mortuary practices. The article concentrates on the extra-urban cemetery of Area A at the harbour city of Hala Sultan Tekke, where numerous pits and other shafts with peculiar deposits of complete and broken objects as well as faunal remains have been found. These will be evaluated and set in relation to the contexts of the nearby tombs to reconstruct ritual activities in connection with funerals and possible rituals of commemoration or ancestral rites. The evidence from Hala Sultan Tekke and other selected Late Cypriot sites demonstrates that these practices were highly dynamic in integrating and adopting external objects, symbols, and concepts, while, nevertheless, definite island-specific characteristics remain visible.

Quantifying the Generation Process of Multi-Level Tactile Sensations via ERP Component Investigation

Humans obtain characteristic information such as texture and weight of external objects, relying on the brain’s integration and classification of tactile information; however, the decoding mechanism of multi-level tactile information is relatively elusive from the temporal sequence. In this paper, nonvariant frequency, along with the variant pulse width of electrotactile stimulus, was performed to generate multi-level pressure sensation. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured to investigate the mechanism of whole temporal tactile processing. Five ERP components, containing P100–N140–P200–N200–P300, were observed. By establishing the relationship between stimulation parameters and ERP component amplitudes, we found the following: (1) P200 is the most significant component for distinguishing multi-level tactile sensations; (2) P300 is correlated well with the subjective judgment of tactile sensation. The temporal sequence of brain topographies was implemented to clarify the spatiotemporal characteristics of the tactile process, which conformed to the serial processing model in neurophysiology and cortical network response area described by fMRI. Our results can help further clarify the mechanism of tactile sequential processing, which can be applied to improve the tactile BCI performance, sensory enhancement, and clinical diagnosis for doctors to evaluate the tactile process disorders by examining the temporal ERP components.

Strength of industrial sandstones modelled with the Discrete Element Method

Sandstone is one of the most popular building materials since the earliest times. It has various textures and colours as well as good technical parameters. Sandstones, having such wide applications, are subjected to various external factors during the period of use. So, it is of utmost importance to have a good knowledge of their strength parameters. We employed a numerical method called Discrete Element Method to examine in a non-invasive manner the mechanical strength of industrial sandstones, that are commonly used as broken stones in road construction, cladding material, paving stones, pavement tiles and so on. Various mechanical external factors were considered, such as breaking, compressional and abrasion forces or impact by external objects and vibrations. Fragmentation of the considered sandstones under compressional regime was a source of knowledge about energy storage inside the material and energy release, as well as appearance of fractures inside the matter and final sandstone fragmentation into crumbs.

Intrinsic neural activity predisposes susceptibility to a body illusion

Susceptibility to the rubber hand illusion (RHI) varies. Thus far, however, there is no consensus as regards how to explain this variation. Previous studies, focused on the role of multisensory integration, have searched for neural correlates of the illusion. Those studies, however, have failed to identify a sufficient set of functionally specific neural correlates. An alternative explanation of the illusion is that it results from demand characteristics, chiefly variability in the disposition to respond to imaginative suggestion: the degree to which intrinsic neural activity allows for a blurring of boundaries between self and external objects. Some evidence suggests that frontal alpha power is one means of tracking neural instantiations of self; therefore, we hypothesized that the higher the frontal alpha power during eyes-closed resting state, the more stable the self. As a corollary, we infer that the more stable the self, the less susceptible are participants to a blurring of boundaries, to feeling that the rubber hand belongs to them. Indeed, we found that frontal alpha amplitude oscillations negatively correlate with susceptibility. Moreover, since alpha and delta oscillations seem to be associated in pathological states that allow for a blurring of boundaries between self and external objects, we conjectured that the high frontal alpha power observed in low-RHI participants is modulated by delta frequency oscillations. Indeed, we found this to be the case. Based on our findings we propose that the two explanatory frameworks might be complementary: that is, the neural correlates of multisensory integration might be necessary for the RHI, but a sufficient explanation requires investigation of variable intrinsic neural activity that acts to modulate how the brain responds to incompatible sensory stimuli.

Aircrafts On-Ground Dynamics Models and Simulation Software: State-of-the-Art

The aircraft is a means of transportation that operates mainly in the air; however, it starts and ends its journey on the ground. Due to the aircraft’s structural complexity, simulation tools are used to understand and to predict its behavior in its movements on the ground. Simulation tools allow adjusting the observation parameters to gather a greater amount of data than real tests and explore interactions of the aircraft and their individual components with external objects such as pavement imperfections. This review aims to collect information on how to simulate the aircraft interaction with traffic-dependent energy harvesting systems. The specifications and framework to be met by a conceptual design are explored. The different configurations for simulating the aircraft configuration result in the selection of the two-mass-spring-damper model. For the components, especially the landing gear, a deployable element for on-ground movements, several existing models capable of translating the tire are also presented, resulting in a selection of point-contact, Fiala and Unified semi-empirical models. It is verified which software can address the proposed simulation, such as GearSim from SDI-Engineering and Matlab/Simulink/Simscape Multibody from MathWorks.

A Real-Time Approach for Automatic Food Quality Assessment Based on Shape Analysis

Products sorting is a task of paramount importance for many countries’ agricultural industry. An accurate quality check assures that good products are not wasted, and rotten, broken and bent food are properly discarded, which is extremely important for food production chains. Such products sorting and quality controls are often performed with consolidated instruments, since simple systems are easier to maintain, validate, and they speed up the processing in terms of production line speed and products per second. Moreover, industries often lack advanced formation, required for more sophisticated solutions. As a result, the sorting task for many food products is mainly done by color information only. Sorting machines typically detect the color response of products to specific LEDs with various light wavelengths. Unfortunately, a color check is often not enough to detect some very common defects. The shape of a product, instead, reveals many important defects and is highly reliable in detecting external objects mixed with food. Also, shape can be used to take detailed measurements of a product, such as its area, length, width, anisotropy, etc. This paper proposes a complete treatment of the problem of sorting food by its shape. It treats real-world problems such as accuracy, execution time, latency and it provides an overview of a full system used on state-of-the-art measurement machines.

Flexible prediction of opponent motion with internal representation in interception behavior

Skilled interception behavior often relies on accurate predictions of external objects because of a large delay in our sensorimotor systems. To deal with the sensorimotor delay, the brain predicts future states of the target based on the current state available, but it is still debated whether internal representations acquired from prior experience are used as well. Here we estimated the predictive manner by analyzing the response behavior of a pursuer to a sudden directional change of the evasive target, providing strong evidence that prediction of target motion by the pursuer was incompatible with a linear extrapolation based solely on the current state of the target. Moreover, using neural network models, we validated that nonlinear extrapolation as estimated was computationally feasible and useful even against unknown opponents. These results support the use of internal representations in predicting target motion, suggesting the usefulness and versatility of predicting external object motion through internal representations.