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This study used immersive visualization technology for the delivery of material in geospatial science courses that focused on airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) and subsequent digital elevation model (DEM) development. Numerous immersive visualization solutions are now available and are becoming accessible for use in the classroom. As such, it is important to understand how and to what extent these technologies can improve tire learning experience and enable greater retention by the student. The immersive visualization systems evaluated for this study included an Augmented Reality Sandtable (ARES) and the Geospatial Virtually Immersive Evaluation Workstation (GeoVIEW 3D) at the United States Military Academy's (West Point) Geospatial Science Laboratory. Experimental lessons that combined traditional lecture techniques with advanced visualization technology were compared with a control lesson comprised solely of a traditional lecture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact immersive technology systems have on students' grasp of geospatial data acquisition concepts. The results of this study protide evidence that the use of immersive visualization technology in the classroom improves short-term knowledge retention of the assessed concepts. In addition, visualization technology that requires personal equipment (PE) such as glasses or headsets has a greater potential to result in a negative experience for a portion of the student population. As instructors become more familiar with immersive visualization and the required technology becomes more accessible, instructors should consider the implications of using advanced visualization in the classroom and ensure it facilitates greater engagement and understanding among die smdents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a ligand‐activated nuclear receptor (NR) that was originally identified as a master regulator of xenobiotic detoxification. It regulates the expression of drug‐metabolizing enzymes and transporters to control the degradation and excretion of endobiotics and xenobiotics, including therapeutic agents. The metabolism and disposition of drugs might compromise their efficacy and possibly cause drug toxicity and/or drug resistance. Because many drugs can promiscuously bind and activate PXR, PXR antagonists might have therapeutic value in preventing and overcoming drug‐induced PXR‐mediated drug toxicity and drug resistance. Furthermore, PXR is now known to have broader cellular functions, including the regulation of cell proliferation, and glucose and lipid metabolism. Thus, PXR might be involved in human diseases such as cancer and metabolic diseases. The importance of PXR antagonists is discussed in the context of the role of PXR in xenobiotic sensing and other disease‐related pathways. This review focuses on the development of PXR antagonists, which has been hampered by the promiscuity of PXR ligand binding. However, substantial progress has been made in recent years, suggesting that it is feasible to develop selective PXR antagonists. We discuss the current status, challenges, and strategies in developing selective PXR antagonists. The strategies are based on the molecular mechanisms of antagonism in related NRs that can be applied to the design of PXR antagonists, primarily driven by structural information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project sought to develop a replicable learning experience in an undergraduate photogrammetry course that included mission planning, data acquisition, product development, and assessment of the impact of the project on student learning. During the past 2 years, the final project for the course was implemented using a commercial of! the shelf Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to collect imagery at the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, NY, as part of the final project for the course. This teaching approach enabled students to participate in the planning, collection, processing, analysis, and production of a product from start to end. Some of the final project results generated by the students are presented. We have also presented the results from an assessment on how the course and academic program goals were impacted after the implementation of the final project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive gaps in terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) point cloud data can primarily be classified into two categories: occlusions and dropouts. These gaps adversely affect derived products such as 3D surface models and digital elevation models (DEMs), requiring interpolation to produce a spatially continuous surface for many types of analyses. Ultimately, the relative proportion of occlusions in a TLS survey is an indicator of the survey quality. Recognizing that regions of a scanned scene occluded from one scan position are likely visible from another point of view, a prevalence of occlusions can indicate an insufficient number of scans and/or poor scanner placement. Conversely, a prevalence of dropouts is ordinarily not indicative of survey quality, as a scanner operator cannot usually control the presence of specular reflective or absorbent surfaces in a scanned scene. To this end, this manuscript presents a novel methodology to determine data completeness by properly classifying and quantifying the proportion of the site that consists of point returns and the two types of data gaps. Knowledge of the data gap origin can not only facilitate the judgement of TLS survey quality, but it can also identify pooled water when water reflections are the main source of dropouts in a scene, which is important for ecological research, such as habitat modeling. The proposed data gap classification methodology was successfully applied to DEMs for two study sites: (1) A controlled test site established by the authors for the proof of concept of classification of occlusions and dropouts and (2) a rocky intertidal environment (Rabbit Rock) presenting immense challenges to develop a topographic model due to significant tidal fluctuations, pooled water bodies, and rugged terrain generating many occlusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]