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The development of self-driving vehicles has been efficiently accelerated by applying computer simulations. These environments can achieve the best result only if reality has been digitized: highly accurate and detailed maps are required. The high-definition (HD) maps aim to fulfill these requests. Companies and academia are seeking adequate technology, where OpenDRIVE standard seems to win this race.A software was developed to create high-definition road models for self-driving car testing purposes, which can also be used in driving simulators, for example, for testing vehicle prototypes.The data of a sample area was received located in northern Budapest, which included inconsistent information about the lanes of the road network. The top-priority task was to build a highly structured, consistent model satisfying this open standard, an increasingly popular modeling format to describe the environment for various simulating software. In order to do that, the relevant information had to be extracted from an AutoCAD file. The result was a collection of points that was added to a software module written in C++. The code has built a structure from those points, including determining connections between lanes, building roads from the lanes, determining connections between roads, adding road marks, and building the final OpenDRIVE model.Two different sets of data have been used thus far in the software: a circa 8 km long road section and a separate junction – meaning about 20,000 points to process. Two independent models were created; both were tested in various automotive simulators – including IPG CarMaker, probably the most well-known simulating tool used in car manufacturing – which showed that both are indeed correct. The overall time required to build those models from simple text files to well-structured OpenDRIVE models is no more than two minutes, while before the software development – when all of those aforementioned processes were done by humans – it required several weeks, if not months.The software is already capable of building basic road models but is nowhere near finished. Numerous other features can be added to it as well, for instance, traffic signs and signals and environmental elements such as roadside objects, trees, and buildings.

In recent years, studies reported poor vitamin D status in morbidly obese patients, with a graded relationship between vitamin level, BMI and adiposity. Aim of our work was to evaluate vitamin D status in a group of obese adults and any correlation with body composition and lifestyle. This observational study collected baseline data of 71 obese patients (20M/51F, age 52±12,1yrs, BMI 41,7±7,3kg/m²), recruited in spring 2019. BMI, fat mass (kg) (BIA Sensors Medics), animal lipid dietary intakes, physical activity (IPAQ) and sun exposure (H.E.C.) were analysed in relation to serum vitamin (25OH)D concentration. Serum vitamin D status was also evaluated in a group of 53 non-obese patients (12M/41F, age 42,1±17,1yrs, BMI 24,7±3,2kg/m²). Statistical Analysis: Anova-Pearson Correlation (SPSS-Statistics25). Serum vitamin (25OH)D concentration was significantly lower in obese patients in comparison to the non-obese group (14,05±7,34ng/ml versus 23,00±8,59ng/ml, p Among obese patients, a very strong positive correlation was found between vitamin D and sun exposure (R=0,81; p BMI (R=-0,51; p Vitamin D monitoring represents a clinical requirement among obese patients, due to a widespread condition of insufficiency. Hypotheses include sequestration in adipose tissue and volumetric diluition. A healthy lifestyle, together with vitamin D supplementation when required, is suggested to prevent/treat hypovitaminosis in both obeses and non-obeses.

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine if a Sawbones Scoliosis Model could be used as a simulator to train residents in placing pedicle screws—a complex procedure with a steep learning curve. Surgical simulation, a common tool teaching residents complex procedures in a safe environment, was staged using a Sawbones Scoliosis Model. Ten junior and ten senior residents out of 25 total possible residents (80%) were instructed how to place pedicle screws using the free-hand technique. They were then asked to place them unilaterally from T4 to L4 and were assessed on completion time, accuracy placement accuracy, and overall competency using an objective rating scale. Results Senior residents had an average time to completion of 38.9 ± 4.7 min vs. junior’s 50.1 ± 11.7 min, and a pedicle screw accuracy of 43.6 ± 6.4% vs. junior’s 44.4 ± 17.4%. Overall competency scores were similar for both groups; however, senior residents scored higher in the time and motion subdomain. Senior residents had a faster completion time and were more efficient, suggesting greater experience in spine surgery. The low rate of screw accuracy in both groups validates that simulation is a safe way for trainees to learn complex tasks.

The Seven Principles and the Inventories for Good Practice have proven to be useful resources to colleges, universities, and national associations in fostering a spirit of collaboration and improving the quality of undergraduate education.