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This research paper examines the heritage value of construction documentation and processes via Virtual Reality (VR), with a focus on the Sydney Opera House (SOH). It underscores the importance of comprehending and documenting transient construction techniques for heritage valuation. Utilising VR, the study offers an immersive portrayal of the SOH's construction, emphasising its innovative methods, craftsmanship, and environmental challenges. The paper draws from the Digital Heritage Construction project, showcased at the Heritage Exposition of the ICOMOS General Assembly 2023. This project featured two VR simulations, developed through analysing 200 original shop drawings, historical photographs, and site minutes and reports. The first simulation illustrates the formwork systems used for the SOH's iconic sails, while the second elucidates the assembly methods for the precast vaulted roofs, including the operation of the telescopic erection arch and the installation of concrete segments. The paper examines the novelty of this approach through a survey conducted at the Heritage Exposition. Analysis of the survey's result reveals VR's effectiveness in deepening the appreciation of architectural heritage's intangible qualities, providing new insights into the historical construction processes of the building and their cultural significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural heritage is no longer something that can only be experienced in a museum exhibition. Digital tools have facilitated the distribution of material relating to artefacts, both in its representation and in presenting its context. This paper describes how digital modelling techniques can be synthesised with 3D scanning to digitally restore artefacts and create authentic replicas of their original states. The digital artefacts can then be used to assist the process of interpreting these artefacts in diverse forms, both in the museum and outside the museum. The study looks at Pictish sculpture as a case-study, restoring 3D models of two stones, and creating varying opportunities for their interpretation. As part of this study, new interactive tools, a virtual reality environment, and a virtual tour are built to assist immersive interpretation of the Pictish sculpture. The application of these digitised objects serves as an opportunity for informal learning. These applications were evaluated during a drop-in session. Findings show that all participants enjoyed the immersive mode of learning with 89% also showing a willingness to learn more about the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an age where technological advancements shape every facet of our lives, virtual reality (VR) stands at the forefront of innovation, offering transformative possibilities across various sectors. One particularly exciting application of VR is in the realm of cultural preservation. By enabling immersive experiences and detailed digital documentation, VR presents a powerful tool for protecting and revitalizing cultural heritage. However, this innovation comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities, particularly in the context of international relations and legal frameworks. This article explores how VR is reshaping cultural preservation, balancing the fine line between innovation and safeguarding the past, and the necessary international legal measures to support this balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metaverse, powered by XR technologies, enables human augmentation by enhancing physical, cognitive, and sensory capabilities. Cultural heritage sees the metaverse as a vehicle for expression and exploration, providing new methods for heritage fruition and preservation. This article proposes a metaverse application, inspired by the events of the Italian Resistance, promoting interactions between multiple users in an immersive VR experience while safeguarding intangible cultural assets according to an edutainment approach. The virtual environment, based on Ivrea's town hall square, provides in-depth information about the partisan's life and the historical value of its actions for the city. Furthermore, the application allows users to meet in the same virtual place and engage with one another in real time through the Spatial SDK. Before the public presentation, a heterogeneous group of thirty users underwent usability and engagement tests to assess the experience on both VR headsets and smartphones. Tests revealed statistically significant evidence that there is a genuine difference in users' perceptions of usability and engagement with different devices and types of interaction. This study highlights the effectiveness of adopting XR as a supporting technology to complement the real experience of cultural heritage valorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent advancement in immersive technologies opens up opportunities for the way individuals perceive and engage with information in public spaces to be innovated. This article discusses a study that investigates the application of Virtual Reality (VR) as an instrument for communicating engineering heritage in museum environments with the aim to enhance visitor experience. The study adopted Shannon’s communication theory as the main principle for contextualising heritage objects within virtual environments. This approach can benefit curators in informing the way the intended meaning, value, and context behind museum artefacts to be delivered through visual narratives and aesthetics. In this study, three VR scenarios have been developed using the Unreal engine to investigate the aspects of learning, interaction, and immersion during the virtual experience. One-way ANOVA approach was used to determine the significant differences between the proposed factors in the study. The study found that the absence of interaction in the immersive scenario reduced the mean score leading to a lack of constructive guidance during navigation. Whereas using Gamified and narrated approaches significantly increased the mean value of the participants compared to the control group. While many researchers argue that the utilisation of VR could improve the users’ level of presence, the study outcomes suggest that there are certain conditions that should be structured during the development process to facilitate better engagement with virtual content. To achieve these conditions, gamification and storytelling strategies have been found to be effective in delivering an interactive immersive experience for engaging with heritage artefacts and contents.

Most cultural promotion and dissemination are nowadays performed through the digitization of heritage sites and museums, a necessary requirement to meet the new needs of the public. Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR) have the potential to improve the experience quality and educational effect of these sites by stimulating users' senses in a more natural and vivid way. In this respect, head-mounted display (HMD) devices allow visitors to enhance the experience of cultural sites by digitizing information and integrating additional virtual cues about cultural artifacts, resulting in a more immersive experience that engages the visitor both physically and emotionally. This study contributes to the development and incorporation of AR, MR, and VR applications in the cultural heritage domain by providing an overview of relevant studies utilizing fully immersive systems, such as headsets and CAVE systems, emphasizing the advantages that they bring when compared to handheld devices. We propose a framework study to identify the key features of headset-based Extended Reality (XR) technologies used in the cultural heritage domain that boost immersion, sense of presence, and agency. Furthermore, we highlight core characteristics that favor the adoption of these systems over more traditional solutions (e.g., handheld devices), as well as unsolved issues that must be addressed to improve the guests' experience and the appreciation of the cultural heritage. An extensive search of Google Scholar, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Wiley Online Library databases was conducted, including papers published from January 2018 to September 2022. To improve review reporting, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used. Sixty-five papers met the inclusion criteria and were classified depending on the study's purpose: education, entertainment, edutainment, touristic guidance systems, accessibility, visitor profiling, and management. Immersive cultural heritage systems allow visitors to feel completely immersed and present in the virtual environment, providing a stimulating and educational cultural experience that can improve the quality and learning purposes of cultural visits. Nonetheless, the analyzed studies revealed some limitations that must be faced to give a further impulse to the adoption of these technologies in the cultural heritage domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, social cohesion (SC) is a priority at different levels. Cultural heritage is an ideal context to promote SC through interactive digital technologies designed to engage groups of visitors. The purpose of the present study is to identify how to design digital heritage applications for SC and how to measure it. The results are based on the design of a cultural probe kit used to identify the design elements on top of which a collaborative and hybrid prototype, the Brancacci POV, was developed. Here, we analysed the results of this prototype, which included 107 visitors with respective groups of 5 participants and guided by an expert. From this analysis, the possibility of strengthening SC when collaborative tasks are included emerged. Additionally, it appeared to be possible to shorten the distance between citizens and cultural institutions if "mediated dialogue" approaches were adopted and if focus, motivation, trust and "in-group" perception of inclusion emerge when digital heritage experiences were set in intimate and quiet environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metaverse, powered by XR technologies, enables human augmentation by enhancing physical, cognitive, and sensory capabilities. Cultural heritage sees the metaverse as a vehicle for expression and exploration, providing new methods for heritage fruition and preservation. This article proposes a metaverse application, inspired by the events of the Italian Resistance, promoting interactions between multiple users in an immersive VR experience while safeguarding intangible cultural assets according to an edutainment approach. The virtual environment, based on Ivrea’s town hall square, provides in-depth information about the partisan’s life and the historical value of its actions for the city. Furthermore, the application allows users to meet in the same virtual place and engage with one another in real time through the Spatial SDK. Before the public presentation, a heterogeneous group of thirty users underwent usability and engagement tests to assess the experience on both VR headsets and smartphones. Tests revealed statistically significant evidence that there is a genuine difference in users’ perceptions of usability and engagement with different devices and types of interaction. This study highlights the effectiveness of adopting XR as a supporting technology to complement the real experience of cultural heritage valorization.

This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary research project carried on during the Covid-19 Pandemic and supported by TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey). The results are gathered from six months of field and office work, as the project was limited with this period. The archaeological site of Letoon in Muğla/Turkey has been chosen as the test area, specifically the triple temples of Leto, Apollo, and Artemis. Photogrammetric reconstruction of the current situation, as well as archaeologically accurate 3D models, have been created and converted into interactive immersive VR content to measure consumer behaviour and experience. These two different types of 3D content are integrated into the VR environment both separately and as a single content with switching from one to the other. After the creation process, the content was experienced by the visitors with different demographic characteristics and a survey was conducted to measure this experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Human Review is the property of Eagora Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Constructing the 3D objects based on geometric modelling and graphical techniques is a well-known research activity applied in computer graphics. Techniques to process graphical models are widely used in the field of digital heritage and 3D game. Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are technical trends nowadays that can be studied and used in digital high-tech fields like medical training, digital heritage, entertainment industry, digital tourism and museum, etc. In this research, we present a new proposed method for reconstructing the 3D objects of tangible cultural heritages in the virtual environment based on the combination of geometric modelling, computer graphics, VR and AR technologies. The method consists of the following steps: we first collect data of a real object by using a 3D scanner. After processing obtained data, the output is a 3D point cloud. In the next step, we remove noisy data and triangulate the object surface. The novelty point focuses on reconstructing the 3D object by filling the holes. At the end, we build VR and AR applications for visualizing a virtual museum. The contribution of this research leads to open the door for applying in other fields such as 3D Game industry or digital tourism.

Constructing the 3D objects based on geometric modelling and graphical techniques is a well-known research activity applied in computer graphics. Techniques to process graphical models are widely used in the field of digital heritage and 3D game. Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are technical trends nowadays that can be studied and used in digital high-tech fields like medical training, digital heritage, entertainment industry, digital tourism and museum, etc. In this research, we present a new proposed method for reconstructing the 3D objects of tangible cultural heritages in the virtual environment based on the combination of geometric modelling, computer graphics, VR and AR technologies. The method consists of the following steps: we first collect data of a real object by using a 3D scanner. After processing obtained data, the output is a 3D point cloud. In the next step, we remove noisy data and triangulate the object surface. The novelty point focuses on reconstructing the 3D object by filling the holes. At the end, we build VR and AR applications for visualizing a virtual museum. The contribution of this research leads to open the door for applying in other fields such as 3D Game industry or digital tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to generate and validate a workflow that allows us to use virtual twins obtained from unique buildings of our architectural heritage. These twins will guarantee the preservation and dissemination of cultural assets and will promote universal accessibility through new technologies, such as databases, metaverses, virtual reality, augmented reality or gamification. This universal accessibility is based on new metaverses to offer experiences that allow us to overcome physical barriers and reach any user regardless of their economic or physical condition or their location. To obtain this workflow, we worked with digital twins obtained by photogrammetry. Different databases and metaverses were studied, understanding them as new systems for the representation and dissemination of architecture. These metaverses were critically assessed and screened, looking for the most suitable one to be integrated into an effective workflow that satisfies a series of imposed premises, such as being suitable for use in virtual reality and augmented reality environments. The ultimate goal is the aforementioned universal accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the project VR and AR in the valorisation of cultural and artistic heritage within the New Cinema History framework, aims to combine microhistory related to local cinema theatres and Cinema Heritage, and to investigate the possibilities that digital media – in this case Augmented and Virtual Reality – have in the valorisation and preservation of cultural heritage. The final output of the project is the Virtual Reality reconstruction of the Odeon cinema’s architecture and habits of cinemagoing that, thanks to an immersive experience via the Oculus Rift headset, could evoke and simulate historical spectatorship that dealt both with the moment of watching a movie and its peripheral practice. the development of the project, at least four different perspectives on the Odeon cinema converged to form the basis of the VR reconstruction: the literature on the topic, the consultation of public and private archives, the oral sources, and photographs taken on site. This paper focuses mostly on the documents and sources used in the VR project and it aims to investigate how various and heterogeneous documents can be woven together into a philologically reliable historical reconstruction, and how they can be used in 3D modelling and VR storytelling related to Cinema Heritage.

Presently, social cohesion (SC) is a priority at different levels. Cultural heritage is an ideal context to promote SC through interactive digital technologies designed to engage groups of visitors. The purpose of the present study is to identify how to design digital heritage applications for SC and how to measure it. The results are based on the design of a cultural probe kit used to identify the design elements on top of which a collaborative and hybrid prototype, the Brancacci POV, was developed. Here, we analysed the results of this prototype, which included 107 visitors with respective groups of 5 participants and guided by an expert. From this analysis, the possibility of strengthening SC when collaborative tasks are included emerged. Additionally, it appeared to be possible to shorten the distance between citizens and cultural institutions if “mediated dialogue” approaches were adopted and if focus, motivation, trust and “in-group” perception of inclusion emerge when digital heritage experiences were set in intimate and quiet environments.

We describe the concepts, methodology, technology, and practice of a user-centric and historical space-oriented approach towards Historical and Cultural Learning (HCL). The Future Memory project pursues the unifying hypothesis that physical space can play a critical role in the authentication and education of this singular historical event, or space as a frame for memory formation and a source of authentication. We illustrate these aspects in the context of concrete Future Memory projects realized over the last ten years in collaboration with several memorial sites, museums, and archives. Based on these experiences, we subsequently analyze the lessons learned and future challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to generate and validate a workflow that allows us to use virtual twins obtained from unique buildings of our architectural heritage. These twins will guarantee the preservation and dissemination of cultural assets and will promote universal accessibility through new technologies, such as databases, metaverses, virtual reality, augmented reality or gamification. This universal accessibility is based on new metaverses to offer experiences that allow us to overcome physical barriers and reach any user regardless of their economic or physical condition or their location. To obtain this workflow, we worked with digital twins obtained by photogrammetry. Different databases and metaverses were studied, understanding them as new systems for the representation and dissemination of architecture. These metaverses were critically assessed and screened, looking for the most suitable one to be integrated into an effective workflow that satisfies a series of imposed premises, such as being suitable for use in virtual reality and augmented reality environments. The ultimate goal is the aforementioned universal accessibility.

Copyright of Complutum is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The longevity and survival of the ancient heritage sites, especially those in isolated locations, have been gradually threatened over the past decades, due to the globalisation and subsequent socio-cultural changes. As a result (of these changes), the future of these ancient sites remains uncertain. Therefore, this study aims to develop a digitally integrated framework using Virtual Reality, VR, technology to digitally document and create a simulated environment of the endangered heritage sites and present how new urban and construction developments may impact their presence. Hence, this study applied a qualitative longitudinal method to present the steps required to collect the data, develop a narrative-based framework and interactively present it via the VR project. The developed framework was, then, validated through the field data collection, across five years, from a very unique case study; Kandan, Iran as the last cone-shaped community settlement in the world, and its result was effectively displayed and exhibited at QUT IMPACT exhibition in Australia over a one-week period. The outcomes of this research could successfully raise awareness, encourage engagement and action and question the status quo of this heritage settlement through an interactive and engaging exhibition with the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) has a very picturesque past. Founded in 11th century, it has always been a crossroads of faiths and civilizations. Extended Reality (XR) technologies can finally take us to time travel into this history, enable us to experience past events and meet historical characters. In this paper, we overview the latest applications we developed that use Virtual Reality (VR) video, Virtual and Augmented Reality (AR) for interactive digital storytelling about BH history. "Nine dissidents" is the first BH VR documentary, tackling a still tricky subject of dissidents in the Socialist Yugoslavia, artists and writers falsely accused, persecuted and still forbidden. "Virtual Museum of Old Crafts" aims to present and preserve crafts intangible heritage through Virtual Reality. "Battle on Neretva VR" is recreating a famous WWII battle offering the users to experience it and meet comrade Tito, the commander of the Yugoslav Liberation Army. "Sarajevo 5D" shows the cultural monuments from Sarajevo that do not exist anymore in physical form using Augmented Reality. Through user experience studies, we measure the user immersion and edutainment of these applications and show the potential of XR for the presentation and preservation of cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mah Meri is an indigenous tribe in Malaysia, specifically located in the central region of the peninsular. As part of an ongoing research project to digitize their way of life, this article focuses on the aspects of documenting their wooden masks and statues that are carved by hand. They use these masks and statues in their animistic rituals, and each of these artefacts represents a folklore story in the Mah Meri culture and heritage. For a long time, these masks and statues have become a source of income for the Mah Meri carvers, as they get requests from collectors and enthusiasts. However, these days the craft not only faces the issue of dwindling number of carvers, but also the source of wood they use for carving the masks and statues. Thus, as part of the research in digitizing the masks and statues, we also collected the folklore stories of each artefact. Additionally, we used photogrammetry techniques to digitize the masks and statues formation process. The main idea is to create an experience that not only preserves and represents the art of the Mah Meri people, but also enables the users to interact with the carving process of the exact mask or statute. This is highly unlikely in the real world in an immersive form. In this project, we refer to this as 'Digitization of States', i.e. three-dimensional (3D) capturing of specific stages of the carving process before they are gone. The 3D-captured materials, combined with other forms of audio-visual data are used in creation of procedural and informative AR/VR experiences. To achieve this, a cross collaboration between the carvers and the researchers took place. More information about the entire process is provided in the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual Reflectance Transformation Imaging (V-RTI) is a hybrid method that combines 3D, Virtual Reality (VR) and 2D+ technologies into a rapid, lightweight, and user-friendly method of recording archaeological monuments in the field. The resultant image file can be interactively lit from various positions to highlight surface texture and detail not generally visible to the naked eye. In this article, we describe the V-RTI method and critically compare it to the current standard Highlight (H-RTI) method. We present results of a field trial of V-RTI in a challenging urban environment that yielded a new inscription, new readings, and epigraphic palimpsests that significantly change our understanding of the ancient Lycian city of Telmessos. We conclude that V-RTI is a valuable new tool for recording at-risk heritage worldwide and should be considered a default recording tool for field survey and conservation for many different classes of field monument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reconstruction and interpretation of early American streetscapes is a tremendous challenge for preservationists and Virtual Heritage scholars alike. In historic preservation, reconstruction is taboo due to concerns over uncertainty and authenticity. Wheeling (West) Virginia's Webster (now 20th) street, for example, has been so drastically altered by urban development and redevelopment over the past 160 years that only a single building from the 1850s survives. Lack of knowledge about this place has hampered the ability of scholars to interpret the early influences and world view of Rebecca Harding Davis, who lived there during the years prior to writing her seminal works of American Literary Realism. This paper examines opportunities and challenges associated with a geographic approach to the virtual reconstruction of such places. The methodology includes several important steps beginning with the identification, digitization, and storage of archival evidence. Historic maps were georegistered to recent orthophotographs in a Geographic Information System (GIS). Subsequent analysis identified likely surviving contemporary dwellings nearby, which were verified by research in deed and tax records and intensive field recording. To reconstruct the cultural landscape of Webster street, where Rebecca Harding Davis lived in the 1850s, 3D digital models were produced in SketchUp to visually reflect the quality of data available for each building. Accurate models of vernacular architecture and other cultural landscape elements were assembled upon a digital terrain model in Unity3D, and the scene was exported into the HTC Vive head-mounted Virtual Reality display. The entire system is evaluated as a tool for historic preservation, cultural geography, education, and interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Special Section Preface

Copyright of Revista Internacional de Humanidades Médicas is the property of Eagora Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Our article maps the well-being of the adoption and use of digital technologies in museums in China. Digital technologies used here are termed 'cultural technology' in top-level national policies for the creative cultural industry, with culture and heritage at the core of all such activities. Our investigation aims to understand the present state of adoption and use of cultural technologies with the goal of identifying limitations so as to provide a roadmap for the informed design and development of museum-based digital exhibits that are appropriate for visitors. Whilst our study is focused on China's museums, our evaluation model and lessons learned can be used as comparative studies for museums globally. This highlights the novelty of our article, for the scale of which we carried out our evaluation has never been conducted before. We travelled 22 sites over 15 cities and collected over 800 samples of data. We evaluated 36 digital systems used by over 800 visitors and observed how users interacted and engaged with the systems with a record of 21 variables related to the length of interaction, engagement, quality of contents and types of systems, age groups, sexes, and the number of participants and whether they were individuals or in groups. Our investigation revealed important findings in both digital systems and visitor engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) has a very picturesque past. Founded in 11th century, it has always been a crossroads of faiths and civilizations. Extended Reality (XR) technologies can finally take us to time travel into this history, enable us to experience past events and meet historical characters. In this paper, we overview the latest applications we developed that use Virtual Reality (VR) video, Virtual and Augmented Reality (AR) for interactive digital storytelling about BH history. “Nine dissidents” is the first BH VR documentary, tackling a still tricky subject of dissidents in the Socialist Yugoslavia, artists and writers falsely accused, persecuted and still forbidden. “Virtual Museum of Old Crafts” aims to present and preserve crafts intangible heritage through Virtual Reality. “Battle on Neretva VR” is recreating a famous WWII battle offering the users to experience it and meet comrade Tito, the commander of the Yugoslav Liberation Army. “Sarajevo 5D” shows the cultural monuments from Sarajevo that do not exist anymore in physical form using Augmented Reality. Through user experience studies, we measure the user immersion and edutainment of these applications and show the potential of XR for the presentation and preservation of cultural heritage.

The proposed contribution deals with the topic of virtual three-dimensional reconstructions on an urban scale. The choice was oriented on significant samples of city portions that over the centuries have undergone substantial transformations or distortions: the aim is to reconstruct their history backwards, starting from the current survey and using the tools of virtual representation to reconfigure the forms of the past and tell their events. From here comes the idea to create, for pieces, a hypertextual study of the urban image of Palermo: the theme of the transformation of the city, of change and of complexity, opens up differentiated research paths. The hypertext choice was almost obvious: in the description of the city and its use the different references (texts, maps, photos, three-dimensional models) can be used in multiple and dynamic aggregations. The report develops in a diachronic manner, using the overlapping of several information layers to set some remarkable dates on which to think about the urban image therein expressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heritage interpretation is often used to indicate the storylines adapted to help visitors to engage with and understand historical sites or artefacts. However, until now we hardly find any noteworthy scholarly works, charter, and critical discourse on the theory and methodology of interpretation in the field of Digital Heritage. Praxis limited by such theoretical underpinning, and at the same time the unwitting obsession with technology as a way out for better interpretation is leading most of the digital heritage projects to become descriptive and ocular-centric. Although technologies and tools like gameengines, multi-player virtual environments, haptic devices, augmented visualizations and immersive displays are being used to accentuate experience and visual fidelity, nevertheless, many scholars argue that technology alone can only provide partial interpretation. This paper raises the demands for an interpretive method for digital heritage and proposes some guidelines based on interpretation theories and scholarly materials from the realworld heritage domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]