Emerging XR applications, including Holography, Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality, are characterized by unprecedented requirements for Quality of experience (QoE), largely exceeding those currently attainable. To cope with these requirements, noticeable efforts and a number of initiatives are ongoing to enhance the current communications technologies, especially in the direction of supporting ultra-low latency and increased bandwidth. This work proposes an architecture that puts together the key enablers to support future XR applications, highlighting the shortcomings of existing technologies and leveraging the ongoing innovations. It demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed architecture by describing the processes driving the platform with relevant use case scenarios, and mapping the envisioned functionality to existing tools.

The paper introduces the CHARITY framework, a novel framework which aspires to leverage the benefits of intelligent, network continuum autonomous orchestration of cloud, edge, and network resources, to create a symbiotic relationship between low and high latency infrastructures. These infrastructures will facilitate the needs of emerging applications such as holographic events, virtual reality training, and mixed reality entertainment. The framework relies on different enablers and technologies related to cloud and edge for offering a suitable environment in order to deliver the promise of ubiquitous computing to the NextGen application clients. The paper discusses the main pillars that support the CHARITY vision, and provide a description of the planned use cases that are planned to demonstrate CHARITY capabilities.

Real-time collaboration of multiple digital models is vital for successful construction projects using Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) or Building Information Modeling (BIM). Real-time collaboration allows users to workshare within a multidisciplinary team to co-author multiple smart digital models for better efficiency. This can be done in two ways, either using a physical server (Local Area Network/LAN server) or cloud-based server (Wide Area Network/WAN server). Such cloud-based servers are A360, C4R, Collaboration for Revit, or BIM360Design collaborate, etc. However, above-mentioned cloud services come at a significant price, making it challenging for academia and small businesses to perform real-time collaboration using BIM/VDC models. To find an affordable alternative, an attempt was made as part of the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) course offered by the Construction Science and Management Department (CSM). For this case study, a popular and free (Google) cloud server was tested as a WAN server to host four multidisciplinary collaborative VDC central models for five users across five different geographic locations and time zones. The study rendered successful results to establish a real-time collaborative workshare environment; hence, can significantly benefit academia and small business.

In the last decades, due to the reduction of mortality rates and the fall of birth rates, there has been a transformation in Brazil's demographic profile, which has increased longevity, and consequently, in the expressive number of elderly people. With the life expectancy's increase, functional alterations arise that can compromise the functional independence and quality of life of this population. Among the most relevant aging-related alterations is the Frailty Syndrome of the Elderly (FFS). This syndrome is considered highly prevalent, resulting in dramatic consequences to the health of the elderly. North American data show a prevalence of 7 to 12%, and in Latin America and some Caribbean countries, the prevalence has increased considerably, being 30 to 48% in women and 21 to 35% in men. These rates far exceed not only North American data but also data from European countries. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relation between age and body composition of institutionalized fragiles elderly women. METHODOLOGY: Forty elderly women, aged ≥70 years, diagnosed with SFI without dementia and/or depressive features were selected. After body mass index (BMI) determination, classification into three groups was performed (n=6 underweight <22 kg/m2, n=13 eutrophic 22 to 27 kg/m2, and n=21 overweight >27 kg/m2), total muscle mass index (TMSI) by predictive equation, and handgrip strength (HGS) by dynamometry were also evaluated. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the means of BMI (underweight 20.1; eutrophic 25.2 and overweight 30.5; p<0.000) and IMMT (underweight 4.9; eutrophic 6.3 and overweight 7.8; p<0.000). Both indices decreased with advancing age. The mean IMMT was lower than normative values (5.9 to 9.5 kg.m-2) only in the low weight group. Although no significant differences were found

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