Kinect Depth Recovery via the Cooperative Profit Random Forest Algorithm

The depth map captured by Kinect usually contain missing depth data. In this paper, we propose a novel method to recover the missing depth data with the guidance of depth information of each neighborhood pixel. In the proposed framework, a self-taught mechanism and a cooperative profit random forest (CPRF) algorithm are combined to predict the missing depth data based on the existing depth data and the corresponding RGB image. The proposed method can overcome the defects of the traditional methods which is prone to producing artifact or blur on the edge of objects. The experimental results on the Berkeley 3-D Object Dataset (B3DO) and the Middlebury benchmark dataset show that the proposed method outperforms the existing method for the recovery of the missing depth data. In particular, it has a good effect on maintaining the geometry of objects

Self-Cultivation and Meaning through the Experience of Injury Rehabilitation: A Case Study of Two Female Basketball Players

This case study involved interviewing athletes who had sustained moderate to severe injuries about the experience of being injured and the potential for self-cultivation and meaning synthesized through recovering from an injury. Two female intercollegiate basketball players were interviewed at the beginning of their rehabilitation and again at the end after successfully recovering and returning to sport. Data analysis revealed unique characteristics about the rehabilitation process with respect to loss of control, social support and learning about their confidence, motivation, perseverance, attitude, and resiliency. This article examines the experiences of these athletes as they navigated through the rehabilitation process and highlights the potential for the creation of a positive learning experience and self-cultivation that injured athletes can discover through the experience of recovering from an injury

Narrative, identity, and recovery from serious mental illness: A life history of a runner

In recent years, researchers have investigated the psychological effects of exercise for people with mental health problems, often by focusing on how exercise may alleviate symptoms of mental illness. In this article I take a different tack to explore the ways in which exercise contributed a sense of meaning, purpose, and identity to the life of one individual named Ben, a runner diagnosed with schizophrenia. Drawing on life history data, I conducted an analysis of narrative to explore the narrative types that underlie Ben's stories of mental illness and exercise. For Ben, serious mental illness profoundly disrupted a pre-existing athletic identity removing agency, continuity, and coherence from his life story. By returning to exercise several years later, Ben reclaimed his athletic identity and reinstated some degree of narrative agency, continuity, and coherence. While the relationships between narrative, identity, and mental health are undoubtedly complex, Ben's story suggests that exercise can contribute to recovery by being a personally meaningful activity which reinforces identity and sense of self

Recovery from Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: A Qualitative Study of Attributions in Survivors of War

This study was funded by a grant from the European Commission, contract number INCO-CT-2004-50917

Emergency life support training for school children: exploring local implementation and outcomes of the Heartstart UK school programme within the context of the National Healthy School Standard

This project discusses the implementation of Heartstart UK - an initiative co-ordinated by the British Heart Foundation to increase emergency life support training - in a number of schools in Cheshire.British Heart Foundation

Understanding the Role of Behavior and Cognitions in a Group Exercise Setting

The first purpose of the present study examined whether individuals with different exercise behaviors (classified by attendance) experienced different or similar cognitive patterns. It was hypothesized that different behavior would lead to different cognitive appraisals. It was predicted that there would be a difference between the three behavioral frequency groups with regard to self-efficacy measures and goal measures. The second purpose of the study was to describe, evaluate and observe whether social factors were associated with participating in exercise in groups. It was hypothesized that those who engage in exercise classes would elicit a social focus. Participants for the study included 39 females who registered in-group fitness classes at a mid-sized university. Attendance over the 10-week course was assessed and participants completed a self-report questionnaire during week seven. The attendance data were used to create 3 exercise frequency groups (regular attenders, sporadic attenders, and dropouts) based on ACSM’s exercise guidelines. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), means and frequencies were used to describe the data. There were no significant differences on measures of self-efficacy. Continued research is necessary to investigate the benefit of social suport in a group exercise setting, as well as to better understand how self-regulation through self-efficacy and goal factors influences and is influenced by actual behavior