Visual perception and grasping for the extravehicular activity robot

The development of an approach to the visual perception of object surface information using laser range data in support of robotic grasping is discussed. This is a very important problem area in that a robot such as the EVAR must be able to formulate a grasping strategy on the basis of its knowledge of the surface structure of the object. A description of the problem domain is given as well as a formulation of an algorithm which derives an object surface description adequate to support robotic grasping. The algorithm is based upon concepts of differential geometry namely, Gaussian and mean curvature

Feeding A Family Of Five Through The Live At Home Program

The recent depression had an obvious effect upon all business, but in all possibility, the persons engaged in farming felt the catastrophe most keenly. The price of farm products became low and in many instances, the weather served to diminish the amount of products to be marketed. In a condition of this sort where there was little cash and few products to sell which would yield money returns. The farmer was made to realize the necessity of Living at Home. Living at Home reduces the needs for which money is needed and at the same time, it makes possible the spending of cash for the necessities which cannot be raised on the farm. In any time of economic stress, there is a corresponding period of ill health. It was to build better health as well as to relieve the economic tension that the Live at Home program was instituted. The health of rural people is as important as that of urbanites and therefore their interest in the Live at Home program is not local but national in scope. It is the purpose of this discussion to show the relationship of this program to the health of the rural families. Specific information will be used to show the improvement in the health of those persons who have been able to eat properly at home and a corresponding decrease in health among the families who have suffered because of inadequate food and lack of money to secure the same

Predictors of Quality of Life for African American Women Who Assist Persons Who Receive Dialysis

The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to describe predictors of quality of life (QoL) for African American women who were caregivers of persons with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Five purposes, derived from a review of literature and conceptual model, guided this study. First, the study described the association between demographic factors (i.e., education, employment, age, marital status), and QoL. Second, the study explored the relationship between stress and QoL. Third, the study described the association between depressive symptoms and QoL. Fourth, the study described the association between family health/happiness and QoL. Fifth, the study described the extent to which demographic factors, stress, depressive symptoms, and family health/happiness predicted QoL. A secondary analysis of data from 75 African American women derived from a previous study of 120 caregivers of persons receiving either maintenance in-center hemodialysis or home peritoneal dialysis was conducted. Specifically data from the following instruments were included in the current analysis: The Caregiver Demographic Data Form, Quality of Life Index, Family APGAR, Burden Interview, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s r coefficient one -way ANOVA on ranks (Kruskal-Wallis), independent t-test, and backward elimination, forward selection, and step-type multiple regression analysis. The caregivers in this sample rated their QoL as moderate. Caregivers also reported clinically significant depressive symptom scores, little to no stress, and were satisfied with their family health/happiness. Significant negative correlations were found between hours worked, education, stress, and QoL. Significant positive relationships were found between age, educational level, recipients’ relationship to the caregiver, family health/happiness, satisfaction with support, and QoL. Four variables—education, full time employment, part time employment, marital status, and stress—explained 63% of the total variance in QoL scores (p \u3c 0.0001). Caregivers who had more education, were employed full time or part time, and reported more stress experienced the lowest QoL. In addition, caregivers who were married experienced the highest QoL. The findings of this study suggest that QoL is multifaceted and is affected by many areas of a person’s life. Social and economic factors and stress were the strongest predictors of QoL for African American women caring for persons with ESRD. The African American women in this study did not experience high levels of stress even though stress was a significant predictor of QoL. This finding may reflect a problem with the measurement of stress used in this population. Several factors, including caregiver work status, explained caregivers’ QoL. Findings from this study provide support for exploring the needs of working caregivers, as QoL was lowest in this group. Understanding better the experiences of working caregivers would inform clinical practice, health policies, and theory development that address the needs of understudied African American women who help persons manage ESRD

Interdisciplinary Investigations in Support of Project DI-MOD

Various concepts from time series analysis are used as the basis for the development of algorithms to assist in the analysis and interpretation of remote sensed imagery. An approach to trend detection that is based upon the fractal analysis of power spectrum estimates is presented. Additionally, research was conducted toward the development of a software architecture to support processing tasks associated with databases housing a variety of data. An algorithmic approach which provides for the automation of the state monitoring process is presented

Interdisciplinary investigations in support of project DI-MOD

Interdisciplinary investigations in support of project DI-MOD are discussed. The following subject areas were covered: (1) potential extensions of Project DI-MOD to additional sites in Central America; (2) human migration patterns and their impact on malaria transmission; and (3) an investigation into possible computer-based approaches to the analysis of remotely sensed multispectral data

Classification improvement by optimal dimensionality reduction when training sets are of small size

A computer simulation was performed to test the conjecture that, when the sizes of the training sets are small, classification in a subspace of the original data space may give rise to a smaller probability of error than the classification in the data space itself; this is because the gain in the accuracy of estimation of the likelihood functions used in classification in the lower dimensional space (subspace) offsets the loss of information associated with dimensionality reduction (feature extraction). A number of pseudo-random training and data vectors were generated from two four-dimensional Gaussian classes. A special algorithm was used to create an optimal one-dimensional feature space on which to project the data. When the sizes of the training sets are small, classification of the data in the optimal one-dimensional space is found to yield lower error rates than the one in the original four-dimensional space

An algorithm for optimal single linear feature extraction from several Gaussian pattern classes

A computational algorithm is presented for the extraction of an optimal single linear feature from several Gaussian pattern classes. The algorithm minimizes the increase in the probability of misclassification in the transformed (feature) space. Numerical results on the application of this procedure to the remotely sensed data from the Purdue Cl flight line as well as LANDSAT data are presented. It was found that classification using the optimal single linear feature yielded a value for the probability of misclassification on the order of 30% less than that obtained by using the best single untransformed feature. Also, the optimal single linear feature gave performance results comparable to those obtained by using the two features which maximized the average divergence

The effects of phosphatidylserine on endocrine response to moderate intensity exercise

Previous research has indicated that phosphatidylserine (PS) supplementation has the potential to attenuate the serum cortisol response to acute exercise stress. Equivocal findings suggest that this effect might be dose dependent. This study aimed to examine the influence of short-term supplementation with a moderate dose of PS (600 mg per day) on plasma concentrations of cortisol, lactate, growth hormone and testosterone before, during, and following moderate intensity exercise in healthy males. 10 healthy male subjects participated in the study. Each subject was assigned to ingest 600 mg PS or placebo per day for 10 days using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. Serial venous blood samples were taken at rest, after a 15 minute moderate intensity exercise protocol on a cycle ergometer that consisted of five 3-minute incremental stages beginning at 65% and ending at 85% VO2 max, and during a 65 minute passive recovery. Plasma samples were assessed for cortisol, growth hormone, testosterone, lactate and testosterone to cortisol ratio for treatment (PS or placebo). Mean peak cortisol concentrations and area under the curve (AUC) were lower following PS (39 ± 1% and 35 ± 0%, respectively) when compared to placebo (p < 0.05). PS increased AUC for testosterone to cortisol ratio (184 ± 5%) when compared to placebo (p < 0.05). PS and placebo supplementation had no effect on lactate or growth hormone levels. The findings suggest that PS is an effective supplement for combating exercise-induced stress and preventing the physiological deterioration that can accompany too much exercise. PS supplementation promotes a desired hormonal status for athletes by blunting increases in cortisol levels

More Than Just Fun: Engaging African American and Latina Females in Relevant STEM Curriculum

poster abstractWhen examining students’ mathematics and science achievement, research shows that student’ attitudes towards mathematics and science may be more or equally important than the amount of effort. This study explores the impact of a summer science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) enrichment camp, implementing a socially-transformative based curriculum, on African-American and Latina females’ confidence and attitudes towards mathematics and science. This study utilized qualitative and quantitative research methods to explore the primary research question, how does participation in a summer enrichment STEM camp impact the mathematical and scientific confidence of African American and Latina females? Preliminary findings show that African-American and Latina females’ experiences in the STEM enrichment camp have either: (1) positively impacted their confidence in mathematics or (2) caused them maintain their current level of confidence in mathematics