Development of an actively compliant underwater manipulator

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution May 1988This thesis describes the design, construction, and evaluation of an actively compliant underwater manipulator for installation on the underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) JASON. The goal of this work has been to produce a high fidelity force-controllable manipulator exhibiting no backlash, low stiction/friction, high backdriveability, wide dynamic range, and possessing a large work envelope. By reducing the inherent dynamic nonlineari ties, a wide range of joint compliances can realistically be achieved. This feature is important when implementing various force control schemes, particularly impedance control. In addition, a mechanically "clean" transmission reduces the need for sensors and allows the user to rely on integral motor sensors to provide torque, position, and velocity information. A three axis manipulator rated to full ocean depth was built. Each of the revolute joints is driven by a DC brushless sensorimotor working through a multi-stage cable/pulley transmission. The manipulator mechanism and wiring is fully enclosed by cast aluminum housings filled with mineral oil. Mineral oil functions to pressure compensate and lubricate the system. Exterior surfaces of the manipulator are smooth and continuous, and were designed to act as work surfaces. Joints one and two have a 240° range of motion, while joint three can rotate 380°. The manipulator transmissions are modeled and predictions of manipulator stiffness, dynamic range, payload capacity, and hysteresis are compared with the results of tests conducted on the actual system. Operation of the cable/pulley transmissions are evaluated and suggestions for improvements are given

La formación de profesores en los Grados en USA: instantáneas del paisaje

[EN] The U.S. does not have a federal certification for teaching at the university level mandating graduatelevel training in pedagogy. Nevertheless, the field of Graduate Assistant Training is thriving in America and has produced several models that fit a variety of institutional contexts. This chapter reviews training models at 3 institutions: Kennesaw State University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Colorado–Boulder. From these models, we extrapolate common successes and point out some unresolved issues that characterize the U.S. landscape.[ES] Los EE.UU no tienen una certificación federal en el nivel universitario que ordene una formación pedagógica para la enseñanza en los niveles de grado. Sin embargo, el ámbito de la Formación para los Graduate Assistant (asistentes de Grado) está creciendo en los Estados Unidos y ha producido varios modelos que se ajustan a una variedad de contextos institucionales. Este texto analiza los modelos de formación en tres instituciones: la Universidad Estatal de Kennesaw, la Universidad Carnegie Mellon y la Universidad de Colorado-Boulder. A partir de estos modelos, extrapolamos los éxitos y los puntos comunes a algunas cuestiones no resueltas, que caracterizan el paisaje de EE.UU.  Dipietro, M.; Buddie, AM. (2013). Graduate Teacher Training in the U.S.: Snapshots from the landscape. REDU. Revista de Docencia Universitaria. 11(3):41-52. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2013.5518OJS4152113Austin, A. E. & Wulff, D. H. (2004). The challenge to prepare the next generation of faculty. In D. H. Wulff & A. E. Austin (Eds.). Paths to the professoriate: Strategies for enriching the preparation of future faculty (pp. 3-16). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Border, L. (2006). Two inventories for best practice in graduate student development. Journal of Excellence in College Teaching, 17 (1&2), 277-310.Border, L. L. B., Chandler, E., Gilmore, J., Griffith, L., Hansen, S., Kalish, A., PinderGrover, T., Rando, B., Robinson, S. & Von Hoene, L. (2012, October). Designing a competency-based approach to graduate and professional student development. Workshop presented at the annual POD Conference, Seattle, WA.Border, L. L. B. & Von Hoene, L. M. (2010). Graduate and professional student development programs. In K. J. Gillespie and D. L. Robertson (Eds.). A guide to faculty development, 2nd ed. (pp. 327-345). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Chism, N. V. N. (Ed.) (1987). Employment and education of teaching assistants: Readings from a national conference. Columbus: The Ohio State University.DiPietro, M. (2012). Training graduate students to conduct peer classroom observations. In K. Brinko (Ed.). Practically speaking: A sourcebook for instructional consultants in higher education, 2nd ed. (pp. 246-253). Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.Gaff, J. G., Pruitt-Logan, A. S., Sims, L. B. & Denecke, D. D. (2003). Preparing future faculty in the humanities and social sciences: A guide for change. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.Lambert, L. (1993). Beyond TA orientations: Reconceptualizing the Ph.D. degree in terms of preparation for teaching. In K. Lewis (Ed.). The TA experience: Preparing for multiple roles. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.Lewis, K. (Ed.) (1993). The TA experience: Preparing for multiple roles. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.Marincovich, M., Prostko, J., & Stout, F. (Eds.). (1998). The professional development of graduate teaching assistants. Bolton, MA: Anker.Nyquist, J. D., Abbott, R. D., Wulff, R. D., & Sprague, J. (Eds.) (1991). Preparing the professoriate of tomorrow to teach: Selected readings in TA training. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.Nyquist, J. D., & Woodford, B. J. (2000). Re-envisioning the Ph.D.: What concerns do we have? [online]. Seattle, WA: University of Washington, Center for Instructional Development & Research.Palmer, M. S. (2011, Spring). Graduate student professional development: A decade after calls for national reform. Studies in Graduate and Professional Development, 14, 1-17.Prieto, L. R., Meyers, S. A. (1999). Effects of training and supervision on the selfefficacy of psychology graduate teaching assistants. Teaching of Psychology, 26(4), 264-266.Prieto, L. R., & Scheel, K. R. (2008). Teaching assistant training in counseling psychology. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 21(1), 49-59.Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (2006). Faculty Credential Guidelines. Accessed online at http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/081705/faculty%20credentials.pdfUniversity System of Georgia (2006). Faculty Employment Policy. Accessed online at http://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C245Wulff, D., Austin, A., & Associates (2004). Paths to the professoriate: Strategies for enriching the preparation of future faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

DiPietro-Hazari Kappa: A Novel Metric for Assessing Labeling Quality via Annotation

Data is a key component of modern machine learning, but statistics for assessing data label quality remain sparse in literature. Here, we introduce DiPietro-Hazari Kappa, a novel statistical metric for assessing the quality of suggested dataset labels in the context of human annotation. Rooted in the classical Fleiss's Kappa measure of inter-annotator agreement, the DiPietro-Hazari Kappa quantifies the the empirical annotator agreement differential that was attained above random chance. We offer a thorough theoretical examination of Fleiss's Kappa before turning to our derivation of DiPietro-Hazari Kappa. Finally, we conclude with a matrix formulation and set of procedural instructions for easy computational implementation.Comment: 6 page

Sudden hearing loss as an early detector of multiple sclerosis: a systematic review

To evaluate whether Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (S-SNHL) may be an early symptom of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). A systematic review was conducted using the following keywords: "Multiple sclerosis, hearing loss, sudden hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus, magnetic resonance imaging, otoacoustic emission, auditory brainstem responses, white matter lesions, sensorineural hearing loss, symptoms of MS and otolaryngology, nerve disease and MS". Only the articles that included results of at least one auditory test and MRI were considered. We evaluated the prevalence of SNHL in patients with MS, the presence of different forms of SNHL (S-SNHL and Progressive SNHL (P-SNHL)) and their correlation with the stage of MS, the results of electrophysiological tests, and the location (if any) of MS lesions as detected by white matter hyperintensities in the MRI. We reviewed a total of 47 articles, which included 29 case reports, 6 prospective studies, 6 cohort studies, 4 case-control studies, and 2 retrospective studies. 25% of patients suffered from SNHL. S-SNHL typically occurred in the early stage of the disease (92% of patients) and was the only presenting symptom in 43% of female subjects. Instead, P-SNHL occurred in the late stage of MS (88% of patients). Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR) were abnormal in all MS patients with S-SNHL. When S-SNHL appeared during the early stage of the disease, MS lesions were found in the brain in 60% of patients and in the Internal Auditory Canal in 40% of patients. ABR remained abnormal after recovery. S-SNHL can be an early manifestation of MS and should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of this condition, especially in women. The pathophysiology can be explained by the involvement of microglia attacking the central and/or peripheral auditory pathways as indicated by WMHs

Pharmacists’ Provision of Contraception: Established and Emerging Roles

Pharmacists’ roles in provision of family planning products is expanding in the United States (U.S.). This article details established as well as emerging roles for U.S. pharmacists in the provision of contraception. These include helping patients develop reproductive life plans; dispensing prescription contraceptive products and counseling patients; assisting and educating patients with non-prescription contraceptive products, including emergency contraception; participating in collaborative practice agreements; administering contraception products; and making referrals and developing partnerships. The provision of contraception in the U.S. is dynamic, and pharmacists should continue to be aware of changes that will impact them professionally. As approximately 45% of pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended, through these roles pharmacists can impact an important public health priority. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties   Type: Idea Pape