Refining personal and social presence in virtual meetings

Virtual worlds show promise for conducting meetings and conferences without the need for physical travel. Current experience suggests the major limitation to the more widespread adoption and acceptance of virtual conferences is the failure of existing environments to provide a sense of immersion and engagement, or of ‘being there’. These limitations are largely related to the appearance and control of avatars, and to the absence of means to convey non-verbal cues of facial expression and body language. This paper reports on a study involving the use of a mass-market motion sensor (Kinect™) and the mapping of participant action in the real world to avatar behaviour in the virtual world. This is coupled with full-motion video representation of participant’s faces on their avatars to resolve both identity and facial expression issues. The outcomes of a small-group trial meeting based on this technology show a very positive reaction from participants, and the potential for further exploration of these concepts

A method for determining material damping from driving point measurements

An experimental method for determining material damping from the forced vibration of beam specimens has been developed. In this method, the damping was determined from measurements of the driving force and driving point acceleration. The governing equations of the test system were developed and analyzed so that near optimal system parameters could be selected. Based on the analysis, limiting cases of system parameter selection were considered;Tests using the new method were performed on 2024-T351 aluminum and an aluminum particle filled epoxy. The tests were conducted in atmospheric air and in a reduced pressure environment to observe the effect of air damping. The material damping loss factor was extracted from the test results and compared with results obtained from a different test method for the same materials. The loss factor determined for the aluminum specimen was also compared with the loss factor predicted by the Zener Thermal Relaxation Theory

Family, property, and negotiations of authority: Francoise Brulart and the estate management of noble women in early modern Burgundy

There is no question that early modern France was a patriarchal society. In fact, during this period, there was an increase in legislation further subordinating women under the authority of their fathers and then of their husbands. The legal identities of women as daughters and wives was officially negligible. However, this dissertation argues that in practice, family needs trumped the constricting legal prescriptions placed upon women. In examining the estate accounts, contracts, and family papers of the Saulx-Tavanes, Brulart, Le Goux, Joly, Marmier, and Baissey families, it is abundantly clear that women of both the noblesse de robe and noblesse d\u27épée were actively engaged in estate management which required negotiations of the legal hurdles placed in front of them. At least unofficially noblemen expected their wives to enter marriage armed with a cadre of managerial skills to be employed for the good of the family during their marriage and if necessary after. Furthermore, noble husbands, many of whom were legists themselves, seemed to have fully embraced women\u27s negotiations of familial authority as commonplace. ^ Françoise Brulart was a member of the noblesse de robe in Burgundy, albeit of the highest echelon, who married a prominent member of the noblesse d\u27épée, Claude de Saulx-Tavanes. From the onset of their marriage, Françoise and Claude worked together in a sort of collaborative partnership, one in which he clearly depended on her to take an active role in co-managing the estate and family economy. Upon his death, rather than naming a male relative as the trustee over his properties, he left Françoise in charge. In her viduity, she increased her assiduous estate administration while successfully continuing to promote and defend the family rights and assets. Françoise\u27s experiences and agency were far from singular. Through the analysis of documents involving not only Françoise Brulart, but also those of Louise Joly, Anne de Marmier and Anne de Baissey, it is clear that both in marriage and in widowhood, family success and advancement relied on the ability of noble women to administer the estates frugally, and to sustain, and if possible to grow, the family assets

Contact plane concentration

Contact plane concentration depends upon the principle that a thin sheet or film of water flowing over a plane surface may be so adjusted that its quantity and velocity are just sufficient to bear away the lighter particles of gangue, leaving behind only the heavier particles of the mineral to be concentrated, adhering by friction to the plane, the concentrates being removed by any convenient method. Thus we see it is best adapted to the concentration of minerals having widely differing specific gravities but may be used for the concentration of all ores and minerals with any specific gravity whatsoever --page 1

Tools to use for water management

Presented at the Central Plains irrigation conference on February 17-18, 2004 in Kearney Nebraska

Psychometric properties of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptom Score

Objective To assess the internal consistency, construct validity and sensitivity to change of a pelvic organ prolapse symptom score (POP-SS). Design Analysis of data from three prolapse studies, including symptomatic and asymptomatic women who completed the POP-SS. Setting (1) A community setting in New Zealand, (2) two gynaecology outpatient departments in Scotland and (3) a gynaecological surgery department in Scotland. Population or sample (1) Participants from a survey of postnatal women at 12-year follow up, invited to complete a prolapse questionnaire and have prolapse assessment, (2) new gynaecology outpatients presenting with prolapse symptoms, randomised to pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) or control and (3) women having anterior and/or posterior prolapse surgery, randomised to mesh insert or no mesh. Method Data were analysed to assess internal consistency, construct validity and sensitivity to change of the POP-SS. Main outcome measures Cronbach's alpha, significance of differences in POP-SS scores between studies and significance of difference in POP-SS scores pre- to post-intervention. Results For internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.723 to 0.828. Women having surgery had higher POP-SS scores than those having conservative management (mean difference 5.0, 95% CI 3.1–6.9), who in turn had higher scores than the asymptomatic women (mean difference 5.9, 95% CI 4.4–7.4). Significant differences in POP-SS score were detected after surgery and PFMT. The improvement due to surgery was significantly greater than that associated with PFMT (z =−3.006, P = 0.003). Conclusion The POP-SS has good internal consistency and construct validity and is sensitive to change.1 ProLong: University of Otago Postgraduate Scholarship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2 POPPY: Health Services Research Committee grant, Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government. 3 IMPRESS: None

Producing “Society-Ready” Foresters: A Research-Based Process to Revise the Bachelor of Science in Forestry Curriculum at Stephen F. Austin State University

“Society-ready” foresters are capable of dealing effectively with the complex economic, ecological, and social issues involving forestry in the 21st century. To assess the knowledge areas, skill sets, abilities, and behaviors needed by society-ready, entry-level foresters today, we surveyed 800 forestry employers and forestry alumni from Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU), and we also conducted focus group sessions with a total of 58 forestry employers. Important areas of knowledge on emerging issues for society-ready Bachelor of Science in Forestry (BSF) graduates included climate change, water availability and quality, and dealing with invasive plants, pathogens, and insects. However, the skill sets and abilities that involve dealing effectively with people were ranked highest in terms of areas in which the BSF curriculum at SFASU should be strengthened. This basic message—the need to improve people skills while maintaining strength and relevance in technical skills—is consistent with reports, studies, and conferences on forestry education in the United States since the early 1900s. At SFASU, we are revising the BSF curriculum to address the results of our research-based process, and we are also targeting research and outreach to address the century-old, chronic issue of how to measurably improve the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors needed for foresters to work most effectively with people. In our research and application of results, we learned that the process of curriculum revision is just as important as the product: learning from our process will help guide other program leaders in forestry and natural resources to evaluate and revise undergraduate curricula. When done well, we believe work of this type will strengthen both the rigor and relevance in a curriculum, and the process will also strengthen relationships with alumni, employers, and other key constituents