Infrared Stereo-Vision Target Tracking Robot

Computer stereo-vision consists on a system that is able to obtain, estimate, and extract distance information of a scene in space from a set of 2D images. The system can be upgraded one step further by utilizing LWIR (Long Wave Infrared) sensors, in order to potentially place the system in low-visibility scenarios where ordinary color sensors might not be the best option. The data streams via an analog signal and is converted to serial-USB to be processed. The sensors are placed parallel, mounted on a bracket and attached to a robotics platform. In order to estimate depth, a concept called stereoscopic vision is implemented similarly as humans perceive depth. If two sensors are placed into a scene, Epipolar Geometry can be used to obtain distance by calculating the disparity (distance) between matching feature points. The feature points are matched based on the cost from a SAD (Sum of Absolute Differences) algorithm. This algorithm finds a block of pixels from the reference image (Left) and calculates the SAD based on pixel intensities on the target image (Right). This search is simplified by rectifying the two images. This means that each possible feature point is located along the same pixel row, eliminating the need to search vertically. The block with the smallest cost along each pixel row is considered to be the best match. This disparity is inversely proportional to the actual distance of the object (human) and is then sent to the robot in order to track.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1185/thumbnail.jp

Is the future blue-green? A review of the current model predictions of how climate change could affect pelagic freshwater cyanobacteria

There is increasing evidence that recent changes in climate have had an effect on lake phytoplankton communities and it has been suggested that it is likely that Cyanobacteria will increase in relative abundance under the predicted future climate. However, testing such a qualitative prediction is challenging and usually requires some form of numerical computer model. Therefore, the lake modelling literature was reviewed for studies that examined the impact of climate change upon Cyanobacteria. These studies, taken collectively, generally show an increase in relative Cyanobacteria abundance with increasing water temperature, decreased flushing rate and increased nutrient loads. Furthermore, they suggest that whilst the direct effects of climate change on the lakes can change the timing of bloom events and Cyanobacteria abundance, the amount of phytoplankton biomass produced over a year is not enhanced directly by these changes. Also, warmer waters in the spring increased nutrient consumption by the phytoplankton community which in some lakes caused nitrogen limitation later in the year to the advantage of some nitrogen-fixing Cyanobacteria. Finally, it is also possible that an increase in Cyanobacteria dominance of the phytoplankton biomass will lead to poorer energy flow to higher trophic levels due to their relatively poor edibility for zooplankton

The Role of the Roman Navy in the Second Punic War

Despite the vast amount of modern research concerning the Second Punic War, the role the Roman navy played has been largely ignored. Instead, nearly all studies focus on the large-scale infantry engagements featuring Hannibal the Carthaginian general versus the leaders of the Roman Republic. This study aims to address this lacuna by highlighting the Roman navy’s role in the long-term victory over Carthage. An analysis of ancient ships and warfare strategies reveals that there were many limitations which hindered the ability of a fleet from operating along coastlines lacking friendly port cities. Due to a combination of geography, strategy and success in battle Rome was consistently able to exploit these limitations at Carthaginian expense. The implication being that the efforts of the navy were a significant factor in the eventual Roman victory.A pesar de la inmensa cantidad de investigación moderna referente a la Segunda Guerra Púnica, el papel que la armada romana jugó ha sido en gran parte ignorado. En su lugar, casi todos los estudios se concentran en gran escala en los compromisos de la infantería, destacando el general cartagines Anibal frente a los líderes de la república. Este estudio pretende abordar esta laguna resaltando el papel de la armada en la victoria a largo plazo sobre los cartagineses. Un análisis de los antiguos barcos y las estrategias de la contienda revelan que había muchas limitaciones, las cuales obstaculizaron la capacidad de la flota a partir de la línea costera, carente de ciudades amistosas portuarias. Debido a una combinación de la geografía, estrategias y sucesos bélicos Roma pudo explotar estas limitaciones frente a los cartagineses. La trascendencia de los esfuerzos de la armada fue un significante hecho en la victoria romana

Simulations of phytoplankton dynamics in El Gergal Reservoir, Southern Spain (PROTECH)

The Mediterranean region is characterised by a variable climate with most of the rain falling during the winter and frequent summer droughts. Such warm, dry periods are ideal for the growth of large algal blooms that often consist of potentially toxic Cyanobacteria. This makes the management of water for human use particularly challenging in such a climate and it is important to understand how such blooms can be avoided or at least be reduced in size. PROTECH (Phytoplankton RespOnses To Environmental CHange) is a model that simulates the dynamics of different species of phytoplankton populations in lakes and reservoirs. Its distinct advantage over similar models is its ability to simulate the relative composition of the algal flora, allowing both quantitative and qualitative conclusions to be drawn e.g. whether Cyanobacteria could be a potential problem. PROTECH has been applied primarily to lakes and reservoirs in northern Europe. Recently, however, the model has been applied to water bodies in lower latitudes, including Australia to a water supply reservoir in the south of Spain, El Gergal. El Gergal is the last in a chain of reservoirs that supply water to the city of Seville. It was brought into service in April 1979 and has a maximum storage volume of 35 000 000 m3. This article summarises the application of PROTECH in order to simulate the following problems: • the effect of a large influx of Ceratium biomass into El Gergal from another reservoir • the effect of using alternative water sources instead of the Guadalquivir River (used occasionally to raise water levels in El Gergal) • the effect of installing tertiary sewage treatment on the Cala River • the effect of simulated drought conditions on phytoplankton in the reservoir

The Storymaker Wheel: An investigation into how teachers and pupils can use a counter‐culture assessment tool to evaluate creative writing in the classroom

This paper outlines the processes of creating a ‘Storymaker Wheel’, a creativity evaluation tool conceptualised with input from a children’s book author, a children’s book illustrator, academics and teachers, for teachers and pupils to use to support and develop their creative writing. It documents the ways in which teachers and pupils engaged with the Wheel in three schools in England: a primary pupil referral unit, a primary school and a secondary school. Interviews with teachers and pupils about the Storymaker Wheel, and classroom observations of the Wheel in use, expose some challenges of teaching creative writing within the current English educational context, which we discuss

Patient preference as a predictor of outcomes in a pilot trial of person-centred counselling versus low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy for persistent sub-threshold and mild depression

The aim of this analysis was to explore whether pre-treatment intervention preferences were related to outcomes for patients with persistent sub-threshold and mild depression who received one of two treatment types. Thirty-six patients took part in a two-arm, parallel group, pilot randomized controlled trial that compared short term (3 month and 6 month) outcomes of person-centred counselling (PCC) compared with low-intensity, CBT-based guided self-help (LICBT). Patient preferences for the two interventions were assessed at baseline assessment, and analysed as two independent linear variables (pro-PCC, pro-LICBT). Eight out of 30 interactions between baseline treatment preferences and treatment type were found to be significant at the p < .05 level. All were in the predicted direction, with patients who showed a stronger preference for a treatment achieving better outcomes in that treatment compared with the alternative. However, pro-LICBT was a stronger predictor of outcomes than pro-PCC. The findings provide preliminary support that treatment preferences should be taken into account when providing interventions for patients with persistent sub-threshold and mild depression. It is recommended that further research analyses preferences for different treatment types as independent variables, and examines preferences for format of treatment (e.g. guided self-help vs. face-to-face)

Fault Lines and Tiktok: Shifting Perspectives, One Video at a Time

Easy accessibility to social media content equates to increased access to emotional-charged materials. Research investigating the consequences of such emotional exposures on day-to-day lives is growing, with previous works showing high correlations between social media use and emotional modulations of the user. (Christensen, 2018; Mugg, 2005). Tiktok is a popular media platform and is a common tactic to present users with highly emotional content to maintain engagement. (Kin, 2017). A question arises as to the emotional induction rates and effects of such streaming content, as previous work demonstrates that emotion induction is highly associated with physiological arousal (Siedlecka, 2018) and affects cognitive performance (Forgas, 1998). The current study aims to address the current void in literature on Tiktok, investigating consequences of positive or negative viewing experiences on the platform, and how it may influence social perceptions. 34 participants were randomly assigned to the positive or negative induction cohort, and watched a series of videos on the platform. After the induction session, participants read 15 vague scenario passages and were asked to apply fault of no-fault judgement to the protagonists. A higher score indicated a higher rate of fault attribution. Physiological arousal measures of heart rate and skin conductance were collected throughout the video viewing and fault attribution sessions. It is hypothesized that positive Tiktok clip viewing will show fewer fault attribution (lower score), compared to negative viewing, with decreased heart rate and skin conductance levels at judgement moments. Data is currently being analyze. Understanding how external stimuli, like emotionally-charged Tiktok clips, can influence interactions such as fault attribution, is important to understand our continuously changing media landscape and potential consequences in social settings

Divergence or convergence? Health inequalities and policy in a devolved Britain

Since the advent of political devolution in the UK, it has been widely reported that markedly different health policies have emerged. However, most of these analyses are based on a comparison of health care policies and, as such, only tell part of a complex and evolving story. This paper considers official responses to a shared public health policy aim, the reduction of health inequalities, through an examination of national policy statements produced in England, Scotland and Wales respectively since 1997. The analysis suggests that the relatively consistent manner in which the ‘policy problem’ of health inequalities has been framed combined with the dominance of a medical model of health have constrained policy responses. Our findings differ from existing analyses, raising some important questions about the actuality of, and scope for, policy divergence since devolution

Modelling lake phytoplankton communities: recent applications of the PROTECH model

Understanding and modelling the development of lake phytoplankton communities is a desirable goal, given the importance of these organisms to their ecosystem. PROTECH (Phytoplankton RespOnses To Environmental CHange) is one such model which attempts to do this and its applications over the last 10 years are reviewed here. These studies include: modelling very large lakes, linking catchment models to PROTECH, simulating oxygen concentrations, understanding the importance of nutrient source in moderating the influence of hydraulic retention time. Furthermore, the merits of ensemble lake modelling are considered, as are the limits of short term forecasting of blooms. Finally, climate change influences are examined with studies that include nutrient changes and an experiment that attempts to separate the influences of temperature and mixed depth