112 research outputs found
INTERVENE: BYSTANDER INTERVENTION TRAINING FOR STUDENTS
No full textMaster of Public HealthPublic Health Interdepartmental ProgramEmily L. MaileyIn February of 2017, I met with Jenny Yuen, MPH, CHES with the desire to be involved in raising awareness of sexual assault among students at Kansas State University. We began collaboration on a project with the goal to develop a bystander intervention training workshop to empower students to act in the case of an alcohol emergency, observation of an unhealthy relationship, and to prevent sexual assault. I worked with a small group of three undergraduates to build and deliver Intervene: Bystander Intervention Training for Students in April 2017. This program included a discussion of data collected from a mandatory Alcohol and Sexual Assault Prevention course which every student must complete at the beginning of each Fall semester. This discussion was followed by intervention skills training which featured videos of young actors portraying scenarios in which many college-aged men and women may find themselves throughout their college careers. These videos helped illustrate appropriate action to take to keep peers safe during an alcohol emergency, how to help a close friend escape an unhealthy relationship, and how to safely intervene to prevent sexual assault at a house party. The details of the Intervene programs as well as my involvement in the development of this project as part of my field experience are detailed in the following report
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The social and the fundamental : groups, structure, and construction
No full textJon walks into a bar and orders a Manhattan. The bartender asks him for twenty USD’s, he coughs them up, and sulks off with his cocktail. Clearly, this everyday interaction both is and involves social phenomena. Although there are many kinds of social phenomena, it’s quite plausible that one kind is fundamental relative to the rest: social groups. Jon is a patron and, so, an ‘element’ of a particular group – a business – of which his cocktail is a product. Moreover, the twenty USD’s he coughs up are printed by one group, the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, and its value is underwritten by another group, the United States Treasury. Even the advertisements, the swank, and the wealth inequality that partly account for Jon’s decision to pay twenty USD’s for a cocktail are deeply related to groups. Advertisements come from agencies, swank from social practices that we practice, and wealth inequality from institutions that systematically disadvantage by groups of folks. Social reality is remarkably complex, but what we do as patrons, producers, and practitioners – how we function as denizens – are at the heart of it. As a result, the question arises: what are groups? In this dissertation, I try to answer this question.Philosoph
Precision Mass Property Measurements Using a Five-Wire Torsion Pendulum
No full textA method for measuring the moment of inertia of an object using a five-wire torsion pendulum design is described here. Typical moment of inertia measurement devices are capable of 1 part in 10(exp 3) accuracy and current state of the art techniques have capabilities of about one part in 10(exp 4). The five-wire apparatus design shows the prospect of improving on current state of the art. Current measurements using a laboratory prototype indicate a moment of inertia measurement precision better than a part in 10(exp 4). In addition, the apparatus is shown to be capable of measuring the mass center offset from the geometric center. Typical mass center measurement devices exhibit a measurement precision up to approximately 1 micrometer. Although the five-wire pendulum was not originally designed for mass center measurements, preliminary results indicate an apparatus with a similar design may have the potential of achieving state of the art precision
Voluntarily imprisoned: Prototype the future city
No full textThe city is in a throes of a gigantic transformation process, due to modernisation, globalisation, technological innovation, urbanisation, explosive population growth and climate change (Brotchie, Newton, Hall, & Nijkamp, n.d.; Cohen, 2006). Within a time of change, whereas technology integrates progressively in our lifestyle, and where man is increasingly designing its environment according towards its own needs – the development and future expansion of the city is becoming a challenge. This lead to the main problem statement: What is the new kind of future habitat that can respond to the socio-technological dimensions, recognising the uncertainties of the future? In order to answer the main problem statement, the project will start with a literature study, followed by a case-study / prototype design. The literature study consists of two part: 1) Starting with the technological revolution, the first part will try to reveal the changing dynamics ofthe socio-techno system (within the global urban context) and which consequences these changing dynamics has on our lifestyle and on a broader scope, 2) Secondly, the aim of literature study is to expose the spatial implications of this socio-techno transformation on the urban structure of the global city. Firstly, we have seen that technology is a part of growth, acceleration and the expansion of the city. Technology has facilitated us with increased speed and a more inclusive network ever seen. Users of this network, supported by communication and information technologies, become singular nodes, isolated but connected through screens and the virtual world. For those connected to the network, the concept of time and place changes entirely. The connected urban population is not just bound together by the physical infrastructure of a city anymore, but starts to merge with it, annihilating time, and killing distance. In order to protect oneself, from the increase in physical and informational speed, man will increasingly has the need to withdrawal in capsules. Blind to the outside world, the capsular civilisation is one of dualization of segregation of exploitation and exclusion resulting in an implosion of the polis of the common (Barney, 2013; ManuelCastells, 2000; Cauter, 2004, 2012; Graham & Marvin, 2002). Secondly, we have tried to reveal what spatial (in the urban and architectural realm) consequences this capsular society brings forth. We have distinguished five mechanism of capsularity: decentralisation, fragmentation, isolation, privatisation and simulation. Together these characteristics will increasingly lead to the encapsulation of the urban and architectural realm. The future city will not just be a collectives, but rather a multiplicity of entities with their own sociality, character, and own rights (Manuel Castells, 2000; Cauter, 2004; Neil. A, 2018). The coming age can be defined as an age of disintegration, gated communities are the urban and architectural models that give shape to this order: an inside world of privatised publicness versus a chaotic, unsafe and uncontrollable outside world. We become voluntarily prisoners (Cauter, 2012; Davis, n.d.; Eckardt, 2017).Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Explorela
Localization Using Visual Odometry and a Single Downward-Pointing Camera
No full textStereo imaging is a technique commonly employed for vision-based navigation. For such applications, two images are acquired from different vantage points and then compared using transformations to extract depth information. The technique is commonly used in robotics for obstacle avoidance or for Simultaneous Localization And Mapping, (SLAM). Yet, the process requires a number of image processing steps and therefore tends to be CPU-intensive, which limits the real-time data rate and use in power-limited applications. Evaluated here is a technique where a monocular camera is used for vision-based odometry. In this work, an optical flow technique with feature recognition is performed to generate odometry measurements. The visual odometry sensor measurements are intended to be used as control inputs or measurements in a sensor fusion algorithm using low-cost MEMS based inertial sensors to provide improved localization information. Presented here are visual odometry results which demonstrate the challenges associated with using ground-pointing cameras for visual odometry. The focus is for rover-based robotic applications for localization within GPS-denied environments
Gravitational mass attraction measurement for drag-free references
No full textExciting new experiments in gravitational physics are among the proposed future space science missions around the world. Such future space science experiments include gravitational wave observatories, which require extraordinarily precise instruments for gravitational wave detection. In fact, future space-based gravitational wave observatories require the use of a drag free reference sensor, which is several orders of magnitude more precise than any drag free satellite launched to date. With the analysis methods and measurement techniques described in this work, there is one less challenge associated with achieving the high-precision drag-free satellite performance levels required by gravitational wave observatories. One disturbance critical to the drag-free performance is an acceleration from the mass attraction between the spacecraft and drag-free reference mass. A direct measurement of the gravitational mass attraction force is not easily performed. Historically for drag-free satellite design, the gravitational attraction properties were estimated by using idealized equations between a point mass and objects of regular geometric shape with homogeneous density. Stringent requirements are then placed on the density distribution and fabrication tolerances for the drag-free reference mass and satellite components in order to ensure that the allocated gravitational mass attraction disturbance budget is not exceeded due to the associated uncertainty in geometry and mass properties. Yet, the uncertainty associated with mass properties and geometry generate an unacceptable uncertainty in the mass attraction calculation, which make it difficult to meet the demanding drag-free performance requirements of future gravitational wave observatories. The density homogeneity and geometrical tolerances required to meet the overall drag-free performance can easily force the use of special materials or manufacturing processes, which are impractical or not feasible. The focus of this research is therefore to develop the necessary equations for the gravitational mass attraction force and gradients between two general distributed bodies. Assuming the drag-free reference mass to be a single point mass object is no longer necessary for the gravitational attraction calculations. Furthermore, the developed equations are coupled with physical measurements in order to eliminate the mass attraction uncertainty associated with mass properties. The mass attraction formula through a second order expansion consists of the measurable quantifies of mass, mass center, and moment of inertia about the mass center. Thus, the gravitational self-attraction force on the drag free reference due to the satellite can be indirectly measured. By incorporating physical measurements into the mass attraction calculation, the uncertainty in the density distribution as well as geometrical variations due to the manufacturing process are included in the analysis. For indirect gravitational mass attraction measurements, the corresponding properties of mass, mass center, and moment of inertia must be precisely determined for the proof mass and satellite components. This work focuses on the precision measurement of the moment of inertia for the drag-free test mass. Presented here is the design of a new moment of inertia measurement apparatus utilizing a five-wire torsion pendulum design. The torsion pendulum is utilized to measure the moment of inertia tensor for a prospective drag-free test mass geometry. The measurement results presented indicate the prototype five-wire torsion has matched current state of the art precision. With only minimal work to reduce laboratory environmental disturbances, the apparatus has the prospect of exceeding state of the art precision by almost an order of magnitude. In addition, the apparatus is shown to be capable of measuring the mass center offset from the geometric center to a level better than typical measurement devices. Although the pendulum was not originally designed for mass center measurements, preliminary results indicate an apparatus with a similar design may have the potential of achieving state of the art precision
Physical activity and psychological distress: social gradients of living in poverty
No full textMaster of Public HealthDepartment of KinesiologyEmily L. MaileyINTRODUCTION: Research has focused on the relationship between socioeconomic status and physical activity, yet there are limited examinations which directly address social groups dealing with major issues associated with insufficient income. Studies have neglected the role of psychosocial stressors, such as financial stress, food insecurity, availability of government assistance programs, as well as psychological distress relative to the relationship between physical activity and low-income status. The purposes of this study were threefold: 1) to describe the multidimensional characteristics of life among low-income populations; 2) to examine how psychosocial stressors and health conditions vary across subsets of low-income groups; and 3) to examine the relationship among income, psychological distress and physical activity within low-income populations.
METHODS: Data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were analyzed for the purposes of this investigation. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the low-income status individuals who provide complete data for all variables of interest to this study. A series of chi-square analyses were conducted to determine whether key psychosocial stressors, health behaviors, and health conditions differed by low-income (FIPR) groups. Two stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine these factors and their relationships with moderate-intensity (MPA) and vigorous (VPA)-intensity physical activity.
RESULTS: Overall, women made up 58.5% of the sample size. Blacks/African Americans accounted for 20.6% of the sample, yet 28.0% of FIPR Group 1 identified as Black/African American. FIPR Group 1 was disproportionately unemployed, with 63.5% unemployed compared to 46.9% for the sample. One-quarter (25.9%) of the entire sample reported severe psychological distress, yet 33.9% of FIPR Group 1 and 30.8% of FIPR Group 2 reported severe distress. Nearly three-quarters (70%) of the sample was overweight or obese and 44.2% lived with at least one chronic disease at the time the survey was taken. Overall, 67.9% of the sample reported zero minutes of VPA and 51.3% reported zero minutes of MPA. Both psychological distress and income showed significant relationships with VPA. Psychological distress remained significantly associated with VPA after controlling for all covariates; however, income was no longer related to VPA after demographic and health-related variables were added to the model. Income was not related to MPA. Psychological distress demonstrated a weak relationship with MPA before the other covariates were added to the model, at which point the relationship became non-significant. Only the relationship between psychological distress and VPA was significant in the final models. Although some of the psychosocial stressor, demographic, and health-related variables contributed to the relationships between income, physical activity, and psychological distress, these variables explained only a small portion of the variance in both MPA and VPA.
CONCLUSION: Low-income individuals are faced with difficult decisions and are limited in the choices they can make to improve health. It is important to understand the multidimensional characteristics of life under limited income to better serve and improve the health of low-income populations. Further study of the relationships among income, physical activity and psychological distress is needed to further this understanding
Design of a Hybrid Tunable Magnet Actuator with increased dynamic capabilities
No full textTo increase the accuracy of high-precision motion systems, the heat dissipation in electromagnetic actuators must be reduced to limit thermal expansion. Variable Reluctance Actuators have a high-frequency bandwidth but suffer from heating when providing high forces for sustained periods of time. Tunable Magnet Actuators can provide a large force endlessly without the need for constant energy input. The efficient frequency bandwidth of the Tunable Magnet Actuator is a limiting factor, Therefore, a combination of the two techniques is proposed to deliver efficient, high-frequency actuation at a wide range of forces. A design is proposed that integrates a drive coil and tunable magnet into a single magnetic circuit to maximize the motor constants. The new Hybrid Tunable Magnet Actuator allows for tracking of high-frequency signals and has reduced heat dissipation for signals that are offset from zero.The main contribution is written as a scientific paper in Chapter 3, it can be read independently but does refer to the appendices of the thesis report for further reading.Mechanical Engineering | Mechatronic System Design (MSD
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