Violations of free speech and rights of labor : Hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor, United States Senate, Seventy-fourth Congress, second session[--Seventy-sixth Congress, third session] pursuant to S. Res. 266.

Robert M. LaFollette, Jr., chairman of subcommittee.

The rambles and recolletions of "R'Dick" (Robert Dottie)

Mode of access: Internet.

Report to the Right Hon. the Lord Chief Baron, and the Hon. the Barons of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer in Scotland, by the King's Remembrancer, relative to the tomb of King Robert the Bruce, and the Cathedral Church of Dunfermline.

Mode of access: Internet.

Industry short reports : School of Urban Development, QUT Jan, 2010

Management and staff of the spatial science program at QUT. Student numbers discussion, Alumni News, Staff and Laboratories moving, Work Integrated Learning in 2010.

Comparison of high-speed videokeratoscopy and ultrasound distance sensing for measuring the longitudinal corneal apex movements

Two different methods to measure binocular longitudinal corneal apex movements were synchronously applied. High-speed videokeratoscopy at a sampling frequency of 15 Hz and a customdesigned ultrasound distance sensor at 100 Hz were used for the left and the right eye, respectively. Four healthy subjects participated in the study. Simultaneously, cardiac electric cycle (ECG) was registered for each subject at 100 Hz. Each measurement took 20 s. Subjects were asked to suppress blinking during the measurements. A rigid headrest and a bite-bar were used to minimize undesirable head movements. Time, frequency and time-frequency representations of the acquired signals were obtained to establish their temporal and spectral contents. Coherence analysis was used to estimate the correlation between the measured signals. The results showed close correlation between both corneal apex movements and the cardiopulmonary system. Unraveling these relationships could lead to better understanding of interactions between ocular biomechanics and vision. The advantages and disadvantages of the two methods in the context of measuring longitudinal movements of the corneal apex are outlined.

Development of a hemispherical compound Eye for egomotion estimation

Biological inspiration has produced some successful solutions for estimation of self motion from visual information. In this paper we present the construction of a unique new camera, inspired by the compound eye of insects. The hemispherical nature of the compound eye has some intrinsically valuable properties in producing optical flow fields that are suitable for egomotion estimation in six degrees of freedom. The camera that we present has the added advantage of being lightweight and low cost, making it suitable for a range of mobile robot applications. We present some initial results that show the effectiveness of our egomotion estimation algorithm and the image capture capability of the hemispherical camera.

Reading the play : adaptation by prediction of agent motion

An adaptive agent improves its performance by learning from experience. This paper describes an approach to adaptation based on modelling dynamic elements of the environment in order to make predictions of likely future state. This approach is akin to an elite sports player being able to “read the play”, allowing for decisions to be made based on predictions of likely future outcomes. Modelling of the agent‟s likely future state is performed using Markov Chains and a technique called “Motion and Occupancy Grids”. The experiments in this paper compare the performance of the planning system with and without the use of this predictive model. The results of the study demonstrate a surprising decrease in performance when using the predictions of agent occupancy. The results are derived from statistical analysis of the agent‟s performance in a high fidelity simulation of a world leading real robot soccer team.

Virtual force feedback teleoperation of the InsectBot using optical flow

This paper proposes the use of optical flow from a moving robot to provide force feedback to an operator’s joystick to facilitate collision free teleoperation. Optical flow is measured by a pair of wide angle cameras on board the vehicle and used to generate a virtual environmental force that is reflected to the user through the joystick, as well as feeding back into the control of the vehicle. We show that the proposed control is dissipative and prevents the vehicle colliding with the environment as well as providing the operator with a natural feel for the remote environment. Experimental results are provided on the InsectBot holonomic vehicle platform.

Ability of silver-impregnated contact lenses to control microbial growth and colonisation

Purpose: To examine the ability of silver nano-particles to prevent the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in solution or when adsorbed into contact lenses. To examine the ability of silver nano-particles to prevent the growth of Acanthamoeba castellanii. ----- ----- Methods: Etafilcon A lenses were soaked in various concentrations of silver nano-particles. Bacterial cells were then exposed to these lenses, and numbers of viable cells on lens surface or in solution compared to etafilcon A lenses not soaked in silver. Acanthamoeba trophozoites were exposed to silver nano-particles and their ability to form tracks was examined. ----- ----- Results: Silver nano-particle containing lenses reduced bacterial viability and adhesion. There was a dose-dependent response curve, with 10 ppm or 20 ppm silver showing > 5 log reduction in bacterial viability in solution or on the lens surface. For Acanthamoeba, 20 ppm silver reduced the ability to form tracks by approximately 1 log unit. ----- ----- Conclusions: Silver nanoparticles are effective antimicrobial agents, and can reduce the ability of viable bacterial cells to colonise contact lenses once incorporated into the lens.----- ----- Resumen: Objetivos: Examinar la capacidad de las nanopartículas de plata para prevenir el crecimiento de Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Staphylococcus aureus en soluciones para lentes de contacto o cuando éstas las adsorben. Examinar la capacidad de las nanopartículas de plata para prevenir el crecimiento de Acanthamoeba castellanii.----- ----- Métodos: Se sumergieron lentes etafilcon A en diversas concentraciones de nanopartículas de plata. Las células bacterianas fueron posteriormente expuestas a dichas lentes, y se compararon cantidades de células viables en la superficie de la lente o en la solución con las presentes en lentes etafilcon A que no habían sido sumergidas en plata. Trofozoítos de Acanthamoeba fueron expuestos a nanopartículas de plata y se examinó su capacidad para formar quistes.----- ----- Resultados: Las lentes que contienen nanopartículas de plata redujeron la viabilidad bacteriana y la adhesión. Hubo una curva de respuesta dependiente de la dosis, en la que 10 ppm o 20 ppm de plata mostró una reducción logarítmica > 5 en la viabilidad bacteriana tanto en la solución como en la superficie de la lente. Para Acanthamoeba, 20 ppm de plata redujeron la capacidad de formar quistes en aproximadamente 1 unidad logarítmica.----- ----- Conclusiones: Las nanopartículas de plata son agentes antimicrobianos eficaces y pueden reducir la capacidad de células bacterianas viables para colonizar las lentes de contacto una vez que se han incorporado en la lente.

Review of refugee mental health interventions following resettlement : best practices and recommendations

There are increasing numbers of refugees worldwide, with approximately 16 million refugees in 2007 and over 2.5 million refugees resettled in the United States since the start of its humanitarian program. Psychologists and other health professionals who deliver mental health services for individuals from refugee backgrounds need to have confidence that the therapeutic interventions they employ are appropriate and effective for the clients with whom they work. The current review briefly surveys refugee research, examines empirical evaluations of therapeutic interventions in resettlement contexts, and provides recommendations for best practices and future directions in resettlement countries. The resettlement interventions found to be most effective typically target culturally homogeneous client samples and demonstrate moderate to large outcome effects on aspects of traumatic stress and anxiety reduction. Further evaluations of the array of psychotherapeutic, psychosocial, pharmacological, and other therapeutic approaches, including psychoeducational and community-based interventions that facilitate personal and community growth and change, are encouraged. There is a need for increased awareness, training and funding to implement longitudinal interventions that work collaboratively with clients from refugee backgrounds through the stages of resettlement.

Review of refugee mental health assessment: Best practices and recommendations

This article focuses on mental health assessment of refugees in clinical, educational and administrative-legal settings in order to synthesise research and practice designed to enhance and promote further development of culturally appropriate clinical assessment services during the refugee resettlement process. It specifically surveys research published over the last 25 years into the development, reliability measurement and validity testing of assessment instruments, which have been used with children, adolescents and adults from refugee backgrounds, prior to or following their arrival in a resettlement country, to determine whether the instruments meet established crosscultural standards of conceptual, functional, linguistic, technical and normative equivalence. The findings suggest that, although attempts have been made to develop internally reliable, appropriately normed tests for use with refugees from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, matters of conceptual and linguistic equivalence and test–retest reliability are often overlooked. Implications of these oversights for underreporting refugees' mental health needs are considered. Efforts should also be directed towards development of culturally comparable, valid and reliable measures of refugee children's mental health and of refugee children's and adults' psychoeducational, neuropsychological and applied memory capabilities.