Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Feb. 3, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 72-78).

Thesis (B.A.)--Haverford College, Dept. of English, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Department of Comparative Literature, August 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 390-413).

Geometric reconstruction of dynamic objects is a fundamental task of computer vision and graphics, and modeling human body of high fidelity is considered to be a core of this problem. Traditional human shape and motion capture techniques require an array of surrounding cameras or subjects wear reflective markers, resulting in a limitation of working space and portability. In this dissertation, a complete process is designed from geometric modeling detailed 3D human full body and capturing shape dynamics over time using a flexible setup to guiding clothes/person re-targeting with such data-driven models. As the mechanical movement of human body can be considered as an articulate motion, which is easy to guide the skin animation but has difficulties in the reverse process to find parameters from images without manual intervention, we present a novel parametric model, GMM-BlendSCAPE, jointly taking both linear skinning model and the prior art of BlendSCAPE (Blend Shape Completion and Animation for PEople) into consideration and develop a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to infer both body shape and pose from incomplete observations. We show the increased accuracy of joints and skin surface estimation using our model compared to the skeleton based motion tracking. To model the detailed body, we start with capturing high-quality partial 3D scans by using a single-view commercial depth camera. Based on GMM-BlendSCAPE, we can then reconstruct multiple complete static models of large pose difference via our novel non-rigid registration algorithm. With vertex correspondences established, these models can be further converted into a personalized drivable template and used for robust pose tracking in a similar GMM framework. Moreover, we design a general purpose real-time non-rigid deformation algorithm to accelerate this registration. Last but not least, we demonstrate a novel virtual clothes try-on application based on our personalized model utilizing both image and depth cues to synthesize and re-target clothes for single-view videos of different people.

My thesis film for the Master of Fine Arts degree is a 10-minute documentary entitled Loose Bodies. It traces my mom's recovery from knee replacement surgery, meanwhile exploring her relationship to her knees through interviews and archival footage and my own relationship to my body's ability to move. The film contains three animated sequences, using the Renaissance anatomical drawings of Andreas Vesalius. This report is an account of the filmmaking process from initial idea to finished film. / text

Connected Me is a Human Body Communication (HBC) system, which is used fortransferring data through human body. The working principle is based on theorycalled Body Coupled Communication (BCC), which uses electrostatic couplingfor transferring data between device and human body. Capacitance between bodyand electrode acts as an electrical interface between devices. BCC has become aprominent research area in the field of Personal Area Network (PAN), introducedby Zimmerman in 1995. Until now there have been significant amount of paperspublished on human body models and Analog Front End (AFE), but only fewreports are available in digital baseband processing. The proposed Human Body Communication (HBC) system consists ofdigital baseband and AFE. Digital baseband is used for transferring data packets.AFE is designed for reconstructing signal shape after signal degradation causedby the human body. This thesis implements high speed serial digital communicationsystem for a human body channel. Available modulation schemes andcharacteristics of the Physical layer (PHY) with respect to human body channelare analyzed before implementing the system. The outcome of this thesis is aFPGA demonstrator that shows the possibility of communication through thehuman body. / Connected Me

This thesis deals with the representation of the erotic body in the works of the most important authors of French sixteenth-century poetry, particularly those of the Pleiade. By "erotic body" we mean a body that is involved in activities of carnal love, a type of love which is considered, during the Renaissance, as the opposite of a more chaste and spiritual kind of love. Our hypothesis is that the textual representation of such a body is coherent throughout the sixteenth century. Since poetic expression is governed by rules of decency during this period, description of the erotic body cannot be direct; its expression depends on analogy and attenuation techniques. Analogy, besides its allusive quality, creates the image of a body "open" to the cosmos rather than one that is fragmented and hermetic. Beauty holds a central position in the imagery of the erotic body. It is a very conventional beauty whose qualities (white, round, hard and smooth) transform the female form into a veritable statue. On the contrary, ugliness and disease are used to sanction behaviour that would otherwise be seen as reprehensible. The erotic art shown in poetry is framed by orthodox morals that condemn certain acts such as sodomy. The guiding principle is one of moderation. Erotic art is also based upon gestures that are fluid and capricious, quite the opposite of a fixed posture. Gestures are made in varied ways, from biting to tickling. However, kissing is the most important practice; it literally kills and resurrects the lover. The center of Renaissance erotic art is the loving couple, whose relations consist of requital and sometimes also of restraint. The game of feigned resistance allows lovers to reconcile these two extremes and to create an erotic relationship that embraces opposition and collaboration between the sexes. The most sought-after locations in Renaissance eroticism are always the same: bucolic surroundings offering a corner away from others' eyes. Temporality on the other hand is variable: stages of life, seasons, holidays, all lend themselves to carnal love. However, the instant reveals itself as the most erotic moment, not because it allows direct pleasure but because it concentrates desire under the guise of a call to carpe diem or of fictitious times (wishes, prayers), thus offering an imaginary satisfaction.

The purpose of this study was to lower body core temperature prior to a simulated portion of a triathlon (swim-15min; bike-45min) and examine whether precooling could attenuate thermal strain and increase subjective exercise tolerance in the heat. Six endurance trained triathletes (mean ± SE, 28 ± 2 yr, 8.2 ± 1.7 % body fat) completed two randomly-assigned trials, one week apart. The precooling trial (PC) involved lowering body core temperature (-0.5°C) in water prior to swimming and cycling. The control trial (CON) was identical except no precooling was performed. Water temperature and environmental conditions were maintained at -25.6°C and -26.6°C/60% RH respectively, throughout all testing. Mean time to precool was 31:37 ± 8:03 and average time to reach baseline temperature during cycling was 9:35 ± 7:60. Oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), thermal sensation (TS), and skin (Tsk) and core (Ta) temperatures were recorded following the swim segment and throughout cycling. No significant differences in mean body (TO or Tsk were noted between PC and CON, but a significant difference (P<0.05) in T, between treatments was noted through the early phases of cycling. No significant differences were reported in HR, V02, RPE, TS or sweat rate (SR) between treatments. Body heat storage (S) was negative following swimming in both PC (92 ± 6 W/m2) and CON (66 ± 9 W/m2). A greater increase in S occurred in PC (109 ± 6 W/m2) vs. CON (79 ±4 W/m2) during cycling (P<0.05) . Precooling attenuated the rise in T,, but this effect was transient. Based on the results from this study, precooling is not recommended prior to endurance exercise in the heat. / School of Physical Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between oral health status and body mass index for residents in a Transitional Care Center. The population utilized in this study were 193 males and females between the ages of 16-98 years old who were admitted to the Transitional Care Center at Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus, Indiana. The researcher obtained informed consent from each participant upon admission to the subacute unit. The information used for this study was obtained from the Minimum Data Set located in each resident's medical record. Subjects were divided in two groups according to age, less than 75 years old and > 75 years old to determine whether age had an effect on oral health status and body mass index.The conclusion was that there was a difference between males and females. Women had a higher BMI than males for both age groups. Participants less than 75 years old were more likely to have a higher body mass index compared with subjects > 75 years of age. Seventy-four percent of those aged > 75 years old wore dentures or a removable bridge compared with 56% of younger subjects (< 75 years old).Although no statistically significant relationship was found between oral health status and body mass index, a trend was noted. As the number of oral health problems increased for individuals, body mass index decreased. The types and prevalence of specific oral health problems were reported indicating a need for further research into relationship between obesity, oral health, lifestyle factors, availability of dental care, and nutrient intakes for the elderly population. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences