Passive exoskeletons hold promise in reducing the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, however further research is essential before widespread adoption can occur. This study explores the feasibility of using subjective measures of physical demand in place of costly and less practical objective measures. Normalized electromyography (nEMG) data and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected from seven different studies conducted by the Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Lab (OEB lab). Employing a repeated measures three-way ANOVA, we assessed the influence of nEMG, gender, and exoskeleton type on RPE. Additionally, mean nEMG and RPE from seven passive exoskeleton-based studies conducted outside the OEB lab were assessed in order to determine if the findings from the OEB lab existed across other research environments. The results demonstrated a general positive linear trend between nEMG and RPE for both the individual and mean results. Substantial inconsistencies emerged when considering the influence of gender, exoskeleton type, and task conditions on the relationship between nEMG and RPE. These discrepancies underscore the need for more in-depth research into this topic, specifically investigating the effects of gender and exoskeleton design. / Master of Science / Passive exoskeletons, devices designed to improve safety and provide support to the body, offer the potential for reducing muscle strain and reducing work-related injury risk. However, before these devices can be widely adopted, more research is necessary. Subjective measures of exertion, an affordable and user-friendly alternative to objective measures, require further investigation before replacing traditional methods in exoskeleton research. This study explores the possible connection between subjective and objective assessments of physical demand during passive exoskeleton usage. We analyzed data from seven studies conducted by the Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Lab (OEB lab), focusing on muscle activity (an objective measure) and perceived exertion (a subjective measure). Our analysis examined the relationship between these objective and subjective measures, as well as how gender, exoskeleton type, and task conditions influenced this relationship. Additionally, we considered mean values from seven passive exoskeleton studies conducted outside the OEB lab, to investigate whether our findings existed in other research environments. The results revealed that as muscle activity increased, perceived exertion tended to increase as well. Moreover, our findings demonstrated that gender, exoskeleton type, and task conditions did influence the relationship, although there was significant variability in how these factors affected it. This research sheds light on the potential for using subjective measures in exoskeleton studies, bringing us closer to making exoskeletons more practical and accessible for real-world applications while acknowledging the complexities of this relationship.

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published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

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This study investigated the effectiveness of utilizing acoustic measures as an objective tool in monitoring speech errors and providing visual feedback to enhance speech training and aural rehabilitation of children with hearing impairment. The first part of the study included a comprehensive description of the acoustic characteristics related to the speech deficits of a hearing impaired child. Results of a series of t-tests performed on the experimental measures showed that vowel length and the loci of formant frequencies were most relevant in differentiating between correctly and incorrectly produced vowels, while voice onset time along with measures of Moment 1 (mean) and Moment 3 (skewness) obtained from speech moment analysis, were related to consonant accuracy. These findings, especially the finding of an abnormal sound frequency distribution shown in the hearing impaired child's consonant production, suggest a link between perceptual deficits and speech production errors and provide clues to the type of compensatory feedback needed for aural rehabilitation. The second part of the study involved a multiple baseline design across behaviours with replication across three hearing impaired children to assess the efficacy of treatment with acoustic signals as visual feedback. Participants' speech articulations following traditional speech training and training using spectrographic and RMS displays as visual feedback (referred to as 'visual treatment') were compared, with traditional non-visual treatment followed by visual treatment on one or two targets in a time-staggered fashion. Although no statistically significant difference on the experimental measures was found between the two training approaches based on perceptual assessment, some objective acoustic measures revealed more subtle changes toward normal speech patterns with visual treatment as compared to a traditional approach. Further acoustic-perceptual studies with a larger sample size and longer experimental period are needed to better understand the general and long-term effectiveness of visual treatment.

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Three groups of subjects were tested with three self concept measures. The normal children and normal adult groups were matched to the subnormal group on control variables. The self concept measures used were the Piers-Harris Self Concept Scale for Children, the Tennessee Self Concept Scale and a modified Kelly rating repertory grid. Not all subnormals responded to assessment. Results suggest that subnormal adults and normal adults report similar self concept and that children report self concept which is different from these adult groups. Results also suggest that level of mental age determines the ability to complete a self concept assessment and chronological age determines positive score on self concept assessment. Most of the research in subnormality and self concept has been completed with mildly subnormal subjects. This research is reviewed. There is little previous research in subnormality to which to compare the results of this study.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The Naval Postgraduate School Center for Information Systems Security Studies and Research (CISR) is designing and developing a distributed multilevel secure (MLS) network known as the Monterey Security Architecture (MYSEA). MYSEA will permit the delivery of unmodified commercial off the shelf productivity software applications and data from a large number of single-level network domains (e.g., NIPRNET, SIPRNET, JWICS) to a trusted distributed operating environment that enforces MLS policies. The analysis and development of a communications framework necessary to support connections between multiple MLS servers and a set of high assurance network appliances supporting simultaneous access to multiple single level networks and their concurrent connection management is required to fulfill the goal of MYSEA. To enable this functionality, modifications to the existing MYSEA server, the development of a new high assurance communications security device - the Trusted Channel Module (TCM), and the implementation of a trusted channel between the MYSEA server and the TCM is required. This document specifies a framework for incorporating the high level design of the TCM, several trusted daemons and databases, plus the incorporation of a trusted channel protocol into MYSEA to enable a distributed MLS environment. / Lieutenant, United States Navy

M.Com. (Computer Auditing) / Please refer to full text to view abstract