Modeling the Speed and Timing of American Sign Language to Generate Realistic Animations

While there are many Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) individuals with excellent reading literacy, there are also some DHH individuals who have lower English literacy. American Sign Language (ASL) is not simply a method of representing English sentences. It is possible for an individual to be fluent in ASL, while having limited fluency in English. To overcome this barrier, we aim to make it easier to generate ASL animations for websites, through the use of motion-capture data recorded from human signers to build different predictive models for ASL animations; our goal is to automate this aspect of animation synthesis to create realistic animations. This dissertation consists of several parts: Part I, defines key terminology for timing and speed parameters, and surveys literature on prior linguistic and computational research on ASL. Next, the motion-capture data that our lab recorded from human signers is discussed, and details are provided about how we enhanced this corpus to make it useful for speed and timing research. Finally, we present the process of adding layers of linguistic annotation and processing this data for speed and timing research. Part II presents our research on data-driven predictive models for various speed and timing parameters of ASL animations. The focus is on predicting the (1) existence of pauses after each ASL sign, (2) predicting the time duration of these pauses, and (3) predicting the change of speed for each ASL sign within a sentence. We measure the quality of the proposed models by comparing our models with state-of-the-art rule-based models. Furthermore, using these models, we synthesized ASL animation stimuli and conducted a user-based evaluation with DHH individuals to measure the usability of the resulting animation. Finally, Part III presents research on whether the timing parameters individuals prefer for animation may differ from those in recordings of human signers. Furthermore, it also includes research to investigate the distribution of acceleration curves in recordings of human signers and whether utilizing a similar set of curves in ASL animations leads to measurable improvements in DHH users\u27 perception of animation quality

Biosorption of Cd(II) and Co(II) Ions‏ ‏from ‎Contaminated Water‏ ‏onto Cyanophyta: Single ‎And Binary Ion Exchange Isotherm

تمت دراسة الامتزاز الحيوي المفرد والثنائي لمياه ملوثة بأيونات الكادميوم والكوبلت على الطحالب الخضر المزرقة الميتةCyanophyta) ). فقد اجريت التجارب المتضمنة على الدالة الحامضية، التركيز الاولي، سرعة الخلط، الوقت الامثل للامتزاز الحيوي ودرجة الحرارة. وقد تبين ان سعة الامتزاز للكادميوم هي 38.4 ملغم/غم وللكوبلت 23.5 ملغم/غم بوقت مثالي مقداره 1.5 ساعة. تم القيام بسلسلة من تجارب الدفعات (Batch experiment)  للملوثات للحصول على مخططات التوازن للقرآءات في حالة المفرد والثنائي. اعتمد الامتزاز الحيوي على التبادل الايوني والذي يعتمد على انبعاث وتحرير العناصر الخفيفة مثل البوتاسيوم، الصوديوم، الكالسيوم، والمغنيسيوم. حيث ان معامل الانجذاب المحسوب لكلا النظامين المفرد والثنائي كان 2.33 و 5.43على التوالي للكادميوم وللكوبلت 1.87  و 2.46 بنسبة خطا اقل من 5%.  ان هذة القيم للكادميوم هي الاقوى في كلا النظامين ومعامل الانجذاب للكادميوم اكبر من الكوبلتThis study used both single and binary biosorption of Cd(II) and Co(II) ions from a synthetic contaminated water onto a dead blue-green (Cyanophyta) algae \ as biosorbent of heavy metals. Experimental parameters included pH, initial metal concentrations, agitation speeds, contact time and temperatures were investigated. The uptake capacities were 38.4 and 23.5 mg/g for Cd (II) and Co(II), respectively. The best pH values were 5 for Co (II) and Cd (II), respectively, and the contact time was1. 5 hr. A sequence of batch experiments was performed in a batch device in order to get equilibrium isotherm data of single and binary metals solutions for biosorption. The ion exchange mechanism was the base absorption of these metals, along with the light metal release like sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium therefore a model ion exchange had been found appropriate to describe the process of biosorption. However, the calculated affinity constant (K) sequence for both single and binary system was 2.33, 5.43 respectively, for Cd (II) and 1.87, 2.46 for Co (II) with less than 5% percentage error; these values remain in both systems that the Cd(II) was the strongest one. The affinity constant in the single and binary system was KCd > KC

Novel Techniques For Investigating The Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Hemodynamics

The effect of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) on blood flow distribution within skeletal muscle microvasculature is conditional upon regional activation of SNS receptors. Due to a lack of appropriate experimental models and techniques, no study has systematically evaluated the effect of SNS receptor activation in continuously branching skeletal muscle arteriolar trees. In line with previous work, we hypothesize that there will be a spatially-dependent distribution of sympathetic receptor activation along the arteriolar tree. Specifically, we anticipate a progressive decrease of adrenergic activation and a progressive increase of peptidergic and purinergic activation with increasing arteriolar order. We developed a novel rat gluteus maximus (GM) muscle preparation which provided access to a large vascular network, from which we developed an experimental method for collecting cell velocity profiles in fast-flowing arterioles. Using these data, we derived an empirical relationship between velocity ratio (VMax/VMean) and arteriolar diameter, collected novel data on cell free layer width and estimated wall shear rates, and derived a wall shear rate equation from experimental data that can be used for calculating wall shear rates in skeletal muscle microvasculature. We evaluated SNS receptor activation (α1R, α2R, NPY1R, and P2X1R) in continuously branching arteriolar trees in the rat GM, as a function of network topology. A computational flow model estimated the total flow, resistance, and red blood cell flow heterogeneity. For the first time, we highlight effects of SNS receptor activation on network hemodynamics, where proximal arterioles responded most to adrenergic activation, while distal arterioles responded most to Y1R and P2X1R activation. Our data highlight the functional consequences of topologically-dependent SNS receptor activation. The tools developed in this thesis are beneficial for computing hemodynamic parameters from in vivo data, as well as providing input variables to and validation of computational flow models

The role of the ultimobranchial glands in calcium metabolism of the laying hen

An experiment was conducted in two trials involving 113 Single Comb White Leghorn pullets to study the effect of ultimo-branchialectomy and confinement on calcium metabolism of the laying hens. Ultimobranchialectomy and sham operations were performed on chicks at one week of age. They were then reared to maturity in floor pens and housed through the laying period in 6 x 8 and 10 x 16 inch cages and in floor pens. In trial 1, ultimobranchialectomy combined with stress of confinement resulted in a significant reduction in bone density. In addition, it also resulted in significant increases in weights of the thyroid and adrenal glands. In trial 2, however, the operation resulted in no significant decrease in bone density but did result in non-significant increases in the weights of the thyroid or the adrenal glands. In trial 1, ultimobranchialectomy combined with the stress of confinenemt in cages resulted in a non-significant reduction in bone breaking strength; whereas, in trial 2, a significant reduction was found as a result of the operation combined with the stress of confinement. In both trials, the response of the ultimobranchialectomized (UBX) pullets to bovine parathyroid extract as measured by serum calcium level Was found to be greater as compared to the sham operated controls. Ultimobranchialectomy resulted in a non significant increase in the incidence of cage layer fatigue. In addition, the operation resulted in non-significant increases in specific gravity scores of eggs, parathyroid weights, serum calcium, and hematocrit values. Confinement of pullets to laying cages resulted in a significant decrease in bone density and bone breaking strength in one of the two trials. In both trials, confinement of laying pullets to small cages resulted in significant changes in the ultimobranchial glands of these birds which were: (1) increased weight, (2) hypertrophy of cells, and (3) a decrease in calcitonin content

A hybrid of convolutional neural network and long short-term memory network approach to predictive maintenance

Predictive maintenance (PdM) is a successful strategy used to reduce cost by minimizing the breakdown stoppages and production loss. The massive amount of data that results from the integration between the physical and digital systems of the production process makes it possible for deep learning (DL) algorithms to be applied and utilized for fault prediction and diagnosis. This paper presents a hybrid convolutional neural network based and long short-term memory network (CNN-LSTM) approach to a predictive maintenance problem. The proposed CNN-LSTM approach enhances the predictive accuracy and also reduces the complexity of the model. To evaluate the proposed model, two comparisons with regular LSTM and gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) methods using a freely available dataset have been made. The PdM model based on CNN-LSTM method demonstrates better prediction accuracy compared to the regular LSTM, where the average F-Score increases form 93.34% in the case of regular LSTM to 97.48% for the proposed CNN-LSTM. Compared to the related works the proposed hybrid CNN-LSTM PdM approach achieved better results in term of accuracy

Sexism and Racism in The Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison is a famous Afro-American woman novelist who wins a Nobel prize of Literature for the novel beloved. This study explores issues related to sexism and racism which are manifested in her life and work. The novel examined by this study are Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, The texts recreate an ideology of African-American womanhood which privileges self-definition. Morrison creates remarkable black women characters in the novel. The characters attempt to establish their own identity amidst the multilayered and interconnected oppressions of sexism and racism. Thereafter, these women managed to retain their identities throughout the novels. The research adopts to analyze the novel and reflects the varied complexities that black womanhood yields within the dominant culture and how each character either internalizes or resists the politics of race, gender and sexuality to provide readers with new insights to understand Morrison’s novel. They are not human beings but simply things to be used and this is why they are subhuman, exploited and tortured all their life. This paper is an insight to discuss the life of African-American women who are the victims of the prejudices everywhere in the society and in their own families The Bluest Eye addresses sexism and racism. This relationship exposes the African American women’s intricate situation. Morrison criticizes both the oppressing forces in her (black) culture and white racism, whereas the whites take advantage of history to justify their right to rule based on the inferiority of a race and the superiority of anothe

SHEAR BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED-CONCRETE BEAMS INCORPORATING IRON FILINGS AS SAND REPLACEMENT

This study examined the influence of partial sand replacement with iron filings on the mechanical and physical characteristics of concrete, as well as conducted experimental tests of the shear behaviour of reinforced-concrete beams. Four replacement rates were used in this study, i.e., 5 %, 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % with a reference mixture containing no iron filings. At ages 7, 14, and 28 days, mechanical property tests (slump, density, ultrasonic pulse velocity, compressive strength, and splitting strength tests) were conducted. In addition, the shear behaviour of five reinforced-concrete beams with the same replacement rates (0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 20 %, and 30 %) were experimentally tested. Tests were conducted to determine the ultimate load failure, final deflection, energy absorption, stiffness, ductility index, compressive stress, and crack formations. According to the results, the correlation between the slump test and iron filings is positive; however, that for absorption is negative. With a higher percentage of iron-filing replacement, the density and ultrasonic pulse velocity increased. For specimens with 30,00 % iron filings, the densities, pulse velocities, and slumps were raised by 6,27 %, 2,44 %, and 58,33 %, respectively, compared to the reference specimens, whereas the absorption rate decreased by 20,00 %. Having 20,00 % iron filings produced the maximum compressive and splitting strengths of 28,00 %, which was 4,60 % higher than the reference mixture, whereas 30,00 % iron filings produced the highest flexural strength, which was 9,50 % higher than the reference mix. The findings of beam testing revealed that increasing the iron-filing content in concrete beams increased the final failure load, final deflection, ductility index, and energy absorption by 6,70 %, 10,29 %, 11,30 %, and 35,00 %, respectively. The initial and secant stiffnesses decreased at rates of 12,60 % and 3,10 %, respectively

Comparison study between the treatment of Hepatitis C virus with (peg-interferon, ribavirin, silymarin) and (peg-interferon, ribavirin) in Baghdad teaching hospital.

Background: Infection with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease, WHO estimated that about 170 million people are infected with Hepatitic C virus, Silymarin (Legalon) have been recently shown to be effective in treatment of Hepatitic C virus infection. Objectives: The effectiveness of Legalon (Silymarin) on viral load in patients with Hepatitic C virus infection. Patients and methods: A prospective case – control study included 400 patients with Hepatitis C virus infection. 200 patients (group A) were treated with (peg-interferon, ribavirin, silymarin) the other 200 patients (group B) were treated with (peg-interferon, ribavirin) . only G1 & G4 genotypes were included , viral load were assessed initially and after 3 months in patients with positive viral load. Results: Viral load follow in group A, Hepatitis C Viral load was reported in 150 cases giving a response rate of 75% while in the 200 cases of group B the response was reported in 110 giving an overall response rate 55% , this indicate that cases in group A had a significant higher response rate than those in group B. Conclusion: Patients taking Silymarin (420 mg/day) for 3 months showed a decrease in viral load, effectiveness of silymarin was more in Genotype 1 than in the Genotype 4, the response was better in low viral load patients ( less than 600000 IU/ml)

COUPLED VERTICAL – TORSIONAL AND LATERAL FREE VIBRATION OF THIN-WALLED CURVED BEAM

This study is concerned with the derivation of differential equation of motion for the free coupled vertical – torsional and lateral vibration of opened thin-walled curved beams. The curved beam to be considered in this study is of isotropic opened thin – walled (I) section with equal top and bottom flanges. The derivation depends on Hamilton's principle which required finding the potential and kinetic energy of the curved beam section due to internal stresses and all types of movements (Vertical,Torsional and Lateral) .The effect of restrained warping displacement is also considered in this study. Three differential equations are derived for vertical, torsional and lateral movement .and approximate solutions are developed by using the method of multiple scale via a perturbation technique. The resulting natural frequencies and modes for vertical , torsional and lateral movements are compared with those calculated by using finite element approach ( STAAD Pro. 2007 ) and with the results other studies