American Freedom Speeches Parallel Corpus Design, Building, and Annotation Guidelines

This is a research guide that describes the original procedures that were used in building, annotating, and coding the Cokely American Freedom Speeches Parallel Corpus

Universal Design in Technology Used in Interpreter Education

Interpreter educators need to consider whether the educational technology they use is maximally accessible and usable. This paper discusses the application of universal design (UD) principles to educational technologies that have been adopted for use in interpreter education. Particularly, the focus is on the design of video annotation software features used in the assessment of interpretations. Some features currently being used meet minimal standards of accessibility but do not fully comply with principles of UD. This paper provides an overview of a pilot study of the development of prototype annotation features that would not only accommodate specialized needs for users who are deaf, but would actually be more usable by all levels of users. As part of this study, preliminary survey and discussion forum results are reported

Production of 1,3-propanediol from glycerol under haloalkaline conditions by halanaerobium hydrogeniformans

With increased demands around the world to make modern lifestyles more environmentally friendly, the chemical commodity market has rapidly shifted. Through new technologies in chemical production, certain high value products have oversaturated the market and have become high-volume, low value waste products. The expansion of biodiesel production offers a prime example; high volumes of glycerol byproduct from this process have shifted glycerol from a high priced commodity to a common waste product. A number of microorganisms are known to synthesize the polymeric precursor 1,3-propanediol from glycerol; however, crude glycerol from biodiesel production creates a harsh environment for most microbes, and must go through expensive pre-treatment steps to lower alkaline pH values and salt concentrations before it can be considered a suitable feedstock. Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans has been identified to convert glycerol into 1,3-propanediol under haloalkaline conditions. Samples were grown over five days at pH 11 and at 7% (w/v) NaCL. The growth medium was amended with vitamin B12 to stimulate 1,3-propanediol production. HPLC analysis indicated statistically significant production of 1,3-propanediol, with the vitamin B12 amended bottles having a significant increase in 1,3-propanediol production compared to glycerol-only cultures. Data indicated a 0.6mol/mol conversion for vitamin B12 amended samples, while glycerol-only cultures had a conversion rate of 0.32mol/mol. H. hydrogeniformans, and potentially other haloalkaliphilic bacteria, provides a unique opportunity to develop new chemical processes that can overcome traditional problems and increase profitability by reducing the need for pH neutralization and dilution of residual salts in wastes such as crude glycerol --Abstract, page iv

Learning Benefits of a Translation Corpus for Novice ASL-English Interpreters

A preliminary review of the literature reveals that Corpus-Based Translation Studies (CTS) is an established area of research/methodology (Kruger, et al, 2011). Corpus-Based Interpreting Studies (CIS) is still emerging (Setton, 2011). Studies within CTS point to positive benefits of using translation corpora in translator education (Beeby, 2009, among others). In CIS, there are few studies that examine the use of corpora in spoken language interpreter education (Tohyama, et al., 2006). The use of corpora in signed language interpreter education appears to be unexplored

Brief Note: Odonata of the Beaver Creek Wetlands, Greene County, Ohio: A Preliminary Survey

Author Institution: Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State UniversityWeekly trips were made to various habitats within the Beaver Creek Wetlands in Greene County, OH, from 15 April to 3 October in 1996 and 20 April to 18 October in 1997. Specimens were collected with aerial nets or recorded as observational records. A species list for the wetlands was built and data was entered into the Ohio Odonate Survey database. Thirty-six species (22 Anisoptera; 15 Zygoptera) were collected including 11 new county records bringing the Greene county list from 43 to 54

Conversion of Glycerol to 1,3-propanediol under Haloalkaline Conditions

A method of producing 1,3-propanediol. The method comprises fermenting a haloalkaliphilic species of Halanaerobium with a source of glycerol into 1,3-propanediol, at a pH of greater than about 10 and at a salt concentration of greater than about 5% w/v. Furthermore, with supplementation of vitamin B12, the yield of 1,3-propanediol to glycerol can be increased

Agreement in Walking Speed Measured Using Four Different Outcome Measures: 6-Meter Walk Test, 10-Meter Walk Test, 2-Minute Walk Test, and 6-Minute Walk Test

Background: Walking speed is considered the sixth vital sign because it is a valid, reliable, and sensitive measure for assessing functional status in various populations. Purpose: The current study assessed agreement in walking speed using the 6-meter walk test, (6MWT) 10-meter walk test (10MWT), 2-minute walk test (2minWT), and 6-minute walk test (6minWT). We also determined differences in walking speed. Methods: Seventy-three healthy adults (44 females, 29 males; mean [SD] age=31.36 [10.33] years) participated. Lafayette Electronic timing devices measured walking speed for the 6MWT and 10MWT. Measuring wheels and stopwatches measured walking distance and speed for the 2minWT and 6minWT. Participants completed 1 trial, and all tests were administered simultaneously. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient (2, 4) for the different measures of walking speed was excellent at 0.90 (95% confidence intervals, 0.86-0.93). The correlation was 0.95 between 6MWT and 10MWT, 0.94 between 2minWT and 6minWT, 0.67 between 6MWT and 2minWT, 0.63 between 10MWT and 2minWT, and 0.59 between 10MWT and 6minWT (all p \u3c 0.05). No differences in walking speed were found between the four walking tests. Conclusion: Administration of any of the four walking tests provided reliable measurement of walking speed

Kinetic Characterization of Salmonella FliK-FlhB Interactions Demonstrates Complexity of the Type III Secretion Substrate-Specificity Switch

The bacterial flagellum is a complex macromolecular machine consisting of more than 20000 proteins, most of which must be exported from the cell via a dedicated Type III secretion apparatus. At a defined point in flagellar morphogenesis, hook completion is sensed and the apparatus switches substrate specificity type from rod and hook proteins to filament ones. How the switch works is a subject of intense interest. FIiK and F1hBs play central roles. In the present study, two optical biosensing methods were used to characterize FIiK-F1hB interactions using wild-type and two variant FlhBs from mutants with severe flagellar structural defects. Binding was found to be complex with fast and slow association and dissociation components. Surprisingly, wild-type and variant FlhBs had similar kinetic profiles and apparent affinities, which ranged between I and 10.5 μM, suggesting that the specificity switch is more complex than presently understood. Other binding experiments provided evidence for a conformational change after binding. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and NMR experiments were performed to identify a cyclic intermediate product whose existence supports the mechanism of autocatalytic cleavage at FlhB residue N269. The present results show that while autocatalytic cleavage is necessary for proper substrate specificity switching, it does not result in an altered interaction with FIiK. strongly suggesting the involvement of other proteins in the mechanism

The compositionally distinct cyanobacterial biocrusts from brazilian savanna and their environmental drivers of community diversity

Machado de Lima, Náthali Maria. São Paulo State University (UNESP). Microbiology Graduation Program. Department of Zoology and Botany. São Paulo, Brazil.Cámara Fernandes, Vanessa Moreira. Arizona State University. Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics. Biodesign Institute. Tempe, Arizona, United States.Roush, Daniel. Arizona State University. Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics. Biodesign Institute. Tempe, Arizona, United States.Velasco Ayuso, Sergio. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA). Buenos Aires, Argentina.Rigonato, Janaina. University of São Paulo (USP). Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA). Piracicaba, Brazil.Garcia Pichel, Ferran. Arizona State University. Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics. Biodesign Institute. Tempe, Arizona, United States.Zanini Branco, Luis Henrique. São Paulo State University (UNESP). Microbiology Graduation Program. Department of Zoology and Botany. São Paulo, Brazil.10The last decade was marked by efforts to define and identify the main cyanobacterial players in biological crusts around the world. However, not much is known about biocrusts in Brazil’s tropical savanna (cerrado), despite the existence of environments favorable to their development and ecological relevance. We examined the community composition of cyanobacteria in biocrusts from six sites distributed in the Southeast of the country using high throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and phylogenetic placement in the wider context of biocrusts from deserts. Sequences ascribable to 22 genera of cyanobacteria were identified. Although a significant proportion of sequences did not match those of known cyanobacteria, several clades of Leptolyngbya and Porphyrosiphon were found to be the most abundant. We identified significant differences in dominance and overall composition among the cerrado sites, much larger than within-site variability. The composition of cerrado cyanobacterial communities was distinct from those known in biocrusts from North American deserts. Among several environmental drivers considered, the opposing trend of annual precipitation and mean annual temperature best explained the variability in community composition within Brazilian biocrusts. Their compositional uniqueness speaks of the need for dedicated efforts to study the ecophysiology of tropical savanna biocrust and their roles in ecosystem function for management and preservation