Voice control of complex workstations

The use of a speaker-dependent connected word recognition system to control an Air Traffic Control (ATC) demonstration workstation is described, also the work that went into developing that speech system. The workstation with speech recognition was demonstrated live at an Air Traffic Controller's Association convention in 1987. The purpose of the demonstration workstation is discussed, with the development of the speech interface highlighted. Included are: a brief description of the speech hardware and software, and overview of the speech driven workstation functions, a description of the speech vocabulary/grammer, and details that the enrollment and training procedures used in preparing the controllers for the demonstrations. Although no quantitative results are available, the potential benefits of using voice as an interface to this type of workstation are discussed and limitations of current speech technology and areas where more work is required are highlighted

Is It a Science?

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Specific volumes of the Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10.0Be22.5 alloy in the liquid, glass, and crystalline states

The specific volumes of the Zr41.2Ti13.8CU12.5Ni10.0Be2.25 alloy as a function of temperature, T, are determined by employing an image digitizing technique and numerical calculation methods applied to the electrostatically levitated spherical alloy. The linear fitting of the volumes of the alloy in the liquid, V-l, glass, V-g, and crystalline V-c, states in the temperature ranges shown in parentheses are V-l(T) = 0.1583 + 8.877 x 10(-6)T(cm^(3)/g) (700-1300 K); V-g(T) = 0.1603 + 5.528 x 10^(-6)T (400-550 K); V-c(T) = 0.1583 + 6.211 x 10(-6)T(400-850 K). The average volume thermal expansion coefficients within the temperature ranges are determined to be 5.32, 3.39, and 3.83 x 10^(-5) (1/K) for the liquid, glass, and crystalline states, respectively

Robust Stochastic Design of Linear Controlled Systems for Performance Optimization

This study discusses a robust controller synthesis methodology for linear, time invariant systems, under probabilistic parameter uncertainty. Optimization of probabilistic performance robustness for [script H]_2 and multi-objective [script H]_2 measures is investigated, as well as for performance measures based on first-passage system reliability. The control optimization approaches proposed here exploit recent advances in stochastic simulation techniques. The approach is illustrated for vibration response suppression of a civil structure. The results illustrate that, for problems with probabilistic uncertainty, the explicit optimization of probabilistic performance robustness can result in markedly different optimal feedback laws, as well as enhanced performance robustness, when compared to traditional “worst-case” notions of robust optimal control

Comparison of Ejecta Distributions from Normal Incident Hypervelocity Impact on Lunar Regolith Simulant

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is progressing toward long-term lunar habitation. Critical to the design of a lunar habitat is an understanding of the lunar surface environment; of specific importance is the primary meteoroid and subsequent ejecta environment. The document, NASA SP-8013, was developed for the Apollo program and is the latest definition of the ejecta environment. There is concern that NASA SP-8013 may over-estimate the lunar ejecta environment. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) has initiated several tasks to improve the accuracy of our understanding of the lunar surface ejecta environment. This paper reports the results of experiments on projectile impact into powered pumice and unconsolidated JSC-1A Lunar Mare Regolith stimulant (JSC-1A) targets. The Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR) was used to accelerate projectiles to velocities in excess of 5 km/s and impact the targets at normal incidence. The ejected particles were detected by thin aluminum foil targets placed around the impact site and angular distributions were determined for ejecta. Comparison of ejecta angular distribution with previous works will be presented. A simplistic technique to characterize the ejected particles was formulated and improvements to this technique will be discussed for implementation in future tests

Accuracy of ED Bedside Ultrasound for Identification of gallstones: retrospective analysis of 575 studies

Study Objective: To determine the ability of emergency department (ED) physicians to diagnose cholelithiasis with bedside ultrasound. Methods: ED gallbladder ultrasounds recorded over 37 months were compared to radiology ultrasound interpretation. Results: Of 1,690 ED gallbladder ultrasound scans performed during this period, radiology ultrasound was performed in 575/1690 (34%) cases. ED physician bedside interpretation was 88% sensitive [95% CI, 84-91] and 87% specific [95% CI, 82-91], while positive predictive value (PPV) was 91% [88- 94%] and negative predictive value (NPV) was 83% [78-87%], using radiology interpretation as the criterion reference. Conclusion: ED physician ultrasound of the gallbladder for cholelithiasis is both sensitive and specific

Transplantation of Autologous Adipose Stem Cells Lacks Therapeutic Efficacy in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Model

Multiple sclerosis (MS), characterized by chronic inflammation, demyelination, and axonal damage, is a complicated neurological disease of the human central nervous system. Recent interest in adipose stromal/stem cell (ASCs) for the treatment of CNS diseases has promoted further investigation in order to identify the most suitable ASCs. To investigate whether MS affects the biologic properties of ASCs and whether autologous ASCs from MS-affected sources could serve as an effective source for stem cell therapy, cells were isolated from subcutaneous inguinal fat pads of mice with established experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of MS. ASCs from EAE mice and their syngeneic wildtype mice were cultured, expanded, and characterized for their cell morphology, surface antigen expression, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, colony forming units, and inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels in vitro. Furthermore, the therapeutic efficacy of the cells was assessed in vivo by transplantation into EAE mice. The results indicated that the ASCs from EAE mice displayed a normal phenotype, typical MSC surface antigen expression, and in vitro osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capacity, while their osteogenic differentiation capacity was reduced in comparison with their unafflicted control mice. The ASCs from EAE mice also demonstrated increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, specifically an elevation in the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and keratin chemoattractant. In vivo, infusion of wild type ASCs significantly ameliorate the disease course, autoimmune mediated demyelination and cell infiltration through the regulation of the inflammatory responses, however, mice treated with autologous ASCs showed no therapeutic improvement on the disease progression

Educational Assessment of Medical Student Rotation in Emergency Ultrasound

Background: Medical student ultrasound education is sparse. In 2002, we began the first medical student rotation in emergency ultrasound. Objective: To evaluate if medical students can learn and retain sonographic skills during a two- or four-week elective. Methods: We gave students an exam on the first and last days of the rotation. Six months later, students took the exam a third time. A control group was used for comparison. Results: Over a 19-month period, we enrolled 45 students (25 on the two-week and 20 on the four-week elective). The four-week student post-test score was significantly better than the two- week posttest score (81% vs. 72%, p=0.003). On the six-month exam, the four-week student post-test score was significantly better than the two-week post-test score (77% vs 69%, p=0.008). The control group did not statistically improve. Conclusion: Medical students can learn bedside ultrasound interpretation with clinical integration and retain the knowledge six months later

Administration of Murine Stromal Vascular Fraction Ameliorates Chronic Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Administration of adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs) represents a promising therapeutic approach for autoimmune diseases since they have been shown to have immunomodulatory properties. The uncultured, nonexpanded counterpart of ASCs, the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), is composed of a heterogeneous mixture of cells. Although administration of ex vivo culture-expanded ASCs has been used to study immunomodulatory mechanisms in multiple models of autoimmune diseases, less is known about SVF-based therapy. The ability of murine SVF cells to treat myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein35-55-induced experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) was compared with that of culture-expanded ASCs in C57Bl/6J mice. A total of 1 x 106 SVF cells or ASCs were administered intraperitoneally concomitantly with the induction of disease. The data indicate that intraperitoneal administration of ASCs significantly ameliorated the severity of disease course. They also demonstrate, for the first time, that the SVF effectively inhibited disease severity and was statistically more effective than ASCs. Both cell therapies also demonstrated a reduction in tissue damage, a decrease in inflammatory infiltrates, and a reduction in sera levels of interferon-γ and interleukin-12. Based on these data, SVF cells effectively inhibited EAE disease progression more than culture-expanded ASCs