Christ and His Kingdom: A Review of R.H. Boll

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Self-Administered Computer Therapy for Apraxia of Speech

Background and Purpose There is currently little evidence on effective interventions for poststroke apraxia of speech. We report outcomes of a trial of self-administered computer therapy for apraxia of speech. Methods Effects of speech intervention on naming and repetition of treated and untreated words were compared with those of a visuospatial sham program. The study used a parallel-group, 2-period, crossover design, with participants receiving 2 interventions. Fifty participants with chronic and stable apraxia of speech were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 order conditions: speech-first condition versus sham-first condition. Period 1 design was equivalent to a randomized controlled trial. We report results for this period and profile the effect of the period 2 crossover. Results Period 1 results revealed significant improvement in naming and repetition only in the speech-first group. The sham-first group displayed improvement in speech production after speech intervention in period 2. Significant improvement of treated words was found in both naming and repetition, with little generalization to structurally similar and dissimilar untreated words. Speech gains were largely maintained after withdrawal of intervention. There was a significant relationship between treatment dose and response. However, average self-administered dose was modest for both groups. Future software design would benefit from incorporation of social and gaming components to boost motivation. Conclusions Single-word production can be improved in chronic apraxia of speech with behavioral intervention. Self-administered computerized therapy is a promising method for delivering high-intensity speech/language rehabilitation

Aharanov-Bohm excitons at elevated temperatures in type-II ZnTe/ZnSe quantum dots

Optical emission from type-II ZnTe/ZnSe quantum dots demonstrates large and persistent oscillations in both the peak energy and intensity indicating the formation of coherently rotating states. Furthermore, the Aharanov-Bohm (AB) effect is shown to be remarkably robust and persists until 180K. This is at least one order of magnitude greater than the typical temperatures in lithographically defined rings. To our knowledge this is the highest temperature at which the AB effect has been observed in semiconductor structures

Improved Well Plugging Equipment and Waste Mangement Techniques Exceed Alara Goals at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

In 2000, Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC (BJC) contracted Tetra Tech NUS, Inc. (TtNUS) and their sub-contractor, Texas World Operations, Inc. (TWO), to plug and abandon (P&A) 111 wells located in the Melton Valley area of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). One hundred and seven of those wells were used to monitor fluid movement and subsurface containment of the low level radioactive liquid waste/grout slurry that was injected into the Pumpkin Valley Shale Formation, underlying ORNL. Four wells were used as hydrofracture injection wells to emplace the waste in the shale formation. Although the practice of hydrofracturing was and is considered by many to pose no threat to human health or the environment, the practice was halted in 1982 after the Federal Underground Injection Control regulations were enacted by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) making it necessary to properly close the wells. The work is being performed for the United States Department of Energy Oak Ridge Operations (DOE ORO). The project team is using the philosophy of minimum waste generation and the principles of ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) as key project goals to minimize personnel and equipment exposure, waste generation, and project costs. Achievement of these goals was demonstrated by the introduction of several new pieces of custom designed well plugging and abandonment equipment that were tested and used effectively during field operations. Highlights of the work performed and the equipment used are presented

Partial purification and characterization of a novel human factor that augments the expression of class I MHC antigens on tumour cells

A cytokine which augments the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I antigens on K562 and gastric carcinoma tumour (HR) cells, has been isolated from the culture supernatant of Concanavalin-A (Con-A) activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The factor, termed MHC augmenting factor (MHC- AF) has been partially purified by Sephadex G- 100 column chromatography, preparative isoelectric focusing and HPLC with ion- exchange as well as sizing columns. MHC-AF activity is associated with a 35 kDa molecule which has pI of 6.0. Interferon (IFN)-α, β, tumour necrosis factor (TNF), Interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-7 had no significant effect in MHC- AF bioassay, but IFN-γ had significant MHC-AF activity. Antibodies to IFN-α , IFN-β and TNF-α did not block the activity of MHC-AF, but anti-IFN-y antibodies could partially neutralize the activity. However, unlike IFN-γ , MHC-AF activity was resistant to pH 2.0 treatment. Purified MHC-AF preparations did not have any activity in WISH cell/encephalo myocarditis virus (EMC) IFN bioassays. In addition, anti-IFN-y affinity column did not retain MHC-AF activity. These results indicate that a MHC-AF distinct from IFN-γ, is produced by activated human mononuclear cells

Sex-specific fundamental and formant frequency patterns in a cross-sectional study

An extensive developmental acoustic study of the speech patterns of children and adults was reported by Lee and colleagues [Lee et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 105, 1455-1468 (1999)]. This paper presents a reexamination of selected fundamental frequency and formant frequency data presented in their report for 10 monophthongs by investigating sex-specific and developmental patterns using two different approaches. The first of these includes the investigation of age- and sex-specific formant frequency patterns in the monophthongs. The second, the investigation of fundamental frequency and formant frequency data using the critical band rate (bark) scale and a number of acoustic-phonetic dimensions of the monophthongs from an age- and sex-specific perspective. These acoustic-phonetic dimensions include: vowel spaces and distances from speaker centroids; frequency differences between the formant frequencies of males and females; vowel openness/closeness and frontness/backness; the degree of vocal effort; and formant frequency ranges. Both approaches reveal both age- and sex-specific development patterns which also appear to be dependent on whether vowels are peripheral or non-peripheral. The developmental emergence of these sex-specific differences are discussed with reference to anatomical, physiological, sociophonetic and culturally determined factors. Some directions for further investigation into the age-linked sex differences in speech across the lifespan are also proposed

Covariation Among Vowel Height Effects on Acoustic Measures

Covariation among vowel height effects on vowel intrinsic fundamental frequency (IF0), voice onset time (VOT), and voiceless interval duration (VID) is analyzed to assess the plausibility of a common physiological mechanism underlying variation in these measures. Phrases spoken by 20 young adults, containing words composed of initial voiceless stops or /s/ and high or low vowels, were produced in habitual and voluntarily increased F0 conditions. High vowels were associated with increased IF0 and longer VIDs. VOT and VID exhibited significant covariation with IF0 only for males at habitua

Error reduction therapy in reducing struggle and grope behaviours in apraxia of speech

We report an intervention study focused on the speech production difficulties present in acquired apraxia of speech (AOS). The intervention was a self-administered computer therapy that targeted whole word production and incorporated error reduction strategies. The effectiveness of the therapy was contrasted to that of a visuospatial sham computer program, and performance across treated words, and two sets of matched words, was assessed. Two groups of participants completed the study which employed a two-phase cross-over treatment design. Participants were randomly assigned to a speech first or sham first condition. Treatments were administered for six weeks, with a four week rest between interventions. Participants were assessed five times in total; twice at baseline, once following each of the intervention phases, and once following a lapse of eight weeks after the end of the second phase of intervention. The occurrence of accurate word production and speech characterised by struggle and groping behaviours was recorded on a repetition task. Participants showed significant gains in speech accuracy and fluency, and reductions in articulatory groping and struggle behaviours following the use of the speech program. These gains were largely maintained once the therapy was withdrawn