Integrated voice and visual systems research topics

A series of studies was performed to investigate factors of helicopter speech and visual system design and measure the effects of these factors on human performance, both for pilots and non-pilots. The findings and conclusions of these studies were applied by the U.S. Army to the design of the Army's next generation threat warning system for helicopters and to the linguistic functional requirements for a joint Army/NASA flightworthy, experimental speech generation and recognition system

Identification of Speech-language Disorders in Toddlers

This session is developed by, and presenters invited by, Speech Sound Disorders in Children and Language in Infants Toddlers and Preschoolers. This invited session provides an overview of early speech/language development with a focus on identifying delay/disorders in toddlers. Types of speech/language behaviors in prelinguistic/ early linguistic development that serve as “red flags” for possible disorders will be discussed. The need for developmentally appropriate assessments will be highlighted

Comparative Microscopy and Morphometry of Skeletal Muscle Fibers in Poultry

Two experiments comparing microscopic analyses were performed using two cooking methods an:t two different muscles from both chickens and turkeys. In the first experiment, breast (pectoralis) and thigh (quadriceps) muscle taken from male and female Rhode Island Red chickens at three ages (10 weeks, 25 weeks and 52 weeks) were cooked in a microwave oven . Samples were collected for observation with brightfield, phase contrast, interference contrast (Nomarski) and transmission electron microscopy. Samples from the same muscle areas were provided for taste pane l evaluation . In the second experiment, breast and thigh samples were collected from 10-week old male and female turkeys with one control sample uncooked while duplicate samples we re cooked via a dry heat convection oven . Samples from the same muscle areas were taken for microscopic analyses, taste panel evaluation and shear press analysis. A decrease in sarcomerelength and an increase in Z-disc f r agmentation were no ted in breast and thigh muscles with both cooking methods. Results indicated that type of microscopy (and the ancillary tissue preparative techniques used) significantly affected the morphometrical data. Using similar muscle samples , brightfield microscopy of paraffin sections resulted in significantly shorter (

Relativistic timescale analysis suggests lunar theory revision

The SI second of the atomic clock was calibrated to match the Ephemeris Time (ET) second in a mutual four year effort between the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the United States Naval Observatory (USNO). The ephemeris time is 'clocked' by observing the elapsed time it takes the Moon to cross two positions (usually occultation of stars relative to a position on Earth) and dividing that time span into the predicted seconds according to the lunar equations of motion. The last revision of the equations of motion was the Improved Lunar Ephemeris (ILE), which was based on E. W. Brown's lunar theory. Brown classically derived the lunar equations from a purely Newtonian gravity with no relativistic compensations. However, ET is very theory dependent and is affected by relativity, which was not included in the ILE. To investigate the relativistic effects, a new, noninertial metric for a gravitated, translationally accelerated and rotating reference frame has three sets of contributions, namely (1) Earth's velocity, (2) the static solar gravity field and (3) the centripetal acceleration from Earth's orbit. This last term can be characterized as a pseudogravitational acceleration. This metric predicts a time dilation calculated to be -0.787481 seconds in one year. The effect of this dilation would make the ET timescale run slower than had been originally determined. Interestingly, this value is within 2 percent of the average leap second insertion rate, which is the result of the divergence between International Atomic Time (TAI) and Earth's rotational time called Universal Time (UT or UTI). Because the predictions themselves are significant, regardless of the comparison to TAI and UT, the authors will be rederiving the lunar ephemeris model in the manner of Brown with the relativistic time dilation effects from the new metric to determine a revised, relativistic ephemeris timescale that could be used to determine UT free of leap second adjustments

Leading, Energizing, and Developing Staff Through Times of Change

The nature of library work is changing. New technology, user preferences, tighter budgets, and new expectations have meant that libraries have altered and adapted the way they provide resources and services. While these changes have brought many benefits to library users, innovations in how libraries provide resources and services often have long-term implications on the skills needed from librarians and staff. Now more than ever, it\u27s important to communicate to staff about the future of their work and their roles in the library, and to provide them with the development and training they need to transition into new roles. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? is no longer applicable to just those looking to move up in the profession, but also to those individuals who wish to grow within in their current position. Takeaways: 1) Participants will be able to identify the challenges managers face when communicating with staff about the future of their work and their role in the library. 2) Participants will be able to describe the methods for conveying vision and change to staff. 3) Participants will be able to identify resources they can use to help staff transition to new roles in the library

An International Comparison of Intervention Practices for Children with Speech Sound Disorder

Two-hundred and seven speech-language pathologists (SLPs) from the US and 335 SLPs from Australia were surveyed about the intervention, service delivery models and intensity of intervention that they provide to children with speech sound disorder. Differences in practices, and implications for evidence-based practice and clinical outcomes, are discussed

ACVIM consensus statement guidelines for the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and monitoring of pulmonary hypertension in dogs.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined by increased pressure within the pulmonary vasculature, is a hemodynamic and pathophysiologic state present in a wide variety of cardiovascular, respiratory, and systemic diseases. The purpose of this consensus statement is to provide a multidisciplinary approach to guidelines for the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and monitoring of PH in dogs. Comprehensive evaluation including consideration of signalment, clinical signs, echocardiographic parameters, and results of other diagnostic tests supports the diagnosis of PH and allows identification of associated underlying conditions. Dogs with PH can be classified into the following 6 groups: group 1, pulmonary arterial hypertension; group 2, left heart disease; group 3, respiratory disease/hypoxia; group 4, pulmonary emboli/pulmonary thrombi/pulmonary thromboemboli; group 5, parasitic disease (Dirofilaria and Angiostrongylus); and group 6, disorders that are multifactorial or with unclear mechanisms. The approach to treatment of PH focuses on strategies to decrease the risk of progression, complications, or both, recommendations to target underlying diseases or factors contributing to PH, and PH-specific treatments. Dogs with PH should be monitored for improvement, static condition, or progression, and any identified underlying disorder should be addressed and monitored simultaneously

A Prospective Surveillance Study of Candidaemia : Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Antifungal Treatment and Outcome in Hospitalized Patients

Funding This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award for Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology 097377/Z/11/Z. Data collection was supported by a grant from Pfizer. GR was also supported by a research fellowship grant from Gilead Sciences. The collection of the isolates was funded by a Gilead Fellowship to GR. Acknowledgments We are grateful to microbiology colleagues throughout Scotland for submitting isolates. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing was performed by the Mycology Reference Laboratory, Public Health England, Bristol.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Assessment of Single-Word Production for Children under Three Years of Age: Comparison of Children with and without Cleft Palate

Background. This study reports comparative phonological assessment results for children with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) to typically developing peers using an evaluation tool for early phonological skills. Methods. Children without clefts (NC = noncleft) and 24 children with CLP, ages of 18–36 months, were evaluated using the Profile of Early Expressive Phonological Skills (PEEPSs) [1]. Children interacted with toy manipulatives to elicit a representative sample of target English consonants and syllable structures that are typically acquired by children between 18 and 27 months of age. Results. Results revealed significant differences between the two groups with regard to measures of consonant inventory, place of articulation, manner of production, accuracy, and error patterns. Syllable structure did not indicate differences, with the exception of initial consonant clusters. Conclusions. findings provide support for PEEPS as a viable option for single-word assessment of children with CLP prior to 3 years of age

Evaluation of Parent- and Speech-Language Pathologist–Delivered Multiple Oppositions Intervention for Children With Phonological Impairment: A Multiple-Baseline Design Study

Purpose: Evidence for the multiple oppositions intervention approach indicates it should be delivered 3 times weekly; however, this high dose frequency is not provided by many speech-language pathologists worldwide. This study investigated whether parents could be involved in delivering phonological intervention to fulfill this intensity shortfall. Method: Five children with moderate-to-severe phonological impairment aged 3;3–5;11 (years;months) and 1 of their parents participated in this study using a multiplebaseline across participants design. Participants attended one 60-min clinic-based session per week for 8 weeks, and parents completed home practice 2 times per week over this period after receiving training. Parents also attended a 60-min training session prior to commencing intervention. Results: All children showed a treatment effect to treated words. Three of the 5 children demonstrated a large effect size for generalization to nontreatment words, with 1 child demonstrating a moderate effect and 1 child demonstrating no effect. However, all children showed qualitative changes to their speech system. Three of the 5 children experienced significant changes to communicative participation. Measures of treatment fidelity indicated that parents were able to competently deliver the intervention both within the clinic and at home. Conclusions: Combined parent-and speech-language pathologist–delivered multiple oppositions intervention is effective for some children with moderate-to-severe phonological impairment. The findings indicate that parents can be trained to competently and confidently deliver phonological intervention. Further evidence is needed to identify optimal child and parent characteristics most suited to this modified service delivery approach