Multimodal interaction for 2D and 3D environments [virtual reality]

The allure of immersive technologies is undeniable. Unfortunately, the user's ability to interact with these environments lags behind the impressive visuals. In particular, it's difficult to navigate in unknown visual landscapes, find entities, access information and select entities using six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) devices. We believe multimodal interaction-specifically speech and gesture-will make a major difference in the usability of such environments     

Status of flat-plate photovoltaic systems for applications in developing countries

This paper discusses the status of flat-plate photovoltaic (PV) system technology, performance and cost for applications in developing countries. Comparison of key electrical service performance factors is made between PV and conventional generating systems. PV module reliability results from 23 field tests are summarized and the effect of failure on system performance is discussed. Cost algorithms, drawn from historial data, are defined and applied to obtain PV system selling price as a function of worst-month insolation and for several values of loss-of-energy-probability, (LOEP), an index of performance. Comparison is made of levelized energy cost between PV and diesel-generator systems. Projections of PV system selling price, major component costs and system levelized energy cost to the mid-1980s and 1990s are displayed and the implications discussed. It was concluded that PV system technical viability had been confirmed and commercial development is well advanced. PV system electrical service performance is generally superior to service performance provided by the electric grid or diesel in rural and remote areas. At present, for many applications having an annual electrical demand of up to 4 to 10 MWH, the levelized energy cost of PV systems in regions of good insolation is less than for diesel generators. Within 20 yr, if cost projections are borne out, photovoltaics will become the least expensive and most reliable source for most decentralized electric power in the developing world.     

Immortalization of neuroendocrine pinealocytes from transgenic mice by targeted tumorigenesis using the tryptophan hydroxylase promoter

Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is the first enzyme in both serotonin and melatonin biosynthesis in neuroendocrine cells of the pineal gland. The lack of immortalized neuroendocrine pineal cell lines has been a major obstacle to the study of the tissue-specific and circadian regulation of TPH gene expression in the pineal gland. Previously, we demonstrated that a 6.1 kb 5' upstream region of the mouse TPH gene directs the restricted expression of a lacZ reporter gene to the pineal gland and the raphe nuclei of transgenic mice. Therefore, to develop TPH-expressing pineal cell lines we first established transgenic mice carrying a construct consisting of 6.1 kb of 5' flanking region fused to the SV40 T-antigen. These animals developed highly invasive pineal tumors and died at 12-15 weeks of age. The pineal tumors obtained from the transgenic mice were utilized to establish the immortalized pinealocyte-derived cell lines. These cells express two marker enzymes, TPH and serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT). In pineal gland TPH and NAT expressions have been known to be regulated during circadian cycle. The two established cell lines therefore promise to be a valuable in vitro model system for the study of the rhythmic nature of the pineal function at molecular level in mammal.     

Specific and differential activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades by unfamiliar taste in the insular cortex of the behaving rat

Rats were given to drink an unfamiliar taste solution under conditions that result in long-term memory of that taste. The insular cortex, which contains the taste cortex, was then removed and assayed for activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades by using antibodies to the activated forms of various MAPKs. Extracellular responsive kinase 1-2 (ERK1-2) in the cortical homogenate was significantly activated within <30 min of drinking the taste solution, without alteration in the total level of the ERK1-2 proteins. The activity subsided to basal levels within <60 min. In contrast, ERK1-2 was not activated when the taste was made familiar. The effect of the unfamiliar taste was specific to the insular cortex. Jun N-terminal kinase 1-2 (JNK1-2) was activated by drinking the taste but with a delayed time course, whereas the activity of Akt kinase and p38MAPK remained unchanged. Elk-1, a member of the ternary complex factor and an ERK/JNK downstream substrate, was activated with a time course similar to that of ERK1-2. Microinjection of a reversible inhibitor of MAPK/ERK kinase into the insular cortex shortly before exposure to the novel taste in a conditioned taste aversion training paradigm attenuated long-term taste aversion memory without significantly affecting short-term memory or the sensory, motor, and motivational faculties required to express long-term taste aversion memory. It was concluded that ERK and JNK are specifically and differentially activated in the insular cortex after exposure to a novel taste, and that this activation is required for consolidation of long-term taste memory.     

Motor neuron syndromes in cancer patients

Previous reports indicate that motor neuron disease (MND) may rarely be associated with systemic cancer. We have encountered 14 patients with MND and cancer who formed three distinct groups. Group 1: Three patients developed a rapidly progressive MND, less prominent symptoms of involvement of other areas of the nervous system, and anti-Hu antibodies. Group 2: Five women developed signs of upper motor neuron (UMN) disease, initially resembling primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), and breast cancer. In 4, symptoms of UMN occurred within 3 months of cancer diagnosis or tumor recurrence. They had no metastases or spinal cord compression. Serum anti-neuronal antibodies were negative. Three patients are alive (follow-up of 156, 15, and 12 months), and 2 remain without lower motor neuron signs. Group 3: Six patients developed MND resembling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis between 47 months before and 48 months after their cancer diagnosis. In group 1, the MND associated with the anti-Hu antibody is unequivocally paraneoplastic. In group 2, the proximate onset of MND with the diagnosis of cancer or its recurrence, its pure or long-lasting UMN signs, and its association with breast cancer, suggest that the disorder may be paraneoplastic. Although for most cancer patients who develop MND the occurrence of both disorders is probably coincidental, in some patients with MND a careful search for an underlying cancer is warranted (ie, patients in groups 1 and 2).     

Underwater imaging with a moving acoustic lens

The acoustic lens is a high-resolution, forward-looking sonar for three dimensional (3-D) underwater imaging. We discuss processing the lens data for recreating and visualizing the scene. Acoustical imaging, compared to optical imaging, is sparse and low resolution. To achieve higher resolution, we obtain a denser sample by mounting the lens on a moving platform and passing over the scene. This introduces the problem of data fusion from multiple overlapping views for scene formation, which we discuss. We also discuss the improvements in object reconstruction by combining data from several passes over an object. We present algorithms for pass registration and show that this process can be done with enough accuracy to improve the image and provide greater detail about the object. The results of in-water experiments show the degree to which size and shape can be obtained under (nearly) ideal conditions.     

Diffusion bonding of beryllium-copper alloys

A process has been developed for diffusion-bonding identical beryllium-copper alloy, 1.8 to 2.0 wt% Be, which has produced bond strengths comparable to that of the bulk. Bonding resulted from self-diffusion between two Be-Cu samples, brought into intimate contact and heated in a high vacuum. Metallurgical analyses of the diffusion bonds revealed the bond interface to be a continuous high-angle planar boundary. The analyses also revealed that oxides were present at the interface after bonding. The agreement between the experimental results and a theoretical model for diffusion-bonding of pure copper, derived by Hill and Wallach, was good. Operated for the US Department of Energy by Allied-Signal Inc., Kansas City Division under Contract No. DE-AC04-76-DP00613.     

New energy transfer dyes for DNA sequencing

We have synthesized a set of four energy transfer dyes and demonstrated their use in automated DNA sequencing. The donor dyes are the 5- or 6-carboxy isomers of 4'-aminomethylfluorescein and the acceptor dyes are a novel set of four 4,7-dichloro-substituted rhodamine dyes which have narrower emission spectra than the standard, unsubstituted rhodamines. A rigid amino acid linker, 4-aminomethylbenzoic acid, was used to separate the dyes. The brightness of each dye in an automated sequencing instrument equipped with a dual line argon ion laser (488 and 514 nm excitation) was 2-2.5 times greater than the standard dye-primers with a 2 times reduction in multicomponent noise. The overall improvement in signal-to-noise was 4- to 5-fold. The utility of the new dye set was demonstrated by sequencing of a BAC DNA with an 80 kb insert. Measurement of the extinction coefficients and the relative quantum yields of the dichlororhodamine components of the energy transfer dyes showed their values were reduced by 20-25% compared with the dichlororhodamine dyes alone.