ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Tongue tracking, which helps researchers gain valuable insights into speech mechanism, has many applications in speech therapy and language learning. The wireless localization technique, which involves tracking a small magnetic tracer within the 3-D oral space, provides a low cost and convenient approach to capture tongue kinematics. In practice, this technique requires accurate calibration of three-axial magnetic sensors used in the tracking system. The data-driven calibration depends on the trajectories of magnetic tracer and the ambient noise, which may change across time and space. METHODS: In this paper, we model the kinematics of tracer movement and the noisy magnetic measurements in a Bayesian framework, then present a joint calibration and localization (JCL) algorithm based on expectation maximization (EM), where the unscented Rauch-Tung-Striebel smoother is employed for tracer localization and the curvilinear search algorithm is applied for sensor calibration. RESULTS: Based on measurements conducted on our tongue tracking system with a small magnetic tracer (diameter: 6.05 mm, thickness: 1.25 mm, residual induction: 14 800 G), the JCL algorithm achieves averaged root mean square error of 0.45 mm for tracer position estimation and for tracer orientation estimation, which are significantly lower than those of the separate calibration and localization algorithms. CONCLUSION: These results show that JCL can help improve the localization accuracy of this system. SIGNIFICANCE: A potentially high precision tongue tracking method is demonstrated.
Subject(s)
Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods , Speech-Language Pathology/methods , Speech/physiology , Tongue/physiology , Adult , Algorithms , Bayes Theorem , Calibration , Equipment Design , Fiducial Markers , Humans , Male , Speech-Language Pathology/instrumentationABSTRACT
Probanda affected with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) had a molecular genetic analysis which indicated the type I. Of the three pregnancies in the probanda, first two had mutant gene carrier fetuses and these pregnancies were terminated. The fetus of the third pregnancy had no mutant gene and this pregnancy ended in the birth of a healthy boy. The principles of genetic counselling and antenatal care are summarised in ADPKD type I.
Subject(s)
Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant/diagnostic imaging , Ultrasonography, Prenatal , Female , Genetic Counseling , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pedigree , Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant/embryology , Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant/genetics , Pregnancy , Prenatal CareABSTRACT
The culture of Streptomyces hygroscopicus JA 6599 producing antibiotic turimycin was found to be lysogenic. Four variants produced from this culture by the inducing with acridine orange did not synthesize the antibiotic but were also lysogenic. Temperate phages isolated from the parent culture and from its four variants were identical by their main biological properties. Therefore, production of turimycin is not controlled by the isolated temperate phage.
