Audio Visual Reception of American Sign Language for Blind, Deaf and Dumb People

The computer recognition of sign language is an important process for enabling communication with the visually and hearing impaired people. This proposed project introduces an efficient way of computer recognition of sign languageby using a simplified method by the use of an accelerometer sensor which is a three axis sensor and a voice IC. The main objective of our project is to convert the sign language into a voice format and display the corresponding message on the LCD screen. The basic idea of this project is to have accelerometer sensors attached to the gloves worn by the impaired person. When the person flexes his/her hand for the pre-coded commands, the accelerometer sensors senses the change due to the angular movement of fingers and produces a corresponding output voltage. The sensed analog signal is converted to digital signal by ADC and transmits it to the voice IC via a microcontroller. The objective of the microcontroller is to perform the matching of the obtained hex-code with its corresponding pre-coded commands using Keil software. Once the code is matched with its pre-coded commands the output is delivered through a speaker via a voice IC and the command is also displayed in a LCD screen.

Etymology of the Color in Linguistics

The article deals with the concept of color in linguistic. There are opinions of scientists who analyzed the concept “shade”. The color must be seen from different points. The article presents the history of the color’s learning. There are some scientists’ points from the different countries. Linguists have opinion that the color in different languages may have the same meaning. There were many scientific experiments, which showed that the color can be a fixed lexeme and can have an alternative equivalent. Other linguists say that the color in different languages cannot have common features. The article emphasizes the need to focus on linguistic and cultural nuances. The color can reflect the culture of the country, man’s mental world. Some linguists underline that the color category is various. The article describes that the visual reception of people consists of the ability to recognize the color. It is impossible to say, what area of men’s interests can be without color. Particular attention is paid to the etymology of colors in the examples. There are many colors, which are very important in the German language.

Planning of areas in the vicinity of large industrial plants

Planning space around large industrial plants affects urban development and significantly impacts the integration of industrial areas with a city’s structure. Large industrial plants act as functional and spatial barriers within the urban fabric. Their immediate areas undergo transformation and are currently becoming sites of various uses. New manufacturing technologies limit the nuisance caused by industry and the siting of plants aids in using the areas around them. The objective of this paper is t present an analysis of the transformation of the existing function-spatial structure, transport layout and compositional relations in the vicinity of selected large industrial plants in Kraków and Skawina. The study covered areas around the north-eastern territory of the Metallurgy Plant in Kraków and selected industrial plants in Skawina. This study was based on original analyses of the existing functio-spatial structure, compositional relationships and transport accessibility. The form of development of areas adjacent to large industrial plants was found to be a product of local determinants. Compositional relationships and functional linkages affected the quality of the space and its visual reception, which in many cases is a natural urban development reserve. Due to the specificity of industrial areas, concentrations of vehicular traffic and dominance within space, it may prove interesting to develop a dedicated form of development for areas near large industrial plants. This form would have to shield against possible nuisances while also offering the potential for a new, attractive and diverse functio-spatial structure. The transformation of and the problems present in these areas are distinctive of many cities in Poland and around the world and require new, cohesive planning principles.

A Comparison of Children Born Preterm and Full-Term on the Autism Spectrum in a Prospective Community Sample

Introduction: Previous research suggests children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD or “autism”) born extremely and very preterm face substantially delayed development than their peers born full-term. Further, children born preterm are proposed to show a unique behavioral phenotype, which may overlap with characteristics of autism, making it difficult to disentangle their clinical presentation. To clarify the presentation of autism in children born preterm, this study examined differences in key indicators of child development (expressive language, receptive language, fine motor, and visual reception) and characteristics of autism (social affect and repetitive, restricted behaviors).Materials and Methods: One fifty-eight children (136 full-term, twenty-two preterm) diagnosed with autism, aged 22–34 months, were identified prospectively using the Social Attention and Communication Surveillance tools during community-based, developmental surveillance checks in the second year of life. Those identified at “high likelihood” of an autism diagnosis were administered the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.Results: The children born preterm and full-term did not differ significantly in their fine motor, visual reception, expressive language, or receptive language skills. No significant differences in social affect and repetitive and restrictive behavior traits were found.Discussion: The findings of this study differs from previous research where children diagnosed with autism born very or extremely preterm were developmentally delayed and had greater autistic traits than their term-born peers. These null findings may relate to the large proportion of children born moderate to late preterm in this sample. This study was unique in its use of a community-based, prospectively identified sample of children diagnosed with autism at an early age. It may be that children in these groups differ from clinic- and hospital-based samples, that potential differences emerge later in development, or that within the autism spectrum, children born preterm and full-term develop similarly. It was concluded that within the current sample, at 2 years of age, children diagnosed with autism born preterm are similar to their peers born full-term. Thus, when clinicians identify characteristics of autism in children born preterm, it is important to refer the child for a diagnostic assessment for autism.

Using Pedagogic Video to Enhance English for Specific Purposes Teaching Program (ESP) for Saudi University Students: A New Prospective Approach

The optimized use of authentic videos is integral in language classrooms. However, the research concerning the use of videos for developing audio-visual reception, four language skills, and vocabulary are found to be lacking. This study, therefore, reviews the developments related to the use of video in English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The main question of this study is: how does the pedagogic video contribute to improving English learner’s language skills? This study is beneficial for university teachers who teach content courses to Saudi students using specialized online video courses, science animations, presentations, and online video lectures. The review suggests that teachers must engage in continuous proficiency development as well as self-discovery for overcoming the challenges that impair their learning and development. The use of videos is important as it can increase students’ retention ability, through visual support and comprehension of the spoken discourse. ESP should not be regarded as an important aid to the teaching, rather it should be used as a component of an integrated skills package. Based on the findings, it has been reviewed that there is a need to integrate a collaborative strategy for teaching that assists in overcoming the learning issues based on the ESP course teaching. Teachers can monitor their speech to ensure a logical flow in the overall ESP content and its viable presentation.

Mullen Scales of Early Learning Adaptation for Assessment of Indian Children and Application to Tuberculous Meningitis

Introduction Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) results in significant morbidity and mortality among children worldwide. Associated neurocognitive complications are common but not well characterized. The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), a well-established measure for assessment of neurodevelopment, has not yet been adapted for use in India. This study’s goal was to adapt the MSEL for local language and culture to assess neurocognition among children in India, and apply the adapted measure for assessment of children with TBM. Methods Administration of MSEL domains was culturally adapted. Robust translation procedures for instructions took place for three local languages: Marathi, Hindi and Tamil. Multilingual staff compared instructions against the original version for accuracy. The MSEL stimuli and instructions were reviewed by psychologists and pediatricians in India to identify items concerning for cultural bias. Results MSEL stimuli unfamiliar to children in this setting were identified and modified within Visual Reception, Fine-Motor, Receptive Language and Expressive Language Scales. Item category was maintained for adaptations of items visually or linguistically different from those observed in daily life. Adjusted items were administered to six typically developing children to determine modification utility. Two children diagnosed with confirmed TBM (ages 11 and 29 months) were evaluated with the adapted MSEL before receiving study medications. Skills were below age-expectation across visual reception, fine motor and expressive language domains. Conclusions This is the first study to assess children with TBM using the MSEL adapted for use in India. Future studies in larger groups of Indian children are warranted to validate the adapted measure.

Impact of verbal comment on interpretation of visual message: Multimodal approach

The paper discusses several advantages of multimodal approach to the analysis of nature and specifics of media audience’s reception of texts. The authors base their ideas on the principally multimodal nature of media communication, which reflects in the way the recipients interpret texts. Thus, various factors impact on the interpretation of the initialized text. Moreover, such factors predominately include other semiotic resources that are not formally affiliated with the basic text. In the research, the hypothesis was about the impact of verbal comments on interpretation of visual objects by recipients. According to this goal, the authors selected two groups of respondents — a control and an experimental one, which were offered a photograph and were asked to describe it verbally in a free manner. The experimental group of respondents was offered the same photograph with motivating verbal comment, including the general information about the origins and topics of the photograph. The authors compared the results of the both groups descriptions by matching verbalized categories of representation, individual evaluations of the photograph and “the syntax” of verbal description of the visual media text. The research results proved the general supposition: the multimodal approach, being aimed at finding, describing and explicating the meaning effects of semiotic ensembles, contributes to understanding the features of interpretation of visual objects under the influence of other semiotic (here — verbal) resources. Thus, the results show that the interpretation of visual objects is motivated by the verbal comment: it topicalizes and contextualizes the visual reception and interpretation of the basic message. In the conclusion, the authors define the perspectives both of the research and the multimodal approach to media texts study.

Multimodal Neurologic Enhancement Improves Preterm Infants' Developmental Outcomes: A Longitudinal Pilot Study

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify the long-term developmental effects of a NICU music therapy intervention, Multimodal Neurologic Enhancement, provided to preterm infants in the NICU.DesignProspective randomized controlled study with one control group and one experimental group.SampleParticipants were medically stable preterm infants with a birth age of 31 and 6/7 weeks or less, admitted to a level-III NICU. A total of 84 participants were enrolled, and 48 completed the study.Main Outcome VariablePost-discharge developmental scores on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning: AGS Edition.ResultsThe experimental group performed significantly better than the control group on the Visual Reception and Early Learning Composite scores.

Influence of verbal, auditory and visual incentives on art perception and reception of primary school students

Introduction. Art reception and experiencing is a complex process, containing creative components. The experience of a work of art involves reproduction, in the viewer's consciousness, of the experiences and excitement that the artist himself or herself have undergone in the process of creating the same works of art. When viewing visual images, our perception is directed towards the identification of objects, and when viewing visual images as works of art, we also tend to experience them - we subjectively react to elements, such as stylistic and structural characteristics. The aim of the research is to examine the effectiveness of the experimental program named the Impact of Verbal, Auditory and Visual Incentives, designed to foster students' visual perception and visual reception during art education. Methods. The experimental method with parallel groups was used. The research included the sample consisting of 98 students, out of which 45 belonged to experimental group while 53 were control students from Trebinje region. Test LV1, examining visual creativity, as well as visual perception and visual reception (art appreciation), was used. Results. The results indicated that the experimental program influenced the development of the visual perceptive (F = 3.76; p = 0.05) and visual receptive (F = 8.01; p = 0.00) abilities among students during art education because the experimental group students achieved significantly better results than the control group students. The experimental program was aligned with the curriculum and designed to influence the development of students' visual-perceptual and visual-receptive abilities. Conclusion. The obtained results indicate that it is possible to influence the development of students' visual-perceptual and visual-receptive abilities by using a specially designed program, aimed at stimulating verbal, auditory and visual aspects of visual expression.