Speech Perception and Language Processing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Speech Perception and Language Processing - Essay Example WM has three systems with interactive mechanisms (Montgomery, Magimairai, & Maianisha, 2010). WM enables language comprehension in children of different ages. Though they are affected by the surrounding environment, WM plays an important role in processing of all incoming input on these children. Through the different systems that cooperate and coordinate with the working memory, language development is easily achieved in a normal child. However, the system has a fine attention to resources such as the mental energy that is always controlled in a flexible manner to achieve all bodily functions more easily. Children with specific language impairment normally do not have an impaired WM (Montgomery, Magimairai, & Maianisha, 2010). On the contrary, they also exhibit nonverbal intelligence unlike children with specific language impairment. Also, there are less or no developmental disabilities such as autism. From various researches that have been conducted by various institutions, children with specific language impairment rarely have limitations in working memory. In most cases, these kinds of children represent a heterogeneous population that has a language deficit depending on the surrounding nature. Most of them demonstrate working memory limitations according to these reports. Additionally, children with specific language impairment have a very slow vocabulary growth. Mostly, they have trouble in practicing and learning new words. The reason behind this is that they have a problem in encoding and storing new words in their memory. Hence, we can clearly affirm that children with specif ic language impairment have an impaired working memory. According to an article published by Montgomery, children with specific language impairment normally have a deficit in working memory especially in typically developing children (Montgomery, Magimairai, & Maianisha, 2010).

Purification of 1,3-PD from Complex Fermentation Broth

Purification of 1,3-PD from Complex Fermentation Broth MTZ is calculated as Eq. 6[24], where H is adsorption bed height (cm). tb is the time (min) of breakthrough point, which defined as the time when Ct/C0=0.05. te is the time (min) of saturated point, which defined as the time when Ct/C0=0.95. As showed in Table 2, increasing the 1,3-PD concentration, tb and te decreased. The dynamic adsorption of 1,3-PD to resin usually fails to achieve adsorption equilibrium. When the concentration of 1,3-PD achieved a certain high value, the breakthrough point and saturated point came early. The adsorption process in a fixed bed for a single adsorbate can be classified into three zones: the saturated zone, mass transfer zone and fresh zone[24]. The smaller the mass transfer zone and fresh zone were, the higher efficiency of the adsorption process. When the concentration of 1,3-PD was 35.2 g L-1, the maximum value of mass transfer zone (MTZ) is 23.2 cm, which indicated that the saturated zone was small and the efficiency was low. On the contrary, when the concentration of 1,3-PD was 25.0 g L-1, the MTZ was minimum while the efficiency of adsorption was 63.5% as the highest point. However, the production efficiency was lower for saturated time delayed. The breakthrough curves of glycerol were showed in Fig. 3B with three concentrations of 1,3-PD. When 1,3-PD attained saturated point, glycerol did not saturate and the adsorption is 428, 388 and 266 mg/g, respectively, which indicated the decreasing of the fermentation broth concentration increased the adsorption of glycerol. Considering both adsorption rate and efficiency, fermentation broth with 30.0 g L-1 concentrations were used in the following experiments. Data was fitted based on Yoon-Nelson model, which was showed in Fig. 4. Simulated parameters were listed in Table 2. The results indicated that k increased with the 1,3-PD concentration, while xexp decreased, which indicated that increasing concentration shortened the saturated time in the adsorption bed. Furthermore, xexp was similar with x, which indicated that Yoon-Nelson model can be applied to simulate the adsorption process with different concentrations. 3.3 The effect of flow rate The effect of flow rate to the adsorption of 1,3-PD was showed in Fig. 5A. From Fig. 5A, increasing the flow rate lead to the increasing of curves slope, the breakthrough time was shortened and the changing of the concentration difference was quicker. The main reason was that with the increasing of flow rate, exchanging time of adsorbate and resin was shortened. Further analysis showed in Table 3. From Table 3, with the setting up of flow rate, the saturated point of 1,3-PD decreased quickly and MTZ increased. High flow rate would make it difficult for 1,3-PD to transfer into resin porosity, which went against for the mass transfer of 1,3-PD and the undisturbed 1,3-PD increased. When the flow rate was 0.800 mL min-1, the adsorption rate was 62.2%. However, low flow rate lead to the delay of 1,3-PD saturated point and low adsorption rate, which is not benefit for industrial production. Data fitting based on Yoon-Nelson kinetic model, the result of 1,3-PD breakthrough curves showed in Table 3 and Fig. 6. As showed in Fig. 6, k increased with the increasing flow rate and xexp shared a similarity with x, indicating that Yoon-Nelson kinetic model can imitate adsorption process at different flow rates. 3.4 The effect of temperature The effect of temperature in the adsorption of 1,3-PD showed in Fig. 7A. As showed in Fig. 7A, tb and te increased with temperature. The breakthrough point delayed, which was similar to the result of a steady state adsorption. Increasing temperature promotes the adsorption of 1,3-PD to resin. However, the effect of temperature on breakthrough curves is not obvious on the slope of three curves was almost equal. The breakthrough curves of glycerol were shown in Fig. 7B. When the adsorption of 1,3-PD achieved saturate point, glycerol did not saturate and the adsorption is 310, 388 and 433 mg/g, respectively. Additional analysis was showed in Table 4. Although increasing temperature is beneficial to adsorption, the value of A in 313 K did not remarkably increase (Table 4). It was due to that the migration velocity and the contact between glycerol molecules and resin also increased and influence the adsorption of 1,3-PD by occupying adsorption sites. The adsorption of 1,3-PD to the resin was spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorption kinetics was accurately represented by the shell progressive model and indicated that the particle diffusion was the rate-limiting step[19]. Considering decreasing operating cost and simplifying experiments, the temperature was fixed at 298 K. Data was fitted based on Yoon-Nelson kinetic model, the results of simulating parameters shows in Table 4 and Fig. 8. As showed in the Fig. 8, the value of k decreased with the increasing of temperature. The value of xexp by using model and x shared a similar result, indicated that Yoon-Nelson kinetic model can simulate the adsorption process under different temperatures. 3.4 The effect of stack height on adsorption The effect of stack height on adsorption was studied with 10.0, 15.0 and 30.0 cm respectively (Fig. 9A). Experiment condition: flow rate, 1.00 mL min-1, fermentation broth with 1,3-PD,30.0g L-1; stacking height, 10.0, 15.0, 30.0 cm; temperature, 298 K. As showed in Fig. 9A, the slope of the breakthrough curve gradually decreased with the increasing of stack height, indicated that high stack height promoted adsorption. Supplementary analysis shows in Table 5. As showed in Table 5, qtotal and A was low when H was 10.0 cm for the resin quantity and the active sites of fixed bed decreased. The MTZ (8.44 cm) was nearly as the whole bed height, showing that the relative low efficiency of the adsorption. The parameter was small owing to reasons above, placing competing adsorption between 1,3-PD and glycerol, also the shorter contact time between resin and solution for decreasing height. Comparably, the values of breakthrough parameters when H equaled to 30.0 cm were fine: the maximum of q total attained 2.13 g, which was significantly higher than other values and the value of A was also maximum. The main reason was the increasing stack height resulted in the increasing of contacting time between resin and adsorption sites for better adsorption. On the other hand, with the adding of resin in adsorption bed, improved the capability of adsorption to 1,3-PD (te increased, the slope of breakthrough curves, the adsorption of resin increased). The bre akthrough curves in three stack heights showed in Fig. 9B. The adsorption of glycerol is 117, 269 and 388 mg/mg, respectively. Moreover, the increasing of bed height increased the number of theoretical plates in separation degree. Considering the value of tb, te and A , 30.0 cm was chosen for the following experiments. Data fitting based on Yoon-Nelson kinetic model, the results of simulating parameters of the adsorption process in Table 5 and Fig. 10. The value of k decreased with the increasing of stack height and xexp was similar to x, indicating that Yoon-Nelson kinetic model can fit the adsorption in different stack height. M0 (g) is the elution quantity of 1,3-PD, M1 (g) is the quantity of glycerol The effect of ethanol concentration on elution curves was studied with three different ethanol volumes (30%, 50%, 75%), which were showed in Fig 11. As shown in Fig 11, 1,3-PD was the eluted out firstly. The retention time of 1.3-PD and glycerol enlarged in the column were due to the stack height of this fixed bed (30.0 cm). The overlapping of curves between components decreased obviously. It also prolonged the adsorption time between 1.3-PD and glycerol with resin. 1.3-PD and glycerol separated through continuous adsorption and desorption. Resin prefers the adsorption of glycerol to 1,3-PD. Glycerol replaced the 1,3-PD which adsorbed on the resin, caused the glycerol layer enlarged while 1,3-PD layer moved down. Furthermore, ethanol selectively eluted 1,3-PD. Therefore, the 1,3-PD was the firstly been eluted. With the elution of 1,3-PD, the percentage of 1,3-PD in eluent decreased. The ability of the eluent increased so glycerol been eluted down. Besides, when the volume percentage of ethanol increasing from 30% to 75%, both peaks of 1,3-PD and glycerol improved and concentrated, indicating that high concentration of ethanol was advantageous for the collection of components. The elution quantity of 1,3-PD (M0) and elution quantity of glycerol (M1), were calculated according to elution curves and showed in Table 6. As showed in Table 6, the elution rate of 1,3-PD improved from 64.3% to 95.3%, indicating that high concentration ethanol was helpful to the elution of relevant components. Meanwhile, both elution ratio of 1,3-PD and glycerol increased and attained a maximum when ethanol was 75%. The mass ratio of 1,3-PD and glycerol in eluent improved from 6:1 to 14.6:1 in broth, and the concentration of 1,3-PD increased from 85.7% to 93.6%, indicating that both of 1,3-PD and glycerol been divided efficiently. Moreover, with the increasing of ethanol volume percentage, the elution amount of both 1,3-PD and glycerol increased. However, the increasing of elution amount of glycerol was little, which mean the combination force between glycerol and resin was stronger that 75% ethanol could not eluted glycerol down. 100% ethanol was also used for elution and caused severe dehydration of resin. Therefore, 75% ethanol was used as eluent. 3.6 The effect of the elution flow rate The flow rate increasing from 1.00 to 2.00 mL min-1 to investigate the effect of elution flow rate on 1,3-PD and glycerol. The results showed in Fig. 12 and relevant parameters in Table 7. As showed in Fig. 12, increasing flow rate, the elution peak of both 1,3-PD and glycerol decreased. In Table 7, with the increasing of flow rate, the elution of 1,3-PD decreased while that of glycerol improved. Meanwhile, the mass ratio of 1.3-PD to glycerol decreased from 14.6 to 9.88, indicating that increasing elution rate was not favorable to the separation of 1,3-PD and glycerol. Therefore, the elution efficiency and 1,3-PD separation could be improved significantly if slow down elution rate and increasing contact time between eluent and 1,3-PD in the resin. As shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, when the flow rate was 1.00 mL min-1 and the concentration of ethanol is 75%, 1,3-PD and glycerol showed a seemingly separation on the curve: the curve of glycerol appeared from 54 mL which means before that the system only contained 1,3-PD; after 98 mL 1,3-PD and glycerol coexist in the mixture. It is known by calculation that before 54 mL the quantity of 1,3-PD was 1.64 g as a percentage of 80.8%. Mixture collected could return to the fermentation broth for the next adsorption process. 1,3-PD could be acquired by first 54 mL eluent after vacuum distillation. Further resolution of the two substances with the flow rate as 0.500 mL min-1 were studied. The overlapping degree of 1,3-PD and glycerol curves reduced, but could not be completely separated. Meanwhile, the time increased remarkably as 304 min, indicating that although decreasing flow rate was helpful to improve separation efficiency, the production efficiency decreased. Therefore, 1.00 mL min-1 was selected as the best flow rate. 3.7 Purification of the 1,3-propanediol Vacuum distillation, which is energy saving due to the decline of boiling point, is preferred to traditional distillation. 324 ml eluent was collected after six times adsorption and elution separation. No glycerol has been tested by HPLC. The eluent was added into rotary evaporator (vacuum 0.093-0.097 MPa and temperature 60-65 oC) for ethanol recycling. After recycling, the remaining solution transferred to vacuum distillation under Vacuum degree at 0.093-0.097 MPa. Collecting impurity below 129 oC and 1,3-PD fraction between 129-149 oC. The purity of 1,3-PD has been tested by HPLC is 99.2% (sample has been sent to the independent third test institution for detection). 4 Conclusion Recovery and purification of 1,3-PD from complex fermentation broth represents a technological challenge and true bottleneck in the development of a commercially viable bioprocess of this promising bulk chemicals. The present work provides a novel technique for purification of 1,3-propanediol from crude glycerol-based fermentation broth. Separation and purification of 1,3-propanediol was achieved by four simple steps: removal of cells and proteins by chitosan flocculation, decoloration by activated carbon, adsorption by fixed bed cation exchange resin, and vacuum distillation. Furthermore, in order to predict the breakthrough curves and to determine the characteristic parameters of the column, Yoon-Nelson models were applied to the experimental data. Parameters as adsorption capacity at breakthrough time (tb) and saturation time (ts), length of the mass transfer zone (MTZ) were obtained for the different operation conditions used in the adsorption experiments. The characteristic colu mn parameters were calculated for process design. The overall yield of 1,3-propanediol recovery is calculated to be 80.8% with 99.2% of purity. This process, which is simple, fast, and efficient, will promote the commercialization of 1,3-propanediol production.

The Tragedy of Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Violence Against Child

Child abuse has been defined as, any intentional act that results in physical or emotional harm to a child. This could cover any behavior from assault, to neglect, to molestation. (Encarta 1) In 1995, a study was done by the National Center on Child Abuse & Neglect. They concluded that in the United States alone, approximately 3 million children are victims of some sort of maltreatment each year. This means that an unimaginable amount of our county’s adolescents are being seriously mistreated, and the numbers are rising steadily. While the specific definition of child abuse may differ from state to state, the effects unfortunately do not. Physical maltreatment, neglect and sexual abuse create immediate problems for children, as well as long term damage. Some common effects on sufferers of abuse include, a lowered sense of self worth, an inability to relate to others, short attention span and often they develop learning disorders. More detrimental cases can develop severe de pression or anxiety, schizophrenia, violent behavior and an increased risk of suicide. (Encarta 3) In some cases, abused children learn how to cope with their experiences and grow to healthy adults, but most are not that lucky. Most victims of abuse are forced to deal with the results for their entire lives. Physical abuse is one of the most common forms of child maltreatment. It can begin as soon as conception and includes any deliberate act of violence that is meant to injure or kill a child. (Encarta 1) Over 500,000 children are physically harmed each year. In 1991, 25% of American adults admitted to being beat by a parent or a caretaker in their youth and unfortunately the numbers have increased since then. (Shepard 305) ... ...ividual parent. In conclusion, Child abuse, without a doubt, causes permanent damage to the life of the victim. Whether it’s physical, sexual or neglect, the after effects will haunt them, and very possibly their future family as well. Child psychiatrist, B.F. Steele stated, â€Å"†¦we do believe that how we bring up out children has a most profound effect upon how our society is behaving and how we deal with each other as human beings.† (Kakar 6) This is an excellent point. If parents do not care for their children and show them the ways of life, how could they expect them to know any better, and more importantly, how could they expect them to pass on the knowledge to their own children? Parents, more than anyone, hold the key to shaping the ideals and minds of their children†¦ and until society gets that key fixed, the problems of child abuse will always remains.

“Killings” by Andre Dubus’s Essay

Revenge, loss and consequences are explored in Andre Dubus’s, â€Å"Killings†. A jealous husband, angered by the fact that his estranged wife is involved in a new relationship, acts out in a presumable crime of passion and murders the man she was seeing. As a result of this crime, a father suffers the loss of his son and plots retaliation, which results in the killing of his son’s murderer. Both men experience a loss and subsequently act out in revenge. The difference in the moral character of these two men is what appears to determine the fate of their consequences. Richard Strout, a man of inferior morality, commits a crime of passion. He murders a man who is having a relationship with his estranged wife. Strout is portrayed in the story as being a spoiled, selfish, violent man. The pending divorce between he and his wife obviously left him feeling conflicted over the loss of control and he is angered by the fact that she was seeing another man so quickly after the separation. There appears to be no feelings of regret or remorse from Strout after the murder. He seems to feel completely justified in the killing and even makes the statement, â€Å"He was making it with my wife† (Dubus 90). Strout’s lack of moral character is a key element in his being able to live with himself after committing this crime. His personal consequences seemed to be few, if any. Matt Fowler is portrayed in the story as being a man of great moral fortitude; he is a sensitive, loving husband, a protective father and a respected friend. The brutal murder of his son catapults him into a position in which he feels compelled to avenge the death. The conflict that Fowler feels after his son is killed is overwhelming to him. Fowler feels that removing his son’s murderer from the world he and his family live in will ease his wife’s pain. His concern and compassion towards is wife is obvious when he says in the story, â€Å"She sees him all the time. It makes her cry† (Dubus 85). Killing Strout is the act of a protective husband and father doing what he believes to be the only practical solution and he views it as though he has a job to do. Fowler is notably reluctant to carry out this act of premeditated murder. Not even a moment of satisfaction is allotted him after he completes the job of avenging his son’s death. After Matt accomplishes the mission he is immediately left with a profound sense of isolation; undoubtedly because of his high level of morality. The final words of the story indicate the loneliness he feels that he isn’t even able to share with his wife. â€Å"†¦he shuddered with a sob that he kept silent in his heart† (Dubus 96). Killing Strout is not the end of the pain for Matt Fowler; it may give him a sense of revenge, but he is still feeling so alone and hurt. The other Fowler children are left to believe that their brother’s murderer has escaped trial and disappeared. Mrs. Fowler acknowledges this in the story when she says, â€Å"We can’t tell the other kids. It’ll hurt them, thinking he got away. But we mustn’t† (Dubus 96). This is yet another consequence of these murders. Frank Fowler and Richard Strout are dead, Matt Fowler will most likely feel forever isolated, and the lives of Ruth and the Fowler children have been deeply affected by these crimes. Two very different men experience similar feelings of loss, revenge and consequence in this story. Both men commit an act of murder and both pay a high price in the end. One man’s sentence is death; the other’s is profound isolation. Neither life is left unaltered. This story is a lesson in passion, crime and morality.

A Comparative Essay Between 1984 and Brave New World Essay

It is interesting to note, before anything, the similarities between Brave New World and 1984. Firstly and rather obviously, they are both prophetic novels, they were both written in turbulent times, both suffering changes that could revert the future of the world. When 1984 was written, the world had just gotten out of a second war and the surprising rise of communism and their totalitarian government was frightening most of the western world. In George Orwell’s novel, the main concern seems to be the overtaking of a supreme, socialist totalitarian government/dictatorship. On the other hand, when Brave New World was written, the world had just been swept by a wave of mass production and consumerism, and that too is reflected in Aldous Huxley’s ultra-modern, test-tube baby, sleep-taught society. That is exactly what makes the two novels so alike and so different at the same time. To begin with both authors forecast a society of obedience and compliance, but on one hand, the Brave New World is also driven by consumerism and high advanced technology and drug abuse (soma, to ensure the happiness of the masses), † ‘Now- such is progress- the old men work, the old men copulate, the old men have no time, no leisure from pleasure, not a moment to sit down and think- or even by some unlucky chance such a crevice of time should yawn in the solid substance of their distractions, there is always some, delicious soma half a gramme for half a holiday [†¦] returning when they find themselves on the other side of the crevice, safe on the solid ground of daily labour and distraction†¦'†. Whilst 1984 is a bare, war stricken place with food rations and the like, â€Å"Outside, even through the shut window-pane, the world looked cold. Down the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn papers into spirals, and though the sun was shinning and the sky was blue, there seemed to be no colour in anything, except in the posters that were plastered everywhere.† Both novels also similar in the aspect that most inhabitants do not seem to see a problem with the world they live in, most comply and obey, in Brave New World, most consume, but in both novels, there are the odd sheep. In Brave New World Bernard Marx, † ‘But he’s so ugly!’ [†¦] ‘And then so  small.’ Fanny rebels because he does not fit in made a grimace; smallness was so horribly and typically low-caste.† In 1984, Winston Smith rebels because he does not accept, â€Å"to the future or the past, to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone- to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone. From the age of uniformity, from the age of solitude, form the age of Big Brother, from the age of doublethink-â€Å". says Winston. Both novel seem to portray societies divided into castes, in 1984 there are three of them the ‘proles’, the ‘outer Party’ and the ‘inner Party’, the ‘proles’ are the uneducated masses, the ‘outer party’ are the medium working class, and the ‘inner party’ are the controllers. In Brave New World, the castes are a bit more literal, four in total, Alphas, intelligent and beautiful, have the high positions, Betas, not quite as ‘perfect’ as the Alphas, Gammas, part of the uneducated masses and finally Epsilons, similar in IQ to oysters, the workers and cleaners. Both novels can be regarded as ‘novels that changed history’, that is, when they were written it seemed that things were headed in the direction that both novels pointed out, and some people considered that it was the novels that ‘opened people’s eyes’ and showed them the way. However, many other people seemed to think that both were equally extreme to have actually concretized themselves.