Date: Tue, 6 Dec 94 23:27:33 -0500 From: Bob Broedel To: als@huey.met.fsu.edu Subject: ALSD#157 ALS-ON-LINE =============================================================== == == == ----------- ALS Interest Group ----------- == == ALS Digest (#157, 06 December 1994) == == == == ------ Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) == == ------ Motor Neurone Disease (MND) == == ------ Lou Gehrig's disease == == ------ Charcot's Disease == == == == This e-mail list has been set up to serve the world-wide == == ALS community. That is, ALS patients, ALS researchers, == == ALS support/discussion groups, ALS clinics, etc. Others == == are welcome (and invited) to join. The ALS Digest is == == published (approximately) weekly. Currently there are == == 420+ subscribers. == == == == To subscribe, to unsubscribe, to contribute notes, == == etc. to ALS Digest, please send e-mail to: == == bro@huey.met.fsu.edu (Bob Broedel) == == Sorry, but this is *not* a LISTSERV setup. == == == == Bob Broedel; P.O. Box 20049; Tallahassee, FL 32316 USA == =============================================================== CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE: 1 .. DECtalk speech synthesizer 2 .. Good Morning America & Dan Flynn of Boston 3 .. Re: Woody Bledsoe/DECtalk 4 .. saliva 5 .. RE: my DECtalk 6 .. Home Controls for All Abilities 7 .. More Assistive Technology Info 8 .. Athena Neuroscience & Exemplar 9 .. orgotein & familial ALS (1) ===== DECtalk speech synthesizer ========== Date : Mon, 05 Dec 1994 10:04:06 >From : Stuart.Neilson@brunel.ac.uk (hssrsdn) Subject: DECtalk speech synthesizer The DECtalk speech software has also been licensed to Creative Labs for use with the latest Soundblaster card (AWE32), which I recently purchased. The speech synthesizer is called Creative TextAssist and runs under Windows. The exciting part is that having launched TextAssist once, it remains active and inserts itself into *ALL* your existing applications so that speech options appear under the File.. menu items. I use it for proofreading documents when I am too tired to spot errors by eye, and my pre-school child listens to books (from the Guttenberg library) with it. I haven't found an interactive command-line utility for it, like the one described by Woody Bledsoe, which would obviously be useful for anyone needing a "conversation mode". The whole package (soundcard, text-to-speech software, speech recognition software and other utilities) cost 200 pounds (UK), which I suppose is about 300 dollars (US). In 1984 I was programming ROMS for the Texas Instruments formant synthesizer (for a product called Convaid, which is no longer produced) with recorded speech samples, at a rate of four words per day - text-to-speech was unusable ten years ago. Like Woody, I am amazed at how intelligible and versatile the DEC software is. Stuart Neilson, CSHSD (stuart.neilson@brunel.ac.uk) (2) ===== Good Morning America & Dan Flynn of Boston ========== Date : Mon, 5 Dec 1994 21:41:17 -0500 >From : BillB67399@aol.com Subject: Re: ALSD#155 ALS-ON-LINE In reading through the various stories about patients published in newspapers around the country, I noticed you posted the death notice for Dan Flynn of Boston. I just wanted to let everyone know that ABC's Good Morning America will run a tribute to Mr. Flynn one day next week (day unscheduled as of today, Monday). Dr. Timothy Johnson, ABC's Medical Editor, interviewed Mr. Flynn and his family and co-workers one week before his death for a story they were going to air on him and ALS. Now, they will run a tribute to Mr. Flynn and also interview some expert researchers about the disease after his tribute--Bob Brown of Mass. General is likely. I will post the date the program will run probably Tuesday or Wednesday for those who would like to tune in. Good Morning America airs weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m.. I was told it will run the week of Dec. 12. I thought others might be interested. My father continues his battle with this disease and is trying to keep his dignity. It's very difficult, as I know you understand. Best to all. Debra Bulkeley Boston (3) ===== Re: Woody Bledsoe/DECtalk ========== Date : Tue, 6 Dec 1994 01:26:31 -0500 >From : KeyOfF@aol.com Subject: Re: Woody Bledsoe/DECtalk Woody, how wonderful it is that you have your DECtalk speech synthesizer! Things have come a long, long way since my mother had ALS (she died in 1974). There was nothing then to help ALS patients when they lost their ability to speak. Fortunately she was able to write notes, since she was right-handed and her left side was paralyzed. This sufficed until almost the end. I was amazed when I first heard about computers helping ALS patients to communicate (a number of years ago). I'm very glad to read about your speech synthesizer and how happy you are with the quality of speech, etc. No wonder you're excited about it -- technology is truly wonderful, isn't it? Could you please tell me what bulbar ALS is? When my mother was going through this, we didn't know of various forms of the disease. I am aware of the genetic form, but have not read about bulbar ALS. My best wishes to you - Faye Brownstein keyoff@aol.com (4) ===== saliva ========== Date : Tue, 6 Dec 1994 14:09:41 -0500 >From : Moves10610@aol.com Subject: saliva What is good for reducing saliva buildup in the mouth? And what side effects, if any? Are related Thanks B Cotton. (5) ===== RE: My DECtalk ========== Date : Mon, 5 Dec 94 10:41:49 CST >From : Woody Bledsoe Subject: [vitale@dectlk.enet.dec.com: RE: My DECtalk] Bob, could we give this additional information from Tony Vitale to the net? Woody Bledsoe --------------- >From : vitale@dectlk.enet.dec.com Date : Mon, 5 Dec 94 11:24:33 EST To : bledsoe@cs.utexas.edu Subject: RE: My DEDtalk Woody, I was correct: the number is 1-800-DIGITAL. #2 will get you pre- purchase technical assistance; #5 gets you literature and #7 get you a CSR. Hope this is helpful. Go get 'em. \tony (6) ===== Home Controls for All Abilities ========== Date : Tue, 6 Dec 1994 19:29:31 -0500 >From : GlennB7490@aol.com Subject: Home Controls for All Abilities ************************************************ Home Automation A Newsletter on Home Controls for All Abilities February, 1994 Welcome to the third issue of Home Automation: Home Controls For All Abilities. By now, many of you have had an opportunity to review the first two issues of Home Automation. These premier issues included articles on voice and switch operated environmental control devices, introduced X-10 powerline technology, provided consumer hints on using environmental control devices and offered home control solutions to our readers' technology questions. Future issues will introduce you to Madenta's Proxy ECU, Honeywell's Total Home System, "Future Home" in Phoenix, MD, and many other new and exciting home control technologies. In addition to product announcements and updates on home control technology, each issue of Home Automation includes a consumer's perspective on how this technology impacts an individual with a disability. The Consumer's Perspective column features an interview with an individual with a disability who uses home control technology on a daily basis. That column, along with our Letters.... column, offers practical information regarding the application of home automation/environmental control technology. (Text Deleted) Home Automation is a newsletter of the HomeTech Project of Seaside Education Associates, Inc.: J. McCormack, Exec. Dir. S.Tello,Project Director B. Garrett, Editor Contact the project at our Lincoln Center address, or by phone at: 800-886-3050 (V) 617-899-3804 (TT) or by the Internet at: "SeasideEd@eworld.com". Home Automation is printed monthly by the HomeTech Project of Seaside Education Associates, PO Box 6341, Lincoln Center, MA 01773, James McCormack--Executive Director, Steve Tello--Project Director, Melissa Chalmers--Editor. Home Tech is funded by a grant from the Rehabilitation Services Administration, US Department of Education. Home automation devices are presented in this newsletter for the purpose of informing our readers only--no product endorsement should be inferred. Any opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the US Department of Education. (7) ===== More Assistive Technology Info ========== Date : Tue, 6 Dec 1994 13:32:02 -0500 >From : GlennB7490@aol.com Subject: More Assistive Technology Info The January 1994 issue of Mac Home Journal has an article describing several hardware and software tools designed for use by the disabled, such as controling a mouse with eye, mouth, or head movements, speech synthesis, touch screens, image magnifiers, etc. It also lists the following resources: Abledata- A national database of assistive technology and rehabilitation products. 800-227-0216 Alliance for Technology Access- No description given. 415-455-4575 National Easter Seal Society- 312-726-6200 (voice) and 312-726-4258 (TDD) Apple's Worldwide Disability Solutions Group- call 800-776-2333 (voice) and 800-833-6223 (TDD) and request an information kit and a database of products. Also available on e-mail at: AppleDSG@Applelink.Apple.Com (8) ===== Athena Neuroscience & Exemplar ========== Athena Neurosciences Inc. acquires Exemplar ... Mon, Dec 5, 1994 SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. (Dec. 5) BUSINESS WIRE -Dec. 5, 1994-- Athena Neurosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:ATHN) announced Monday that, in addition to its internal efforts to develop transgenic animal models for Alzheimer's disease, it has executed an agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Exemplar Corp., a privately held corporation located in Waltham, Mass. < parts deleted > Athena and Exemplar concurrently entered into an exclusive license agreement whereby Exemplar granted Athena a worldwide, exclusive license to develop, use and sell any animal or cell line derived from transgenic cell lines developed by Exemplar that is useful in the field of human neurological diseases or conditions, including Alzheimer's disease. < parts deleted > Athena Neurosciences Inc. was founded in 1986 to discover, develop and market products to be used primarily by neurologists for the treatment and diagnosis of neurological diseases and disorders. CONTACT: Athena Neurosciences Inc., South San Francisco : John Groom, 415/877-0900 (9) ===== orgotein & familial ALS ========== DOW JONES NEWS 12/06 Oxis Intl Applies For Orphan Drug Status For Orgotein. PORTLAND, Ore. -DJ- Oxis International Inc. (OXIS) applied to the Food and Drug Administration to obtain orphan drug designation for the drug orgotein, bovine superoxide dismutase, or bSOD, for the treatment of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. In a press release, the company said results from the preliminary testing in one patient suggested possible slowing of neuromuscular deterioration caused by ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. < parts deleted > Results of a clinical study that showed minimal decline in muscle function in a familial ALS patient while he received daily doses of bSOD in his cerebrospinal fluid. The administration of bSOD was well tolerated by monkeys in a safety study and the patient. Some patients with familial ALS have a deficiency of superoxide dismutase activity. The proposed treatment is intended to counteract the deficiency, the company said. === end of als 157 ===