The Evolution of SIGCHI conferences and the future of CHI

The ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems(CHI) was born in 1982 and has been held annually since 1985. Specialized conferences (such as IUI, CSCW, MobileHCI, and UIST) gradually emerged and have now become a significant part of the conference program that ACM SIGCHI offers the global HCI community

Association between cognitive performance and cortical glucose metabolism in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease

Background: Neuronal and synaptic function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is measured in vivo by glucose metabolism using positron emission tomography (PET). Objective: We hypothesized that neuronal activation as measured by PET is a more sensitive index of neuronal dysfunction than activity during rest. We investigated if the correlations between dementia severity as measured with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and glucose metabolism are an artifact of brain atrophy. Method: Glucose metabolism was measured using {[}F-18]fluorodeoxyglucose PET during rest and activation due to audiovisual stimulation in 13 mild to moderate AD patients (MMSE score >= 17). PET data were corrected for brain atrophy. Results: In the rest condition, glucose metabolism was correlated with the MMSE score primarily within the posterior cingulate and parietal lobes. For the activation condition, additional correlations were within the primary and association audiovisual areas. Most local maxima remained significant after correcting for brain atrophy. Conclusion: PET activity measured during audiovisual stimulation was more sensitive to functional alterations in glucose metabolism in AD patients compared to the resting PET. The association between glucose metabolism and MMSE score was not dependent on brain atrophy. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Desalination using renewable energy sources on the arid islands of South Aegean Sea

Water and energy supply are strongly interrelated and their efficient management is crucial for a sustainable future. Water and energy systems on several Greek islands face a number of pressing issues. Water supply is problematic as regards both to the water quality and quantity. There is significant lack of water on several islands and this is mainly dealt with tanker vessels which transport vast amounts of water from the mainland. At the same time island energy systems are congested and rely predominanty on fossil fuels, despite the abundant renewable energy potential. These issues may be addressed by combining desalination and renewable energy technologies. It is essential to analyse the feasibility of this possibility. This study focuses on developing a tool capable of designing and optimally sizing desalination and renewable energy units. Several parameters regarding an island's water demandand the desalination's energy requirements are taken into account as well as input data which concern technological performance, resource availability and economic data. The tool is applied on three islands in the South Aegean Sea, Patmos (large), Lipsoi (medium) ad Thirasia (small). Results of the modelling exercise show that the water selling price ranges from 1.45 euro/m^3 for the large island, while the corresponding value is about 2.6 euro/m^3 for the small island, figures significantly lower than the current water cost (7-9 euro/m^3)

Control of mammalian locomotion by ventral spinocerebellar tract neurons

Locomotion is a complex behavior required for animal survival. Vertebrate locomotion depends on spinal interneurons termed the central pattern generator (CPG), which generates activity responsible for the alternation of flexor and extensor muscles and the left and right side of the body. It is unknown whether multiple or a single neuronal type is responsible for the control of mammalian locomotion. Here, we show that ventral spinocerebellar tract neurons (VSCTs) drive generation and maintenance of locomotor behavior in neonatal and adult mice. Using mouse genetics, physiological, anatomical, and behavioral assays, we demonstrate that VSCTs exhibit rhythmogenic properties and neuronal circuit connectivity consistent with their essential role in the locomotor CPG. Importantly, optogenetic activation and chemogenetic silencing reveals that VSCTs are necessary and sufficient for locomotion. These findings identify VSCTs as critical components for mammalian locomotion and provide a paradigm shift in our understanding of neural control of complex behaviors

Book Reviews

Basic Neurology. Ed. by J. Gilroy and P. L. Holliday. Pp. vii + 373. Illustrated. R27,90. London: Macmillan. 1982.The Pathology of the Heart. By E. G. J. Olsen. Pp. ix + 402. Illustrated. R91,85. London: Macmillan. 1982.Profile of Disease and Health Care in South Africa. By H. C. J. van Rensburg and A. Mans. Pp. xvii + 319. R29,50. Pretoria: Academica Press. 1982.Principles of Ambulatory Medicine. Ed. by L. R. Barker, J. R. Burton and P. D. Zieve. Pp. xiii + 1127. Illustrated. R78,-. Baltimore, Maryland: Williams & Wilkins. 1982.Topical Reviews in Accident Surgery, vol. 2. Ed. by N. Tubbs and P. S. London. Pp. ix +258. Illustrated. £18,50. London: Wright PSG.1982.Early Care of the Injured Patient. 3rd ed. Ed. by A. J. Wait, L. F. Peltier, B. A. Pruitt jun, D. D. Trunkey and R. F. Wilson. Pp. xv + 413. Illustrated. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. 1982.Current Pediatric Therapy. 10th ed. By S. S. Gellis and B. M. Kagan. Pp. xxxviii + 776. R94,25. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. 1982.Selected Techniques in Interventional Radiology,vol. 19 (Saunders Monographs in Clinical Radiology). By S. Kadir, S. L. Kaufman, K. H. Barth and R. 1. White jun. Pp. xi +216. Illustrated. R76,75. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. 1982.Clinical Topics in Internal Medicine. Ed. by G. M. Tisi and H. M. Ranney. Pp. xii 173. Illustrated. Baltimore, Maryland: Williams & Wilkins. 1982.Recognizable Patterns of Human Malformation: Genetic Embryologic and Clinical Aspects (Major Problems in Clinical Pediatrics, vo!. vii). 3rd ed. By W. David and M. D. Smith. Pp. xvii + 653. Illustrated. R78,55. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. 1982.The Patient and the Plastic Surgeon. By R. M. Goldwyn. Pp. xiii + 255. Boston: Little, Brown. 1981.The Aging Lumbar Spine. By S. W. Wiesel, P. Bernini and R. H. Rothman. Pp. 257. Illustrated. R69,55. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. 1982.Postoperative Complications of Intracranial Neurological Surgery. By N. H. Horwitz and H. V. Rizzoli. Pp. xi + 472. Illustrated. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins. 1982.Current Topics in Inflammation and Infection (International Academy of Pathology Monograph). Ed. by G. Majno, R. S. Cotran and . Kaufman. Pp. xi + 242. Illustrated. Baltimore, Maryland: Williams & Wilkins. 1982.Radiology of the Ear, Nose and Throat. By G. E. Valvassori, G. D. Porter, W. N. Hanafee, B. L. Carter and R. A. Buckingham. Pp. viii + 342. Illustrated. RI94,30. Philadelphia: \Y/. B. Saunders. 1982.Neuropathology ofParasitic Infections. By W. J. Brown and M. Voge. Pp. 240. Illustrated. RI5,-. Oxford: Oxford Medical Publishers. 1982.Herzkrankheiten: Pathophysiologie, Diagoostik, Therapie. 2nd ed. By H. Roskamm and H. Reindel!. Pp. xxxiii + 1543. Illustrated. DM 278,-. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. 1982.Review ofSpeech, Language and Hearing, vols I, 2and 3. By N. J. Lass, L. V. McReynolds, J. L. Northern and D. E. Yoder. Illustrated. R36,20 each. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders. 1982

The new SIGCHI EC's values and strategic initiatives.

The SIGCHI EC has articulated the following 10 values. Specifically, these are instrumental values: They are our preferred methods of behavior. They are not an end goal, but they translate into a means by which an end goal is accomplished

Morphological characteristics of motor neurons do not determine their relative susceptibility to degeneration in a mouse model of severe spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a leading genetic cause of infant mortality, resulting primarily from the degeneration and loss of lower motor neurons. Studies using mouse models of SMA have revealed widespread heterogeneity in the susceptibility of individual motor neurons to neurodegeneration, but the underlying reasons remain unclear. Data from related motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggest that morphological properties of motor neurons may regulate susceptibility: in ALS larger motor units innervating fast-twitch muscles degenerate first. We therefore set out to determine whether intrinsic morphological characteristics of motor neurons influenced their relative vulnerability to SMA. Motor neuron vulnerability was mapped across 10 muscle groups in SMA mice. Neither the position of the muscle in the body, nor the fibre type of the muscle innervated, influenced susceptibility. Morphological properties of vulnerable and disease-resistant motor neurons were then determined from single motor units reconstructed in Thy.1-YFP-H mice. None of the parameters we investigated in healthy young adult mice - including motor unit size, motor unit arbor length, branching patterns, motor endplate size, developmental pruning and numbers of terminal Schwann cells at neuromuscular junctions - correlated with vulnerability. We conclude that morphological characteristics of motor neurons are not a major determinant of disease-susceptibility in SMA, in stark contrast to related forms of motor neuron disease such as ALS. This suggests that subtle molecular differences between motor neurons, or extrinsic factors arising from other cell types, are more likely to determine relative susceptibility in SMA