Caring, sharing widgets: a toolkit of sensitive widgets

Although most of us communicate using multiple sensory modalities in our lives, and many of our computers are similarly capable of multi-modal interaction, most human-computer interaction is predominantly in the visual mode. This paper describes a toolkit of widgets that are capable of presenting themselves in multiple modalities, but further are capapble of adapting their presentation to suit the contexts and environments in which they are used. This is of increasing importance as the use of mobile devices becomes ubiquitous

Sonically-enhanced widgets: comments on Brewster and Clarke, ICAD 1997

This paper presents a review of the research surrounding the paper “The Design and Evaluation of a Sonically Enhanced Tool Palette” by Brewster and Clarke from ICAD 1997. A historical perspective is given followed by a discussion of how this work has fed into current developments in the area

A toolkit of mechanism and context independent widgets

Most human-computer interfaces are designed to run on a static platform (e.g. a workstation with a monitor) in a static environment (e.g. an office). However, with mobile devices becoming ubiquitous and capable of running applications similar to those found on static devices, it is no longer valid to design static interfaces. This paper describes a user-interface architecture which allows interactors to be flexible about the way they are presented. This flexibility is defined by the different input and output mechanisms used. An interactor may use different mechanisms depending upon their suitability in the current context, user preference and the resources available for presentation using that mechanism

Identifying wildlife reservoirs of neglected taeniid tapeworms : non-invasive diagnosis of endemic Taenia serialis infection in a wild primate population

Despite the global distribution and public health consequences of Taenia tapeworms, the life cycles of taeniids infecting wildlife hosts remain largely undescribed. The larval stage of Taenia serialis commonly parasitizes rodents and lagomorphs, but has been reported in a wide range of hosts that includes geladas (Theropithecus gelada), primates endemic to Ethiopia. Geladas exhibit protuberant larval cysts indicative of advanced T. serialis infection that are associated with high mortality. However, non-protuberant larvae can develop in deep tissue or the abdominal cavity, leading to underestimates of prevalence based solely on observable cysts. We adapted a non-invasive monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect circulating Taenia spp. antigen in dried gelada urine. Analysis revealed that this assay was highly accurate in detecting Taenia antigen, with 98.4% specificity, 98.5% sensitivity, and an area under the curve of 0.99. We used this assay to investigate the prevalence of T. serialis infection in a wild gelada population, finding that infection is substantially more widespread than the occurrence of visible T. serialis cysts (16.4% tested positive at least once, while only 6% of the same population exhibited cysts). We examined whether age or sex predicted T. serialis infection as indicated by external cysts and antigen presence. Contrary to the female-bias observed in many Taenia-host systems, we found no significant sex bias in either cyst presence or antigen presence. Age, on the other hand, predicted cyst presence (older individuals were more likely to show cysts) but not antigen presence. We interpret this finding to indicate that T. serialis may infect individuals early in life but only result in visible disease later in life. This is the first application of an antigen ELISA to the study of larval Taenia infection in wildlife, opening the doors to the identification and description of infection dynamics in reservoir populations

The Unique Determination of Neuronal Currents in the Brain via Magnetoencephalography

The problem of determining the neuronal current inside the brain from measurements of the induced magnetic field outside the head is discussed under the assumption that the space occupied by the brain is approximately spherical. By inverting the Geselowitz equation, the part of the current which can be reconstructed from the measurements is precisely determined. This actually consists of only certain moments of one of the two functions specifying the tangential part of the current. The other function specifying the tangential part of the current as well as the radial part of the current are completely arbitrary. However, it is also shown that with the assumption of energy minimization, the current can be reconstructed uniquely. A numerical implementation of this unique reconstruction is also presented

Stronger maternal social bonds and higher rank are associated with accelerated infant maturation in Kinda baboons

Social relationships are critical components of health and fitness for humans and other animals. For female-philopatric species, affiliative relationships among females (kin and nonkin alike) can influence components of fitness that include individual survival, interbirth interval and offspring survival. Affiliative relationships with males have attracted somewhat less attention, with most studies focusing on female–male relationships as adaptations for infanticide avoidance. Here, we use 8 years of behavioural data on Kinda baboons, Papio kindae, to assess whether maternal social relationships—both among females and between females and males—affect infant survival, interbirth interval and the pace of infant development. Kinda baboons are an ideal system for these analyses because males and females form strong relationships outside of the periovulatory period and in the absence of obvious infanticide threat. We calculated social metrics that reflected dominance status, total social integration and social bond strength and paired these metrics with data on offspring survival, interbirth interval (IBI) duration and infant behavioural maturation. Neither dominance rank nor sociality had a significant effect on interbirth interval or survival, but higher rank and the stronger affiliative relationships between a female and her top female and top male social partners predicted more rapid infant behavioural maturation. These results suggest that maternal dominance and sociality may confer advantages related to infant development and independence that ultimately may permit females to more quickly invest in subsequent offspring and point to advantages of relationships with males outside of lowering infanticide threat

Quantum interference experiments, modular variables and weak measurements

We address the problem of interference using the Heisenberg picture and highlight some new aspects through the use of pre-selection, post-selection, weak measurements, and modular variables, We present a physical explanation for the different behaviors of a single particle when the distant slit is open or closed: instead of having a quantum wave that passes through all slits, we have a localized particle with non-local interactions with the other slit(s). We introduce a Gedankenexperiment to measure this non-local exchange. While the Heisenberg picture and the Schrodinger pictures are equivalent formulations of quantum mechanics, nevertheless, the results discussed here support a new approach which has led to new insights, new intuitions, new experiments, and even the possibility of new devices that were missed from the old perspective

A Natural Experiment on Innovation Without Patents

Innovation occurs within a complex web of law. Of the myriad legal doctrines that affect innovation, the most directly relevant is intellectual property, particularly patent law. The United States Constitution, in Article I, Section 8, states a strong public policy goal for the granting of patents (and copyrights) to inventors: “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.” Despite the Founding Fathers’ apparent faith in the societal benefits afforded by patent protection, a crescendo of recent critics have accused the patent system of complicating, slowing, or even thwarting innovation. Patents certainly present significant hurdles for open and user innovation. Moreover, von Hippel (2005) and Strandburg (2008) have demonstrated that user innovators, especially individuals, tend to be poorly served, and often harmed, by the patent system

Evolutionary factors affecting Lactate dehydrogenase A and B variation in the Daphnia pulex species complex

Background: Evidence for historical, demographic and selective factors affecting enzyme evolution can be obtained by examining nucleotide sequence variation in candidate genes such as Lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh). Two closely related Daphnia species can be distinguished by their electrophoretic Ldh genotype and habitat. Daphnia pulex populations are fixed for the S allele and inhabit temporary ponds, while D. pulicaria populations are fixed for the F allele and inhabit large stratified lakes. One locus is detected in most allozyme surveys, but genome sequencing has revealed two genes, LdhA and LdhB. Results: We sequenced both Ldh genes from 70 isolates of these two species from North America to determine if the association between Ldh genotype and habitat shows evidence for selection, and to elucidate the evolutionary history of the two genes. We found that alleles in the pond-dwelling D. pulex and in the lake-dwelling D. pulicaria form distinct groups at both loci, and the substitution of Glutamine (S) for Glutamic acid (F) at amino acid 229 likely causes the electrophoretic mobility shift in the LDHA protein. Nucleotide diversity in both Ldh genes is much lower in D. pulicaria than in D. pulex. Moreover, the lack of spatial structuring of the variation in both genes over a wide geographic area is consistent with a recent demographic expansion of lake populations. Neutrality tests indicate that both genes are under purifying selection, but the intensity is much stronger on LdhA. Conclusions: Although lake-dwelling D. pulicaria hybridizes with the other lineages in the pulex species complex, it remains distinct ecologically and genetically. This ecological divergence, coupled with the intensity of purifying selection on LdhA and the strong association between its genotype and habitat, suggests that experimental studies would be useful to determine if variation in molecular function provides evidence that LDHA variants are adaptive