Computational Models of Narrative: Review of a Workshop

On October 8-10, 2009 an interdisciplinary group met at the Wylie Center in Beverley, Massachusetts to evaluate the state of the art in the computational modeling of narrative. Three important findings emerged: (1) current work in computational modeling is described by three different levels of representation; (2) there is a paucity of studies at the highest, most abstract level aimed at inferring the meaning or message of the narrative; and (3) there is a need to establish a standard data bank of annotated narratives, analogous to the Penn Treebank

A Framework for Intranet-Based Information Systems (I-BIS) Applications

A recent survey of business executives showed that of 169 decision makers who responded to a survey by the Business Research Group, over fifty percent have either already implemented an internal web site or are in the process of developing such a site (Engler, 1996). These results were similar to those reported in InformationWeek, which showed that 49% of those firms responding to the survey already had direct Internet access for their employees. According to this same survey, this figure is expected to increase to 67% of these same firms by the spring of 1997 with another 10% of the firms testing the viability of such a connectivity policy (Yankelovich, 1996). Gantz (1986) reported that the microcomputer had achieved the same level of penetration into the corporate world (in terms of the percentage of employees with desktop access) in ten years that the telephone required 75 years to achieve. With these systems increasingly tied together in local or wide area networks, it is likely that a comparable level of penetration of Intranet-Based Information System (I-BIS) will occur in an even shorter time span. The rapid proliferation of network communication technology points to a need to measure how and where these systems are being implemented, and what results are being achieved. Recently published reports concerning Intranet-Based Information Systems (I-BIS) have cited return on investment values exceeding 1300% and direct payback time periods of six to twelve weeks (Campbell, 1996). While these systems have already been widely accepted and implemented, scant attention has been paid to rigorous research in relation to users\u27 acceptance and utilization of these systems or the perceived quality of these system

Can We Accurately Measure Axial Segment Coordination during Turning Using Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)?

Camera-based 3D motion analysis systems are considered to be the gold standard for movement analysis. However, using such equipment in a clinical setting is prohibitive due to the expense and time-consuming nature of data collection and analysis. Therefore, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) have been suggested as an alternative to measure movement in clinical settings. One area which is both important and challenging is the assessment of turning kinematics in individuals with movement disorders. This study aimed to validate the use of IMUs in the measurement of turning kinematics in healthy adults compared to a camera-based 3D motion analysis system. Data were collected from twelve participants using a Vicon motion analysis system which were compared with data from 4 IMUs placed on the; forehead, middle thorax, and feet in order to determine accuracy and reliability. The results demonstrated that IMUs sensors produced reliable kinematic measures and showed excellent reliability (ICCs 0.80–0.98) and no significant differences were seen in paired t-tests in all parameters when comparing the two systems. This suggests that IMU sensors provide a viable alternative to camera-based motion capture that could be used in isolation to gather data from individuals with movement disorders in clinical settings and real-life situations

Chemical and toxicological characterization of the lower Mobjack Bay, York River, Virginia segment of the Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay segment called Lower Mobjack Bay Lower York River Virginia was found to have insufficient data to characterize in 1999. Therefore this area was selected for a chemical, toxicological, benthic community characterization study of the sediments in 2002. The segment was divided into 3 strata: the lower York River, the Poquoson River, and Back River, each with 4 randomly selected stations. Samples were collected in October 2002 for evaluation of conditions. There were few significant chemical exceedances of the ER-L or ER-M in the three strata and no toxicologically effects from exposure to sediment samples from any stratum. In contrast, the Poquoson and Back River strata showed consistent community degradation ranging from degraded to seriously degraded. The lack of chemical and toxicological impacts and the intensive residential land use makes it reasonable to conclude that the likely explanation for the degraded benthic community is eutrophication. There is not, however, confirmatory data for this interpretation

Ground-water levels and pumpage in the East St. Louis area, Illinois, 1978-1980

Cover title."ISWS/CIR-165/86."Bibliography: p. 32

Second messenger/signal transduction pathways in major mood disorders: Moving from membrane to mechanism of action, part II: bipolar disorder

The etiopathogenesis and treatment of major mood disorders have historically focused on modulation of monoaminergic (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) and amino acid [γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate] receptors at the plasma membrane. Although the activation and inhibition of these receptors acutely alter local neurotransmitter levels, their neuropsychiatric effects are not immediately observed. This time lag implicates intracellular neuroplasticity as primary in the mechanism of action of antidepressants and mood stabilizers. The modulation of intracellular second messenger/signal transduction cascades affects neurotrophic pathways that are both necessary and sufficient for monoaminergic and amino acid–based treatments. In this review, we will discuss the evidence in support of intracellular mediators in the pathophysiology and treatment of preclinical models of despair and major depressive disorder (MDD). More specifically, we will focus on the following pathways: cAMP/PKA/CREB, neurotrophin-mediated (MAPK and others), p11, Wnt/Fz/Dvl/GSK3β, and NFκB/ΔFosB. We will also discuss recent discoveries with rapidly acting antidepressants, which activate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and release of inhibition on local translation via elongation factor stimulation. Throughout this discourse, we will highlight potential intracellular targets for therapeutic intervention. Finally, future clinical implications are discussed

Molecular Anthropology in the genomic era

Molecular Anthropology is a relatively young field of research. In fact, less than 50 years have passed since the symposium ''Classification and Human Evolution'' ( 1962, Burg Wartenstein, Austria), where the term was formally introduced by Emil Zuckerkandl. In this time, Molecular Anthropology has developed both methodologically and theoretically and extended its applications, so covering key aspects of human evolution such as the reconstruction of the history of human populations and peopling processes, the characterization of DNA in extinct humans and the role of adaptive processes in shaping the genetic diversity of our species. In the current scientific panorama, molecular anthropologists have to face a double challenge. As members of the anthropological community, we are strongly committed to the integration of biological findings and other lines of evidence (e.g. linguistic and archaeological), while keeping in line with methodological innovations which are moving the approach from the genetic to the genomic level. In this framework, the meeting "DNA Polymorphisms in Human Populations: Molecular Anthropology in the Genomic Era" ( Rome, December 3-5, 2009) offered an opportunity for discussion among scholars from different disciplines, while paying attention to the impact of recent methodological innovations. Here we present an overview of the meeting and discuss perspectives and prospects of Molecular Anthropology in the genomic era