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Advances in the field of molecular biology, powered by a technological revolution, have increased dramatically over the past decades. Notable developments such as the cloning of adult sheep, the sequencing of the human genome, and the production of genetically modified organisms capture the attention of biologists, their students, and the general public. Flexible inquiry-based molecular protocols that are easily adaptable in a classroom setting are essential to the integration of molecular biology into laboratories. Unfortunately, many biological techniques are not easily adapted for use in investigative laboratories, particularly in the discipline of molecular biology, where established protocols characteristically require extensive fine-tuning when applied to a novel problem. This article discusses the adaptation of the comet assay, a research tool used to detect DNA damage, for use as an inquiry based molecular laboratory. This exercise reinforces understanding of the structure of DNA, one of the most important molecules in biology, by allowing students to examine directly the reactivity of DNA with a substance of their choice. Specifically, the laboratory focuses upon the bonding and structure of the sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA, by considering alterations in the usual state of the molecule. Students learn about DNA by examining the consequences of changes in the structure of the molecule. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

Assesses the extent of the following types of structural unemployment in the United Kingdom: technological change, skills mismatch, geographical mismatch, demographic shifts, institutional rigidity, unemployability, and capital restructuring. Concludes that measurement is difficult and the types create segmented labor markets that obstruct the application of solutions. (SK)

The Fixit design is a query-free cooperative information system that has an integrated probabilistic expert and full-text database system. Runtime cost is minimized with the elimination of the query-procedure by the independent formation of queries with the intelligent agent's analysis of user and system interaction. The organization of information sources makes retrieval simple and a table of contents is provided for maintenance documentation. Actual testing has proven the effectivity of the Fixit design and further development would make it applicable to more diverse systems feasible.

The Galtonian regression model is used to determine if different economies converge in their productivity levels over time. The model showed that classification of labor productivity growth is similar to the use of direct regression rather than inappropriate reverse regression in bivariate distribution. Countries must be classified according to initial productivity levels with preference to logarithmic transformation.

Shakey the Robot, conceived 50 years ago, was a seminal contribution to AI. Shakey perceived its world, planned how to achieve a goal, and acted to carry out that plan. This was revolutionary. At the 29th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, attendees gathered to celebrate Shakey and to gain insights into how the AI revolution moves ahead. The celebration included a panel that was chaired by Benjamin Kuipers and featured AI pioneers Ed Feigenbaum, Peter Hart, and Nils Nilsson. This article includes written versions of the contributions of those panelists [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propensity of small and medium-sized companies to create jobs in absolute and proportionate terms is examined using Gibrat's Law of proportionate effect and the Galton model of corporate growth. Job generation data among various small and medium sized UK firms in various industries from 1989-93 were analyzed. Results indicated that small and medium companies accounted for most of the job increases for the period while large firms even reduced the numbers of their employees., 1. Introduction Is the proportionate growth of a firm independent of its size, as postulated by Gibrat (1931)? Or does it tend to decrease with increases in the size of [...]

The article focuses on the important aspect of multimedia, which is the role of corpora on the multimedia research agenda. In the ever-daunting quest for killer application, the focus has mostly been on the application. However, we should stop to ask where the killer data comes from. If we shift attention from a consumer interested in recording a family vacation to a knowledge worker who needs to communicate at a professional level, we can identify a killer application. Multimedia segments are already included in PowerPoint presentations or other text-based documents. First-time attendees at a multimedia research conference might be surprised to find that their attendance is an effective way of gaining access to newscast footage. Readers need only skim recent multimedia publications to appreciate how the choice of corpus and genre influences the identification of research topics and reported results. Of course there are corpora that are not primarily composed of news footage. Some widely used corpora provide video and audio of other footages. Yet a certain uniformity still exists in these corpora. Research progress in experimental fields such as multimedia has always been greatly facilitated by the availability of shareable experimental data sets. INSETS: Editor's Note;Additional Research Area.