Implementation Methods for Estimating Haplotypes with Grid Computing Technology

Introduction: PHASE is a software for haplotype reconstruction and recombination rate estimation from population data and implements the methods for estimating haplotypes from population genotype data. This software require enormous computing power due to the complexity algorithms used. Recent advancement in grid computing and multi-core processing technology has resulted in the creating of virtual supercomputers (that are capable of massive parallel computations).

Method: PHASE version 2.0 was downloaded from PHASE’s homepage (http://stephenslab.uchicago.edu/software.html), and installed on 10 Apple iMac computers (20 CPUs) running Mac OS 10.5 using Apple™ Xserve as a controller. A PHP web-based application was developed to enable easy job submission and result retrieval. Haplotype estimation jobs for PHASE were submitted using a web browser running either from Windows®, Linux® or Macintosh™ OS 10.5 operating systems. Jobs consisting of 20 input files of genomic loci (SNPs) were submitted to the Xgrid via the controller and the job completion time for each run were recorded and compared.

Results: The job completion time for estimating 20 input files and returning the results to the controller using XGrid (20 CPUs) took 4,980 seconds compared with 58,800 seconds using a single computer (2 CPUs), representing 91.5% reduction in computing time

Video analysis : A qualitative tool for investigating students' learning in a constructivist-oriented multimedia in a science classroom

A new software package VideoSearch, a Macintosh multimedia research tool for analysing digital video was used to analyse classroom observations. VideoSearch can digitise video from a video cassette recorder or video camera and store it on a computer as a QuickTime movie. Texts can be attached to each instance within an episode and this text can be searched. Episodes in this movie can then be coded for analysis by means of user defined categories. Analyses of three types of episodes from video segments are presented and discussed in order to investigate students' learning. Episodes from video segments include students working in pairs conducting investigations based on an inquiry- based multimedia program, students presenting their experiences of their process of investigation and the researcher probing the students' reflections on their learning during an interview. An advantage of working with the digital video analysis is greater access to fuller context for qualitative data analyses. This allows for a better understanding of the social processes of students' learning. However, the time required and the level of intensive analysis may make it a difficult process to undertake

The graphic user interface of the AudioGraph Recorder (PC version) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science at Massey University

With the popularity of the use of computers and the development of the Internet, many multimedia-authoring systems have been developed for computer-based teaching and learning. This is playing an increasingly important role in education. One authoring system is the AudioGraph project developed at Massey university of N.Z., which have been developed for recording audio-graphic presentation material for publication in an html reference environment, i.e. "on the web". One of the tools in the AudioGraph project is the AudioGraph Recorder, which is a Macintosh application for recording or authoring web-based multimedia presentations. Due to the success of the publication of the AudioGraph application and the need of PC users, an AudioGraph Recorder for the PCs is required. This project is about the porting of the AudioGraph Recorder from the Macintosh platform to the PC platform. First this project report explains the functionality of the AudioGraph Recoder (the Macintosh version), especially how the end users interact with the interface of the AudioGraph Recorder, and the corresponding state changes of the controls in the interface. Then the report compares the development tools used in both platforms. The Macintosh version of the AudioGraph Recorder has been developed with the PowerPlant framework in CodeWarrior environment, but the PC version uses MFC framework in Visual C++ 6.0. This report also describes in detail how the interface of the AudioGraph Recorder application was constructed with the MFC, and implementation of some functionality of the application. At the same time some internals of the MFC framework are discussed