Genoviz Software Development Kit: Java tool kit for building genomics visualization applications

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Visualization software can expose previously undiscovered patterns in genomic data and advance biological science.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The Genoviz Software Development Kit (SDK) is an open source, Java-based framework designed for rapid assembly of visualization software applications for genomics. The Genoviz SDK framework provides a mechanism for incorporating adaptive, dynamic zooming into applications, a desirable feature of genome viewers. Visualization capabilities of the Genoviz SDK include automated layout of features along genetic or genomic axes; support for user interactions with graphical elements (Glyphs) in a map; a variety of Glyph sub-classes that promote experimentation with new ways of representing data in graphical formats; and support for adaptive, semantic zooming, whereby objects change their appearance depending on zoom level and zooming rate adapts to the current scale. Freely available demonstration and production quality applications, including the Integrated Genome Browser, illustrate Genoviz SDK capabilities.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Separation between graphics components and genomic data models makes it easy for developers to add visualization capability to pre-existing applications or build new applications using third-party data models. Source code, documentation, sample applications, and tutorials are available at <url>http://genoviz.sourceforge.net/</url>.</p

Évaluation de la performance de la génération d'idées à l'aide d'utilisateurs avant-gardistes, dans le cadre du développement de nouveaux produits

International audienceLes techniques traditionnelles de génération d'idées, fondées sur les contributions de clients, consistent généralement à collecter de l'information sur des besoins en nouveaux produits à partir d'un ensemble de clients typiques ou alors choisis de façon aléatoire. L'approche faisant appel aux « utilisateurs pionniers » s'en démarque. Elle consiste à collecter des informations sur les besoins et les solutions émanant d'utilisateurs à la pointe des nouveautés sur le marché cible, ainsi qu'à partir de clients d'autres marchés rencontrant le même type de problématique mais plus accentuée. Cet article fait part d'une expérimentation naturelle conduite dans l'entreprise 3M, sur l'impact du processus de génération d'idées à l'aide d'utilisateurs pionniers (UP) comparé à des méthodes plus traditionnelles. 3M est renommé pour ses capacités d'innovation, nous trouvons d'ailleurs que le processus UP semble améliorer ces capacités. Les ventes annuelles du produit moyen financé généré par le projet UP chez 3M sont projetées de façon conservatrice à 146 millions de dollars après cinq ans (plus de huit fois supérieures aux prévisions de ventes des idées de produit générées à partir du projet « traditionnel »). Il est projeté que chaque projet UP financé créera une nouvelle gamme majeure de produit pour une division particulière de 3M. Il en découle que les divisions qui financent des idées de projet UP projettent leur meilleur taux de génération de gamme majeure de produit depuis les cinquante dernières années

QTc-prolongation in posterior circulation stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between infarct location and QTc-prolongation in patients with posterior circulation strokes. METHODS: Admission electrocardiograms (ECG) of 131 patients among a prospective sample of 407 consecutive adult patients in the New England Medical Center Posterior Circulation Registry were retrospectively analyzed. The QT interval (ms) was measured and corrected using Bazett\u27s formula (QTcBazett) as well as linear regression functions (QTcLinear). QTcBazett \u3e 440 ms and QTcLinear \u3e /= 450 ms for men ( \u3e /=460 ms for women) were considered prolonged. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of the QTc. RESULTS: Overall, 34% of patients had a prolonged QTcBazett and 7% had a prolonged QTcLinear noted on the admission ECG. There was a significant association between temporal lobe infarction and QTcBazett and QTcLinear (p \u3c 0.001 for both) in multivariable linear regression analyses adjusting for demographics, ECG parameters, and preadmission medication use. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, temporal lobe infarction emerged as an independent predictor of prolonged QTcBazett (p = 0.009) and QTcLinear (p = 0.008), respectively. Sensitivity analyses excluding patients with transient ischemic attack yielded similar results. Exploratory analyses indicated that patients with temporal lobe infarction had worse functional 30-day outcomes in multivariable logistic regression (p = 0.022). However, there was no significant association between QTc and 30-day functional outcome. CONCLUSIONS: QTc-prolongation is common after posterior circulation stroke and associated with temporal lobe infarction. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings and to examine potential long-term consequences

Performance Assessment of the Lead User Idea-Generation Process for New Product Development

Traditional idea generation techniques based on customer input usually collect information on new product needs from a random or typical set of customers. The "lead user process" takes a different approach. It collects information about both needs and solutions from users at the leading edges of the target market, as well as from users in other markets that face similar problems in a more extreme form. This paper reports on a natural experiment conducted within the 3M Company on the effect of the lead user (LU) idea-generation process relative to more traditional methods. 3M is known for its innovation capabilities--- and we find that the LU process appears to improve upon those capabilities. Annual sales of LU product ideas generated by the average LU project at 3M are conservatively projected to be $146 million after five years---more than eight times higher than forecast sales for the average contemporaneously conducted "traditional" project. Each funded LU project is projected to create a new major product line for a 3M division. As a direct result, divisions funding LU project ideas are projecting their highest rate of major product line generation in the past 50 years.new product development, lead users, idea generation