Dissecting the Biological Motherboard (Systems Biology and Beyond)

Genome-scale molecular networks, including gene pathways, gene regulatory networks and protein interactions, are central to the investigation of the nascent disciplines of systems biology and bio-complexity. Dissecting these genome-scale molecular networks in its all-possible manifestations is paramount in our quest for a genotype-input phenotype-output application which will also take environment-genome interactions into account.

Machine learning approaches are now increasingly being used for reverse engineering such networks. Our work stresses the importance of a system approach in biological research and how artificial neural networks are at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence techniques that are increasingly being used to construct as well as dissect molecular networks, the building blocks of the living system.

Our paper will show the application of artificial neural networks to reverse engineer a temporal gene pathway 
In this paper we will also explore the pruning of nodes of these artificial neural networks to simulate gene silencing and thus generate novel biological insight into these molecular networks (The Biological Motherboard).

The research described is novel, in that this may be the first time that the application of neural networks to temporal gene expression data is described. It will be shown that a trained artificial neural network, with pruning, can also be described as a gene network with minimal re-interpretation, where the weights on links between nodes reflect the probability of one gene affecting another gene in time

Head-Mounted Displays with Integrated Cameras to Capture 360-degree Video

Capturing videos in 360 degrees currently requires use of a standalone 360-degree camera. Playback of such videos in 360 degrees requires a separate head-mounted device (HMD). In many 360-degree videos, the person controlling the camera is unintentionally visible, distracting the viewer. This disclosure describes techniques to overcome these barriers by equipping HMDs with the capability to capture 360-degree video cameras via multiple cameras positioned on the front, sides, and back of the HMD. Multiple, aligned videos are obtained by capturing images from the various cameras in the form of a video stream and aligned to provide a 360-degree video. Unintentionally captured body parts can be removed digitally from the captured 360-degree videos to create a more precise point-of-view video. The HMD with integrated cameras can act as a capture and viewing device

Using Audio Processing To Determine Disease Spread

During epidemics and at other times, it is important for public health officials, individuals, and other entities to make health-related decisions based on sound epidemiological statistics. Such statistics are today generated only when individuals voluntarily seek medical treatment. Diseases that are contagious but initially asymptomatic can spread rapidly through vulnerable populations with little warning. Due to the initial mildness of symptoms, individuals may not realize that they have a dangerous infection and may fail to approach medical professionals for treatment or diagnosis. This disclosure describes techniques that can leverage sensors, networks, and consumer electronic devices to determine a fine-grained estimate of epidemiological statistics. With user permission, ambient sounds can be analyzed to detect audio symptoms of disease, e.g., cough, changes in voice, etc.; to classify the symptom by disease; and to geographically aggregate disease detections to automatically construct real-time epidemiological maps. Such epidemiological maps can enable accurate public-health decisions and efficient healthcare delivery

Towards an Automated Digital Data Forensic Model with specific reference to Investigation Processes

Existing digital forensics frameworks do not provide clear guidelines for conducting digital forensics investigation. However, had a framework existed, investigations based on known procedures and processes would follow strict prescribed standardisation. This should direct investigations following a set method for comparisons; ensuring future investigation is following one standard. Digital forensics lack confirmed and tested methods; this became obvious when we consider varied interpretations of the same case by participants using different investigation methods. Previous research covered several approaches to setting a forensics framework, which are mere adaptations of previous models. We found that only a few models present a framework that defines or delivers qualified likeness between the different disciplines. From this, possible pattern analysis from different disciplines is possible (Kohn, 2007). This underlines the need to standardise processes, to ensure proven and consistent results. Digital Forensics Science needs a new approach, defining and standardising investigation processes by affirming an investigation framework. Present research does not enough cover how existing forensic frameworks are used as guideline while conduct investigations. As a result, wide general interpretations are possible instead of following a set standard. Investigation processes and in particular how data confirmation is conducted during and after investigation becomes questionable as well. This also challenges data consistency and the legality of investigation processes when a non-standard framework is used without forming a sound theory based on proven models

Organisational preparedness for hosted virtual desktops in the context of digital forensics

Virtualization in computing has progressed to an extent where desktops can be virtualized and accessed from anywhere. The server hosted model has already surpassed 1% market share of the worldwide professional PC market, with estimates indicating that this is a rapidly growing area. This paper investigates the adequacy of current digital forensic procedures on hosted virtual desktops (HVDs) as there does not appear to be specific methods of locating and extracting evidences from this infrastructure. A hosted virtual desktop deployed in private clouds was simulated to reflect two different computer crime scenarios. It was found that current digital forensic procedures may not be adequate for locating and extracting evidence, since the infrastructure introduces complications such as persistent/non-persisted disk modes and segregating data in a multi-tenant environment

Automatic Detection of Phrase Boundaries and Highlighting Phrases in Text

This disclosure describes techniques to display text in a way that enhances readability through phrasal grouping. Using dependency-parsing techniques, sentences are automatically split into phrases. The display of text is adapted to phrasal groupings, e.g., using highlighting, with or without synchronized audio. For example, a text-to-speech (TTS) reader voices phrases sequentially while the phrase currently being voiced is synchronously highlighted. The grouping of text into phrases and their highlighting during audio-visual consumption by the user can improve comprehension

Climate Change and Grape Wine Quality: A GIS Approach to Analysing New Zealand Wine Regions

The influences of seasonal climate variability on the phenological dynamics of certain terrestrial communities observed mostly since the mid‐20th century are seen as leading to unprecedented consequences (Richard, et al., 2009). The potential impacts of the phenomenon on the phenological development and in turn on the species composition of certain specific plant, insect, aquatic, bird and animal communities evolved in parallel over millions of years to form the existing “make‐up” of what is referred to as the “biodiversity” or “endemic species” of these natural habitats, are depicted as significant (Peñuelas and Estiarte, 2010). Scientific research results have revealed that the recent rapid climate change effects on these systems, more specifically during the last few decades, have resulted in presently being seen “temporal mismatch in interacting species”. Such ecological observations are even described as early vital signs of imminent “regime shifts” in the current base climate of these regions or latitudes (Schweiger, Settele, Kudrna, & Klotz, 2008: Saino, et al., 2009). On the other hand, climatologists portray the major cause for such rapid “climate regime shifts” and the consequent impacts on the survival of so called co‐evolved species, as anthropogenic (Anderson, Kelly, Ladley, Molloy, & Terry, 2011). For this reason, research relating to climate change impacts on vegetation spread over landscapes, phenological development and population dynamics of susceptible communities, in some cases even with potential threat for total extinction of “endangered species” under future climate change, has in recent years gained enormous momentum. In fact, this unprecedented attention has also drawn greater scrutiny and controversies at never seen before proportions in a way hindering any form of formal research on the phenomenon (Shanmuganathan & Sallis, 2010)

Mahaim Fiber Accelerated Automaticity and Clues to a Mahaim Fiber Being Morphologically an Ectopic or a Split AV Node

Mahaim Fiber tachycardia characteristically causes a wide QRS tachycardia with left bundle branch morphology and left axis deviation, especially in young patients, having no structural heart disease. Mahaim fiber automaticity further cements the proposition of Mahaim fiber, due to its Atrioventricular (AV) node like property, being called as an ectopic AV node