August 2011 - change - Mailing Lists

Medical apps for your smartphone: healthy or hurtful?
by Yaw Anokwa 30 Aug '11

30 Aug '11

"The impact of Dr. Buddy Ratner's latest work, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is hard to describe. “We loosely call it the magic wand,” Dr. Ratner said. It's relatively simple physics. Electricity reacts with a flow of gas to create a glowing, low-temperature plasma. The plasma breaks off a few molecules from a sample of bodily fluid and sends them through a machine that measures the major nutrients on a computer tablet in three minutes. Normally, this process takes a tube and a half of blood and 24 hours of analysis. So, for developing countries, this “plasma pen” truly could be magic. As Dr. Gaetano Boriello explained, “in Tanzania, there’s one doctor for every 50,000 people.” Dr. Boriello studies how technology like Dr. Ratner’s can help in places with few medical resources. He says the plasma pen, which is planned to be an app for a smartphone, will be a powerful tool for social workers who often only get one chance to help someone. “In very poor, rural, even nomadic communities, finding that same patient again can be a hell of a chore sometimes,” Boriello said. “And so having that result right there onsite is really important.”" http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-medicalapps-20110817,0,7443289.story

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handheld android/ipod touch accessory for diagnostics
by Rohit Chaudhri 26 Aug '11

26 Aug '11

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110826112022.htm from the article: "In addition to cancer detection, the Gene-Z device also is being developed to diagnose routine tuberculosis and drug-resistant TB, determine HIV virus levels during treatment and monitor overall antibiotic resistance."

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TR-35's ICTD presence
by Gaetano Borriello 23 Aug '11

23 Aug '11

See: Aishwarya Ratan, 30 Converting paper records to digital in real time Yale http://www.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?trid=1087 Umar Saif, 32 Improving connectivity in poor nations Lahore University of Management Sciences http://www.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?trid=1106 Ajit Narayanan, 30 Affordable speech synthesizers Invention Labs http://www.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?trid=1097

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Job Opening - VillageReach Technology Manager
by Emily Bancroft 23 Aug '11

23 Aug '11

VillageReach (based in Seattle) has an exciting opening for a Technology Manager in the Information Systems Group (ISG). The Technology Manager will be responsible for applying requirements from health system strengthening field programs into product software solutions in the field of logistical information systems. The manager will elicit requirements and change requests from in-country teams and partners, provide support for implementation of changes and new requirements via contractors and partners, and document and track bugs/issues, as well as software releases. The manager will also be responsible for project management for the <http://villagereach.org/get-involved/opportunities/www.openLMIS.org> OpenLMIS Initiative, involving the active participation of a number of organizations from the global health and international development sector and private enterprise. Planning and coordinating OpenLMIS events, workshops and other network-building activities will be core to this program. A full job description is available at http://villagereach.org/get-involved/opportunities/ Emily Bancroft, MPH Program Manager VillageReach Office: +1 206 925 5206 Cell: +1 206 234 5378 www.villagereach.org<http://www.villagereach.org>

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Fwd: Virtual PHI Conference - register free
by Yaw Anokwa 23 Aug '11

23 Aug '11

Begin forwarded message: > From: "Blair, Mary Lou (CDC/CGH/DPHSWD) (CTR)" <diz9(a)cdc.gov> > Date: August 23, 2011 8:50:46 PDT > To: "Mirza, Muzna (CDC/CGH/DPHSWD)" <gnw9(a)cdc.gov>, "Mehta, Prachi D. (CDC/OSELS/PHSPO)" <pnm9(a)cdc.gov>, "Cooke Gibbs, Ruth M. (CDC/CGH/OD) (CTR)" <icn6(a)cdc.gov> > Subject: Virtual PHI Conference - register free > > Greetings colleagues, > > Even if you are not in Atlanta this week for the 2011 PHI Conference – or you have missed any session, you can virtually attend the sessions! > > Register free for the virtual PHI Conference!! please see below for details: > https://cdc.6connex.com/portal/phivc2011/login/?langR=en_US&mcc=CDC-Email-0… > contact PHIConference(a)cdc.gov for more information. > > Thanks, > Global PHI organizing team > gphi(a)cdc.gov > > > > >

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Genius 13-Year-Old Has a Solar Power Breakthrough
by Nicola Dell 22 Aug '11

22 Aug '11

Interesting stuff... 7th grader Aidan Dwyer<http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/2011/aidan.html> was walking in the woods during the winter, and looking up, he noticed something about the bare branches above him. They didn't appear to be growing randomly. So he took some measurements of the angles of the branches, crunched some numbers, and wouldn't you know it, he found that the ubiquitous Fibonacci Sequence was behind it all. He suspected there was a reason behind this. That trees were using this pattern to gather more light. So he did an experiment. Using the same number of solar cells, he built two working models. One was a traditional, flat array will all of the panels on a single plane. The other used the Fibonacci Sequence to create the same spiraled pattern he observed in the trees. Read more here ... http://gizmodo.com/5832557/genius-13+year+old-has-a-solar-power-breakthrough

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Georgia Tech Researchers Demo Disaster Communications System
by Gaetano Borriello 22 Aug '11

22 Aug '11

Georgia Tech Researchers Demo Disaster Communications System Georgia Institute of Technology (08/16/11) Liz Klipp Georgia Tech researchers have developed LifeNet, a wireless communication system that is designed to help first responders manage disaster zones. LifeNet is a mobile ad-hoc network designed for use in highly transient environments that requires no infrastructure such as Internet, cell towers or traditional landlines. LifeNet bridges connectivity between a satellite phone, the standard for post-disaster communications, and a WiFi-based network on the ground. The new system extends the coverage of a satellite phone from one computer with access to the entire independent network in the field, meaning that several users who might not have satellite phones but do have smartphones or laptops with WiFi can connect to the LifeNet network, communicate with each other, and use the Internet as long as any one of them has access. "If you use LifeNet, the cost savings per text message is 100 times less than a satellite phone," says Georgia Tech graduate student Hrushikesh Mehendale. Each LifeNet-equipped computer acts as both a host client and a router, moving data to and from any other available wireless device. The LifeNet software provides basic communications that are low bandwidth, but reliable. http://www.gatech.edu/newsroom/release.html?nid=69356

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Fwd: Call for Papers - ACM DEV 2012
by Gaetano Borriello 22 Aug '11

22 Aug '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bill Thies <thies(a)microsoft.com> Date: Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 2:02 AM Subject: Call for Papers - ACM DEV 2012 To: Bill Thies <thies(a)microsoft.com> Cc: "Gaetano Borriello (gaetano(a)cs.washington.edu)" <gaetano(a)cs.washington.edu> CALL FOR PAPERS - ACM DEV 2012 2nd Annual Symposium on Computing for Development (DEV 2012) Co-located with ICTD 2012 Atlanta, Georgia March 10-11, 2012 http://dev2012.org/ Important dates: - Submissions due: October 21, 2011 - Notification of acceptance: December 16, 2011 - Camera-ready: January 30, 2012 DEV 2012 provides an international forum for research in the design and implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social and economic development. In particular, we focus on emerging contexts where conventional computing solutions are often inappropriate due to various contextual factors - including, but not limited to, cost, language, literacy, and the availability of power and bandwidth. Focusing on innovative technical solutions to these unique application, infrastructure and user challenges, DEV fosters exchange between computer scientists, engineers, and other scholars and practitioners interested in the use of ICTs for development. DEV provides a high-quality, single-track forum for presenting results and discussing new ideas. We expect paper contributions from different existing sub-areas of Computer Science and Engineering with a direct relevance to development. Papers should describe original and previously unpublished research. Three metrics will be applied to judge papers: (a) Relevance of the problem for development; (b) Novelty of the technical solution; (c) Evaluation of the solution, making a case for development-focused impact. All DEV paper submissions should either provide or directly motivate a novel technical solution that has direct implications for development. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Networks/Systems/Security/Architecture - Low-cost wireless connectivity - Intermittent networks and systems - Power-efficient systems - Low-cost computing devices - Mobile systems and applications - Mixed networks, e.g., telephony and IP - Special-purpose sensor systems - Security challenges in developing regions HCI/Applications - User interfaces for low-literacy populations - Multi-lingual computing - User-interfaces for low-cost devices - Participatory methods and user-centered design - Accessibility to disabled populations in developing regions - Design and evaluation of applications for health, microfinance, education, agriculture, entertainment AI/NLP/Data Mining/Speech/Vision - Machine learning techniques for large-scale data analysis in development contexts - Adapting content and applications to local languages and education levels - Understanding social relationships and information flows in disadvantaged societies - Speech interfaces and speech recognition for low-resource languages - Development of new AI-centric tools/solutions for development - Computer vision challenges in development We also welcome papers outside of these topics that address the DEV focus on computing innovations supporting social and economic development. Submissions should be in ACM format and not more than 10 pages. Program Committee: Gaetano Borriello, Co-Chair (University of Washington) Bill Thies, Co-Chair (Microsoft Research India) Saman Amarasinghe (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Richard Anderson (University of Washington) Etienne Barnard (University of Pretoria) Ed Cutrell (Microsoft Research India) Emma Brunskill (Carnegie Mellon) James Davis (UC Santa Cruz) Andrew Dearden (Sheffield Hallam University) Eric Horvitz (Microsoft Research) Jana Iyengar (Franklin and Marshall) S. Keshav (University of Waterloo) Vanessa Frias Martinez (Telefonica Research) Matthew Kam (Carnegie Mellon) Anitha Kannan (Microsoft Research) Krishna Kenthapadi (Microsoft Research) Gary Marsden (University of Cape Town) Amit Nanavati (IBM Research India) Vivek Pai (Princeton) Saurabh Panjwani (Bell Labs India) Tapan Parikh (UC Berkeley) John Quinn (Makerere University) Bhaskaran Raman (IIT Bombay) Roni Rosenfeld (Carnegie Mellon) Aaditeshwar Seth (IIT Delhi) Amarjeet Singh (IIIT Delhi) Lakshmi Subramanian (New York University) Kentaro Toyama (UC Berkeley) Terry Winograd (Stanford)

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Lemelson-MIT Award for Global Innovation
by Yaw Anokwa 19 Aug '11

19 Aug '11

"Are you or someone you know an innovator who is doing developing technological solutions to pressing problems in developing countries? If you know someone who is building a better life for people in need, then we want to acknowledge them. They might be the next 2012 Lemelson-MIT Award for Global Innovation winner." http://web.mit.edu/invent/a-award.html

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Fwd: SEES Fellows Program
by Ed Lazowska 18 Aug '11

18 Aug '11

Begin forwarded message: > From: Erwin Gianchandani <erwin(a)cra.org> > Date: August 18, 2011 12:27:44 PM PDT > To: CCC Council <councilccc(a)cra.org> > Subject: SEES Fellows Program > > Colleagues, > > A quick update: NSF has just issued another of its SEES solicitations -- calling for "NSF SEES Fellows" -- > >> I’m sending this email to inform you of a new program solicitation just released by NSF – >> >> NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability Fellows - NSF SEES Fellows >> >> http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504673 >> A sustainable world is one in which human needs are met equitably without harm to the environment, and without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Meeting this formidable challenge requires a substantial increase in our understanding of the integrated system of society, the natural world, and the alterations humans bring to Earth. NSF's Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES) activities aim to address this need through support for interdisciplinary research and education. >> >> SEES postdoctoral fellows will receive up to 3 years of funding to conduct research, establish partnerships, and advance their professional development. >> >> The Proposal deadline is December 5, 2011. >> >> General inquiries regarding the NSF SEES Fellows program should be made toseesfellows(a)nsf.gov. >> >> Please share this information widely. > > Erwin > > -- > > Erwin Gianchandani, Ph.D. > > Director, Computing Community Consortium > Computing Research Association > 1828 L Street, NW, Suite 800 > Washington, DC 20036 > > Phone: (202) 266-2936 > E-mail: erwin(a)cra.org > Online: http://cra.org/ccc & http://cccblog.org >

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