July 2012 - change - Mailing Lists

Two global health events (fwd)
by Ruth Anderson 10 Jul '12

10 Jul '12

Two free Seattle-area global health events this month (7/14 and 7/31). ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 08:59:02 -0700 From: "Vlasaty, Tina" <Tina.Vlasaty(a)seattle.gov> Groundswell (7/14) This free event will also feature Christy Turlington Burns (Founder, Every Mother Counts), Dr. Chris Murray (Director, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation), students, young professionals attending Agency (formerly Party with a Purpose) and global heroes making a difference for mothers and babies in Seattle and around the world. Our program will follow the first 1,000 days of life for a child, from conception to age 2, considered to be the most crucial period for determining the future health of a person. Groundswell will highlight the importance of planning for a family, frontline health workers, new uses of existing technology and the need to learn what causes babies to be born prematurely. Partners include Seattle Children’s Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth, and Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development partnership among the United States Agency for International Development, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, UKAID from the Department for International Development, both calling on the brightest minds across the globe to identify transformative prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant women and newborns. We will also honor the winners of the “Be The Change” student competition in the high school, community college and undergraduate categories. http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F0048B789605EBB?fb_ref=FBKLikeEvent&fb_s… Cross Sector Partnerships for Global Health: Successes, Obstacles and Opportunities (7/31) Join us for an interactive and engaging discussion on partnerships between non-profit global health organizations and for-profit entities. Panelists will highlight challenges, successes and impact. Learn more about how you and your company can get involved in global health. Panelists · Dr Jacqueline Sherris, VP Global Programs, PATH · Scott Dyer, Founder, Scan My List · Tania Barron, Senior Consultant, ERM · Toni Langlinais, Seattle Managing Director, Accenture · Anne Bugge, VP Global Public Health, SonoSite This free event will be held at the Next 50 Pavilion (between EMP and the Armory/Center House) on Seattle Center grounds. It features a private tour of the Global Health Experience Exhibit and a panel discussion focused on non-profit and private sector collaborations in global health. Complementary beverages and light appetizers provided. http://cscmp.org/roundtable/meetings.asp?CompanyID=41390 Tina Vlasaty Director of Finance and Operations Office of Economic Development 206 684 3348 tina.vlasaty(a)seattle.gov www.seattle.gov/economicdevelopment grow_seattle_logo_3c START | GROW | GREEN Your Business @ www.growseattle.com

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Call for papers: DEV 2013
by Richard Anderson 06 Jul '12

06 Jul '12

From: Aaditeshwar Seth [mailto:aaditeshwar@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, July 02, 2012 8:14 PM To: Subject: Call for papers: DEV 2013 Hello, I am writing to remind you that the DEV 2013 paper submission deadline is only two months away -- hope you are preparing some good studies to submit! We are very excited and looking forward to another fantastic round of papers this year. Sincerely, Aaditeshwar Seth, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Richard Anderson, University of Washington ------------ ACM DEV 2013 3rd Symposium on Computing for Development Co-located with COMSNETS January 11-12, 2013 Bangalore, India http://dev2013.org/ Important Dates: Submissions due: September 7, 2012 (11:59pm UTC) - firm deadline Author notification: October 26, 2012 Camera-ready: December 7, 2012 Conference: January 11-12, 2013 DEV 2013 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. 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. Conference co-chairs: Bill Thies, Microsoft Research India <thies(a)microsoft.com><mailto:thies@microsoft.com> Amit Nanavati, IBM India Research Labs <namit(a)in.ibm.com><mailto:namit@in.ibm.com> PC co-chairs: Richard Anderson, University of Washington <anderson(a)cs.washington.edu><mailto:anderson@cs.washington.edu> Aaditeshwar Seth, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi <aseth(a)cse.iitd.ernet.in><mailto:aseth@cse.iitd.ernet.in> Program committee (confirmed so far): Aaditeshwar Seth, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Amarjeet Singh, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi Amit Nanavati, IBM India Research Labs Andrew Dearden, Sheffield Hallam University Anirudh Joshi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Bhaskaran Raman, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Bill Thies, Microsoft Research India Brian DeRenzi, University of Washington Elizabeth Belding, UC Santa Barbara Emma Brunskill, Carnegie Mellon University Etienne Barnard, University of Pretoria Gaetano Borriello, University of Washington James Davis, UC Santa Cruz Jana Iyengar, Franklin and Marshall College Jay Chen, New York University John Bennett, University of Colorado Boulder John Quinn, Makerere University Kentaro Toyama, UC Berkeley Lakshmi Subramanian, New York University Neal Lesh, Dimagi Neil Patel, Awaaz De Niloy Ganguli, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Richard Anderson, University of Washington Roni Rosenfeld, Carnegie Mellon University Saurabh Panjwani, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs India Sharad Jaiswal, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs India Srinivasan Keshav, University of Waterloo Tapan Parikh, UC Berkeley Vanessa Frias Martinez, Telefonica Research

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FW: Global Impact Study Newsletter - July 2012
by Melody Clark 06 Jul '12

06 Jul '12

Hello! The Global Impact Study’s latest newsletter is out, which includes many of our findings so far. Take a look! Cheers! Melody From: Technology & Social Change Group [mailto:tascha=uw.edu@createsend5.com] On Behalf Of Technology & Social Change Group Sent: Friday, July 06, 2012 1:32 PM To: Melody Clark Subject: Global Impact Study Newsletter - July 2012 Not Interested? Unsubscribe from this list<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r/u/hiukyul/hjdkjjzl/>. Having trouble? View this email in your browser.<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r/e/hiukyul/hjdkjjzl/> [Global Impact Study]<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-r/> July 2012 Data analysis reveals intriguing findings [Inline] Over the past few months, the Global Impact Study team has been hard at work on data analysis and writing. This newsletter includes some of this analysis to date, as well as our "findings of the day," which we post on Twitter each day. We will be releasing the final reports on the in-depth studies soon, and while we are busy writing the final report for the entire study, we'll be posting more and more findings on our website and on Twitter. Stay connected with us: - Follow us on Twitter (@ictimpact)<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-y/> - Subscribe to our RSS feed<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-j/> - Follow posts on findings<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-t/> [Hr] Communications & leisure activities: More than just fun and games Communications & leisure tops the list of uses for public access ICT. While this is not surprising, use of public access venues for communications & leisure is often frowned upon, especially if the venue is publicly funded or has a development mission. Funders, governments, and non-governmental organizations of public access venues would often like to see lower use in the communications domain and higher use in other “development” domains such as government, health, and employment & income. The reality, however, is that communication activities, such as the use of social networking sites and emailing with family and friends, remain high across all types of venues. But does this mean other public access venue objectives, such as developing ICT skills and filling information gaps, aren’t being met? How do communications & leisure activities contribute to other objectives of public access initiatives? Read more »<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-o/> [Hr] Global Impact Study presents findings Global Impact Study Principal Investigator, Chris Coward, presented some of the study’s findings at the Libraries for Innovation conference in Vilinus, Lithuania on June 7, 2012. Chris presented on findings from the user survey, as well as top line findings from two in-depth studies, Mobile Internet and Infomediaries. Representatives from the Lithuanian library program highlighted achievements made over the past five years, as well as areas they intend to focus on moving forward. We’ll be posting more on the findings presented in the coming weeks, but for those who just can’t wait, you can download the presentation slides. Stay tuned for more presentations from the Global Impact Study… next up: IFLA 2012. Read more »<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-b/> [Hr] Who uses public access venues? Who uses public access venues? Does the stereotypical public access venue user, young and male, hold up? While there is some justification to the stereotype that public access venue users are young males, there are clearly other populations using public access venues. The story of public access venue users being young and male is far from complete and exhaustive. These findings call for more in-depth exploration of age, gender, and other characteristics of public access venue users, which the Global Impact Study will do in the final report. Read more »<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-n/> [Hr] Why do people use public access venues? We know that for many users, public access venues are their only option for access, but what drives users that have access at home to use computers and ICT at public access venues? For many it is because public access venues offer better equipment than at home, which could also mean a faster Internet connection. Another significant reason is to see friends or be with other people in the venue. In Brazil, where users enjoy the highest percentage of Internet access at home, these are the two main reasons users visit public access venues. Read more »<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-p/> [Hr] What do public access venue users use computers for? The Global Impact Study is mainly looking at six development domains: communications & leisure, culture & language, education, employment & income, government, and health. Communications & leisure is the number one used domain, followed closely by education. Employment & income use is high as well, with over 40% of all public access users surveyed using public access for activities in this domain. More episodic uses and perhaps less available in some countries, such as culture & language, health, and government, see less use. Read more »<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-x/> [Hr] Update on the Mobile Internet in-depth study Final reports from the in-depth studies will be released soon. In the meantime, here is a quick update from the Mobile Internet study. The Mobile Internet study explored the interplay between mobile phones, particularly mobile Internet, and public access venues in South Africa. Are mobile phones and mobile Internet making public access venues obsolete? Are they competition for public access venues? Or do users use their mobile phones and Internet in conjunction with public access venues? Read more »<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-m/> [Hr] In this issue · Data analysis reveals intriguing findings [Small Hr] · Communications & leisure activities: More than just fun and games [Small Hr] · Global Impact Study presents findings [Small Hr] · Who uses public access venues? [Small Hr] · Why do people use public access venues? [Small Hr] · What do public access venue users use computers for? [Small Hr] · Update on the Mobile Internet in-depth study [Small Hr] Latest activities 68% of library users indicate staff knowledge/help is very important, versus 51% for cybercafé and telecenter users. [Small Hr] Public access venues are the most important place for developing computer skills for 40% of users surveyed & internet skills for 50% of users surveyed. [Small Hr] Almost 80% of public access users report perceived positive impacts on their education from venue use. [Small Hr] For over one-third of public access users, public access venues are the only option for internet access. [Small Hr] 94% of users who use public access venues for communications & leisure activities say these uses have improved their digital skills. [Small Hr] Forward to a friend [Forward]Know someone who might be interested in our research? Forward this email to a friend<http://globalimpactstudy.forwardtomyfriend.com/r/hjdkjjzl-1440C9E8-hiukyul-l>. The Global Impact Study of Public Access to Information & Communication Technologies<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-c/>is a five-year project (2007-2012) to generate evidence about the scale, character, and impacts of public access to information and communication technologies. Looking at libraries, telecenters, and cybercafes, the study investigates impact in a number of areas, including communication and leisure, culture and language, education, employment and income, governance, and health. The Global Impact Study is implemented by the University of Washington’s Technology & Social Change Group<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-q/> with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and a grant to IDRC from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Learn more at www.globalimpactstudy.org<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r-l-hiukyul-hjdkjjzl-a/>. Forward this email to a friend<http://globalimpactstudy.forwardtomyfriend.com/r/hjdkjjzl-1440C9E8-hiukyul-l>. Not interested? Unsubscribe Instantly<http://globalimpactstudy.createsend1.com/t/r/u/hiukyul/hjdkjjzl/>.

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Fwd: DEMO Africa partners with VC4Africa
by Nicola Dell 03 Jul '12

03 Jul '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Brian Munyao Longwe <blongwe(a)gmail.com> Date: Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 12:17 AM Subject: [TIER] DEMO Africa partners with VC4Africa To: TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu Demo Africa has joined forces with Venture Capital for Africa ( http://vc4africa.biz) the largest online network of entrepreneurs and investors building innovative companies on the continent, to identify the most innovative emerging and established companies from around Africa. * DEMO Africa *is the launchpad for emerging technology and trends in Africa and is scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 24-26 October 2012. DEMO Africa will be the latest addition to the DEMO family of conferences and is expected be an iconic event for emerging technologies and trends in Africa. At DEMO Africa, a hand-selected group of new products will make its public debut to global press, investors, corporate acquirers, strategic partners and buyers. Adobe, Cisco, Google, Microsoft, Motorola, Symantec, Yahoo! and many others have *acquired promising DEMO companies *that have become household names today. DEMO Africa is a premier platform for the best and brightest companies throughout the continent seeking to *launch their products in front of a global audience.* Mr. Harry Hare, Executive Director of DEMO Africa said "We are very excited about holding the inaugural DEMO event on the African continent. This collaboration with VC4Africa will serve to increase the outreach and ultimate participation at the event by Africa's most innovative entrepreneurs as well as investors who are looking for the next big thing in Africa." Hand-picked and specially selected companies will deliver their six-minute pitches to potential investors and buyers to garner their buy-in and interest. There will also be presentations and panel discussions from leading industry players and experts on *consumer electronics*, *web-based applications*, *mobile technology*, *social media*, *life sciences*, as well as *sustainable and renewable energy* made during the conference. Mr. Ben White, founder of VC4Africa said "The number of ventures coming online across Africa is rapidly increasing. There are so many promising entrepreneurs and outstanding ventures. Joining forces allows us to welcome a new wave of innovators, put them in the spotlight for investors. Together we can do even more to mobilize the space and realize untapped potential." Registration for DEMO Africa is now open for African companies interested in applying for a chance to launch their products and participate in the conference. For more information, they can visit the DEMO Africa website at http://www.demo-africa.com *About DEMO* A flagship initiative of the LIONS@FRICA Partnership<http://www.meetthelions.org>and produced by IDG Enterprise in conjunction with VentureBeat, the DEMO conferences in the United States, China, Singapore, Brazil and Africa focus on emerging technologies and new product innovations, which are hand selected from across the spectrum of the technology marketplace. The DEMO conferences have earned their reputation for consistently identifying tomorrow's cutting-edge technologies, and have served as launchpad events for companies such as Palm, E*Trade, Salesforce, Webex, Tivo and VMware, helping them to secure venture funding, establish critical business relationships, and influence early adopters. The DEMO Scholarship Partner Program, subsidised by corporate sponsorships, offers multiple scholarship opportunities to ensure that deserving entrepreneurs receive the opportunity to introduce cutting edge technology products at DEMO that might have otherwise gone undiscovered. *About VC4Africa* *VC4Africa.biz* <http://VC4Africa.biz/> is the largest online community of venture capitalists, angels and entrepreneurs dedicated to building businesses in Africa. More than 250 entrepreneurs have published their business online from over 30 African countries. The ventures on VC4Africa are early stage and require investments between USD $10K and USD $1 million. The primary sectors include mobile, web, energy and health care, amongst others. Each venture is disruptive in their use of technology or in their application of a disruptive business model. Thirty percent of the registered ventures have some form of social mission and could be qualified as a social enterprise. Listed entrepreneurs have access to free online tools and private deal rooms. Qualified investors are able to see which screened ventures are fundraising, track their progress and review private documents. The community has members in 159 countries and informal networking meetings that have been hosted in more than 35 cities around the world. -- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: +254715964281 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com "Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything." _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier

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[JOB] Postdoctoral positions in Computer Science are available at New York University Abu Dhabi.
by Nicola Dell 03 Jul '12

03 Jul '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jay Chen <jchen(a)cs.nyu.edu> Date: Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 12:43 AM Subject: [TIER] Postdoctoral positions in Computer Science are available at New York University Abu Dhabi. To: tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu *Postdoctoral positions in Computer Science are available at New York University Abu Dhabi. * Applicants with backgrounds in networking, distributed systems, information retrieval, and human computer interaction are encouraged to apply. New York University has established itself as a Global Network University, a multi-site, organically connected network encompassing key global cities and idea capitals. The network has three foundational, degree-granting campuses: New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, complemented by a network of more than fifteen research and study-away sites across five continents. Faculty and students will circulate within this global network in pursuit of common research interests, the promotion of crosscultural understanding and solutions for problems, both local and global. Entering its third year, NYU Abu Dhabi has recruited a cohort of faculty who are at once distinguished in their research and teaching. NYU Abu Dhabi’s highly selective liberal arts enterprise is complemented by an institute for advanced research, sponsoring cutting-edge projects across the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, and engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi is currently inviting applications for postdoctoral fellowships in Computer Science in the laboratory of Professor Jay Chen. The research projects are highly interdisciplinary and involve costaware networking, distributed cloud computing, information and communication technology for developing regions, information access in developing regions, and off-grid consumer power systems. Thematically, the projects for developing regions emphasize context appropriateness, sustainability, and scalability. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or a related subject, with significant research experience in networking, distributed systems, information retrieval, or human-computer interaction. Specific requirements vary depending on the area of focus, but all candidates should have strong technical skills and experience with design, implementation, and evaluation of relevant systems. Knowledge in the following areas is preferred: networking/wireless protocols, distributed storage, virtualization, query formulation and processing, content analysis and indexing, user experience, or user interfaces. Candidates interested in research involving developing regions should be capable of (and excited to) work in the field to conduct deployments and studies. The positions are open until filled. Applicants must submit a curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, list of publications and two letters of reference in PDF format to be considered. Please visit our website at http://nyuad.nyu.edu/human.resources/open.positions.html for instructions and other information on how to apply. If you have any questions on applying, please e-mail Deirdre.tabak(a)nyu.edu. Thanks, -Jay Chen New York University - Abu Dhabi jchen(a)cs.nyu.edu _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier

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CFP: Information and Knowledge Management for Developing Regions at CIKM 2012 (Submission deadline: July 15th)
by Nicola Dell 02 Jul '12

02 Jul '12

(Apologies for multiple postings) Call for Papers First International Workshop on Information and Knowledge Management For Developing Regions (in conjunction with CIKM 2012) Maui Hawaii, USA November 02, 2012 http://research.ihost.com/ikm4dr/ Several issues arise with management of content that is generated in developing regions. Some result from linguistic diversity (as in India and Africa), some result from content being available only in forms that are more difficult to computationally manipulate (e.g., handwriting, speech, and legacy digital text in nonstandard encodings), some result from underinvestment in language resources for the languages of these regions, and some result from increased contact between cultures that have different views regarding the proper use of information and information artefacts. Such issues warrant focussed attention if we are to optimally leverage information and knowledge management to the advantage of populations in developing regions. This workshop aims to bring the data management, information retrieval, and knowledge management communities together around questions of technology support for societal development. Our twin goals are to help to identify new applications for existing information and knowledge management technologies in developing regions and to inspire new research on problems that arise in developing region contexts. We anticipate a mix of industrial and academic participation. Submissions We envision three main themes for this workshop. Components: Development of tools for low-resource languages that have the potential to transform information and knowledge management for those languages. Applications: Ways of employing new and existing data management, information retrieval and knowledge management technology to novel and important challenges that arise in the context of developing regions. Fostering adoption: Working together with partners from developing regions to craft solutions that embed societal expectations and values in ways that make it possible to achieve the envisioned impact. The workshop seeks three types of contributions: position papers, early-work papers and full-papers. The position papers will be distributed in advance to participants to help participants prepare for the discussions at the workshop. Early work papers will be presented as posters and aim to target researchers who are new in this field. Full papers will be presented orally at the workshop and will demonstrate the technology depth in the area. Reviewing will not be blind: authors need to include the author names and affiliation at the time of submission. Each paper will be reviewed by members of the program committee for scope, novelty, technical depth, and expected interest among workshop participants. Papers should be of 4-8 pages in length in the ACM publication format. The LaTeX and Microsoft Word templates are available at the ACM Template site. All submissions should be in the PDF format and should be submitted electronically through the workshop submission web site, http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ikm4dr12. Key Dates Submission Deadline: July 15, 2012 (11:59 PM Hawaii Time) Notification of Acceptance: August 03, 2012 Early Registration Deadline: TBA Workshop: 9:00AM -- 5:30PM, November 02, 2012 Programme Committee (to be updated) Josh Blumenstock, University of Washington, USA Ken Church, IBM Research, USA Gareth Jones, Dublin City University, Ireland Tapan Parikh, UC Berkeley, USA Luz Quiroga, University of Hawaii, USA Hussein Suleman, University of Cape Town, South Africa Jianyong Wang, Tsinghua University, China (to be updated) Organisers Rakesh Agrawal, Microsoft Research, USA. Douglas W. Oard, University of Maryland, USA. Nitendra Rajput, IBM India Research Laboratory, India. _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier

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