Information Retrieval List Digest 439 (January 18, 1999) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/irld/irld-439.txt IRLIST Digest ISSN 1064-6965 January 18, 1999 Volume XVI, Number 3 Issue 439 ****************************************************************** II. JOBS 1. TextWise LLC, Syracuse, NY: NLP Analyst III. NOTICES A. Publications 1. [WASHINGTON-UPDATE] EDUCAUSE Washington Update 1-12-99 B. Meetings 1. The Ethics of Electronic Information 2. Eugene Garfield to speak at Capital Area (Washington, DC) Student Chapter Event 3. The Challenge of Image Retrieval 4. Internet2 Distributed Storage Infrastructure (I2-DSI) Applications Workshop IV. PROJECTS C. Awards, Fellowships, Grants, & Scholarships 1. NSF Biocomplexity ****************************************************************** II. JOBS II.1. Fr: Eileen Allen Re: TextWise LLC, Syracuse, NY: NLP Analyst An NLP analyst position is available at TextWise LLC, located in Syracuse, N.Y. TextWise is a research and development software firm, specializing in natural language processing for information access and analytics. Ideal candidate will have a linguistics and/or information science background. Tasks involve problem analysis, the design of heuristics for text processing and retrieval, information extraction, and testing. We need a creative, flexible person, capable of working on several concurrent tasks within a large team. Applicants should be computer literate (PC and/or UNIX), detail oriented (while keeping the big picture in mind), and be able to work to deadlines. The Principal Investigator of this project, Dr. Elizabeth Liddy, is a professor in the School of Information Studies, and the President/CEO of TextWise, a fast growing research and development company specializing in innovative NLP approaches to information retrieval, extraction, cross-language retrieval, automatic summarization, and intelligent agents. The company is based at Syracuse University in a pleasant, no-frills academic environment with its own labs now employing an international staff of thirty-five people. Salary commensurate to background and experience. Please forward your resume to john@textwise.com for consideration. ****************************************************************** III. NOTICES III.A.1. Fr: EDUCAUSE Re: [WASHINGTON-UPDATE] EDUCAUSE Washington Update 1-12-99 EDUCAUSE: Transforming Education Through Information Technologies http://www.educause.edu/ EDUCAUSE WASHINGTON UPDATE --- JANUARY 12, 1999 1998 IN REVIEW, LOOKING AHEAD TO 1999 PART 1: CONGRESS (NEXT EDITION: THE FCC) In this issue: Intellectual Property (Digital Millenium Copyright Act, database protection) Content Regulation (Child Online Protection Act) Internet Governance (Transfer and Management of the DNS) Internet Gambling Federal Funding for NSF and Next Generation Internet Encryption (Clinton Administration Begins to Loosen Controls) The E-Rate (SLC Finally Begins to Distribute Funds for 1998) Internet Taxation Rethinking the Telecom Act >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Written from EDUCAUSE'S Washington office, "The EDUCAUSE Washington Update" is a free service of EDUCAUSE, an international nonprofit association dedicated to transforming higher education through information technologies. Anyone may subscribe to the Update by sending e-mail to listserv@listserv.educause.edu with "subscribe update firstname lastname" in the body of the message. To unsubscribe, send a "signoff update" command to the same address. If you would like more information about the Update or would like to offer comments or suggestions, please contact Garret Sern at gsern@educause.edu. ********** III.B.1. Fr: Les Pourciau at UMem Re: The Ethics of Electronic Information THE ETHICS OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION IN THE 21st CENTURY Fogelman Executive Center, The University of Memphis September 24-27, 1998 Sponsored by The University of Memphis Libraries The University of Tennessee: Memphis Health Sciences Library and Biocommunications Center URL for EEI21 - Memphis - 1997: http://www.memphis.edu/ethics21/index.html The proceedings for EEI21 - Memphis - 1997 will be published by Purdue University Press in the Spring of 1999. See http://thorplus.lib.purdue.edu/thepress/Catalog/cat4/cat4.html See also http://www.memphis.edu/ispages/technology/oct97/ SYMPOSIUM VENUE Fogelman Executive Center, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, U.S.A. http://www.people.memphis.edu/~operations/fec_list.htmlx Additional Memphis Web Site: http://www.memphistravel.com CALL FOR PAPERS The Symposium Executive Organizing Committee seeks original research and application oriented papers and presentations from scholars and practitioners engaged in a broad array of subject areas and academic disciplines, and which address ethical issues attendant to the proliferation of electronic information and information technology. The deadline for receipt of proposals is March 1, 1999. The following guidelines should be observed in the preparation and submission of proposals: 1. The proposal should be 250 words in length. 2. The heading should include the title of your paper, followed by the name(s) and affiliation(s) of the author(s), and the name, address, FAX number, and e-mail address of the author who will present the paper at the Symposium. 3. Acceptance will be at the discretion of the Review Committee. The Committee anticipates acceptance of approximately 18 to 20 papers for presentation at the symposium. The presenting author will be notified of acceptance no later than three weeks after receipt of the proposal. 4. Upon acceptance of proposals, authors are required to forward by September 20, 1999, a copy of their papers on disc as a MS Word 6.0 file. The text, format, and citations of all papers must follow _The Chicago Manual of Style_ and should not exceed 20 double-spaced pages in length. 5. PROPOSALS SHOULD BE SENT BY March 1, 1999 TO: Dr. Lester J. Pourciau Director of Libraries and Chairman Executive Organizing Committee, EEI21 - Memphis McWherter Library 203 The University of Memphis Campus Box 526500 Memphis, TN 38152-6500 Email: pourciau@memphis.edu CONTACT FOR GENERAL INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE: Mr. Tom Mendina Assistant to the Director The University of Memphis Libraries Phone: 901/678-4310 FAX: 901/678-8218 Email: tmendina@memphis.edu EEI21 - MEMPHIS - EXECUTIVE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Lester Pourciau (Chairman) The University of Memphis J.J. Britz Department of Information Science University of Pretoria Netiva Caftori Midwest (U.S.) Director of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Robert Hauptman Editor, Journal of Information Ethics David M. Kemme Professor and Morris Chair of Excellence in International Economics The University of Memphis Thomas Nenon Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs The University of Memphis Victoria Spain Associate Editor, International Issues Library Hi Tech News LODGING Fogelman Executive Center Hotel $65 for one person; $10 per additional person 901/678-5410 REGISTRATION For complete information, see http://www.memphis.edu/ethics21/index.html ********** III.B.2. Fr: Julia C Blixrud Re: Eugene Garfield to speak at Capital Area (Washington, DC) Student Chapter Event Eugene Garfield, President-Elect of ASIS will be speaking at Catholic University on January 25, 1999. The event will be held at the Columbus School of Law on campus. A reception at 6:30 in the atrium of the law school will precede Dr. Garfield's speech in the Slowinski Courtroom. Dr. Garfield's subject is "Information Science and Technology: Looking Backward and Looking Forward". ASIS Potomac Valley Chapter members and others in the area are welcome to attend. There is no fee, but please register for planning purposes. Contact Donna Lombardo, Chairperson of the student chapter of ASIS at The Catholic University of America email: DonMar425@aol.com work: 202-319-6238 home: 202-822-0629 ********** III.B.3. Fr: Margaret Graham Re: The Challenge of Image Retrieval THE CHALLENGE OF IMAGE RETRIEVAL CIR 99 - Second UK Conference on Image Retrieval 25 & 26 February 1999 Venue: Forte Posthouse Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom The conference aims to bring together researchers and practitioners in the fast-growing area of image retrieval, to exchange information and gain some idea of the significance of developments in related disciplines. Full details of the conference and the online booking form are available at the web site: http://www.unn.ac.uk/iidr/conference.html The Conference will be held in the Forte Posthouse Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne. All sessions will be held in the Tyne Suite. Lunches on both days and the Conference Dinner will also be held in the Hotel. Bed and breakfast accommodation has been arranged for delegates in the Forte Posthouse Hotel at a special price. Delegates are responsible for booking their own accommodation. (see web site for details of the rates and information on alternative hotels). PROGRAMME DETAILS FOLLOW: Thursday 25 February 1999: 10.00 Registration and coffee 10.20 Welcome and Introductions: Professor David Harper, Robert Gordon University 10.30 Content-Based Image Retrieval technology: can it satisfy real information needs? Presentations and discussion based on a JISC funded report on the state of the art of CBIR technology, led by Dr John Eakins and Margaret Graham, Institute for Image Data Research, University of Northumbria at Newcastle. 12.00 Lunch, system demonstrations and poster viewing 14.00 Submitted papers, session 1 - CBIR applications: Chair: Martin Nail, British Library Research and Innovation Centre "The Informedia digital video library system at the Open University" R van der Zwan et al, The Open University, Milton Keynes "Content-based retrieval for European digital libraries" C L Bird et al, IBM UK Laboratories, Hursley Park "Building systems to block pornography" Y Chan et al, University of East Anglia, Norwich 15.30 Tea/coffee, system demonstrations and poster viewing 16.00 Submitted papers, session 2 - CBIR techniques: Chair: Joemon Jose, University of Glasgow "Colour indexing across illumination" G D Finlayson and G Y Tian, University of Derby "Robustness of shape similarity retrieval under affine transformation" S Abbassi and F Mokhtarian, University of Surrey "Trademark image retrieval using multiple features" S Alwis and J Austin, University of York 17.30 System demonstrations and poster viewing Evening: Conference Dinner Friday 26 February 1999: 9.00 Keynote Address: Dr Michael Swain, Cambridge Research Laboratory, Compaq Computer Corporation: "Image searching on the Web: experiences and practice" Chair: Dr. John Eakins, University of Northumbria at Newcastle 10.00 Coffee, system demonstrations, and poster viewing 10.30 Submitted papers, session 3 - New approaches to image data management: Chair: Dr. Mark Dunlop, University of Glasgow "Superordinate representation of scenes from power spectrum shapes" A Oliva et al, Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, France "Image browsing and navigation using hierarchical classification" T S Lai et al, University of Sunderland "Evaluation of automatic shot boundary detection on a large video test suite" C O' Toole et al, City University, Dublin, Ireland "A flexible architecture for content and concept-based multimedia information exploration" SM Dobie et al, University of Southampton 12.00 Lunch, system demonstrations and poster viewing 14.30 Theme: Emerging standards for image retrieval. Chair: Dr. Peter Enser, University of Brighton Speakers: (Speaker to be announced), Technical Advisory Service for Images; "Importance of standards". Michael Day; UK Office for Library Networking; "Metadata for images" Dr. Edward Hartley, University of Lancaster; "Impact of MPEG-7" (includes tea/coffee at 15.30) 16.30 Close of Conference The Conference is sponsored by: The British Computer Society Information Retrieval Specialist Group The Institute of Information Scientists The Robert Gordon University The University of Northumbria at Newcastle The British Library Research and Innovation Centre and supported by: The British Machine Vision Association and the Institution of Electrical Engineers Full Conference rate = stlg 200 + VAT One Day registration = stlg 110 + VAT There is 10% discount for members of the professional groups sponsoring/supporting the Conference, and for students. (N.B. Accommodation is additional) All correspondence concerning registration at CIR99 is to be addressed to Cath Frost: Email: cath.frost@unn.ac.uk Telephone: +44 (0)191 227 4646 Fax: +44 (0)191 227 4637 Cath Frost Institute for Image Data Research University of Northumbria at Newcastle Newcastle NE1 8ST ********* III.B.4. Fr: Gary Marchionini Re: Internet2 Distributed Storage Infrastructure (I2-DSI) Applications Workshop CALL FOR PARTICIPATION Internet2 Distributed Storage Infrastructure (I2-DSI) Applications Workshop March 4-5, 1999, Chapel Hill, NC (USA) http://dsi.internet2.edu/apps99.html Workshop co-sponsored by: University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID) North Carolina Network Initiative (NCNI) Digital Library Federation (DLF) with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill / Information & Library Science University of Tennessee at Knoxville / Innovative Computing Laboratory Submission Deadline: 1-Page White Papers: Feb. 5, 1999 (Notification by Feb. 8 of invitations) Registration Information: Hotel Rooms guaranteed: Feb. 12, 1999 Program Committee: Micah Beck, University of Tennessee at Knoxville Bert J. Dempsey, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Terry Moore, University of Tennessee at Knoxville BACKGROUND The Internet2 Distributed Storage Infrastructure (I2-DSI) project will develop a global platform for delivering reliable, scaleable, high-performance distributed storage services to the academic community. I2-DSI represents an opportunity for application developers to experiment with structured, reliable replication services running on a set of geographically dispersed servers connected to next-generation Internet backbone networks. The I2-DSI architecture replicates digital objects to platforms with WWW (and other) servers and then transparently resolves service requests to ensure that users will access "nearby copies" of digital objects. Since the I2-DSI core manages the replication process and object sharing is made transparent to the end-user, application developers can readily adopt and experiment with the I2-DSI service. This architecture is described in a white paper available at http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mbeck/i2-chan-pub.pdf Under the umbrella of UCAID's Internet2 project (http://www.internet2.edu), I2-DSI is now pursuing a full implementation of the initial architecture, including academic developers with their applications, and industrial sponsorship valued at over $1.2M in equipment and $150K+ in development funding. Corporate sponsors include a broad spectrum of companies in all areas of networking and computer systems (see list of sponsors below). For the initial testbed, IBM servers with ~1 TB of storage and 1 GB RAM are currently being installed at high-speed backbone access points in North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, South Dakota, and Hawaii. Collaborations with Canadian, European and Japanese networks are under discussion. PURPOSE This workshop will bring together representatives from application development groups who are interested in and/or have experimented with providing high-performance access for remote users. The specific objectives of the workshop include: ** Production of a summary document on application perspectives. This document will provide valuable input to the I2-DSI development team in understanding application requirements and needs in balancing system trade-offs. ** Identification of a small number of application groups that are interested in deploying their applications on the I2-DSI national testbed. These groups will interact with the I2-DSI development team to glean lessons from these initial user experiences and shape refinements to the testbed. In addition to identifying common application requirements, the workshop is intended to provide a forum for exchanging and discussing ideas, research results, and previous experiences relevant to the goals of I2-DSI architecture. Workshop participants will be encouraged to present short (15-min) presentations describing their projects and perspectives. FORMAT Participation in the workshop will be by invitation. Interested parties are asked to submit a 1-page white paper related to an application project. The paper should address application requirements, current status, and any experiences with network deployment relevant to the purpose of the workshop. Limited resources may be available to support participants who do not have travel funding. To apply for such funds, please attach a note to your white paper estimating your needs. White papers should be sent via email to dempsey@cs.unc.edu by the February 5th deadline. Notification of acceptance will be emailed by February 8th. Application descriptions will be collected and distributed as part of the workshop report. For questions and further information, see workshop web site: http://dsi.internet2.edu/apps99.html or contact: Dr. Bert J Dempsey School of Information and Library Science (asst professor) Department of Computer Science (adjunct asst professor) CB 3360, 205 Manning Hall University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3360 Email: dempsey@cs.unc.edu Web: http://www.ils.unc.edu/~bert/ Phone: 919-962-8066 Fax: 919-962-8071 Corporate Sponsors: Cisco Systems Ellemtel IBM Novell Starburst Communications StorageTek Sun Microsystems ****************************************************************** IV. PROJECTS IV.C.1. Fr: Maria Zemankova Re: NSF Biocomplexity The following document (nsf9960) is now available from the NSF Online Document System Title: Biocomplexity: Phase I Research on the Functional Interrelationships between Microorganisms and Biological, Chemical, Geological, Physical, and Social Systems Type: Program Announcements & Information Subtype: Biology, Computer/Information Sciences, Crosscutting Programs, Engineering, Geosciences, Math/Physical Sciences, NSF-wide, Polar Programs It may be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf9960 DEADLINE DATES: PRE-PROPOSALS MARCH 15,1999 FULL PROPOSALS JUNE 15,1999 Excerpt: INTRODUCTION Complexity is a dynamic property of life that arises from the interaction of living organisms with their environment. Thus, biological complexity emerges from the functional interrelationships between biological entities, at all levels of organization, and the biological, chemical, geological, physical and social environment, at all levels of aggregation. The resulting complex natural and anthropogenic systems range from microscopic to global in scale and in totality comprise the earth system. Humankind depends upon complex systems for food, fiber, breathable air, and other vital natural resources. Such systems also establish the parameters for, and the environments in which occur, all human economic and social interactions. Consequently, understanding the role of biological complexity in complex systems is critical. Because all biological systems, from molecular to ecosystem levels, are inherently complex, it has been difficult to understand their role within, and effect upon, the environmental systems in which they occur. Fortunately, our ability to study biological complexity has been enhanced by the advent of powerful new technologies. Genome sequencing and DNA-chips, new tools in computational analysis, mathematical and statistical modeling, robotics, new sensors and monitoring devices, along with satellite-based imaging of the land and sea - are all contributing to the flood of data about the Earth's biological complexity. While the analysis of massive data sets is a crucial ingredient, data acquisition alone will not enhance our understanding of biological complexity and its role in complex systems. It is apparent that understanding biological complexity requires a sophisticated approach that addresses integration across temporal, spatial and conceptual boundaries to identify and represent design principles and dynamic patterns at multiple levels of organization and scale. Collaborations involving scientists from a range of disciplines (e.g. biology, physics, chemistry, geology, hydrology, social sciences, statistics, mathematics, computer science and engineering) will be essential to advance our understanding of biological complexity and its role in complex environmental systems. These collaborations should not be constrained by institutional, departmental or disciplinary boundaries. ------ NOTE to the Information and Data Management community: You are encouraged to form partnerships with the domain scientists to address the Biocomplexity goals, while advancing the research in biocomplexity databases (e.g., DNA, GIS/temporal-spatial, multi-media, complex structures, etc.), information-based environments for knowledge discovery (including data mining, information visualization, process management, information/knowledge life cycle, etc.), collaborative, distributed (wireless/mobile) information systems, very large databases, information management, long-term information archives, etc. ****************************************************************** IRLIST Digest is distributed from the University of California, Division of Library Automation, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA. 94607-5200. 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