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Over the 15 years, the Bio-Ontologies SIG at ISMB has provided a forum for discussion of the latest and most innovative research in the bio-ontologies development, its applications to biomedicine and more generally the organisation, presentation and dissemination of knowledge in biomedicine and the life sciences. The seven papers and the commentary selected for this supplement span a wide range of topics including: web-based querying over multiple ontologies, integration of data, annotating patent records, NCBO Web services, ontology developments for probabilistic reasoning and for physiological processes, and analysis of the progress of annotation and structural GO changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the past 30 years, the international conference on Artificial Intelligence in MEdicine (AIME) has been organized at different venues across Europe every 2 years, establishing a forum for scientific exchange and creating an active research community. The Artificial Intelligence in Medicine journal has published theme issues with extended versions of selected AIME papers since 1998.Objectives: To review the history of AIME conferences, investigate its impact on the wider research field, and identify challenges for its future.Methods: We analyzed a total of 122 session titles to create a taxonomy of research themes and topics. We classified all 734 AIME conference papers published between 1985 and 2013 with this taxonomy. We also analyzed the citations to these conference papers and to 55 special issue papers.Results: We identified 30 research topics across 12 themes. AIME was dominated by knowledge engineering research in its first decade, while machine learning and data mining prevailed thereafter. Together these two themes have contributed about 51% of all papers. There have been eight AIME papers that were cited at least 10 times per year since their publication.Conclusions: There has been a major shift from knowledge-based to data-driven methods while the interest for other research themes such as uncertainty management, image and signal processing, and natural language processing has been stable since the early 1990s. AIME papers relating to guidelines and protocols are among the most highly cited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the discussions held during the First IEEE Life Sciences Grand Challenges Conference, held on October 4–5, 2012, at the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, and the grand challenges identified by the conference participants. Despite tremendous efforts to develop the knowledge and ability that are essential in addressing biomedical and health problems using engineering methodologies, the optimization of this approach toward engineering the life sciences and healthcare remains a grand challenge. The conference was aimed at high-level discussions by participants representing various sectors, including academia, government, and industry. Grand challenges were identified by the conference participants in five areas including engineering the brain and nervous system; engineering the cardiovascular system; engineering of cancer diagnostics, therapeutics, and prevention; translation of discoveries to clinical applications; and education and training. A number of these challenges are identified and summarized in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: Overcoming health disparities between majority and minority populations is a significant national challenge. This paper assesses outreach to Native Americans (American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians) by the National Library of Medicine (NLM). A companion paper details NLM's portfolio of Native American outreach projects. Method: NLM's Native American outreach is assessed in light of the presentations at a community-based health information outreach symposium and the goals set by NLM's plan to reduce health disparities. Results: NLM's current portfolio of Native American outreach projects appears most advanced in meeting the goal set in area 1 of the health disparities plan, "Promote use of health information by health professionals and the public." NLM's portfolio also shows significant strength and good progress regarding area 2 of the plan, "Expand partnerships among various types of libraries and community-based organizations." The portfolio is weaker in area 3, "Conduct and support informatics research." More knowledge-building efforts would benefit NLM, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and Native American and community-based organizations. Implications: The current Native American outreach portfolio should be continued, but new approaches are needed for evaluating Native American outreach and for forging collaborations with Native American groups, approaches grounded in consultation and mutual understanding of needs and perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four phases of trial are widely used in testing drugs, surgery, and diagnosis in Western medicine (WM). The staged testing process helps protect patients from unnecessary harms and control costs while assessing safety and efficacy. In this paper we adapt the four phase trials for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). As TCM has been used in humans for thousands of years and there has been good preliminary clinical evidence on safety and efficacy for many of its therapies, in most cases its evaluation can start directly in humans, and preclinical laboratory research can be conducted in phase 4 trials after the efficacy is firmly demonstrated. Furthermore, unlike investigational drugs, TCM therapies are various in the certainty of their safety and efficacy and thus should not enter the evaluation process at the same stage. Unlike in WM, clarifying and refining PICO (patients, intervention, comparator, and outcome) are an important part of evaluation of newly designed TCM therapies. The incommensurability between WM and TCM causes additional difficulties in TCM trials regarding defining and choosing PICO, for which some suggestions are made. Observational studies seem to have a greater role in evaluation for TCM although the efficacy must be confirmed with randomized trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Held on 21st to 23rd November 2009 in Hiroshima, the SiHIS working conference aimed at finding solutions to approach to an idealistic society where (1) the individual can trust information with full understanding and responsibility, (2) the individual can allow the use of information backed by sound legitimated environment, (3) information can play its role for better healthcare and the improvement of medicine. The purpose of this paper is to propose recommendations from this working conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objectives: This paper presents current work in case-based reasoning (CBR) in the health sciences, describes current trends and issues, and projects future directions for work in this field. Methods and material: It represents the contributions of researchers at two workshops on case-based reasoning in the health sciences. These workshops were held at the Fifth International Conference on Case-Based Reasoning (ICCBR-03) and the Seventh European Conference on Case-Based Reasoning (ECCBR-04). Results: Current research in CBR in the health sciences is marked by its richness. Highlighted trends include work in bioinformatics, support to the elderly and people with disabilities, formalization of CBR in biomedicine, and feature and case mining. Conclusion: CBR systems are being better designed to account for the complexity of biomedicine, to integrate into clinical settings and to communicate and interact with diverse systems and methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents abstracts of papers submitted in the preconference platform session of the 2003 Spinal Cord Conference and Training that was held in Long Beach, California in June 2003. Assessment and management of patients with acute spinal cord injury; Postoperative management of myocutaneous flapsurgery in persons with spinal cord injury; Surgical management of pressure ulcers.

Presents abstracts of papers submitted at the poster session of the 2003 Spinal Cord Conference and Training that was held in Long Beach, California in June 2003. Information on medullary substrate for cardiovascular differential responses to stimulation of specific acupoints with electroacupuncture; Effect of gabapentin and tramadol on neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury; Use of functional magnetic stimulation for restoring cough in patients with tetraplegia.

Presents abstracts of papers submitted at the 2003 Spinal Cord Conference and Training that was held in Long Beach, California in June 2003. Review of repair strategies after spinal cord injury; Focus on the pharmacological changes of the spinal cord associated with the learning of a motor task; History and potential of bion, a family of imlpantable neuromuscular micro-stimulations.

The article presents the announcement of a joint meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology and the European Society for Dermatological Research from May 17 through May 19, 1972. The purpose of this meeting will be to serve as a forum for the presentation of original dermatological research papers. Twelve minutes will be allotted per paper. All presentations must be in English. Simultaneous translation will not be provided. The program will be selected by a joint program committee of the two sponsoring Societies. The article also announces that the Third World Congress of the International Society of Tropical Dermatology will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on September 13-18, 1974.

Information about several papers discussed at the third ordinary meeting of 118th session on astronomical observations is presented. Topics include the Christmas Lecture, the change in the relationship between medicine and astronomy, and the completion of Sky Notes. The meeting featured speakers such as Allan Chapman from Wadham College, Oxford, Tony Kinder, and Nick James.

Information about several papers discussed at a symposium sponsored by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) on the perspective on how to supervise the challenges and enjoy the rewards of a career of clinician scientist is presented. It suggested to have the best training possible with the appropriate and fulfilled supervisor. It also proposed to know in dealing with many hardships related with academic medicine which includes lack of rapid progress in academic program.

The article provides information on the papers presented during a conference entitled "Medicine, Alchemy, Magic and the Study of Living Beings: 1200-1700" held at Radboud University Nijmegen in Netherlands in September 2005. The conference, which was organized by Sachiko Kusukawa, was held under the framework of the European Science Foundation programme "From Natural Philosophy to Science, 1200-1700." Articles presented include "Philosophers and Physicians on the Scientific Validity of Latin Physiognomy, 1200-1500," by Joseph Ziegler.

The article discusses the research in clinical science by Axel Key, a pioneer in medicine. Key's research covered a wide field from basic to clinical science. Among his many contributions are two seminal publications. One basic paper "Studies on the anatomy of the nervous system and the connective tissue. A foundation was established to support the Journal, and to facilitate the dissemination of research results and the interaction between researchers in the field of medicine. The board of the foundation and the editorial board of the journal have decided to honor Key by establishing a symposium series entitled Key Symposia.

This article focuses on an international symposium sponsored by the European Society for Dermatological Research, on the Stratum Corneum, that will be held at the Welsh National School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, meeting will commence from the October 29 to the October 31, 1981. The meeting will include invited lectures, free communications and poster papers. This symposium will be of importance for dermatologists, toxicologists, cosmetic scientists, the pharmaceutical industry and others interested in skin biology.

The article presents information on the Vth International Congress of Allergology which will be held from October 11-16, 1964 at the Medical School in Madrid, Spain. Persons wishing to contribute papers to the congress should write to the Local Organizing Secretary F. Lahoz in Madrid.