Microarray analysis has become a widely used tool for the generation of gene expression data on a genomic scale. Although many significant results have been derived from microarray studies, one limitation has been the lack of standards for presenting and exchanging such data. Here we present a proposal, the Minimum Information About a Microarray Experiment (MIAME), that describes the minimum information required to ensure that microarray data can be easily interpreted and that results derived from its analysis can be independently verified. The ultimate goal of this work is to establish a standard for recording and reporting microarray-based gene expression data, which will in turn facilitate the establishment of databases and public repositories and enable the development of data analysis tools. With respect to MIAME, we concentrate on defining the content and structure of the necessary information rather than the technical format for capturing it.

Background: Meaningful exchange of microarray data is currently difficult because it is rare that published data provide sufficient information depth or are even in the same format from one publication to another. Only when data can be easily exchanged will the entire biological community be able to derive the full benefit from such microarray studies.

No abstract

No abstract

We present Talking Points, an urban orientation system based on the idea that an individual's walking journey can be enhanced by providing contextual information about points of interest (POIs) along their route. Our formative research revealed numerous ways to provide serendipitous and task-critical information for both sighted and visually impaired users as they navigate through an urban environment on foot. Based on this, we developed a prototype system comprised of the following: an unobtrusive mobile device to present the user with contextual information; a socially maintained online database containing information about POIs; software that is accessible via both a graphical and a speech user interface; and location "tags" to be detected by the unobtrusive device. This socially maintained urban orientation and contextual information system offers relevant, dynamic, and up-to-date information, a combination which may not otherwise be accessible.