Wednesday, May 11, 2005
concept of standardizing unique definitions for words
Hi,
I am researching on ways of
developing OPEN TERMINOLOGICAL SYSTEM for health partners. So my aim is to work
with medical staff and develop ontology that can include all existing
vocabulary and is flexible in terms of extension and modification. Is anybody working
on any project similar to this or know who is working? I invite for any such discussion.
Thanks,
Nikesh Patel
We made a reply asking Dr Patel to look at the Roadmap. His note is as follows (edited slightly to reduce confidentiality issues)
Dear Dr Paul S Prueitt,
Thanks for your e-mail communication. I have tried to understand the contents of the "Roadmap" document. At first glance, it appears it is relevant, timely and well thought out and a good future can be anticipated for the prototype. Much toil would have been necessary to build the prototype and I hope that the Roadmap succeeded in its planned deployment.
To address your question
"Are the principles that we develop something that you are interested in communicating to others in the data mining and bioinformatics communities"?
Yes. I am interested in communicating to others in the community. I request more details surrounding the involvement of others including myself in any project that is planned and designed by you. If one of the objectives is to demonstrate the power of the prototype in the Life Sciences Sector, there are several easy ways to do it.
For example, after my research in Knowledge Management in Datamining in Life Sciences was published at the 10th Annual Research Seminar of the Deming Institute and Fordham University, New York last year (Feb 2004) I put forth a suggestion to people within Fordham University to plan and implement a project in Evidence based Research as per the recommendations of the March 2002 Final Policy Report of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
I suppose there are good reasons for the project not materialising.
The interesting and relevant parts of the report (the whole report is available on the web) directs the attention of decision makers at NIH to immediately provide funds to consolidate published research results and implement an action plan that will show results which clearly benefit users of the American public health system. It also directs the Congress to open an office for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to co-ordinate federal efforts and support organizations committed to improving the quality of life through grants and other financially viable schemes.
The White House Faith based Community Initiative is yet another opportunity to utilize the prototype and gain competitive advantage over other groups.
You stated in the Roadmap:
"Short
term, we are working on establishing a "second school of semantic
science", where ontological modeling is used to create well vetted community
consensus based formalism about some "object of investigation", where
the objects of investigation are social or business processes".
I employ and advocate the Deming System of Profound Knowledge and TQM. The objects of investigation can be integrated social and business processes. As an example, take the skin disorder 'Psoriasis'. The latest report of the National Psoriasis Foundation, USA reports that a staggering 4.5 million patients in America suffer from this supposedly incurable condition.
For datamining this would mean a minimum of 4.5 million datasets to begin the process of datamining.
I can confidently state from my experience that an increasing proportion of these patients can be spared the misery of the disorder through orderly and specific methodical treatment through Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The processes for obtaining remissions in psoriasis is well documented and i can participate whole heartedly and to the satisfaction of your group.
I am nominated to the MiniTrack Chair of the IPSI 2005 July Conference at MIT, Cambridge Massachusetts where i have chosen Neurosciences as a major theme for deliberation. I will in a separate email send you details of the conference ; you can identify potential candidates to participate in the Conference while we further discuss short-term and long term mutually benefiting collaborations.
Overall, I trust this is close to what might be the purpose you have envisioned for your prototype. I look forward to your reply
Regards Dr Paraki