CFP: Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Session at SCI, Orlando, FL (07/2004)

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                Call for Papers
Invited Session: Systems Biology and Bioinformatics
                        at
The 8th World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics (SCI 
2004)
                July 18-21, 2004 - Orlando , Florida , USA
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===============
Session Topics
===============
Colorful analogies to cataclysmic events, including floods, avalanches, tidal 
waves, and even explosions, have often been used to describe the overwhelming 
nature of high-throughput, biological data. The deluge of data shows no sign of 
abating, particularly as new technologies appear (protein chips) and 
established technologies are improved (mass spectrometers, DNA micro-arrays) or 
re-implemented on industrial scales. Finding new ways to integrate, visualize, 
and interpret data from diverse sources is one of the most  important 
challenges facing the modern discipline of bioinformatics, which merges 
information technology, computer science, statistics, and biology. However, the 
benefits of bringing diverse data sources together by far outweigh the costs, 
offering opportunities for scientists to gain a more complete picture of cells 
and organisms than was previously possible. Data sources of great interest to 
this endeavor include, but are not limited to:
    * Genome, mRNA, and protein sequence 
    * DNA/RNA and protein motifs 
    * Sequence homology relationships 
    * Protein and protein complex 3-D structures 
    * Protein-protein interactions 
    * mRNA and protein expression 
    * Functional annotation of genes and proteins 
    * Ontological classifications 
    * Protein/gene pathways 
    * Biomedical literature 
    * Small molecule chemical properties 

In practice, important new discoveries are rarely achieved using a single 
informatics technique or data source.   Instead, multiple tools and/or methods 
are often needed to comprehend the significance of diverse data sets such as 
DNA microarray results or protein-protein interaction data. These tools and 
techniques can generally be classified into the following areas:
    * Biology-specific knowledge representation 
    * Biological data preparation and cleansing 
    * High-throughput experimental data monitoring and tracking 
    * Sequence-based data analysis 
    * Network-based data analysis 
    * Biological data integration and visualization 
    * Modeling of cells, systems, and organisms 
    * Text mining 
    * Knowledge curation, annotation, and reporting 

Due to the sometimes qualitative nature of biological data and the difficulties 
involved in using just one tool to answer important biological questions, 
systems biologists and bioinformaticians must often combine multiple data 
sources and analyze these data using diverse tools. For this reason, we invite 
paper submissions that emphasize integrated approaches, such as:
    1. An informatics technique, strategy, and tool that combine multiple types 
of data. 
    2. Investigation of genome, transcriptome, proteome, or metabolome data, 
using multiple computational techniques, strategies, and tools. 
    3. High-performance systems engineering ideas and strategies using concepts 
learned from bioinformatics. 
    4. Significant biological discoveries using a consistent suite of 
investigative tools.

Other novel bioinformatics topics in life sciences may also be considered, as 
long as the topics contribute to the expansion of a system-scale understanding 
of biological processes and/or the creation of practical informatics solutions 
for real-world life science problems. 

================
Important Dates
================
   December 10th, 2003
        Submission of extended abstracts (500-2000 words) or paper drafts 
(2000-5000 words). 
   December 29th, 2003 
        Final paper due. 
   February 24th, 2004 
        Notifications of acceptance. 
   March 15th, 2004
        Electronic version of camera-ready papers due.

    Note: All the receipt dates cutoff time are 11:59pm US Pacific Standard 
Time.

=================================================================
General Information on SCI 2004 (http://www.iiisci.org/sci2004/)
=================================================================
SCI 2004  is an international forum for scientists, engineers, researchers, 
consultants, theoreticians, and practitioners in the fields of Systemics, 
Cybernetics and Informatics. The purpose of SCI 2004 is to promote discussion 
and interaction between researchers and practitioners from different knowledge 
domains (such as biology, physics, and social sciences) or in interdisciplinary 
research and development areas (such as bioinformatics). It is a forum for 
scientists to exchange ideas and results in multi-, inter- and 
trans-disciplinary studies and projects. Particularly, the conference is 
interested in informatics concepts, prototypes, and applications that are able 
to benefit both academic research and industrial applications. This is the 8th 
conference since its inception in 1995. 

===========================
Paper Submission Guideline
=========================== 
The invited session consists of peer-reviewed full-length papers reporting on 
original work. All papers must be submitted to the session chairs in electronic 
format. An early submission of the abstract and/or a prior inquiry of the 
proposed topic with the session chairs are strongly encouraged.

The only acceptable file formats are Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) and Microsoft Word 
(*.doc). Submitted files should be named with the abbreviated form of the title 
no longer than 32 characters long without white space characters. Each paper 
must include two separate files: 1) a one-page cover letter, and 2) a separate 
manuscript. The cover letter must include the following information: 

    * The title of the paper and number of pages in the manuscript. 
    * The email address of the corresponding author. 
    * A complete list of all the authors and their affiliations. 
    * A statement indicating that the submitted paper contains original, 
unpublished results, and is not currently under consideration elsewhere. 
    * (Optional) Recommendation of qualified reviewers to the session. If so, 
indicate the reviewers'names, email addresses, and a one-sentence description 
of their expertise areas within the session topic areas. 

The manuscript is limited to fifteen (15) pages, which include the title page 
and all figures, in fonts no smaller than 11 point, double-spaced. The title 
page should include the paper tile, abstract (no more than 250 words), and 
keywords, and should * not * contain author names or affiliation. Figures may 
be included into the text body provided they are clearly legible to the 
reviewers. 

Hardcopy submissions or unprocessed TeX or LaTeX files will be rejected 
immediately without review. Paper exceeding the page limit, or using a format 
significantly different from the above guidelines may be returned without 
review. 

===================================
Paper Presentation and Publication 
===================================
All the accepted papers will be required to give a 20-25min presentation at the 
SCI 2004 conference on the Systems Biology and Bioinformatics track, which may 
be divided into one or more sessions. The acceptance of the paper becomes final 
only after at least one of the authors has successfully registered for the 
conference. If multiple papers are accepted from the same group, according to 
SCI rules, each paper is required to be presented by a different registered 
author. 

Accepted papers will be published in both a hard-bound archival proceedings 
volume and a CD-ROM. Depending on the quality of the paper and 
interests/response from the conference session audience, organizers will work 
with SCI program committee to compile a multi-author book, in which the best 
papers will be included. Two such books were already published in recent years 
from the conference. 

==================
Session Co-chairs
==================
  Jake Chen, Ph.D.       Genoptica Systems Email: 
ychen-k0Ej6N9cQa43uPMLIKxrzw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Ann Loraine , Ph.D.    Ontomorphic Informatics Email: 
loraine-95xGhvzcWyLR7s880joybQ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  
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