Introduction to "This Is Not Normal"

Introduction to B This is Watson

In 2007, IBM Research took on the grand challenge of building a computer system that could compete with champions at the game of Jeopardy!i. In 2011, the open-domain question-answering (QA) system, dubbed Watson, beat the two highest ranked players in a nationally televised two-game Jeopardy! match. This paper provides a brief history of the events and ideas that positioned our team to take on ...

This is dedicated to our former chairman Dr. Mahmoud Rohani

Editor’s Introduction to This Issue

With the recent development of high-throughput DNA microarray and next-generation sequencing techniques for detecting various genomic variants, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have become a popular strategy to discover genetic factors affecting common complex diseases. Many GWASs have successfully identified genetic risk factors associated with common diseases and have achieved substant...

Editor's Introduction to This Issue

Next generation sequencing (NGS) has been facilitating the discovery and functional validation of causal variants in diverse rare diseases. However, for most of the 7,000 rare diseases, pathogenic mechanisms are still unknown. In this issue, Dr. Murim Choi's group (Seoul National University, Korea) comprehensively reviewed ultra-rare diseases and genomics-driven precision medicine. They present...

To Die or Not to Die This Is the Problem

The study presented by Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre (KATC) and the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR, on-line at http://www.jctr.org.zm/gmos.htm) shows several inconsistencies and is based on dangerous premises. In fact, study’s proposal can jeopardize the lives of the Zambian citizens both on short and long term perspective. We summarize our critique in three points. For ea...