Once a week during the academic year, an invited speaker (from abroad, as well as from the Czech Republic) talks about his or her scientific work. Colloquium takes place at the Faculty of Informatics and is open to the scientific community. Lecture dates can be found in the programme. Tuesday 14.00 - 15.00, D2, FI MU, Botanická 68a

Colloquia programme with abstracts for the Spring 2016 semester

1. 3. 2016
prof. RNDr. Petr Jančar, CSc., Fakulta elektrotechniky a informatiky, VŠB-TUO
On selected verification problems
Abstract: The aim of the talk is to give a reflection on some verification problems that are famous for not being fully understood so far and to the research of which the author has also contributed. This includes the reachability problem for Petri nets, and especially the equivalence problem for first-order schemes or deterministic pushdown automata. The talk will highlight several ideas and structures, at a rather non-technical level, that have clarified some complicated issues. These ideas can be viewed as concrete instances of a more general approach to solving open problems, and the message of the talk thus might become wider than restricted just to the discussed verification problems.
8. 3. 2016
Dr. Pekka Ruusuvuori, BioMediTech, University of Tampere
Bioimage informatics for prostate cancer research
Abstract: In this presentation, an overview on image analysis related research Prostate Cancer Research Center (BioMediTech, University of Tampere/Tampere University of Technology, Tampere Finland) is given. Our emphasis is in the analysis of histological images, and we utilize automated whole slide scanning and stacked sections through the tissue. We develop methods for quantification of tissue properties from digital pathology images, with special focus in automated analysis and numerical description of regions of interest in tissue, and their subsequent analysis using machine learning. Further, we build 3D models of the organ through reconstructing from scanned histology slides, preserving the spatial information in quantitative analysis.
15. 3. 2016
RNDr. Barbora Kozlíková, Ph.D., FI MU
Expressive Visualization of Protein Complexes
Abstract: Protein–protein docking is attracting increasing attention in drug discovery research targeting namely interactions between two or more proteins. Therefore, already several approaches and algorithms for the computation of these interactions are currently available to the biochemists. However, each of these algorithms produces many (from dozens to hundreds) possible solutions, i.e., different spatial conformations of the interacting proteins. And then it is the task for the domain expert to explore all solutions and evaluate their biochemical relevance. This task is very time demanding and requires the visual exploration of individual solutions. However, the possibilities to visually support this task are very limited. So in our project we aim to propose several visualization techniques supporting the exploration process and to link them into a visual analysis tool which will serve the biochemists as an intuitive visual interface enhancing their decision process.
22. 3. 2016
prof. RNDr. Jaroslav Král, DrSc., FI MU
Informační systémy - nové výzvy, nová paradigmata
Abstract: Informační systémy (IS) jsou z hlediska uživatelů a z hlediska vlivu na informatiku klíčová část informatiky. Jsou motorem vzniku nových SW paradigmat, která je stále více propojují daný IS s technickými, obchodními a sociálními procesy reálného světa a také s jinými IS. Rostou nároky na zohlednění potřeb a znalostí uživatelů při provozu, vývoji i údržbě systémů. Výsledné systémy jsou obrovské a stále se mění. Nemohou být proto vyvíjeny resp. modernizovány metodou velkého třesku. Trvá překračování termínů a nákladů při vývoji, nedostatečná funkčnost systémů, potíže při zavádění a kupodivu i existence úspěšných malých SW firem. IS musí mít vhodnou architekturu. Je nutné využívat jak silně formalizované metodiky tak postupy umožňující zachovat znalosti světa uživatelů, někdy i možnost dále zčásti využívat papírové dokumenty. Většina problémů IS z poslední doby není v nedostatečné formalizaci nebo v kódování. Ukážeme s využitím příkladů ze současné praxe a zkušeností s analýzou projektů z poslední doby, že jednou z cest řešení je paradigma dokumentové orientace v kombinaci se servisně orientovanou architekturou. To není snadné zohlednit při výuce i v praxi. To překvapivě platí i ve státní správě, ve které obíhají papírové i digitalizované dokumenty. V dokumentově orientovaných SOA není snadné uplatnit výsledky informačního výzkumu, překonat právní kličky. Jistou překážkou je nedostatečné zohlednění skutečnosti, že informatika je technický obor a IS je cosi jako výrobek. Výzvou do budoucnosti je SOA na cloudech.
29. 3. 2016
Daniel Gorin, Alphary GmbH, Vienna
Exploring the role of lexico-grammar, multi-word expressions and corrective feedback in vocabulary acquisition
Abstrakt: The development of English language corpora has allowed us to gain a better understanding of how language actually works. We now fully recognise the importance of word frequency, collocation and word grammar. In the talk Daniel explores possible applications of these insights to mobile learning.
Biography: Daniel Gorin is the founder of two EdTech companies: phase6 and Alphary. phase6 is a spaced-repetition flashcard system for language learning that was launched in Germany in 2002. It is now used in over 4000 schools with content from all the major German publishers. Alphary goes one step further: it combines the power of artificial intelligence and natural language processing with the latest research on language learning to help users learn English in a more efficient, enjoyable and personalized way. By unlocking the power of the Oxford dictionaries, it aims to be recognized as the smartest app that is available.
5. 4. 2016
doc. Ing. Jiří Sochor, CSc., FI MU
Geometry Analysis of Protein Structures - Ten Years After
Abstract: 10 years after introducing the original method Caver 1.0 several tools and methods for geometry analysis of protein structures emerged. These methods gained significant attention in biochemists world and are currently used for de novo design of enzymes. We will survey the Voronoi approaches originating from analysis of atom volumes (1974) that evolved in methods for exploration of protein clefts, pores and cavities. We will describe the development of CAVER 3.0 and compare it with another solutions. We will give several examples of methods aiming at tunnels and pores in protein geometry.
12. 4. 2016
Dr. Christian W. Loesch, IBM former Gen Mgr and Director of Operation for Central and Eastern Europe, GM IBM Academic Initiative
We and ICT -- Interaction and Interdependence
Abstract: We live immersed in an environment where ICT is all-pervasive, fertilizing and empowering nearly all areas of our life and thus creating interaction and interdependence. This might make it advisable to step back and try to take an unbiased look. We will examine some of the developments, starting with
  • the state of the industry economically and technologically,
  • the transition from mM to MtM and its
  • impacts on us as individual and society.
Additionally we will render tribute to the two anniversaries meriting special attention:
  • 50 Years of "Moore’s Law" and
  • 25 Years of Public Internet.
19. 4. 2016
doc. RNDr. Jiří Barnat, Ph.D., FI MU
10 let nástroje DIVINE – Co bylo, je a bude
Abstract: Technika zvaná ověřování modelu (angl. Model Checking) je v centru zájmu komunity vědců zabývající se automatizovanou formální verifikací již déle jak čtvrt století. Přestože za tuto dobu bylo vymyšleno mnoho vylepšení a řada nových technik, které výrazně posouvají možnosti této metody formální verifikace, její penetrace do běžného industriálního informatického života je výrazně menší, než se zpočátku čekalo. Cílem přednášky je shrnout zkušenosti s vývojem a používáním verifikačního nástroje DIVINE, který stojí na metodě enumerativního ověřování modelu. V přednášce krátce zrekapitulujeme výsledky, kterých bylo v souvislosti s vývojem nástrojem DIVINE dosaženo, zhodnotíme jejich silné a slabé stránky a nastíníme směr, kterým se bude vývoj nástroje DIVINE ubírat v blízké budoucnosti.
26. 4. 2016
doc. Ing. Martin Čadík, Ph.D., FIT VUT
Visual Localization in Natural Environments for Computational Photography Applications
Abstract: With the advent of smart cell phones and hand-held devices equipped with integrated cameras, today virtually everyone is a photographer. Every day, we are taking photographs in larger quantities and often of higher technical qualities than ever before. We share photos, edit them, search them, archive them, enhance them, capture them for some specific purpose, or we simply want to make our shots look nice. Current digital cameras do not only capture light, they in fact compute pictures. There is practically no image that would not be computationally processed to some extent today. Nevertheless, images taken by amateur photographers often lack the qualities of professional photos and some image enhancement and/or editing is necessary. Computational photography evolved from computer graphics, image processing, computer vision, and optics to solve these issues and to extend the capabilities of current photography and display technology in general.

In this talk, I will introduce the field of computational photography, its elementary principles and applications (e.g. extending limited dynamic range, widening field of view, or extending depth of field). Then, I will focus on our recent work on automatic visual image geo-localization. Our aim is to accurately find the location and orientation of the camera which captured the image. We introduce a system for automatic alignment of the query photo with a geo-referenced 3D terrain model. We propose a new alignment metric to accurately predict the camera orientation succeeding the large-scale visual localization step. Having a sufficiently accurate match between a photograph and a 3D model offers new possibilities for image enhancement. It can be used to transform photographs into a realistic virtual 3D experience, e.g. to automatically highlight elements in the image, such as the travel path taken, names of mountains, or other landmarks. Furthermore, the synthetic depth map, and/or the whole 3D model of the queried photo, can be used for novel view synthesis, image relighting, dehazing or refocusing.

3. 5. 2016
RNDr. Jan Sedmidubský, Ph.D., FI MU
Human Motion Data: Applications, Challenges, and Our Research
Abstract: The rapid development of motion capturing technologies has caused an explosion in the usage of human motion data in different fields. For example, motion data are analyzed in sports to compare performance aspects of athletes, in security research to identify special-interest persons, in health care to determine the success of rehabilitative treatments, and in computer animation to synthesize realistic motions. In the first part of this presentation, we briefly outline existing motion capturing technologies utilized in the specific sport, medical and military applications. We also introduce the main research challenges, mainly from the perspectives of similarity-based comparison and motion retrieval. In the second part, we present our novel method for effective comparison of complex spatio-temporal motion data. We also show a web demo application for retrieving similar movements in real time.
10. 5. 2016
doc. RNDr. Petr Holub, Ph.D., FI MU
Scalable Storage and Processing of Privacy-Sensitive Data: More Than Just a Dream?
Abstract: Biomedical research is facing tremendous growth of data due to the rapid progression with analytics technologies. Researchers deal with large data sets of genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics data, together with imaging exceeding gigapixels per image and large-scale text mining from the clinical unstructured text records in different languages and information coding systems. Particular for medical research is dealing with resources coming from individual persons, whose privacy needs to be protected and who give their consent for sharing material and data for research purposes. Human-oriented biobanks have become infrastructural hubs for collecting biological samples and the data, analyzing the samples to generate additional data, harmonizing the data and sharing it with biomedical researchers. The talk will address the challenges and possible solutions for storing and processing privacy-sensitive data in a scalable way, which has turned into major collaboration between biomedical researchers and computer scientists as well as IT infrastructures.
17. 5. 2016
doc. Mgr. Vít Vondrák, Ph.D., IT4Innovations, VŠB-TUO
Highly scalable domain decomposition methods on many-core architectures
Abstract: The latest IT4Innovations computing system - Salomon includes significant number of many integrated cores architecture. An efficient use of such architecture needs reviewing of current algorithms and their adapting for such system. The research team at IT4Innovations is focused on development of highly scalable algorithms for solution of linear and non-linear problems by a non-overlapping domain decompositions method called Finite Element Tearing and Interconnecting method. The most efficient variants were adapted to the new MIC architecture and implemented into our in-house software package ESPRESO (ExaScale PaRallel FETI Solver). Its developers focus on highly efficient communication layer on top of pure MPI and efficient use of MIC architectures to improve solvers performance and scalability. Thus ESPRESO uses three levels of parallelization: 1.) message passing on node level, 2) threading inside a node using Cilk++ and 3.) vectorization using Intel MKL library or Cilk++. The experience with running of ESPRESO solvers on Salomon and other world’s top computing systems will be presented.