Design and Specifications of a Visualization Tool for Dynamic Network Analysis (VITA-DNA)

Marcus Lem, MD, MHSc, FRCPCHealth Canada

Ben HoustonExocortex Corp.

Outline

Background Objectives Requirements Demonstration Provocation Questions Discussion

Background

Proliferation of internal and external governmental committees related pandemic influenza preparedness and planning

Senior management requirement to understand organization

Operational requirement to utilize time and resources efficiently

Visualization required as communication tool

VITA-

Visual Interface for Text Analysis (VITA) Meta-search engine Interactive, 3D interface for knowledge discovery

among documents. Search documents related to a question and

identify and visualize relationships between documents

Could also be used to identify and visualize relationships between individuals and organizations

VITA Advantages: Core Platform Functionality

Modern platform: Professional-grade GUI Extensible via Python, Java and/or Microsoft.NET

Multi-layered network data types: Versioned Scalable Fast Custom attributes

Serialization options: XML Compressed matrix

Plug-in support for: Import/export Analysis Visualization Workflow GUIs

Pandemic Influenza Committee Organizational Structure

Pandemic Influenza Committee VITA Visualization Identified: Unplanned redundancies Isolated groups which required linkage Hubs / highly-connected individuals Superstructure / hypernodes Recognized potential utility in context of

Communicable Disease Control However visualization ultimately not adopted by

senior management (shifting RRs, policy cycle, complexity)

VITA-DNA - Ideal Capabilities

Enable the analysis of disparate multi-modal data sets.

Ability to manipulate disparate data sets in new and novel manners

Provide useful information to form intelligence to support effective decision making

Development of tools and techniques that facilitate the discovery of salient information within data, e.g. data mining

(Varga and Young 2007)

Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak - Shirley & Rushton, 2005

f010

f015

m017

f034fx36

f033

f009

m201

fx07

m202

m012

m013

f201

m551

f900

f514

m526

m206

f019

f202

f017

m207

f020

m209

f533f014

f022

m203

m204f011

m016

f038m019

m210

m208

m025

f012

f035

m026

fx13

f030

f008

f103

f104

m107

f006

m106

f002

m112

mx04

m211

f021

m212

m018

f023

fx21

m301

f024

m200

m546

mx06

f541

m014

f013

m523

mx01

m102

mx05

fx12

f536

m101

f007

fx21

mx11

fx03

mx12

mx10m306

f029

m304

m537

f010

m026

f015

m017

f034

fx36

f033

f009

m201

fx07

m202

m012

f035

m013

f201

m551

f900

f514

m526m206

f019

f202

f017

m207

f012

f020

m209

f533

f014

f022

m203

m204

f011

m016

f038m019

m210

m208

m025

f002 f030

m106

f006

m107

f104f103

fx13

f008m112

m007

mx06 f541

mx04

m102

mx05

f013

fx12

f004

m014

mx01

f536

m523

m101

f546

m212

fx06

fx21

m301f024

m200

mx14

m302f025

f021m018

f023

m211

m002

m010f106

f007m111m110

m023

f205

m214

f016

f003

m104

Sexual network member

Member attending

bar

Bar

Objective 2: Develop Tool for Risk Assessment and Priority Setting Reliable understanding of threats Consolidated risk assessment and rating of threat

scenarios Analysis of capability gaps, and setting of investment

priorities Foresight and future security visioning Vulnerability assessment Risk analysis in the context of a risk management

process (DRDC – Centre for Security Science, CRTI – Call for

Proposals 2008-2009)

VITA-

VITA-DNA Requirements

Stand-alone application for the analysis and visualization of multi-layered (communicable disease) networks

Search engine function not needed Analysis to work off of a custom data base Ability to customize elements and appearance of

analysis and visualization Ability to specify connections (DB) Ability to visually manipulate data (and record

explorations / changes) (Ability to put data and analysis in context)

VITA-DNA: Overall Objectives

Analyze and define risk / vulnerability Quantify risk / vulnerability Indicate possible interventions Assist in the evaluation of the interventions

Demonstration

Aim of Provocation Session

Questions: 1) Does VITA-DNA have the attributes and

potential to be a useful visualization tool in multiple sectors?

2) What other objectives and requirements should be included?

3) What aspects of the visualization need to be improved?

4) Are there experimental designs that we could use to test its utility?

Text description of connections

Toronto Star, Sat. Sept. 27, 2003.

All possible combinations

Geographic reference

Questions/ Discussion?

?