Geochemical analysis of bulk marine sediment by Inductively Coupled Plasma–Atomic Emission Spectroscopy on board the JOIDES Resolution

Geochemical analyses on board the JOIDES Resolution have been enhanced with the addition of a Jobin-Yvon Ultrace inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) as an upgrade from the previous X-ray fluorescence facility. During Leg 199, we sought to both challenge and utilize the capabilities of the ICP-AES in order to provide an extensive bulk-sediment geochemical database during the cruise. These near real-time analyses were then used to help characterize the recovered sedimentary sequences, calculate mass accumulation rates of the different sedimentary components, and assist with cruise and postcruise sampling requests. The general procedures, sample preparation techniques, and basic protocol for ICP-AES analyses on board ship are outlined by Murray et al. (2000) in Ocean Drilling Program Tech Note, 29. We expand on those concepts and offer suggestions for ICP-AES methodology, calibration by standard reference materials, data reduction procedures, and challenges that are specific to the analysis of bulk-sediment samples. During Leg 199, we employed an extensive bulk-sediment analytical program of ~600 samples of varying lithologies, thereby providing several opportunities for refinement of techniques. We also discuss some difficulties and challenges that were faced and suggest how to alleviate such occurrences for sedimentary chemical analyses during future legs

Access to recorded interviews: A research agenda

Recorded interviews form a rich basis for scholarly inquiry. Examples include oral histories, community memory projects, and interviews conducted for broadcast media. Emerging technologies offer the potential to radically transform the way in which recorded interviews are made accessible, but this vision will demand substantial investments from a broad range of research communities. This article reviews the present state of practice for making recorded interviews available and the state-of-the-art for key component technologies. A large number of important research issues are identified, and from that set of issues, a coherent research agenda is proposed

Space-based research in fundamental physics and quantum technologies

Space-based experiments today can uniquely address important questions related to the fundamental laws of Nature. In particular, high-accuracy physics experiments in space can test relativistic gravity and probe the physics beyond the Standard Model; they can perform direct detection of gravitational waves and are naturally suited for precision investigations in cosmology and astroparticle physics. In addition, atomic physics has recently shown substantial progress in the development of optical clocks and atom interferometers. If placed in space, these instruments could turn into powerful high-resolution quantum sensors greatly benefiting fundamental physics. We discuss the current status of space-based research in fundamental physics, its discovery potential, and its importance for modern science. We offer a set of recommendations to be considered by the upcoming National Academy of Sciences' Decadal Survey in Astronomy and Astrophysics. In our opinion, the Decadal Survey should include space-based research in fundamental physics as one of its focus areas. We recommend establishing an Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee's interagency ``Fundamental Physics Task Force'' to assess the status of both ground- and space-based efforts in the field, to identify the most important objectives, and to suggest the best ways to organize the work of several federal agencies involved. We also recommend establishing a new NASA-led interagency program in fundamental physics that will consolidate new technologies, prepare key instruments for future space missions, and build a strong scientific and engineering community. Our goal is to expand NASA's science objectives in space by including ``laboratory research in fundamental physics'' as an element in agency's ongoing space research efforts.Comment: a white paper, revtex, 27 pages, updated bibliograph

Assessing the Benefits of Public Research Within an Economic Framework: The Case of USDA's Agricultural Research Service

Evaluation of publicly funded research can help provide accountability and prioritize programs. In addition, Federal intramural research planning generally involves an institutional assessment of the appropriate Federal role, if any, and whether the research should be left to others, such as universities or the private sector. Many methods of evaluation are available, peer review—used primarily for establishing scientific merit—being the most common. Economic analysis focuses on quantifying ultimate research outcomes, whether measured in goods with market prices or in nonmarket goods such as environmental quality or human health. However, standard economic techniques may not be amenable for evaluating some important public research priorities or for institutional assessments. This report reviews quantitative methods and applies qualitative economic reasoning and stakeholder interviewing methods to the evaluation of economic benefits of Federal intramural research using three case studies of research conducted by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Differences among the case studies highlight the need to select suitable assessment techniques from available methodologies, the limited scope for comparing assessment results across programs, and the inherent difficulty in quantifying benefits in some research areas. When measurement and attribution issues make it difficult to quantify these benefits, the report discusses how qualitative insights based on economic concepts can help research prioritization.Agricultural Research Service, Federal intramural research, publicly funded research, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries, Productivity Analysis,

A Conversation with Ingram Olkin

Ingram Olkin was born on July 23, 1924 in Waterbury, Connecticut. His family moved to New York in 1934 and he graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1941. He served three years in the Air Force during World War II and obtained a B.S. in mathematics at the City College of New York in 1947. After receiving an M.A. in mathematical statistics from Columbia in 1949, he completed his graduate studies in the Department of Statistics at the University of North Carolina in 1951. His dissertation was written under the direction of S. N. Roy and Harold Hotelling. He joined the Department of Mathematics at Michigan State University in 1951 as an Assistant Professor, subsequently being promoted to Professor. In 1960, he took a position as Chair of the Department of Statistics at the University of Minnesota. He moved to Stanford University in 1961 to take a joint position as Professor of Statistics and Professor of Education; he was also Chair of the Department of Statistics from 1973--1976. In 2007, Ingram became Professor Emeritus. Ingram was Editor of the Annals of Mathematical Statistics (1971--1972) and served as the first editor of the Annals of Statistics from 1972--1974. He was a primary force in the founding of the Journal of Educational Statistics, for which he was also Associate Editor during 1977--1985. In 1984, he was President of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. Among his many professional activities, he has served as Chair of the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS), Chair of the Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics of the National Research Council, Chair of the Management Board of the American Education Research Association, and as Trustee for the National Institute of Statistical Sciences. He has been honored by the American Statistical Association (ASA) with a Wilks Medal (1992) and a Founder's Award (1992). The American Psychological Association gave him a Lifetime Contribution Award (1997) and he was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2005. He received the COPSS Elizabeth L. Scott Award in 1998 and delivered the R. A. Fisher Lecture in 2000. In 2003, the City University of New York gave him a Townsend Harris Medal. An author of 5 books, an editor of 10 books, and an author of more than 200 publications, Ingram has made major contributions to statistics and education. His research has focused on multivariate analysis, majorization and inequalities, distribution theory, and meta-analysis. A volume in celebration of Ingram's 65th birthday contains a brief biography and an interview [Gleser, Perlman, Press and Sampson (1989)]. Ingram was chosen in 1997 to participate in the American Statistical Association Distinguished Statistician Video Series and a videotaped conversation and a lecture (Olkin, 1997) are available from the ASA (1997, DS041, DS042).Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/088342307000000122 the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

An Experimental Digital Library Platform - A Demonstrator Prototype for the DigLib Project at SICS

Within the framework of the Digital Library project at SICS, this thesis describes the implementation of a demonstrator prototype of a digital library (DigLib); an experimental platform integrating several functions in one common interface. It includes descriptions of the structure and formats of the digital library collection, the tailoring of the search engine Dienst, the construction of a keyword extraction tool, and the design and development of the interface. The platform was realised through sicsDAIS, an agent interaction and presentation system, and is to be used for testing and evaluating various tools for information seeking. The platform supports various user interaction strategies by providing: search in bibliographic records (Dienst); an index of keywords (the Keyword Extraction Function (KEF)); and browsing through the hierarchical structure of the collection. KEF was developed for this thesis work, and extracts and presents keywords from Swedish documents. Although based on a comparatively simple algorithm, KEF contributes by supplying a long-felt want in the area of Information Retrieval. Evaluations of the tasks and the interface still remain to be done, but the digital library is very much up and running. By implementing the platform through sicsDAIS, DigLib can deploy additional tools and search engines without interfering with already running modules. If wanted, agents providing other services than SICS can supply, can be plugged in

Policy issues in interconnecting networks

To support the activities of the Federal Research Coordinating Committee (FRICC) in creating an interconnected set of networks to serve the research community, two workshops were held to address the technical support of policy issues that arise when interconnecting such networks. The workshops addressed the required and feasible technologies and architectures that could be used to satisfy the desired policies for interconnection. The results of the workshop are documented

Publication Culture in Computing Research

The dissemination of research results is an integral part of research and hence a crucial component for any scientific discipline. In the area of computing research, there have been raised concerns recently about its publication culture, most notably by highlighting the high priority of conferences (compared to journals in other disciplines) and -- from an economic viewpoint -- the costs of preparing and accessing research results. The Dagstuhl Perspectives Workshop 12452 “Publication Culture in Computing Research” aimed at discussing the main problems with a selected group of researchers and practitioners. The goal was to identify and classify the current problems and to suggest potential remedies. The group of participants was selected in a way such that a wide spectrum of opinions would be presented. This lead to intensive discussions. The workshop is seen as an important step in the ongoing discussion. As a main result, the main problem roots were identified and potential solutions were discussed. The insights will be part of an upcoming manifesto on Publication Culture in Computing Research