778 research outputs found
Semantic Integration of Identity Data Repositories
With the continuously growing number of distributed and heterogeneous IT systems there is the need for structured and efficient identity management (IdM) processes. This implies that new users are created once and then the information is distributed to all applicable software systems same as if changes on existing user objects occur. The central issue is that there is no generally ac-cepted standard for handling this information distribution because each system has its own internal representation of this data. Our approach is to give a se-mantic definition of the digital user objects attributes to ease the mapping process of an abstract user object to the concrete instantiation of each software system. Therefore we created an ontology to define the mapping of users at-tributes as well as an architecture which enables the semantic integration of identity data repositories. Our solution has been tested in an implementation case study
Multimodal imaging of thyroid cancer
Purpose of review
Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine cancer in adults with rising incidence. Challenges in imaging thyroid cancer are twofold: distinguishing thyroid cancer from benign thyroid nodules, which occur in 50% of the population over 50 years; and correct staging of thyroid cancer to facilitate appropriate radical surgery in a single session. The clinical management of thyroid cancer patients has been covered in detail by the 2015 guidelines of the American Thyroid Association (ATA). The purpose of this review is to state the principles underlying optimal multimodal imaging of thyroid cancer and aid clinicians in avoiding important pitfalls.
Recent findings
Recent additions to the literature include assessment of ultrasound-based scoring systems to improve selection of nodules for fine needle biopsy (FNB) and the evaluation of new radioactive tracers for imaging thyroid cancer.
Summary
The mainstay of diagnosing thyroid cancer is thyroid ultrasound with ultrasound-guided FNB. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography and PET with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and MRI are reserved for advanced and/or recurrent cases of differentiated thyroid cancer and anaplastic thyroid cancer, while [18F]FDOPA and [68Ga]DOTATOC are the preferred tracers for medullary thyroid cancer.publishedVersio
Local models of stellar convection II: Rotation dependence of the mixing length relations
We study the mixing length concept in comparison to three-dimensional
numerical calculations of convection with rotation. In a limited range, the
velocity and temperature fluctuations are linearly proportional to the
superadiabaticity, as predicted by the mixing length concept and in accordance
with published results. The effects of rotation are investigated by varying the
Coriolis number, Co = 2 Omega tau, from zero to roughly ten, and by calculating
models at different latitudes. We find that \alpha decreases monotonically as a
function of the Coriolis number. This can be explained by the decreased spatial
scale of convection and the diminished efficiency of the convective energy
transport, the latter of which leads to a large increase of the
superadibaticity, \delta = \nabla - \nabla_ad as function of Co. Applying a
decreased mixing length parameter in a solar model yields very small
differences in comparison to the standard model within the convection zone. The
main difference is the reduction of the overshooting depth, and thus the depth
of the convection zone, when a non-local version of the mixing length concept
is used. Reduction of \alpha by a factor of roughly 2.5 is sufficient to
reconcile the difference between the model and helioseismic results. The
numerical results indicate reduction of \alpha by this order of magnitude.Comment: Final published version, 8 pages, 9 figure
How the World Bank engages with the Sustainable Development Goal on reducing inequalities A case of organizational jiu-jitsu
In 2015, the United Nations agreed on seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to mobilize various actors, including international organizations, for a global transformation toward sustainability. The expectation was that international organizations would assist in the implementation of the goals and encourage, support, or coordinate others to work toward their achievement. But have international organizations over the last 8 years changed their behavior because of the SDGs? We present an in-depth examination of how the World Bank, an influential international organization with a broad development mandate, has engaged with the SDGs, especially with SDG 10 that seeks to reduce inequalities. Based on a mixed-method approach that included the study of 326 key documents and 23 interviews, we found no evidence of a policy impact of the SDGs on the World Bank. Instead, we conclude that the World Bank's engagement with the SDGs can best be described as "organizational jiu-jitsu,"mobilizing the metaphor of the ancient martial art in which an actor uses the force and strength of the opponent to advance one's own position. We argue that the World Bank used the growing momentum of the SDGs to further its strategic objectives without being influenced by the SDGs in turn. The bank engaged with the SDGs selectively; efforts to integrate the goals into organizational practices remained limited; and their inclusion in country-level processes is primarily voluntary. These findings, which may be similar for other powerful international organizations, raise important questions about the ability of global goal-setting to realize a transformative impact
Sonography of Cat Scratch Disease
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135329/1/jum2015343387.pd
Magnetic fields from reionisation
We present a complementary study to a new model for generating magnetic
fields of cosmological interest. The driving mechanism is the photoionisation
process by photons provided by the first luminous sources. Investigating the
transient regime at the onset of inhomogeneous reionisation, we show that
magnetic field amplitudes as high as Gauss can be obtained
within a source lifetime. Photons with energies above the ionisation threshold
accelerate electrons, inducing magnetic fields outside the Stroemgren spheres
which surround the ionising sources. Thanks to their mean free path, photons
with higher energies propagate further and lead to magnetic field generation
deeper in the neutral medium. We find that soft X-ray photons could contribute
to a significant premagnetisation of the intergalactic medium at a redshift of
z=15.Comment: accepted for publication in A&
Sustainable Development Goals fail to advance policy integration: A large-n text analysis of 159 international organizations
While most of today’s global challenges are deeply interconnected, international organizations often operate in silos. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, have been advanced as a new agenda to break up these silos and to better integrate environmental, social and economic policies. Yet little is known about whether the SDGs had any effects in advancing policy integration. To investigate this, we conducted a quantitative content analysis on the website texts of 159 international organizations. Our study addresses two questions: (1) whether international organizations increasingly engage with the SDGs in their work; and (2) whether this engagement increased their attention for policy integration. Our results show that the SDGs are indeed increasingly used by most international organizations. However, this has not affected policy integration. We conclude with some possible explanations for this lack of effect and propose several research avenues
The SDGs as integrating force in global governance? Challenges and opportunities
In 2015, the United Nations agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an “integrated and indivisible” set of policy objectives with the aim, among others, to unite the diverse and vast system of international organizations under one shared normative agenda. And yet, have these SDGs really become such an integrative force in global governance? Our conclusion here is negative, and our research suggests that the SDGs have not lived up to these high expectations. We find instead that the 17 global goals have not been taken up by a substantial group of international organizations, and some organizations rather cherry-pick those goals that best fit their own agenda and interests. To overcome these challenges and to fulfill the promise of integrated global sustainability governance enshrined in the SDGs, we propose three urgent actions: first, to further push the use of the SDGs across all international organizations, in particular regional organizations outside the United Nations system; second, to facilitate better collaboration across policy domains; and third, to focus attention on those SDGs that are so far “left behind.
Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays
The current status of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) is reviewed, with
emphasis given to theoretical interpretation of the observed events. The
galactic and extragalactic origin, in case of astrophysical sources of UHE
particles, have the problems either with acceleration to the observed energies
or with the fluxes and spectra. Topological defects can naturally produce
particles with energies as observed and much higher, but in most cases fail to
produce the observed fluxes. Cosmic necklaces and monopole-antimonopole pairs
are identified as most plausible sources, which can provide the observed flux
and spectrum. The relic superheavy particles are shown to be clustering in the
Galactic halo, producing UHECR without Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin cutoff. The
Lightest Supersymmetric Particles are discussed as UHE carriers in the
Universe.Comment: 10 pages text, 6 ps figures, 1 jpeg figure. Invited talk at TAUP-9
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