Keyword binding as a method of reducing the length of indexes in library catalogues (based on the experience of Digital Library of Wielkopolska)

This paper presents a relatively simple and cheap method for shortening the subject indexes in library catalogs. The method involves taking a set of several dozen general concepts, characterized by a low semantic awareness barrier. Built around these words are subindexes made up of the words which appear in descriptions containing a particular general concept. The effectiveness of the method was studied by analyzing the content of fragments of subject indexes of the NUKAT central catalog of Polish libraries, the University Library in Poznań and the Library of Congress. Compared with the subject headings language method, this method reduces the length of an index by an average of two-thirds, and makes it significantly easier for readers to navigate the vocabulary used by the cataloger. This method has been developed for the needs of Digital Library of Wielkopolska, and will probably be used in all regional digital libraries in Poland

Vitamin D in Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND: During the mid to late 20th century, parts of Europe and North America began experiencing increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease for unknown reasons. Epidemiological studies carried out at the time determined that incidence rates and disease severity were higher in the northern latitudes than in the southern latitudes. LITERATURE REVIEW: In the ensuing years, an inverse association was established between ultraviolet radiation and incidence of Crohn’s disease, a finding that has not proven to be as robust for ulcerative colitis. This association was explored further and vitamin D was implicated to be the factor of ultraviolet radiation which was associated with increased incidence. Currently, all evidence implicating vitamin D in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease comes from epidemiological, animal, and in vitro studies, providing strong evidence for an association, but none of which can prove causality. Causality must be proven in prospective clinical trials, which, at present, have come up short in providing statistically significant findings. METHODS: The proposed trial outlined below provides a method of studying the question at hand in a way that has not been previously studied. This is a randomized, double blind, controlled trial which assesses the effect of supplementation of vitamin D in patients with active Crohn’s disease. DISCUSSION: Acceptance of the alternative hypothesis would be a big step forward in the management of Crohn’s disease. It would have wide-ranging implications, resulting in decreased healthcare costs, decreased use of toxic medications, and increased quality of life

Keyword binding as a method of reducing the length of indexes in library catalogues (based on the experience of Digital Library of Wielkopolska)

This paper presents a relatively simple and cheap method for shortening the subject indexes in library catalogues. The method involves taking a set of several dozen general concepts, characterized by a low semantic awareness barrier. Built around these words are subindexes made up of the words which appear in descriptions containing a particular general concept. The effectiveness of the method was studied by analyzing the content of fragments of subject indexes of the NUKAT central catalogue of Polish libraries, the University Library in Poznań and the Library of Congress. Compared with the subject headings language method, this method reduces the length of an index by an average of two-thirds, and makes it significantly easier for readers to navigate the vocabulary used by the cataloger. This method has been developed for the needs of Digital Library of Wielkopolska, and will probably be used in all regional digital libraries in Poland.Artykuł przedstawia stosunkowo prostą i tanią metodę skracania indeksów rzeczowych w katalogach bibliotecznych. Polega ona na przyjęciu zestawu kilkudziesięciu pojęć ogólnych - charakteryzujących się niską barierą świadomości semantycznej. Wokół tych słów budowane są subindeksy złożone ze słów występujących w opisach zawierających dane pojęcie ogólne. Skuteczność metody badano, analizując zawartość fragmentów indeksów przedmiotowych centralnego katalogu bibliotek polskich NUKAT, Biblioteki Uniwersyteckiej w Poznaniu i Biblioteki Kongresu. Metoda ta w porównaniu z metodą języka haseł przedmiotowych średnio trzykrotnie skraca długość indeksu i znacznie ułatwia czytelnikowi rozeznanie w użytym przez katalogera słownictwie. Została opracowana dla potrzeb Wielkopolskiej Biblioteki Cyfrowej i prawdopodobnie będzie stosowana we wszystkich regionalnych bibliotekach cyfrowych w Polsce

Keyword binding as a method of reducing the length of indexes in library catalogues (based on the experience of Digital Library of Wielkopolska)

This paper presents a relatively simple and cheap method for shortening the subject indexes in library catalogs. The method involves taking a set of several dozen general concepts, characterized by a low semantic awareness barrier. Built around these words are subindexes made up of the words which appear in descriptions containing a particular general concept. The effectiveness of the method was studied by analyzing the content of fragments of subject indexes of the NUKAT central catalog of Polish libraries, the University Library in Poznań and the Library of Congress. Compared with the subject headings language method, this method reduces the length of an index by an average of two-thirds, and makes it significantly easier for readers to navigate the vocabulary used by the cataloger. This method has been developed for the needs of Digital Library of Wielkopolska, and will probably be used in all regional digital libraries in Poland

Alternative model for the administration and analysis of research-based assessments

Research-based assessments represent a valuable tool for both instructors and researchers interested in improving undergraduate physics education. However, the historical model for disseminating and propagating conceptual and attitudinal assessments developed by the physics education research (PER) community has not resulted in widespread adoption of these assessments within the broader community of physics instructors. Within this historical model, assessment developers create high quality, validated assessments, make them available for a wide range of instructors to use, and provide minimal (if any) support to assist with administration or analysis of the results. Here, we present and discuss an alternative model for assessment dissemination, which is characterized by centralized data collection and analysis. This model provides a greater degree of support for both researchers and instructors in order to more explicitly support adoption of research-based assessments. Specifically, we describe our experiences developing a centralized, automated system for an attitudinal assessment we previously created to examine students' epistemologies and expectations about experimental physics. This system provides a proof-of-concept that we use to discuss the advantages associated with centralized administration and data collection for research-based assessments in PER. We also discuss the challenges that we encountered while developing, maintaining, and automating this system. Ultimately, we argue that centralized administration and data collection for standardized assessments is a viable and potentially advantageous alternative to the default model characterized by decentralized administration and analysis. Moreover, with the help of online administration and automation, this model can support the long-term sustainability of centralized assessment systems.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, accepted in Phys. Rev. PE

Influence of cutting height on biomass yield and quality of miscanthus genotypes

Abstract Commercially achieved biomass yields are often lower than those obtained in scientific plot trials and estimated by crop models. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the ‘commercial yield gap’. It needs to be understood and managed to achieve the yield expectations that underpin business models. Cutting height at harvest is one of the key factors determining biomass yield and quality. This study quantifies the impacts of cutting heights of diverse genotypes with different morphologies and in years with contrasting weather conditions before and during harvest. Harvests were made in March 2015 and March 2018 of six diverse miscanthus genotypes planted as part of the ‘OPTIMISC project’ in 2013 near Stuttgart, Germany. Biomass yield, dry matter content and nutrient concentrations were analysed in four 10 cm fractions working upwards from the ground level and a fifth fraction with the shoot biomass higher than 40 cm. As stems are slightly tapered (i.e. diameter decreases slightly with increasing cutting height), it was hypothesized that low cutting may lead to yield gains, but that these may be associated with lower quality biomass with higher moisture and higher nutrient offtakes. We calculated average yield losses of 270 kg ha−1 (0.83%) with each 1 cm increase in cutting height up to 40 cm. Although whole shoot mineral concentrations were significantly influenced by both genotype and year interactions, total nitrogen (1.89 mg g−1), phosphorus (0.51 mg g−1), potassium (3.72 mg g−1) and calcium (0.89 mg g−1) concentrations did not differ significantly from the concentrations in the lower basal sections. Overall, cutting height had a limited influence on nutrient and moisture content. Therefore, we recommend that cutting is performed as low as is practically possible with the available machinery and local ground surface conditions to maximize biomass yield

Double-copy towards supergravity inflation with α\alpha-attractor models

Key to the simplicity of supergravity alpha-attractor models of inflation are Volkov-Akulov fermions, often in the form of nilpotent superfields. Here we explore the possibility of using the double-copy to construct theories of Dirac-Born-Infeld-Volkov-Akulov (DBIVA) coupled to supergravity. A color-dual bootstrap admits scattering amplitudes involving pions and vectors through five-point tree-level order by order in mass-dimension, but requires the introduction of a tr(F^3) operator. Gauge theories with this operator were recently found to require a tower of higher-derivative operators to be compatible with the duality between color and kinematics. Adjoint-type double-copy construction at its most conservative seems to require the UV completion of DBVIA + pure Poincare supergravity scattering amplitudes to a family of theories involving DBVIA-like particles coupled to Weyl-Einstein supergravity. We also point out an alternative solution to color-dual gauged pions that allows adjoint double-copy without a tower of higher derivative corrections but at the cost of exchange symmetry between scalars.Comment: 40 pages, 3 figures, 4 tables, ancillary data available at this url: https://github.com/drjjmc/colorDualPion

Lake Ontario Coastal Initiative Action Agenda

The mission of the Lake Ontario Coastal Initiative (LOCI), encompassing all New York State North Coast stakeholders from the Niagara River to the St. Lawrence River, is to enlist and retain broad public commitment for remediation, restoration, protection, conservation and sustainable use of the coastal region. This mission will be accomplished by securing funds and resources to achieve scientific understanding, educate citizens, and implement locally supported priorities, programs and projects as identified through this Initiative