Report of the Stanford Linked Data Workshop

The Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources (SULAIR) with the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) conducted at week-long workshop on the prospects for a large scale, multi-national, multi-institutional prototype of a Linked Data environment for discovery of and navigation among the rapidly, chaotically expanding array of academic information resources. As preparation for the workshop, CLIR sponsored a survey by Jerry Persons, Chief Information Architect emeritus of SULAIR that was published originally for workshop participants as background to the workshop and is now publicly available. The original intention of the workshop was to devise a plan for such a prototype. However, such was the diversity of knowledge, experience, and views of the potential of Linked Data approaches that the workshop participants turned to two more fundamental goals: building common understanding and enthusiasm on the one hand and identifying opportunities and challenges to be confronted in the preparation of the intended prototype and its operation on the other. In pursuit of those objectives, the workshop participants produced:1. a value statement addressing the question of why a Linked Data approach is worth prototyping;2. a manifesto for Linked Libraries (and Museums and Archives and …);3. an outline of the phases in a life cycle of Linked Data approaches;4. a prioritized list of known issues in generating, harvesting & using Linked Data;5. a workflow with notes for converting library bibliographic records and other academic metadata to URIs;6. examples of potential “killer apps” using Linked Data: and7. a list of next steps and potential projects.This report includes a summary of the workshop agenda, a chart showing the use of Linked Data in cultural heritage venues, and short biographies and statements from each of the participants

Nanomanufacturing and U.S. Competitiveness: Challenges and Opportunities

Nanotechnology has been defined as the control or restructuring of matter at the atomic and molecular levels in the size range of about 1–100 nanometers (nm); 100 nm is about 1/1000th the width of a hair. The U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), begun in 2001 and focusing primarily on R&D, represents a cumulative investment of almost $20 billion, including the request for fiscal year 2014. As research continues and other nations increasingly invest in R&D, nanotechnology is moving from the laboratory to commercial markets, mass manufacturing, and the global marketplace. Today, burgeoning markets and nanomanufacturing activities are increasingly competitive in a global context—and the potential EHS effects of nanomanufacturing remain largely unknown. GAO was asked to testify on challenges to U.S. competitiveness in nanomanufacturing and related issues. Our statement is based on GAO’s earlier report on the Forum on Nano-manufacturing, which was convened by the Comptroller General of the United States in July 2013 (GAO 2014; also referred to as GAO-14-181SP). That report reflects forum discussions as well as four expert-based profiles of nano-industry areas, which GAO prepared prior to the forum and which are appended to the earlier report

Promotion Tournaments and Capital Rationing

We analyze capital allocation in a conglomerate where divisional managers with uncertain abilities compete for promotion to CEO. A manager can sometimes gain by unobservably adding variance to divisional performance. Capital rationing can limit this distortion, increase productive efficiency, and allow the owner to make more accurate promotion decisions. Firms for which CEO talent is more important for firm performance are more likely to ration capital. A rationed manager is more likely to be promoted even though all managers are identical ex ante. When the tournament payoff is relatively small, offering an incentive wage can be more efficient than rationing capital; however, when tournament incentives are paramount, rationing is more efficient.

Recommendations For Speakers in Meetings and Conferences

[Excerpt] It is not easy for a speaker to prepare documents and presentations especially when speaking to diverse audiences, i.e. when people have different languages, different backgrounds, different level of knowledge or include people with intellectual disabilities. Sometimes, speakers do not know how they can transmit information to people with intellectual disability

Recommendations for Organizers of Meetings and Conferences

[Excerpt] Planning and organizing a conference, a meeting or any other event is a complex task, often involving numerous different people. The objective should always be to make the event as beneficial as possible for all participants. Increasingly, also people with intellectual disabilities actively participate in events together with many other participants. This shows the growing inclusion of this group of people in our societies and should be much more promoted. Of course, these participants are often very disappointed when they cannot follow and participate in an event because some basic guidelines for accessibility have not been followed. As organizer of an event, you are in the critical position to include considerations about its accessibility from the beginning of the planning process. Taking care of these issues from the beginning has proven to be most effective and avoids costly changes to programmes and venues

What is the best way to manage phantom limb pain?

No single best therapy for phantom limb pain (PLP) exists. Treatment requires a co- ordinated application of conservative, pharmacologic, and adjuvant therapies. Evaluative management (including prosthesis adjustment, treatment of referred pain, and residual limb care) should be tried initially (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C, expert opinion). Other first-line treatments such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) (SOR: A, multiple high-quality randomized, control trials [RCTs]), and biofeedback (SOR: B, numerous case studies) can reduce PLP. Pharmaco- therapy, including opioids, anticonvulsants (gabapentin), and nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can also relieve pain (SOR: B, initial RCTs and inconsistent findings)

Should we use appetite stimulants for malnourished elderly patients?

Only 1 appetite stimulate, megestrol acetate oral suspension (Megace) at 400 mg or 800 mg daily, has been studied in this population. The data show only limited benefit, mixed outcomes, and potential harm (strength of recommendation: B, based on small, randomized, controlled trials)

Childhood alopecia areata: What treatment works best?

There are no validated effective treatments for alopecia areata (AA). Topical immunotherapy (squaric acid dibutylester [SADBE] and diphenylcyclopropenone [DPCP]) induces the most significant short-term hair regrowth in children with severe AA (strength of recommendation [SOR]: C, 4 small individual cohort studies and 1 moderately sized retrospective case review). Intralesional steroids can induce hair regrowth greater than 50% in children with limited AA (SOR: C, 1 retrospective cohort study). Other commonly used treatments--topical and oral corticosteroids, topical cyclosporine, photodynamic therapy, and topical minoxidil--have no benefit over placebo (SOR: A, 14 randomized controlled trials [RCTs] and 3 within-patient studies)

Does birth weight predict childhood obesity?

A birth weight greater than 4,000 g is associated with an increased risk of obesity in both childhood and adolescence (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, systematic review and multiple cohort studies)

Does spinal manipulation relieve back pain?

Spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) reduces lower back pain and improves the ability to perform everyday activities more than sham therapies (strength of recommendation [SOR]: A, multiple randomized controlled trials [RCTs] and systematic reviews), but it�۪s no more or less effective than pain medication, physical therapy, exercise, back school, or care given by a general practitioner (SOR: A, meta-analysis)