Life, Death and Preferential Attachment

Scientific communities are characterized by strong stratification. The highly skewed frequency distribution of citations of published scientific papers suggests a relatively small number of active, cited papers embedded in a sea of inactive and uncited papers. We propose an analytically soluble model which allows for the death of nodes. This model provides an excellent description of the citation distributions for live and dead papers in the SPIRES database. Further, this model suggests a novel and general mechanism for the generation of power law distributions in networks whenever the fraction of active nodes is small.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

A model for predicting dissolved organic carbon distribution in a reservoir water using fluorescence spectroscopy

A number of water treatment works (WTW) in the north of England (UK) have experienced problems in reducing the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) present in the water to a sufficiently low level. The problems are experienced in autumn/ winter when the colour increases and the coagulant dose at the WTW needs to be increased in order to achieve sufficient colour removal. However, the DOC content of the water varies little throughout the year. To investigate this further, the water was fractionated using resin adsorption techniques into its hydrophobic (fulvic and humic acid fractions) and hydrophilic (acid and non-acid fractions) components. The fractionation process yields useful information on the changing concentration of each fraction but is time consuming and labour intensive. Here, a method of rapidly determining fraction concentration was developed using fluorescence spectroscopy. The model created used synchronous spectra of fractionated material compared against bulk water spectra and predicted the fraction concentrations to within 10% for a specific water. The model was unable to predict fraction concentrations for waters from a different watershed

A graphical multi-fidelity Gaussian process model, with application to emulation of heavy-ion collisions

With advances in scientific computing and mathematical modeling, complex scientific phenomena such as galaxy formations and rocket propulsion can now be reliably simulated. Such simulations can however be very time-intensive, requiring millions of CPU hours to perform. One solution is multi-fidelity emulation, which uses data of different fidelities to train an efficient predictive model which emulates the expensive simulator. For complex scientific problems and with careful elicitation from scientists, such multi-fidelity data may often be linked by a directed acyclic graph (DAG) representing its scientific model dependencies. We thus propose a new Graphical Multi-fidelity Gaussian Process (GMGP) model, which embeds this DAG structure (capturing scientific dependencies) within a Gaussian process framework. We show that the GMGP has desirable modeling traits via two Markov properties, and admits a scalable algorithm for recursive computation of the posterior mean and variance along at each depth level of the DAG. We also present a novel experimental design methodology over the DAG given an experimental budget, and propose a nonlinear extension of the GMGP via deep Gaussian processes. The advantages of the GMGP are then demonstrated via a suite of numerical experiments and an application to emulation of heavy-ion collisions, which can be used to study the conditions of matter in the Universe shortly after the Big Bang. The proposed model has broader uses in data fusion applications with graphical structure, which we further discuss

Seasonal patterns of oral antihistamine and intranasal corticosteroid purchases from Australian community pharmacies : a retrospective observational study

Acknowledgments The abstract of this paper was presented at the Respiratory Effectiveness Group 2016 Annual Summit as a poster presentation with interim findings. The poster’s abstract was published in “Poster Abstracts” in The Journal of Thoracic Disease (Vol. 8, Supplement 5, 5 July 2016). http://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/8504.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Health-related quality of life in patients with T1N0 oral squamous cell carcinoma: selective neck dissection compared with wait and watch surveillance

Management of the neck in patients with clinical T1N0 oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is controversial. The aim of this study was to report the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a consecutive group of patients with stage 1 disease at a time closest to two years after primary surgery. Of 216 patients treated between 2007 and 2012 (after excluding early death and regional recurrence), 195 were eligible. HRQoL was measured using the University of Washington quality of life questionnaire version 4. The overall response rate was 65% (126/195). HRQoL outcomes were good, but compared with patients in the wait and watch group, those who had selective neck dissection (SND) had more problems regarding appearance (14% compared with 1%, p = 0.008) and pain (19% compared with 6%, p = 0.04). Similar trends were seen for shoulder (14% compared with 8%), mood (16% compared with 8%), and speech (5% compared with 1%), and for poorer overall QoL (30% compared with 16%). It is difficult to establish why patients did or did not have neck dissection in a retrospective sample, but it is likely that those who had SND had larger tumours. The findings highlight the impact that SND has on HRQoL in domains such as appearance, pain, speech, swallowing, and chewing. Previous studies on SND have tended to focus on injury to the accessory nerve and shoulder function, but these new data emphasise the need to include other domains in future trials that compare wait and watch, SND, and sentinel lymph node biopsy

Seasonal Sea Ice Conditions Affect Caribou Crossing Areas Around Qikiqtaq, Nunavut: Uqsuqtuurmiut Knowledge Guides Ice Chart Analysis

Though polar ecologists consider sea ice primarily as a habitat for marine mammals, caribou use sea ice to complete their reproductive cycles, to access areas with preferred climatic and vegetation conditions, and to avoid predators seasonally and sporadically. Building on previous caribou research in Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven, Nunavut), we explored the connections between caribou and sea ice phenology in 5 community-identified caribou crossing areas around Qikiqtaq (King William Island). We defined freeze-up and breakup based on Uqsuqtuurmiut (people of Uqsuqtuuq) knowledge of caribou habitat requirements, to orient our analysis to the complex and multifaceted hazards that caribou can encounter while moving through their dynamic and unpredictable sea ice habitat. We investigated the reliability of caribou sea ice habitat surrounding Qikiqtaq, prioritizing key transitional periods with intensified caribou movement. We use regional ice charts produced by the Canadian Ice Service (CIS) and held workshops with Uqsuqtuurmiut to understand how sea ice phenology and caribou mobility have changed over time. The high spatial and temporal variability of sea ice phenology around Qikiqtaq facilitates caribou moving across sea ice should they need to respond to seasonal or unpredictable changes in ecological conditions or anthropogenic disturbance. Therefore, these localized sea ice conditions may increase caribou resiliency to changes or extreme events by providing alternative options for movement across the sea ice. We encourage others to consider the needs of wildlife sea ice users when assessing or providing ice information. Bien que les écologistes polaires considèrent que la glace de mer est principalement un habitat de mammifères marins, les caribous s’en servent pour leurs cycles de reproduction, pour accéder à des lieux dont les conditions climatiques et la végétation conviennent à leurs préférences et pour éviter les prédateurs, en fonction des saisons et de manière sporadique. En nous appuyant sur des recherches antérieures sur les caribous à Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven, Nunavut), nous avons exploré les liens entre le caribou et la phénologie de cinq points de franchissement des caribous dans la région de Qikiqtaq (île King William), tels que déterminés par la communauté. Nous avons défini l’englacement et la débâcle en nous fondant sur les connaissances des Uqsuqtuurmiut (le peuple d’Uqsuqtuuq) concernant les besoins du caribou en matière d’habitat afin d’éclairer notre analyse des dangers complexes et multidimensionnels auxquels les caribous peuvent faire face quand ils se déplacent dans leur habitat de glace de mer dynamique et imprévisible. Nous avons étudié la fiabilité de l’habitat de glace de mer du caribou dans les alentours de Qikiqtaq, en accordant une attention particulière aux périodes de transition pendant lesquelles les déplacements des caribous sont plus intenses. Nous avons utilisé les cartes des glaces régionales produites par le Service canadien des glaces (SCG) et organisé des ateliers avec les Uqsuqtuurmiut pour comprendre comment la phénologie de la glace de mer et la mobilité des caribous ont évolué au fil du temps. La grande variabilité spatiale et temporelle de la phénologie de la glace de mer des environs de Qikiqtaq facilite le déplacement des caribous sur la glace de mer s’ils devaient réagir aux changements saisonniers et imprévisibles des conditions écologiques et de la perturbation anthropique. Par conséquent, ces conditions de glace de mer localisées peuvent avoir pour effet d’augmenter la résilience du caribou aux changements ou aux événements extrêmes, car elles présentent des options de rechange en matière de déplacements sur la glace de mer. Nous incitons d’autres personnes à considérer les besoins de la faune utilisant la glace de mer lorsqu’elles doivent évaluer ou fournir de l’information sur la glace de mer.

Systemic restoration of UBA1 ameliorates disease in spinal muscular atrophy

Acknowledgments Blood biochemistry analysis and serum analysis were performed by the Easter Bush Pathology Department, University of Edinburgh. Animal husbandry was performed by Centre for Integrative Physiology bio-research restructure technical staff, University of Edinburgh. Assistance with intravenous injections was provided by Ian Coldicott (University of Sheffield) and Hannah Shorrock (University of Edinburgh). Human blood cDNA was a gift to GH from Kathy Evans, University of Edinburgh. Imaging was performed at the IMPACT imaging facility, University of Edinburgh, with technical assistance from Anisha Kubasik-Thayil. The authors would also like to thank Lyndsay Murray for technical discussions relating to qRT-PCR analysis. This work was supported by funding from the SMA Trust and the Anatomical Society (via grants to THG); the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research (via grants to THG and SHP); the Wellcome Trust (via grants to EJNG and THG); Muscular Dystrophy UK (via grants to THG and CGB); a Elphinstone Scholarship from the University of Aberdeen (to SHP); and The French Muscular Dystrophy Association (via grants to CM and JC).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A problem-solving approach to value-adding decision making in construction design

Purpose – To illustrate the use of a Value Adding Toolbox by construction industry designers when addressing customer value expectations using problem solving. Design/methodology/approach – Focused literature review establishes the need for construction industry design solutions to deliver customer value and a Value Adding Toolbox is proposed in response. Case studies validate Toolbox use and one illustrative example is provided. Interviews with prospective Toolbox users identify barriers to adoption and inform a recommended approach to organisational adoption. Findings – The Toolbox is found to be effective at helping construction designers to solve technical design problems with regard to customer expectations of value. However, designers are found to be initially reluctant to adopt the new tool. Organisation learning is therefore required to establish the importance of customer value satisfaction as a prerequisite to Toolbox adoption by designers. Originality/value – This paper provides a useful insight into the practical application of problemsolving tools by construction designers to better understand customer needs

CITES must urgently take the steps to save Madagascar’s unique species of rosewood and ebony

This contribution is an open letter to all CITES Management and Scientific Authorities, which is signed by all of the co-authors. As CITES convenes its 19th Conference of the Parties in November 2022, some of the largest seizures in history of illegally harvested CITES-listed species are poised to be handed back to the criminals who smuggled them out of Madagascar. Nearly 40,000 rosewood logs were illegally exported from the country in 2014, in clear violation of CITES and national embargos, as explicitly declared in Notices issued by the CITES Secretariat. The logs were seized by Singapore, Kenya, and Sri Lanka, but as a result of both passive and active interference from various Malagasy officials and aggressive use of these countries’ national court and political systems, orders have now been issued for the logs to be returned to the smugglers. Release of this wood would have catastrophic consequences for the future sustainable management of Madagascar’s remaining rosewood and ebony resources. We propose five essential steps that should be taken at the upcoming CITES CoP 19 in Panama to prevent this from happening

Conglomerate Multi-Fidelity Gaussian Process Modeling, with Application to Heavy-Ion Collisions

In an era where scientific experimentation is often costly, multi-fidelity emulation provides a powerful tool for predictive scientific computing. While there has been notable work on multi-fidelity modeling, existing models do not incorporate an important ``conglomerate'' property of multi-fidelity simulators, where the accuracies of different simulator components (modeling separate physics) are controlled by different fidelity parameters. Such conglomerate simulators are widely encountered in complex nuclear physics and astrophysics applications. We thus propose a new CONglomerate multi-FIdelity Gaussian process (CONFIG) model, which embeds this conglomerate structure within a novel non-stationary covariance function. We show that the proposed CONFIG model can capture prior knowledge on the numerical convergence of conglomerate simulators, which allows for cost-efficient emulation of multi-fidelity systems. We demonstrate the improved predictive performance of CONFIG over state-of-the-art models in a suite of numerical experiments and two applications, the first for emulation of cantilever beam deflection and the second for emulating the evolution of the quark-gluon plasma, which was theorized to have filled the Universe shortly after the Big Bang