cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
An in-house multilocus SNP genotyping assay for evaluation of complex genetic diseases
Creators: name: Swarup A. V. Shah
name: Kondkar, Altaf A.
name: Tester F. Ashavaid
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: 60506 Virology

description: Background: With an increase in the discovery of newer genetic loci/polymorphisms in complex multifactorial diseases, there is also an increased need for methods that can simultaneously genotype multiple loci in a cost-effective manner. Using coronary artery disease (CAD) as a model, the study aimed to develop an in-house multilocus assay for simultaneous detection of 17 genetic variants in 11 genes implicated in CAD. Methods: A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based reverse line blot hybridization (MPCR-RLBH) approach was used, where each DNA sample was amplified using two separate MPCRs, and the alleles were genotyped using covalently immobilized, amino-linked sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes using an enhanced chemiluminescence system. The assay performance was tested on 75 healthy controls and 75 angiographically proven CAD cases. Validation was done by automated Sanger sequencing. Results: The assay could successfully discriminate both the alleles at CETP (I405V), LPL (D9N), NOS3 (T-786G and E298D), LIPC (C-514T), FGB (G-455A), ITGB3 (L33P), AGT (M235T), and MTR (A2756G) loci. Certain mutations included in this assay such as ins242G, ins397G, E387K, L393K in the LDLR; N291S in the LPL; D442G in the CETP; and T833C in the CBS genes were found to be absent. The genotype results obtained using this assay showed 100% concordance with sequencing. Conclusion: The study demonstrated development and validation of a multiplex SNP genotyping assay that can be used to assess genetic risk factors in CAD. The assay provides a cost-effective alternative to expensive high throughput genotyping systems in common molecular research laboratories.
Digital contact-tracing during the Covid-19 pandemic: an analysis of newspaper coverage in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Creators: name: Amann, Julia
name: Sleigh, Joanna
name: Vayena, Effy
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020

description: Governments around the globe have started to develop and deploy digital contact tracing apps to gain control over the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19). The appropriateness and usefulness of these technologies as a containment measure have since sparked political and academic discussions globally. The present paper contributes to this debate through an exploration of how the national daily newspapers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland reported on the development and adoption of digital contact-tracing apps during early and after stages of the lockdown. These countries were among the first in Europe to develop apps and were critical voices in the debate of decentralized vs. centralized data processing. We conducted thematic analysis on news coverage published between January and May 2020 in high-circulation national daily newspapers (print) from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. A total of 148 newspaper articles were included in the final analysis. From our analysis emerged six core themes of the development and adoption of digital contact tracing apps: 1) data governance; 2) role of IT giants; 3) scientific rigor; 4) voluntariness; 5) functional efficacy; 6) role of the app. These results shed light on the different facets of discussion regarding digital contact tracing as portrayed in German-speaking media. As news coverage can serve as a proxy for public perception, this study complements emerging survey data on public perceptions of digital contact tracing apps by identifying potential issues of public concern.
description: medRxiv
Statistical process control for multistage processes with non-repeating cyclic profiles
Creators: name: Wenmeng Tian
name: Jin, Ran
name: Tingting Huang
name: Camelio, Jaime A.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 19999 Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Cancer
subject: Computational Biology

description: In many manufacturing processes, process data are observed in the form of time-based profiles, which may contain rich information for process monitoring and fault diagnosis. Most approaches currently available in profile monitoring focus on single-stage processes or multistage processes with repeating cyclic profiles. However, a number of manufacturing operations are performed in multiple stages, where non-repeating profiles are generated. For example, in a broaching process, non-repeating cyclic force profiles are generated by the interaction between each cutting tooth and the workpiece. This article presents a process monitoring method based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression models, where PLS regression models are used to characterize the correlation between consecutive stages. Instead of monitoring the non-repeating profiles directly, the residual profiles from the PLS models are monitored. A Group Exponentially Weighted Moving Average control chart is adopted to detect both global and local shifts. The performance of the proposed method is compared with conventional methods in a simulation study. Finally, a case study of a hexagonal broaching process is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in process monitoring and fault diagnosis.
Different processes shape prokaryotic and picoeukaryotic assemblages in the sunlit ocean microbiome
Creators: name: Logares, Ramiro
name: Deutschmann, Ina M.
name: Giner, Caterina R.
name: Krabberød, Anders K.
name: Schmidt, Thomas S.B.
name: Rubinat-Ripoll, Laura
name: Mestre, Mireia
name: Salazar, Guillem
name: Ruiz-González, Clara
name: Sebastián, Marta
name: de Vargas, Colomban
name: Acinas, Silvia G.
name: Duarte, Carlos M.
name: Gasol, Josep M.
name: Massana, Ramon
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2018
Subjects: Microbiome
Ocean
Structure
Picoeukaryotes
Prokaryotes

description: The smallest members of the sunlit-ocean microbiome (prokaryotes and picoeukaryotes) participate in a plethora of ecosystem functions with planetary-scale effects. Understanding the processes determining the spatial turnover of this assemblage can help us better comprehend the links between microbiome species composition and ecosystem function. Ecological theory predicts that selection, dispersal and drift are main drivers of species distributions, yet, the relative quantitative importance of these ecological processes in structuring the surface-ocean microbiome is barely known. Here we quantified the role of selection, dispersal and drift in structuring surface-ocean prokaryotic and picoeukaryotic assemblages by using community DNA-sequence data collected during the global Malaspina expedition. We found that dispersal limitation was the dominant process structuring picoeukaryotic communities, while a balanced combination of dispersal limitation, selection and drift shaped prokaryotic counterparts. Subsequently, we determined the agents exerting abiotic selection as well as the spatial patterns emerging from the action of different ecological processes. We found that selection exerted via temperature had a strong influence on the structure of prokaryotic communities, particularly on species co-occurrences, a pattern not observed among communities of picoeukaryotes. Other measured abiotic variables had limited selective effects on microbiome structure. Picoeukaryotes presented a higher differentiation between neighbouring communities and a higher distance-decay when compared to prokaryotes, agreeing with their higher dispersal limitation. Finally, drift seemed to have a limited role in structuring the sunlit-ocean microbiome. The different predominance of ecological processes acting on particular subsets of the ocean microbiome suggests uneven responses to environmental change.
description: bioRxiv
Statistical Process Control for Multistage Processes with Non-repeating Cyclic Profiles
Creators: name: Wenmeng Tian
name: Jin, Ran
name: Tingting Huang
name: Camelio, Jaime A.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 19999 Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Cancer
subject: Computational Biology

description: In many manufacturing processes, process data are observed in the form of time-based profiles, which may contain rich information for process monitoring and fault diagnosis. Most approaches currently available in profile monitoring focus on single-stage processes or multistage processes with repeating cyclic profiles. However, a number of manufacturing operations are performed in multiple stages, where non-repeating profiles are generated. For example, in a broaching process, non-repeating cyclic force profiles are generated by the interaction between each cutting tooth and the workpiece. This paper presents a process monitoring method based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression models, where PLS regression models are used to characterize the correlation between consecutive stages. Instead of monitoring the non-repeating profiles directly, the residual profiles from the PLS models are monitored. A Group Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (GEWMA) control chart is adopted to detect both global and local shifts. The performance of the proposed method is compared with conventional methods in a simulation study. Finally, a case study of a hexagonal broaching process is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in process monitoring and fault diagnosis.
Deep CNNs and Adversarial Regularization for Fatigue Damage Failure Prediction of Concrete Anchors
Creators: name: Mylonas, Charilaos
name: Chatzi, Eleni
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Deep Learning
subject: domain adversarial training
subject: Fatigue prediction
subject: Convolutional neural network (CNN)
subject: DenseNet
subject: info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/624
subject: info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/004
subject: Civil engineering
subject: FOS: Civil engineering
subject: Data processing, computer science

description: Fatigue experiments present with large scatter even for identical specimens tested under controlled laboratory conditions. It has long been known that variations in the mechanical behavior of fatigued metals occur, such as hardening or softening and variations on the shape of hysteresis curves. In order to incorporate measurements in the fatigue life prediction of concrete anchors, a fully data-driven model, using load-displacement and acceleration data, was trained to predict directly the remaining cycles to failure for anchors embedded in cracked concrete loaded in variable amplitude fatigue.
Karma games: A decentralized, efficient and fair resource allocation scheme
Creators: name: Elokda, Ezzat
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020
Subjects: Karma games
Resource allocation
Game theory
Dynamic population games

description: Karma games are a novel approach to the allocation of a finite resource among competing agents, such as the right of way in an intersection. The intuitive interpretation of a karma game mechanism is “If I give in now, I will be rewarded in the future”. Agents compete in an auction-like setting but instead of bidding monetary values, they bid karma, which circulates directly among them and is self-contained in the system. We demonstrate that this allows a society of self-interested agents to achieve high levels of efficiency and fairness. The karma game is modeled as a new class of dynamic population games, in which agents transition between populations based on their strategic decisions. We formulate a general theory of these games, including a characterization of the new notion of the stationary Nash equilibrium, which is guaranteed to exist. An equivalency between dynamic population games and classical population games is established, which we utilize to adapt evolutionary dynamics for equilibrium computation. A numerical analysis of the karma game shows that it achieves high levels of efficiency and fairness. Further, we see a number of relatable behaviours emerge as equilibria, which exposes the potential of this new formulation to model many other complex societal behaviours.
Use of visual range measurements to predict fine particulate matter exposures in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan
Creators: name: Shahir Masri
name: Garshick, Eric
name: Hart, Jaime
name: Bouhamra, Walid
name: Koutrakis, Petros
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: Medicine
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Cancer
subject: Inorganic Chemistry

description: Military personnel deployed to Southwest Asia and Afghanistan were exposed to high levels of ambient particulate matter (PM). However, quantitative ambient exposure data for conducting health studies are limited due to a lack of PM monitoring stations. Since visual range (VR) is proportional to particle light extinction, VR can serve as a surrogate for PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm) concentrations. We used data on VR, relative humidity (RH), and PM2.5 ground measurements collected in Kuwait from years 2004–2005 to establish the relationship between PM2.5 and VR. Model validation obtained by regressing trimester average PM2.5 predictions against PM2.5 measurements in Kuwait produced an r2 value of 0.84. Cross validation of urban and rural sites in Kuwait also revealed good model fit. We applied this relationship to location-specific visibility data at 104 regional sites between years 2000-2012 to estimate monthly average PM2.5 concentrations. Monthly averages at sites in Iraq, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Djibouti, and Qatar ranged from 10 to 365 µg/m3 during this period, while site averages ranged from 22 to 80 µg/m3, indicating considerable spatial and temporal heterogeneity in ambient PM2.5 across these regions. These data support the use of historical visibility data to estimate location-specific PM2.5 concentrations for application in epidemiological studies. Implications: This study demonstrates the ability to use airport visibility to estimate PM2.5 concentrations in Southwest Asian and Afghanistan. This supports the use of historical and ongoing visibility data to estimate PM2.5 exposure in this region of the world, where PM exposure information is otherwise scarce. This is of high utility to epidemiologists investigating the relationship between chronic exposure to PM2.5 and respiratory diseases among deployed military personnel stationed at various military bases throughout the region. Such information will enable the drafting of improved policies relating to military health.
Risk Communication: A Symbolic Interactionism Study of the Yolanda Victims' Narratives
Creators: name: Recuerdo, Dennise
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Risk as a communication phenomenon
symbolic interaction in a risk situation
interpretive meaning of risk
meaning of risk
risk from the victims' viewpoint
risk views shaping communication
qualitative research on risk
disaster narrative inquiry
narrative inquiry, disaster research
risk communication
risk communication research
symbolic interactionism studies
symbolic interactionism

description: The objective of the study is to explore the meaning of risk and the communicative acts or practices shaped by it based on the narratives of the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). This research is a narrative inquiry lensed by Symbolic Interactionism, which states that the meaning defines the action. Thus, the view of risk is what shapes communicative acts. The study collected five narratives and used narrative analysis to derive the meaning of risk and understand the communicative acts shaped by it.
The Archaeology of Salisbury and District: Salisbury Cathedral, Churches and Religious Buildings, Monuments and Sculpture
Creators: name: Clapham, Alfred W
name: Raby, F J E
name: Robertson, A N
name: Quirk, Robert J
name: Godfrey, Walter H
name: Dufty, A R
name: Kendrick, T D
name: Piggott, Stuart
Publisher: name: Archaeology Data Service
Year: 2008

description: The Archaeological Journal, 104, 144-165
The Archaeology of Salisbury and District: Castles, Farms and Country Houses, Mansions and Art Collections
Creators: name: Shortt, H D S
name: Chettle, G H
name: Dufty, A R
name: Whinney, Margaret
name: Rouse, E Clive
name: Salisbury
Publisher: name: Archaeology Data Service
Year: 2008

description: The Archaeological Journal, 104, 166-177
Current Challenges in Atlas Cartography
Creators: name: Sieber, René
name: Losang, Eric
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020
Subjects: Atlas
Storytelling
Map design

description: After decades of prosperity, atlas producers are faced with a serious number of challenges. Those challenges are both external and internal, either due to shifted external conditions or because of internal shortcomings. Internal challenges include, inter alia, the missing Web presence and PR, traditional atlas concepts, static GUI design, an overload of atlas features, default atlas contents, and repetitive visualization, whereas external influences, such as user behaviour, technological advancement and content that reflects new ideas and methods intensify these challenges. Three provocative statements – 1) atlases as mere collections of maps, 2) atlases rely on old-fashioned concepts, and 3) atlas map design is unattractive – are then picked in order to demonstrate possible approaches in rejuvenating atlas concepts.
description: Abstracts of the ICA, 2
description: ISSN:2570-2106
CleanML: A Study for Evaluating the Impact of Data Cleaning on ML Classification Tasks
Creators: name: Li, Peng
name: Rao, Xi
name: Blase, Jennifer
name: Zhang, Yue
name: Chu, Xu
name: Zhang, Ce
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020
Subjects: data cleaning
machine learning
classification
robust ML
info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/004
Data processing, computer science

description: Data quality affects machine learning (ML) model performances, and data scientists spend considerable amount of time on data cleaning before model training. However, to date, there does not exist a rigorous study on how exactly cleaning affects ML — ML community usually focuses on developing ML algorithms that are robust to some particular noise types of certain distributions, while database (DB) community has been mostly studying the problem of data cleaning alone without considering how data is consumed by downstream ML analytics. We propose a CleanML study that systematically investigates the impact of data cleaning on ML classification tasks. The opensource and extensible CleanML study currently includes 14 realworld datasets with real errors, five common error types, seven different ML models, and multiple cleaning algorithms for each error type (including both commonly used algorithms in practice as well as state-of-the-art solutions in academic literature). We control the randomness in ML experiments using statistical hypothesis testing, and we also control false discovery rate in our experiments using the Benjamini-Yekutieli (BY) procedure. We analyze the results in a systematic way to derive many interesting and nontrivial observations. We also put forward multiple research directions for researchers.
Potential consequences of water limitation and drought-induced tree mortality on carbon and nitrogen cycling
Creators: name: Solly, Emily F.
name: Jaeger, Astrid C.H.
name: Six, Johan
name: Hartmann, Martin
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020

description: Water limiting conditions for the growth and physiology of trees as well as episodes of tree mortality triggered by drought have recently been documented in several bioregions across the world. In parallel to these major vegetation alterations, the impact of water scarcity also has prominent effects on soil processes mediated by the microbiome such as the transformation of organic matter, heterotrophic respiration, microbial uptake as well as nutrient mineralization. Although currently little explored, shifts in the interplay occurring between tree functioning and soil microbial processes may be crucial during tree mortality events and may feed back on ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycling. We will present a multidisciplinary setup to mechanistically explore how water limitation acts synergistically on the interplay between trees and soil microorganisms, with potential consequences for ecosystem biogeochemical fluxes.

The experimental setup focusses on a key temperate forest species, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), which is currently facing high mortality rates in several inner-Alpine valleys of Europe due to drier climatic conditions during parts of the year. We make use of small scale mesocosms featuring young trees and soil collected from a drought-affected natural forest. The mesocosms are treated with different levels of water availability under controlled conditions. Plant growth and physiological changes related to water limitation are investigated in parallel to various soil properties. State-of-the-art isotopic labelling techniques are used to trace alterations in carbon and nitrogen transfers within the plant-soil-microbe continuum. We will specifically test whether extended periods of drought suppress the flux of carbon from plants to soil and lead plants to invest more in the maintenance of fine root systems. Moreover, we will follow the potential changes in the rates of decomposition, mineralization and incorporation of plant debris into soil organic matter over time and link them to potential alterations of the soil microbiota. These experimental observations will be validated by measurements in drought-affected Scots pine forests in inner-Alpine valleys. We expect the outcomes of this work to advance the fundamental understanding of the alterations occurring in the plant-soil-microbe system related to drought as well as to improve the detection of mechanisms leading to Scots pine mortality.
description: EGUsphere
Use of Visual Range Measurements to Predict PM2.5 Exposures in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan
Creators: name: Shahir Masri
name: Garshick, Eric
name: Hart, Jaime
name: Bouhamra, Walid
name: Koutrakis, Petros
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 19999 Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy

description: Implication StatementThis study demonstrates the ability to use airport visibility to estimate PM2.5 concentrations in Southwest Asian and Afghanistan. This supports the use of historical and ongoing visibility data to estimate PM2.5 exposure in this region of the world, where PM exposure information is otherwise scarce. This is of high utility to epidemiologists investigating the relationship between chronic exposure to PM2.5 and respiratory diseases among deployed military personnel stationed at various military bases throughout the region. Such information will enable the drafting of improved policies relating to military health. Implication Statement This study demonstrates the ability to use airport visibility to estimate PM2.5 concentrations in Southwest Asian and Afghanistan. This supports the use of historical and ongoing visibility data to estimate PM2.5 exposure in this region of the world, where PM exposure information is otherwise scarce. This is of high utility to epidemiologists investigating the relationship between chronic exposure to PM2.5 and respiratory diseases among deployed military personnel stationed at various military bases throughout the region. Such information will enable the drafting of improved policies relating to military health.
Neue Aufgabenkultur für digitale Kartenarbeit im Schulunterricht mittels mobiler Geräte
Creators: name: Tschudi, Pascal
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020
Subjects: Schulunterricht, digitale Karten, Kartenarbeit, Aufgabenkultur, Didaktik, digitale Lehrmittel

description: Das gesellschaftliche Leben wird immer digitaler, demzufolge auch die alltägliche Lebenswelt von Lernenden. Um mit digitalen Medien angemessen, zielorientiert und reflektiert umgehen zu können, sind entsprechende Kompetenzen gefordert. Im Fachbereich der Geografie, insbesondere in der Fähigkeit der räumlichen Orientierung, besitzen digitale Orientierungsmittel einen zentralen Stellenwert und deshalb wird dessen Einsatz im Unterricht auch in der Ausbildung von Lehrpersonen fachdidaktisch gefördert. Digitale Karten ermöglichen eine Ersatzbegegnung mit dem Lehrgegenstand oder finden beim ausserschulischem Lernen Einsatz, sie motivieren zur Erschliessung der Lerninhalte und sie bieten eine Diskussionsgrundlage. Des Weiteren unterstützen sie kooperative und handlungsorientierte Lernformen, nebst möglichen Individualisierungen und Differenzierungen in heterogenen Klassenverbänden. Gedruckte Atlanten werden schon seit geraumer Zeit im Schulkontext erfolgreich eingesetzt, insofern sind zu traditionellen Papierkarten passende Frage- und Problemstellungen, methodische Vorgehensweisen und konstruierte Aufgabenstellungen ausreichend didaktisch fundiert. Nun steht aber mit dem Wechsel des Mediums von der analogen zur digitalen Welt ein Neudenken der Aufgabenkultur zur Förderung und Forderung der räumlichen Orientierungskompetenz an. Die praktische Kartenarbeit, welche die drei Teilkompetenzen Karten «anfertigen», «auswerten» und «bewerten» gleichermassen berücksichtigen soll, verändert sich wesentlich durch Einsatz digitaler Lehrmittel. In diesem Vortrag wird veranschaulicht, wie Karten aus der Druckausgabe des Schweizer Weltatlas durch eine mobile App für Tablets mit vielfältigen digitalen Darstellungen und Funktionalitäten aufgewertet werden können.
description: Abstracts of the ICA, 2
description: ISSN:2570-2106
Device Physics Modeling of Surfaces and Interfaces from an Induced Gap State Perspective
Creators: name: Wager, John F.
name: Kelin Kuhn
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: 29999 Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: Medicine
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 20199 Astronomical and Space Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer

description: An overview of a device physics formulation of induced gap state (IGS) modeling is presented. IGS modeling attempts to explain the electronic properties of metal (M), semiconductor (S), or insulator (I) surfaces and interfaces in terms of intrinsic behavior associated with evanescent states arising from the termination of a bulk material at a surface or interface. Specifically, semiconductor and insulator surfaces as well as metal-semiconductor (MS), semiconductor-semiconductor (SS), insulator-insulator (II), insulator-semiconductor (IS), metal-metal (MM), metal-insulator-metal (MIM), and metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) interfaces are considered. Key aspects of this review involve the development of the electrostatic foundations of IGS modeling and the utilization of equivalent circuits and energy band diagrams to elucidate surface and interface electronic behavior.
Investigation of nanovesicle liposome powder production from soy lecithin by spray drying
Creators: name: J.-Y. Chun
name: F. C. Godoi
name: N. Bansal
name: M. Morand
name: B. Bhandari
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified

description: Aiming to produce stable nanosize liposome vesicles (∼100 nm), in a powder form, this study investigated the use of combined microfluidization–spray drying processes, using lactose as a stabilizing agent for vesicles during the process of dehydration. To determine the effective amount of lactose for stabilization, the vesicles were prepared at three different ratios (1:1, 1:3, and 1:5) of lecithin:lactose. The physicochemical properties of the nanoliposome powder and its reconstituted solution with water were evaluated over a storage period of 90 days at water activity below 0.3. The results demonstrated that upon addition of appropriate amount of lactose (1:3 or 1:5 of lecithin:lactose ratio), the aggregation of nanoliposomes was prevented and their size was maintained at lower than 130 nm during storage. Peroxide values of all nanoliposome formulations during the storage period remained below 3 meq/kg and there was no change in L*, a*, b* color parameters. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed over-representation of lecithin on the power particle surface as compared to the bulk composition.
xFraud: Explainable Fraud Transaction Detection on Heterogeneous Graphs
Creators: name: Rao, Susie Xi
name: Zhang, Shuai
name: Han, Zhichao
name: Zhang, Zitao
name: Min, Wei
name: Chen, Zhiyao
name: Shan, Yinan
name: Zhao, Yang
name: Zhang, Ce
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020
Subjects: Heterogeneous graph
Graph neural network
Node classification
Anomaly detection

description: At online retail platforms, it is crucial to actively detect risks of fraudulent transactions to improve our customer experience, minimize loss, and prevent unauthorized chargebacks. Traditional rule-based methods and simple feature-based models are either inefficient or brittle and uninterpretable. The graph structure that exists among the heterogeneous typed entities of the transaction logs is informative and difficult to fake. To utilize the heterogeneous graph relationships and enrich the explainability, we present xFraud, an explainable Fraud transaction prediction system. xFraud is composed of a predictor  which learns expressive representations for malicious transaction detection from the heterogeneous transaction graph via a self-attentive heterogeneous graph neural network, and an explainer that generates meaningful and human understandable explanations from graphs to facilitate further process in business unit. In our experiments with xFraud on two real transaction networks with up to ten millions transactions, we are able to achieve an area under a curve (AUC) score that outperforms baseline models and graph embedding methods. In addition, we show how the explainer could benefit the understanding towards model predictions and enhance model trustworthiness for real-world fraud transaction cases.
description: arXiv
Software for mobilisation and efficient use of resources involved in transportation of timber from forest to destination location
Creators: name: Reinfelds, Guntars
name: Spulis, Andris
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Logistics
Transportation
Timber

description: OG's software optimizes timber transportation logistics for small transport companies and forest owners. It offers real-time tracking, resource mapping, and route optimization via an online database, reducing inefficiencies and no-load truck miles. Tested in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
Satellite geodesy with VLBI in the GGOS era: observation concepts, geodetic products and the technical feasibility
Creators: name: Klopotek, Grzegorz
name: Haas, Rüdiger
name: Hobiger, Thomas
name: Otsubo, Toshimichi
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020
Subjects: geodetic VLBI
SPACE GEODESY
Galileo
Precise orbit determination
VGOS

description: The following contribution provides a holistic view concerning the prospective VLBI observations of geodetic satellites in the era of GGOS and their impact on various geodetic products. The aspect of VGOS-type satellite observations in the GGOS era is investigated with the use of Monte-Carlo simulations carried out with the c5++ analysis software. The basis of our study form three-day VGOS schedules, which include both quasar and satellite observations. The latter are realized with the use of several Galileo satellites, which are located on different orbital planes. Both observation types are used to derive satellite orbits and estimate common station-based and global geodetic parameters. The impact on classical geodetic parameters (station positions, ERP), caused by additional satellite observations and the orbit determination process, is investigated with the use of different satellite observation precision levels. We also provide insights concerning the quality of the determined satellite orbits and geocenter estimates. In addition, the scheduling aspects and the technical feasibility of the presented approach are also discussed.
description: EGUsphere
VGOS Intensives Ishioka-Onsala
Creators: name: Haas, Rüdiger
name: Varenius, Eskil
name: Klopotek, Grzegorz
name: Diamantidis, Periklis-Konstantinos
name: Matsumoto, Saho
name: Schartner, Matthias
name: Nilsson, Jan Tobias
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020

description: EGUsphere
Earth Observation Data for Agricultural Drought Monitoring in the Pannonian Basin
Creators: name: Crocetti, Laura
name: Fischer, Milan
name: Forkel, Matthias
name: Grlj, Aleš
name: Ng, Wai-Tim
name: Pasik, Adam
name: Petrakovic, Ivana
name: Salentinig, Andreas
name: Trnka, Miroslav
name: Wild, Benjamin
name: Volden, Espen
name: Dorigo, Wouter
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020

description: EGUsphere
A GNSS Payload for CubeSat Precise Orbit Determination
Creators: name: Chen, Kangkang
name: Rothacher, Markus
name: Müller, Lukas
name: Kreiliger, Flavio
name: De Florio, Sergio
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020

description: Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have been used as a key technology for satellite orbit determination for about 30 years. With the increasing popularity of miniaturized satellites (e.g., CubeSats that are nanosatellites based on standardized 10 cm-sized units) the need for an adapted payload for orbit determination arises. We developed a small-size versatile GNSS payload board using commercial off-the-shelf single-frequency GNSS receivers with extremely small weight (1.6 g), size (12.2 x 16.0 x 2.4 mm3 ) and power consumption (100 mW). The board features two separate antenna connectors and four GNSS receivers – two connected to each antenna. This redundancy lowers the risk of a total payload failure in case one receiver is malfunctioning. Two prototypes of the GNSS positioning board have been successfully launched onboard the Astrocast-01 and -02 3-unit cube satellites with altitudes of 575 and 505 km, respectively. The multiGNSS receivers are capable of tracking the GNSS satellites of the four major systems, i.e., GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo. In addition, both satellites are equipped with a small array of three laser retroreflectors enabling orbit validation with Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR). After the two precursor missions, a constellation of 80 satellites is planned, allowing the formation and computation of a highly uniform polyhedron in space with cm-accuracy, relevant for geocenter, reference frame, and GNSS orbit determination. At present, we have continuous receiver PVT solutions available. The real-time onboard orbit determination results indicate that the receivers perform very well on both satellites. The RMS of a daily orbit fitting is, after removing one or the other outlier, at the level of 2-5 meters despite errors caused by the ionosphere and the orbit model. For a few satellite arcs, the recording of GNSS raw phase and code data was enabled, allowing orbit determination in a post-processing mode. This allows a better assessment of the achievable orbit quality and an overall performance estimation. The tests performed so far include the improvement of the orbit quality by eliminating the ionospheric refraction based on a linear combination of phase and code observations, the comparison of various single-system solutions and advances in combining the different tracking systems for orbit determination. In collaboration with the Zimmerwald Observatory in Switzerland a first SLR campaign was conducted that successfully tracked both nanosatellites. The SLR measurements with their high accuracy were then analyzed to validate the orbits of the Astrocast satellites derived from GNSS measurements. We will present details on the payload board, on the results of the orbit determination in real-time and in post-processing mode based on the low-cost single-frequency multi-GNSS receivers onboard the satellites and on the SLR orbit validation.
description: EGUsphere
Investigation of nano-vesicle liposome powder production from soy lecithin by spray drying
Creators: name: J.-Y. Chun
name: F. C. Godoi
name: N. Bansal
name: M. Morand
name: B. Bhandari
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: Aiming to produce stable nano-size liposome vesicles (∼100 nm), in a powder form, this study investigated the use of combined microfluidization-spray drying processes, using lactose as a stabilising agent for vesicles during the process of dehydration. To determine the effective amount of lactose for stabilisation, the vesicles were prepared at three different ratios (1:1, 1:3 and 1:5) of lecithin:lactose. The physico-chemical properties of the nanoliposome powder and its reconstituted solution with water were evaluated over a storage period of 90 days at water activity below 0.3. The results demonstrated that upon addition of appropriate amount of lactose (1:3 or 1:5 of lecithin:lactose ratio) the aggregation of the nanoliposomes was prevented and their size was maintained at lower than 130 nm during storage. Peroxide values of all nanoliposome formulations during the storage period remained below 3 meq/kg and there was no change in the L*, a*, b* colour parameters. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed over representation of lecithin on the power particle surface as compared to the bulk composition.
Geocenter Motion from a Combination of GRACE Mascon and SLR Data
Creators: name: Abbondanza, Claudio
name: Chin, Toshio M.
name: Gross, Richard S.
name: Heflin, Michael B.
name: Parker, Jay W.
name: Soja, Benedikt
name: Wiese, David N.
name: Wu, Xiaoping
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020

description: GRACE and GRACE Follow-On (FO) Level 2 data provide quasi-monthly, band-limited estimates of Stokes (geopotential, spherical harmonic) coefficients mostly reflecting surface mass variability due to non-tidal atmosphere, ocean, and continental hydrology.    
Although space gravimetry does not directly provide CM-related degree-1 Stokes coefficients, GRACE data have been successfully used over the years to complement time series of station positions from global space-geodetic (SG) network when inverting for Center-of-Mass to Center-of-Network (CM-CN) displacements (Wu et al, 2006).

Surficial mass variability observed through GRACE/GRACE-FO can be conveniently converted into load-induced (ENU) deformations at SG observing sites by adopting a spectral (i.e. load Love-number based) formalism and assuming Earth’s response is fully elastic and isotropic. GRACE-derived elastic displacements at observing sites would represent, if accurate, band-limited (degree 2 to 96, or higher if Mascon solutions are adopted) load-induced deformations that can be removed from SG-derived station displacements  in order to more accurately recover degree-1 surface deformation signature (and therefore geocenter motion). 

In this study, we adopt GRACE JPL Mascon RL06 data in conjunction with Preliminary Reference Earth Model-derived load Love numbers to infer elastic displacement at SG sites and remove them from SLR inherently geocentric time series of station positions.
In so doing, the residual SLR station displacements, consistently expressed in a geocentric frame, would in principle reflect a degree-1 deformation signature that can be recovered via either surface deformation (Chanard et al, 2018) or translational approach.

We will compare the SLR/GRACE (CM-CN) determined in this study to standard estimates of geocenter motion such as ILRS’s and JTRF2014’s estimated via translational approach and spectrally inverted solutions (CM-CF).

References
Chanard K et al, (2018). JGR-Sol Ea doi:10.1002/2017JB015245 
Wu X et al, (2006). JGR-Sol Ea doi:10.1029/2005JB004100.
description: EGUsphere
Formulación de lineamientos para la cualificación de la seguridad y riesgos tecnológicos en proyectos para la industria: caso: Proyecto Cominsi "zona 2"
Creators: name: Bonive Aguilera, Francisco Rafael
Publisher: name: Universidad de Los Andes, Centro Interamericano de Desarrollo e Investigación Ambiental y Territorial
Year: 2015
Subjects: Riesgos
Cualitativos
Lineamientos
Proyectos
PDVSA
COMINSI

description: Los riesgos tecnológicos son inherentes a toda actividad que realice para obtener productos industriales, por consiguiente la gestión de estos riesgos debe estar intrínsecamente incluida en los proyectos industriales, como filosofía del diseño seguro, en todas las fases de planificación de cualquier proyecto, y se vea plasmado en las fases de ejecución. La formulación de lineamientos que permitan una mejor gestión del riesgo, mejorando la elección del tipo de técnica de análisis cualitativo de riesgo para la fase que se encuentre un proyecto industrial fue la base de este trabajo. En esta investigación se compararon las diferentes técnicas de análisis cualitativo de riesgos con los estadios de vida de un proyecto, tanto en la etapa de planificación, como en la etapa de ejecución; con trabajos previos de comparación y estudio propio se determinó que las técnicas con mas rango de usos fueron: lista de comprobación, ¿qué pasa si?, HAZOP, análisis preliminar de riesgos y análisis de causa/consecuencias. Comparando trabajos previos se establecieron los lineamientos preliminares del trabajo, divididos de 6 fases, las cuales fueron ejecutadas en el caso de estudio, correspondiente a la zona 2 de Complejo Industrial Santa Inés (COMINSI), validando los lineamientos en nuevos y definitivos divididos en igual fases: planificación, identificación de riesgos, análisis de riesgos cualitativos, análisis cuantitativo de riesgos, plan de respuestas y planes de seguimiento y control. Se determinó que el complejo está en la etapa de planificación de detalle y ya hay ejecución de obra, está concebido con la premisa de la filosofía del diseño seguro y se encontraron vacios en los planes de respuestas y de seguimiento. La valoración de los riesgos en la fase de ejecución, tanto de construcción y de operación, dio baja, implicando las premisas del diseño seguro. Cabe destacar que si no se toma esta filosofía en la ejecución, los valores saltarían a moderado alto y sería inaceptable, esto se visualizó por medio de un estudio de sensibilidad a los riesgos sin premisas, sin premisas y solo planes de seguridad ocupacional (PSHA), y el efecto de las instalaciones vecinas a las edificaciones. En el trabajo se recomendó la elaboración de futuros planes de seguimiento y de respuesta planteados.
Realization of time sequential estimation of terrestrial reference frame using square-root information filter and smoother
Creators: name: Chin, Toshio M.
name: Abbondanza, Claudio
name: Gross, Richard
name: Heflin, Michael
name: Parker, Jay
name: Soja, Benedikt
name: Wu, Xiaoping
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020

description: The JTRF2014 realization of terrestrial reference frame has adopted a weekly time series representation that can track dominant non-linear station motions including periodic and random variations.  The realization is based on the Kalman filter and smoother algorithms whose time sequential nature would also be suitable for continuous updating of an existing frame as soon as new geodetic data become available.

As a part of preparation for the next reference frame realization, we have been examining alternative filter and smoother algorithms based on the square-root information filter (SRIF), known generally for improved numerical accuracy of the covariance matrix represented by a square-root matrix.

The new algorithms offer a number of other advantages over the conventional filter/smoother algorithms used in JTRF2014.  Namely, the new approach allows us to (1) avoid using some fictitious covariance matrix to initialize the filter, (2) avoid the random-walk constraints for the Helmert parameter sequences, and (3) handle cross-temporal EOP data such as the week-long segments reported by the SLR and DORIS networks.  We have also been enhancing the stochastic models of the station position motion to be used by the filter and smoother, including models for non-tidal deformation.
description: EGUsphere
New GGOS JWG3 on Improved understanding of space weather events and their monitoring
Creators: name: Garcia-Rigo, Alberto
name: Soja, Benedikt
Publisher: name: ETH Zurich
Year: 2020

description: Multiple space geodetic techniques are capable of measuring effects caused by space weather events. In particular, space weather events can cause ionospheric disturbances correlated with variations in the vertical total electron content (VTEC) or the electron density (Ne) of the ionosphere.

In this regard and in the context of the new Focus Area on Geodetic Space Weather Research within IAG’s GGOS (International Association of Geodesy; Global Geodetic Observing System), the Joint Working Group 3 on Improved understanding of space weather events and their monitoring by satellite missions has been created as part of IAG Commission 4, Sub-Commission 4.3 to run for the next four years.

Within JWG3, we expect investigating different approaches to monitor space weather events using the data from different space geodetic techniques and, in particular, combinations thereof. Simulations will be beneficial to identify the contribution of different techniques and prepare for the analysis of real data. Different strategies for the combination of data will also be investigated, in particular, the weighting of estimates from different techniques in order to increase the performance and reliability of the combined estimates. Furthermore, existing algorithms for the detection and prediction of space weather events will be explored and improved to the extent possible. Furthermore, the geodetic measurement of the ionospheric electron density will be complemented by direct observations from the Sun gathered from existing spacecraft, such as SOHO, ACE, SDO, Parker Solar Probe, among others. The combination and joint evaluation of multiple datasets with the measurements of space geodetic observation techniques (e.g. geodetic VLBI) is still a great challenge. In addition, other indications for solar activity - such as the F10.7 index on solar radio flux, SOLERA as EUV proxy or rate of Global Electron Content (dGEC)-, provide additional opportunities for comparisons and validation.

Through these investigations, we will identify the key parameters useful to improve real-time/prediction of ionospheric/plasmaspheric VTEC, Ne estimates, as well as ionospheric perturbations, in case of extreme solar weather conditions. In general, we will gain a better understanding of space weather events and their effect on Earth’s atmosphere and near-Earth environment.
description: EGUsphere