Suchergebnisse

Advance access and reuse mechanisms for large-scale Mass Spectrometry (MS) data are essential for democratizing data for the omics research community and making it adhere to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. Although a number of centralized data repositories have been established, they have been limited to search mechanisms that depend on the meta-data associated with these MS datasets. Furthermore, they require constant influx of resources for maintenance. In this paper, we proposed an alternative novel distributed infrastructure for direct MS/MS spectral search. We designed and developed a simulation testbed using concepts from computer networks, queuing theory, and stochastic simulation methods. Results show that a distributed MS search based on raw MS/MS spectra can scale gracefully for up-to 2000 participating nodes, while simultaneously processing queries using the proposed networked infrastructure on the order of milliseconds to a few seconds for up-to a total of fifty billion MS/MS spectra.

Climate change has emerged as a growing threat to the European economy, whose economic losses are relevant for global growth. Rising temperatures and worsening extreme events are expected to affect climate-vulnerable sectors. Due to the economic integration within the European Union (EU), these impacts will likely have spillover effects and feedback loops to and from other regions. This study uses spatial econometrics to account for the interdependencies between the subnational EU regions to estimate the future impacts of changes in temperature on sectoral labour productivity under the Paris Agreement. The study confirms the presence of spatial spillover effects of climate change, and finds that observations at the economy-wide level of a non-linear, concave and single-peaked relationship between temperature and productivity do not always hold true at the sectoral level.

Climate change has emerged as a growing threat to the European economy, whose economic losses are relevant for global growth. Rising temperatures and worsening extreme events are expected to affect climate-vulnerable sectors. Due to the economic integration within the European Union (EU), these impacts will likely have spillover effects and feedback loops to and from other regions. This study uses spatial econometrics to account for the interdependencies between the subnational EU regions to estimate the future impacts of changes in temperature on sectoral labour productivity under the Paris Agreement. The study confirms the presence of spatial spillover effects of climate change, and finds that observations at the economy-wide level of a non-linear, concave and single-peaked relationship between temperature and productivity do not always hold true at the sectoral level.

Climate change has emerged as a growing threat to the European economy, whose economic losses are relevant for global growth. Rising temperatures and worsening extreme events are expected to affect climate-vulnerable sectors. Due to the economic integration within the European Union (EU), these impacts will likely have spillover effects and feedback loops to and from other regions. This study uses spatial econometrics to account for the interdependencies between the subnational EU regions to estimate the future impacts of changes in temperature on sectoral labour productivity under the Paris Agreement. The study confirms the presence of spatial spillover effects of climate change, and finds that observations at the economy-wide level of a non-linear, concave and single-peaked relationship between temperature and productivity do not always hold true at the sectoral level.

Climate change has emerged as a growing threat to the European economy, whose economic losses are relevant for global growth. Rising temperatures and worsening extreme events are expected to affect climate-vulnerable sectors. Due to the economic integration within the European Union (EU), these impacts will likely have spillover effects and feedback loops to and from other regions. This study uses spatial econometrics to account for the interdependencies between the subnational EU regions to estimate the future impacts of changes in temperature on sectoral labour productivity under the Paris Agreement. The study confirms the presence of spatial spillover effects of climate change, and finds that observations at the economy-wide level of a non-linear, concave and single-peaked relationship between temperature and productivity do not always hold true at the sectoral level.

CONTEXT: There has been surprisingly little attention to conceptual and methodological issues that influence the measurement of discretionary utilization at the end-of-life (DIALs), an indicator of quality care. OBJECTIVE: To examine how DIALs have been operationally defined, and identify areas where evidence is biased or inadequate to inform practice. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of the English language literature published from 1/1/04-6/30/17. Articles were eligible if they reported data on ≥2 DIALs within 100 days of the deaths of adults ≥18 years old. We explored the influence of research design on how researchers measure DIALs and whether they examine demographic correlates of DIALs. Other potential biases were explored. RESULTS: We extracted data from 254 articles published in 79 journals covering research conducted in 29 countries, mostly on cancer (69.1%). More than 100 DIALs have been examined. Relatively crude, simple variables (e.g., ICU admissions [56.9% of studies], chemotherapy [50.8%], palliative care [40.0%]) have been studied more frequently than complex variables (e.g., burdensome transitions; 7.3%). We found considerable variation in the assessment of DIALs, illustrating the role of norms and disciplinary habit. Variables are typically chosen with little input from the public (including patients or caregivers) and clinicians. Fewer than half the studies examined age (44.6%), gender (37.3%), race (26.5%), or socioeconomic (18.5%) correlates of DIALs. CONCLUSIONS. Unwarranted variation in DIALs assessments raises difficult questions concerning how DIALs are defined, by whom, and why. We recommend several strategies for improving DIALs assessments. Improved metrics could be used by the public, patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, hospitals, health systems, payers, governments, and others to evaluate and improve end-of-life care.

With the Paris Agreement, governments around the world agreed to limit global temperature rise to less than 2.0°C above pre-industrial levels, with the ambition to keep warming to 1.5°C. Designing appropriate mitigation responses requires weighing costs of mitigating versus associated damages for the two levels of warming, with particular consideration of the implications for regions already challenged by food insecurity. This study assessed impacts in the West African Sudan Savanna of 1.5°C versus 2.0°C on yields of maize, pearl millet and sorghum. Two crop models were used that were calibrated with common varieties from experiments in the region. To capture a range of realistic management, early, typical and late sowing was assessed. Further, simulations were conducted for both current fertilizer rates and for an intensification case which assumed fertility not limiting, in attempt to capture the extremes of possible economic development scenarios on current cropping systems. With current fertilizer use, results indicated 2% units higher losses for maize and sorghum with 2.0°C compared to 1.5°C warming, with no change in millet yields for either scenario. In the intensification case, yield losses due to climate change were larger than with current fertilizer levels. However, despite the larger losses, yields were always 2-3 times higher with intensification, irrespective of the warming scenario. Though yield variability increased with intensification, there was no interaction with warming scenario. Risk and market analysis are needed to extend these results to understand implications for food security.

To reduce the risks of climate change, governments agreed in the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to less than 2.0 °C above pre-industrial levels, with the ambition to keep warming to 1.5 °C. Charting appropriate mitigation responses requires information on the costs of mitigating versus associated damages for the two levels of warming. In this assessment, a critical consideration is the impact on crop yields and yield variability in regions currently challenged by food insecurity. The current study assessed impacts of 1.5 °C versus 2.0 °C on yields of maize, pearl millet and sorghum in the West African Sudan Savanna using two crop models that were calibrated with common varieties from experiments in the region with management reflecting a range of typical sowing windows. As sustainable intensification is promoted in the region for improving food security, simulations were conducted for both current fertilizer use and for an intensification case (fertility not limiting). With current fertilizer use, results indicated 2% units higher losses for maize and sorghum with 2.0 °C compared to 1.5 °C warming, with no change in millet yields for either scenario. In the intensification case, yield losses due to climate change were larger than with current fertilizer levels. However, despite the larger losses, yields were always two to three times higher with intensification, irrespective of the warming scenario. Though yield variability increased with intensification, there was no interaction with warming scenario. Risk and market analysis are needed to extend these results to understand implications for food security.

To reduce the risks of climate change, governments agreed in the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to less than 2.0 °C above pre-industrial levels, with the ambition to keep warming to 1.5 °C. Charting appropriate mitigation responses requires information on the costs of mitigating versus associated damages for the two levels of warming. In this assessment, a critical consideration is the impact on crop yields and yield variability in regions currently challenged by food insecurity. The current study assessed impacts of 1.5 °C versus 2.0 °C on yields of maize, pearl millet and sorghum in the West African Sudan Savanna using two crop models that were calibrated with common varieties from experiments in the region with management reflecting a range of typical sowing windows. As sustainable intensification is promoted in the region for improving food security, simulations were conducted for both current fertilizer use and for an intensification case (fertility not limiting). With current fertilizer use, results indicated 2% units higher losses for maize and sorghum with 2.0 °C compared to 1.5 °C warming, with no change in millet yields for either scenario. In the intensification case, yield losses due to climate change were larger than with current fertilizer levels. However, despite the larger losses, yields were always two to three times higher with intensification, irrespective of the warming scenario. Though yield variability increased with intensification, there was no interaction with warming scenario. Risk and market analysis are needed to extend these results to understand implications for food security.