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The article "Eleven quick tips for properly handling tabular data" published in PLoS Computational Biology emphasizes the importance of proper data management skills for researchers working with spreadsheets. The tips provided aim to ensure that tabular data is FAIR—findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. The article focuses on using Microsoft Excel as a common entry point for working with tabular data but notes that the guidelines are broadly applicable to other spreadsheet software programs. It highlights the significance of formatting data for computer readability, using descriptive headers, atomizing data, maintaining data consistency, defining null values, handling dates and times, locking raw data files, organizing files, including metadata, storing files in non-proprietary formats, and using the right tool for the job. The authors stress the importance of continuous improvement in data management practices to meet the evolving needs of research projects. [Extracted from the article]

Let G(q) be a twisted or untwisted finite exceptional group of Lie type over GF (q) , either adjoint or simply connected, and let W be the Weyl group of G(q). This paper compiles an extensive data set on the maximal tori of G(q). A systematic labeling is given, via the corresponding conjugacy classes of W, together with a complete list of the structures of the maximal tori in terms of their torsion coefficient decomposition. Additionally the associated admissible graphs and the structure or shape of centralizers of elements in W are given as well as compatible computer files. Also various apparent inconsistencies in the current literature on simply connected groups are discussed and resolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The goal of this study was to assess hospital compliance with federal price transparency mandates and barriers to pricing information in Tennessee. Methods All hospitals websites were queried for gross, cash, and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee prices for 8 high-frequency laboratory tests in 2 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services–mandated pricing sources: (1) a machine-readable file of all available services and (2) a consumer-friendly display of 300 shoppable services. Barriers, including click counts, data availability, and intrahospital price discrepancies, were noted. Results Of the 145 Tennessee hospitals assessed, 97.2% were noncompliant with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services final rule. Subanalysis of available machine-readable files, price estimators, and shoppable services files demonstrated 49.6%, 95.1%, and 78.6% noncompliance, respectively. Barriers to pricing information included requiring protected health information (55.9%), missing at least 1 pricing source (7.6%), having no pricing sources available (6.2%), and involving more than 3 clicks to access the cash price in machine-readable files (54.1%) and price estimators (68.6%.) Average intrahospital discrepancy for basic metabolic panel cash prices across pricing sources was $101.30 (range, $0-1012.40). Conclusions Our study showed high levels of noncompliance with price transparency laws, inconsistent and inaccessible pricing, and continued challenges facing patients in Tennessee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake hazard analyses rely on seismogenic source models. These are designed in various fashions, such as point sources or area sources, but the most effective is the three-dimensional representation of geological faults. We here refer to such models as fault sources. This study presents the European Fault-Source Model 2020 (EFSM20), which was one of the primary input datasets of the recently released European Seismic Hazard Model 2020. The EFSM20 compilation was entirely based on reusable data from existing active fault regional compilations that were first blended and harmonized and then augmented by a set of derived parameters. These additional parameters were devised to enable users to formulate earthquake rate forecasts based on a seismic-moment balancing approach. EFSM20 considers two main categories of seismogenic faults: crustal faults and subduction systems, which include the subduction interface and intraslab faults. The compiled dataset covers an area from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Caucasus and from northern Africa to Iceland. It includes 1248 crustal faults spanning a total length of ∼95100 km and four subduction systems, namely the Gibraltar, Calabrian, Hellenic, and Cyprus arcs, for a total length of ∼2120 km. The model focuses on an area encompassing a buffer of 300 km around all European countries (except for Overseas Countries and Territories) and a maximum of 300 km depth for the subducting slabs. All the parameters required to develop a seismic source model for earthquake hazard analysis were determined for crustal faults and subduction systems. A statistical distribution of relevant seismotectonic parameters, such as faulting mechanisms, slip rates, moment rates, and prospective maximum magnitudes, is presented and discussed to address unsettled points in view of future updates and improvements. The dataset, identified by the DOI https://doi.org/10.13127/efsm20 (Basili et al., 2022), is distributed as machine-readable files using open standards (Open Geospatial Consortium). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does inventing representations in open-ended computational environments contradict the goal of acquiring canonical scientific knowledge? We analyze the computational models of electric conductors that N = 35 eight-grade students built with a NetLogo-based microworld. Students used the microworld to sketch structures that represent models of electric conductors and then observed the resulting electric current. We use data from classroom discourse, computer log files and questionnaires, to identify different ways through which students used the platform, and how their engagement in construction, explains the variance in their learning gains. We found differences in the number and types of models that students constructed in the microworld: while most students built the models that were intended by the instructors, some added unconventional doodling models, that deviated from the intended structures. We found that students who built more models made larger gains in conceptual knowledge about electric current. However, we also found that students who constructed more unconventional models, produced lower learning gains on items that assessed the particle-level mechanism of electrons in conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text explores the evolution of emergency economic powers granted to the President through statutes like the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). It emphasizes the importance of checks and balances to prevent executive overreach, with Congress passing IEEPA in 1977 to provide limitations on the President's authority during national emergencies. The text also discusses judicial interpretations that ensure the President's use of emergency economic powers aligns with the Constitution and congressional intent, highlighting the role of the courts in maintaining this balance of power. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the Leonardo Graduate Abstracts (LGA), a database of PhD dissertation and MFA/MA thesis abstracts at the intersection of art, science, and technology, founded at Pomona College by Sheila Pinkel. Each year, a peer review panel selects and ranks abstracts for inclusion, with the top-ranked ones invited for publication in the Leonardo journal. The LGA aims to support interdisciplinary work that is often difficult to access through traditional databases. One of the highlighted 2023 abstracts is Caterina Antonopoulou's research on integrating everyday objects into sociopolitical media artworks, exploring the relationship between material objects and more-than-human agents across fields like art history, social theory, and media technology.

The use of process data in assessment has gained attention in recent years as more assessments are administered by computers. Process data, recorded in computer log files, capture the sequence of examinees' response activities, for example, timestamped keystrokes, during the assessment. Traditional measurement methods are often inadequate for handling this type of data. In this paper, we proposed a sequential reservoir method (SRM) based on a reservoir computing model using the echo state network, with the particle swarm optimization and singular value decomposition as optimization. Designed to regularize features from process data through a computational self‐learning algorithm, this method has been evaluated using both simulated and empirical data. Simulation results suggested that, on one hand, the model effectively transforms action sequences into standardized and meaningful features, and on the other hand, these features are instrumental in categorizing latent behavioral groups and predicting latent information. Empirical results further indicate that SRM can predict assessment efficiency. The features extracted by SRM have been verified as related to action sequence lengths through the correlation analysis. This proposed method enhances the extraction and accessibility of meaningful information from process data, presenting an alternative to existing process data technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ExPosition is the property of ExPosition and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this paper is to examine the right to access one's file in competition proceedings, as part of the right to fair trial provided by European legal instruments, in relation to limitations of this access imposed by competition legislation in the European Union (EU) and Western Balkan (WB) countries. Pursuant to their aspirations to become Member States in the EU, they must align their legislation with the EU's Acquis while ensuring the protection of rights, as established by the ECHR. The methodology used to answer the research question combines desk review and two-level comparative study methodologies. The desk review is applied in this paper to answer the research question, focusing on a careful examination of the EU legal framework, while comparative approach, seeks to identify similarities and differences in the provisions related to the right to access the competition file in the EU, Albania, and other WB countries such as Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Additionally, the study presents the interpretations of the right to access the file, as part of the administrative and/or trial proceedings in the case law of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights from a human rights perspective. The findings of this study indicate that the right to access the file is restricted by public enforcement of competition law, only in specific cases where limitation pursues a legitimate aim, is proportionate and does not jeopardise the party's situation. The European human rights instruments mandate that the EU institutions, Member States and Candidate Member States must carefully regulate the clash between human rights and competition law. The WB countries have adopted the EU standards regulating access to the competition file. However, each jurisdiction has its own specifications, challenges and domestic factors shaping the national rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As of 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires all hospitals to publish their commercially negotiated prices. To our knowledge, price variation of spine oncology diagnosis and treatments has not been previously investigated. The aim of this study is to characterize the availability and variation of prices for spinal oncology services among National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers (NCI-DCC). Cross-sectional analysis. Cancer centers were identified; those that did not provide patient care or participate in Medicare's Inpatient Prospective System were excluded. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to gather commercially negotiated prices by searching online for "[center name] price transparency OR machine-readable file OR chargemaster." Data obtained was queried using 44 current procedural terminology (CPT) codes for imaging, procedures, and surgeries relevant to spine oncology. Comparison of prices was achieved by normalizing the median price for each service at each center to the estimated 2022 Medicare reimbursement for the center's Medicare Administrator Contractor. The ratios between the lowest and highest median commercial negotiated price within a center and across all centers were defined as "within-center ratio" and "across-center ratio" respectively. In total, 49 centers disclosed commercial payer-negotiated rates. Mean rate (±SD) for cervical corpectomy was $9,134 (±$10,034), thoracic laminectomy for neoplasm excision was $5,382 (±$5502), superficial bone biopsy was $1,853 (±$1,717), and single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) was $813 (±$232). Within-center ratios ranged from 5.0 (SPECT scan) to 17.8 (radiofrequency bone ablation). Across-center ratios (for codes with > 10 centers reporting) ranged from 9.0 (corpectomy, thoracic, lateral extra-cavitary) to 418.7 (anterior approach cervical corpectomy). Price transparency for spinal oncology remains elusive despite recent CMS regulatory oversight, with marked heterogeneity in the quality of published rates complicating patients' ability to "shop" for care. Additionally, there continues to be significant variation in commercial rates for spine oncology diagnosis and treatment. Despite regulation by CMS, prices for spinal oncology services are not uniformly available to patients and vary between NCI-DCC. The findings of this manuscript present potential barriers for patients to compare and obtain affordable care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridge inspections are an expensive and time-consuming process, varying significantly with a bridge's style, height, width, and length. Inspections create interruptions that interfere with bridge use, as the examination requires partial or total closure, causing traffic delays. Unmanned aerial system (UAS) use has increased significantly over the past decade, including assistance and coordination during bridge inspections. However, the impact on a UAS from high winds and turbulent airflows induced by a bridge's structure can decrease flight safety during inspections. Visualization of these hazards is difficult for UAS operators; therefore, a process to estimate the velocity and locations of these hazardous flows was created. The process begins by generating a simplified 3D model using the structural elements of a concrete and steel girder bridge based on the parameters and characteristics of the bridge. The model is then processed by a computational fluid dynamics application that estimates the locations and velocities of the wind flows around the structure. Finally, the results are converted into a standard computer model file type that is either an augmented reality or computer application to display so to assist the UAS operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an attempt to examine the place of ICT and Globalization in the world economic activities but did not fail to note, list, and draw attention to the doom being perpetrated by this modern change. Apart from the discussion of some relevant and touchy topics in ICT and Globalization, the paper contains an examination of the concept of ICT, the role of ICT in the economies of the world and ending up in globalization of the entire human race. ICT and Globalization will lead to the risks that many of our valuable information will be lost, stolen, corrupted, or misused. Through the interconnected systems it has become so easy for people to penetrate into others privacy and such unpermitted access could cause harm and loss of computers and files. The gains and losses of ICT and globalization which ought to cancel each other out are in some cases insurmountable, putting nations at advantage over others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing health care expenditure in the United States has put policy makers under enormous pressure to find ways to curtail costs. Starting January 1, 2021, hospitals operating in the United States were mandated to publish transparent, accessible pricing information online about the items and services in a consumer-friendly format within comprehensive machine-readable files on their websites. Objective: The aims of this study are to analyze the available files on hospitals' websites, answering the question—is price transparency (PT) information as provided usable for patients or for machines?—and to provide a solution. Methods: We analyzed 39 main hospitals in Florida that have published machine-readable files on their website, including commercial carriers. We created an Excel (Microsoft) file that included those 39 hospitals along with the 4 most popular services—Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) 45380, 29827, and 70553 and Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) 807—for the 4 most popular commercial carriers (Health Maintenance Organization [HMO] or Preferred Provider Organization [PPO] plans)—Aetna, Florida Blue, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare. We conducted an A/B test using 67 MTurkers (randomly selected from US residents), investigating the level of awareness about PT legislation and the usability of available files. We also suggested format standardization, such as master field names using schema integration, to make machine-readable files consistent and usable for machines. Results: The poor usability and inconsistent formats of the current PT information yielded no evidence of its usefulness for patients or its quality for machines. This indicates that the information does not meet the requirements for being consumer-friendly or machine readable as mandated by legislation. Based on the responses to the first part of the experiment (PT awareness), it was evident that participants need to be made aware of the PT legislation. However, they believe it is important to know the service price before receiving it. Based on the responses to the second part of the experiment (human usability of PT information), the average number of correct responses was not equal between the 2 groups, that is, the treatment group (mean 1.23, SD 1.30) found more correct answers than the control group (mean 2.76, SD 0.58; t 65=6.46; P <.001; d =1.52). Conclusions: Consistent machine-readable files across all health systems facilitate the development of tools for estimating customer out-of-pocket costs, aligning with the PT rule's main objective—providing patients with valuable information and reducing health care expenditures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del CILHA is the property of Universidad Nacional de Cuyo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The increasing involvement of technology in civil dispute resolution inevitably raises the issue of digital court file maintenance. New technologies offer opportunities to simplify the process of maintaining and viewing court files. The aim of the presented paper is to provide a reflection on the issue of digital court files, focusing on whether our legal system allows for the implementation of digital court files and what difficulties may be associated with the implementation of digital court files. The paper concludes by stating that, although the legislation provides for the implementation of a digital court file, it is necessary to adopt specific implementing rules for the proper and efficient functioning of the digital court file. Furthermore, the issue of the system in which the digital court file will be operated needs to be resolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Informationswissenschaft: Theorie, Methode & Praxis / Sciences de l’information: Théorie, Méthode & Pratique is the property of University Library of Bern and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the use of GeoPackages as an alternative to shapefiles in GIS software. Shapefiles, which consist of multiple files, have limitations such as being limited to vector-based shapes and a maximum size of 2GB. GeoPackages, on the other hand, are open-source portable GIS formats that are more compact and can be used in popular GIS packages like Esri Desktop and Pro, QGIS, and others. The article provides tips on creating GeoPackages using QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, and ArcGIS Desktop. [Extracted from the article]