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Addressing global change requires standardised observations across all ecosystem spheres. To that end, the distributed Integrated European Long-Term Ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological Research Infrastructure (eLTER RI) strives for an optimal observational design of its over 200 in-situ facilities. Their spatial distribution should be unbiased to scale local data to its continental target region.Therefore, we assessed biases in the emerging eLTER RI in-situ facility network. We (i) conducted a survey describing the emerging eLTER RI, (ii) detected critical gaps in its coverage of Reference Parameters by identifying biases in a six-dimensional thematic space and determined regions, where these biases cluster spatially, and (iii) derived recommendations to further develop the eLTER RI network.Three distinct gaps were identified: the Iberian, Eastern and Nordic Gap. They resulted mainly from underrepresentation of agricultural lands, mesic and dry regions with low economic density and the Mediterranean, Continental and Boreal biogeoregions. The patterns of underrepresentation are driven by various factors including the thematic context of site establishment over the past decades, operations logistics and funding constraints. We consider closing these gaps of highest priority for spatial network development.Mitigating the biases in the eLTER RI network is crucial to enable confident scaling of local data to the European scale. This will allow the eLTER RI to provide a comprehensive foundation for scientists, policy and decision makers to face global change. Next, a comprehensive dataset of possible additional research sites over Europe must be analysed to derive site- and country-specific recommendations for cost-efficient gap mitigation.

The aim of the work is to prove the possibility of determining the representativeness of a corpus for training a neural model before conducting resource-intensive experiments. In this work, we investigated the dependence of the summarization model on the number of word stems in it. The work was carried out on a synthetic summarization dataset for the Kazakh language. Taking the number of word stems as the representativeness metric, an analysis of the quality of the work of three summarization models was performed depending on the number of word stems in the training dataset. These training datasets differ in the number of rows. To obtain these datasets, we split the training dataset into three parts of different sizes. On the test files, BLEU scores were obtained for each model during the inference process. The highest BLEU scores are obtained for the model trained on the largest amount of data. When the train dataset was reduced by 50 percent, the score decreased from 4 to 25. On the smallest dataset, the score dropped from 25 to 31. The experimental part of the work showed that the model with the largest number of stems shows the highest BLEU score. The scientific contribution of the work is the experimental proof of the representativeness of the training corpus by the number of stems before training the neural model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are critical in safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem functions under climate change. The long-term effectiveness of these static conservation measures will depend on how well they represent current and future ocean changes. Here, we use the Climate Risk Index for Biodiversity to assess the vulnerability representation of marine ecosystems within the Canadian marine conservation network (CMCN) under two divergent emissions scenarios. We found that MPAs best represent climate vulnerability in Atlantic Canada (85% representativity overall, and 93% in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence under low emissions), followed by the Pacific (78%) and Arctic (63%; lowest in the Eastern Arctic (41% under high emissions) regions). Notably, MPAs with lower climate vulnerability are proportionally overrepresented in the CMCN. Broad-scale geographic targets employed in the Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy network planning process achieve over 90% representativity of climate vulnerabilities, underscoring the importance of ensuring habitat representativity and geographic distribution in conservation planning to enhance climate resilience, even if not explicitly prioritized. Moving towards Canada’s target to protect 30% of its waters by 2030, prioritizing representativity and designation of MPAs in currently underrepresented climate-vulnerable regions may be crucial to enhancing the resilience of the CMCN amidst an ever-changing climate.

Abstract Background Participants in epidemiological cohorts may not be representative of the full invited population, limiting the generalizability of prevalence and incidence estimates. We propose that this problem can be remedied by exploiting data on baseline participants who refused to participate in a re-examination, as such participants may be more similar to baseline non-participants than what baseline participants who agree to participate in the re-examination are. Methods We compared background characteristics, mortality, and disease incidences across the full population invited to the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) study, the baseline participants, the baseline non-participants, the baseline participants who participated in a re-examination, and the baseline participants who did not participate in the re-examination. We then considered two models for estimating characteristics and outcomes in the full population: one (“the substitution model”) assuming that the baseline non-participants were similar to the baseline participants who refused to participate in the re-examination, and one (“the extrapolation model”) assuming that differences between the full group of baseline participants and the baseline participants who participated in the re-examination could be extended to infer results in the full population. Finally, we compared prevalences of baseline risk factors including smoking, risky drinking, overweight, and obesity across baseline participants, baseline participants who participated in the re-examination, and baseline participants who did not participate in the re-examination, and used the above models to estimate the prevalences of these factors in the full invited population. Results Compared to baseline non-participants, baseline participants were less likely to be immigrants, had higher socioeconomic status, and lower mortality and disease incidences. Baseline participants not participating in the re-examination generally resembled the full population. The extrapolation model often generated characteristics and incidences even more similar to the full population. The prevalences of risk factors, particularly smoking, were estimated to be substantially higher in the full population than among the baseline participants. Conclusions Participants in epidemiological cohorts such as the MDC study are unlikely to be representative of the full invited population. Exploiting data on baseline participants who did not participate in a re-examination can be a simple and useful way to improve the generalizability of prevalence and incidence estimates.

In their efforts to promote the constitutional values of equality, human dignity and freedom, public-school laws and policies emphasise nondiscrimination in the admission of learners and democracy in the professional management and governance of public schools. The democratisation of post-apartheid public schools must comply with democratic participation and representativity. Whereas democratic participation can be realised through the exercise of active voting rights, democratic representativity can be achieved through the exercise of passive voting rights. Accordingly, this article explores notions of democracy, non-discrimination, and representativity so as to examine and highlight factors that may restrict or inhibit the participation of foreign nationals in school governing body elections. The active and passive voting rights of foreign nationals are discussed from constitutional and statutory perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study critically examines data sources on pet and companion animal keeping in Hungary on a national and lower geographical scale. The authors present records of dogs dating back to as early as the 19th century due to the fight against rabies, the surveys of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office that go back several decades and contain information on the expenditure and time spent on companion animal keeping, and some occasional representative surveys carried out in recent years. The results from data sources with limited comparability highlight differences in companion animal (mainly dog) keeping by settlement type in Hungary. It is striking that dog ownership is more and more popular in major cities and it is becoming a way of life for many people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected areas (MPAs) and associated management measures are being implemented to conserve marine benthic species. To make effective decisions, marine managers need data on the distributions of species of interest and anthropogenic pressures, but also the potential connectivity between habitat patches.To explore how predictive modelling can be utilized in such a process, a model was developed to predict the distribution of northern sea fan, Swiftia pallida, habitat around parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.The predicted distribution of suitable habitat was compared with spatial data on mobile bottom‐contacting fishing activity, and the location of MPAs designated for benthic features, and the management measures within MPAs that restrict mobile bottom‐contacting fishing activity, which is the main pressure‐causing activity that S. pallida are sensitive to.Over 20% of predicted suitable habitat is within MPAs, over 10% is within MPA management measures and over 48% is within areas that have experienced no bottom contacting‐fishing activity, which is significantly higher than the equivalent values for the study region as a whole. However, patches were identified that potentially experience above average levels of fishing activity and remain unmanaged, including within MPAs designated for associated features. The analysis also highlighted patches that could be candidates for monitoring recovery and the locations of unknown populations.For each patch of suitable habitat, the number of other patches within 22 km, a previously published estimate of dispersal distance for S. pallida, was used as a proxy for connectedness. Connectedness was estimated to be greatest for patches towards the centre and west of the study region.The results indicate how the outputs of predictive distribution models can be used in conjunction with other data to prioritize areas for surveys and identify locations where effective management may facilitate conservation or the recovery of benthic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Participants in epidemiological cohorts may not be representative of the full invited population, limiting the generalizability of prevalence and incidence estimates. We propose that this problem can be remedied by exploiting data on baseline participants who refused to participate in a re-examination, as such participants may be more similar to baseline non-participants than what baseline participants who agree to participate in the re-examination are. Methods: We compared background characteristics, mortality, and disease incidences across the full population invited to the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) study, the baseline participants, the baseline non-participants, the baseline participants who participated in a re-examination, and the baseline participants who did not participate in the re-examination. We then considered two models for estimating characteristics and outcomes in the full population: one ("the substitution model") assuming that the baseline non-participants were similar to the baseline participants who refused to participate in the re-examination, and one ("the extrapolation model") assuming that differences between the full group of baseline participants and the baseline participants who participated in the re-examination could be extended to infer results in the full population. Finally, we compared prevalences of baseline risk factors including smoking, risky drinking, overweight, and obesity across baseline participants, baseline participants who participated in the re-examination, and baseline participants who did not participate in the re-examination, and used the above models to estimate the prevalences of these factors in the full invited population. Results: Compared to baseline non-participants, baseline participants were less likely to be immigrants, had higher socioeconomic status, and lower mortality and disease incidences. Baseline participants not participating in the re-examination generally resembled the full population. The extrapolation model often generated characteristics and incidences even more similar to the full population. The prevalences of risk factors, particularly smoking, were estimated to be substantially higher in the full population than among the baseline participants. Conclusions: Participants in epidemiological cohorts such as the MDC study are unlikely to be representative of the full invited population. Exploiting data on baseline participants who did not participate in a re-examination can be a simple and useful way to improve the generalizability of prevalence and incidence estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundDevice-based measurement in physical activity surveillance is increasing, but research design choices could increase the risk of self-selection bias and reactive behaviour. The aim of this study is to compare the self-reported physical activity profiles of four different samples: participants in a large national survey, participants in a telephone-based survey of non-responders, participants in the large national survey who accepted the invitation to device-based measuring, and the same sample during the week of monitoring.MethodsIn October 2020, 163,133 Danish adults participated in a national survey and of those 39,480 signed up for device-based measurements. A balanced random sample (n = 3,750) was invited to wear an accelerometer of whom 1,525 accepted the invitation. Additionally, a short telephone-based survey on 829 non-responders to the national survey was conducted. Sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported weekly frequencies of physical activity across four domains are compared.ResultsThe participants in the national survey were older, more often female, and more often not working. Participants in the telephone-based survey were younger, more often doing unskilled work, and were more often active at home and at work. The participants in the device-based sample were more often active during transport and leisure in the national survey, and participants categorized in the most active category increased during the week of monitoring from 29.0% to 60.7% and from 58.5% to 81.7% for active transport and leisure activities, respectively.ConclusionRecruiting a population representative sample for device-based measurement of physical activity is challenging, and there is a substantial risk of sample selection bias and measurement reactivity. Further research in this area is needed if device-based measures should be considered for population physical activity surveillance.

Let χ(F2) $\chi ({F}^{2})$ be the Euler characteristic of a surface F2 ${F}^{2}$. We characterize the set of graphs H $H$ of order at most 6 which satisfies the following: If G $G$ is a 5‐connected graph embedded in a surface F2 ${F}^{2}$ of face‐width at least 3∣H∣−2χ(F2)−5 $3| H| -2\chi ({F}^{2})-5$ and H′ $H^{\prime} $ is a subgraph of G $G$ isomorphic to H $H$ such that G−H′ $G-H^{\prime} $ has even order, then G−H′ $G-H^{\prime} $ has a perfect matching. An analogous result on near‐perfect matching is given as well. Moreover, we show the following result. Let G $G$ be a 5‐connected graph embedded in a surface F2 ${F}^{2}$ and let H1,...,Hm ${H}_{1},\ldots ,{H}_{m}$ be connected subgraphs of G $G$ of size at most k $k$ which lie pairwise sufficiently far apart in the face‐subdivision of G $G$. We prove that, if the face‐width of G $G$ is at least max{12(9km−7χ(F2)−20),6} $\max \{\frac{1}{2}(9km-7\chi ({F}^{2})-20),6\}$ and G−Hi $G-{H}_{i}$ satisfies C(1) ${\mathscr{C}}(1)$ for each i $i$ with 1≤i≤m $1\le i\le m$, then G−(H1∪...∪Hm) $G-({H}_{1}\cup \ldots \,\cup {H}_{m})$ satisfies C(1) ${\mathscr{C}}(1)$ as well, where G $G$ is said to satisfy C(1) ${\mathscr{C}}(1)$ if G−S $G-S$ has at most ∣S∣+1 $| S| +1$ components for every S⊆V(G) $S\subseteq V(G)$. It is also shown that the distance condition can be considerably weakened when G $G$ triangulates the surface. All of these results generalize previous studies on matching extension in graphs on surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Knowledge about representativity of familial high-risk studies of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is essential to generalize study conclusions. The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study (VIA 7), a population-based case–control familial high-risk study, creates a unique opportunity for combining assessment and register data to examine cohort representativity. Methods: Through national registers, we identified the population of 11,959 children of parents with schizophrenia (FHR-SZ) or bipolar disorder (FHR-BP) and controls from which the 522 children participating in The VIA 7 Study (202 FHR-SZ, 120 FHR-BP and 200 controls) were selected. Socio-economic and health data were obtained to compare high-risk groups and controls, and participants versus non-participants. Selection bias impact on results was analyzed through inverse probability weights. Results: In the total sample of 11,959 children, FHR-SZ and FHR-BP children had more socio-economic and health disadvantages than controls (p < 0.001 for most). VIA 7 non-participants had a poorer function, e.g. more paternal somatic and mental illness (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04 for FHR-SZ), notifications of concern (FHR-BP and PBC p < 0.001), placements out of home (p = 0.03 for FHR-SZ), and lower level of education (p ≤ 0.01 for maternal FHR-SZ and FHR-BP, p = 0.001 for paternal FHR-BP). Inverse probability weighted analyses of results generated from the VIA Study showed minor changes in study findings after adjustment for the found selection bias. Conclusions: Familial high-risk families have multiple socio-economic and health disadvantages. In The VIA 7 Study, although comparable regarding mental illness severity after their child's birth, socioeconomic and health disadvantages are more profound amongst non-participants than amongst participants. Key summary points: Children with familial high risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and their parents, are more disadvantaged than controls regarding socio-economy, health, family level of function, and child school life. Families participating in The VIA 7 Study have fewer preventive interventions, fewer notifications of concern and their children are less frequently placed outside of the home compared to non-participants, and thus the VIA 7 population may to some degree represent better functioning families than familial high-risk families in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, virtually no studies have examined toddlers' non‐response in developmental tasks. This study investigates data from 3667 toddlers to address (1) whether two aspects of non‐response (completion and engagement) are separable, (2) how stable these aspects are from ages two to three, (3) how non‐response relates to background characteristics, and (4) whether non‐response at ages two and three predicts early academic skills at age six. Structural equation modelling shows that completion and engagement are separable constructs, relatively stable across age, and related to several background characteristics. Especially engagement predicts later academic performance. Results show that non‐response in behavioural tasks in toddlers is not random, increasing the likelihood of sampling bias and lack of generalizability in developmental studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrain and building-induced low-level turbulence is studied in this paper. Data from six anemometers, respectively along the North and South Runways of Hong Kong International Airport, are analysed over the period of 2012 to 2018. From this data the recorded turbulence intensities have been computed and the footprints plotted. A joint analysis of the turbulence footprints together with the surrounding environment, using maps and photographs, reveals likely upstream causes influencing the directional distribution of observed turbulence intensities. Signatures from nearby objects and buildings, such as terminals and hangars, are easily identifiable. This paper serves as a unique documentation of possible building influence on wind measurements at a densely-developed, major international airport, and provides useful reference to meteorologists and wind engineers at airports in other parts of the world.

• We introduce correlation functions and persistence diagrams as metrics for REV analysis. • The methodology for comparison is establishing for such vector metrics. • A survey of different approaches on a library of samples was performed using different scalar and vector metrics. • We highlight the essential importance of structural stationarity analysis and its affinity to REV analysis. • The information content of the metrics needed to establish the REV in light of stationarity analysis is highlighted. The Representative Elementary Volume (REV) concept, a cornerstone in porous system heterogeneity assessment, was initially conceived to determine the minimal domain volume suitable for homogenization and upscaling. However, the definition of REV and usability in continuum-scale models is vague. In this study, we conduct comprehensive REV analyses on multiple samples, encompassing a range of scalar and vector metrics. Our investigation probes the representativity of crucial medium characteristics, including porosity, permeability, and Euler density, alongside descriptors rooted in pore-network statistics, correlation functions, and persistence diagrams. We explore both deterministic and statistical REV sizes (dREV and sREV), facilitating a robust comparative assessment. Crucially, we introduce an novel methodology tailored for harnessing vector metrics, known for their ability to reveal intricate structural insights. Our results underscore the superiority of the sREV approach, particularly for low-content metrics, addressing inherent limitations of dREV in characterizing homogeneities in such cases. Furthermore, the sREV approach incorporates stationarity analysis into REV evaluation, ensuring result consistency between sREV and dREV under stationarity conditions. Encouragingly, our findings suggest that high-information-content metrics, notably correlation functions combined with persistence diagrams, have the potential to establish a universal REV for steady-state physical properties. This proposition warrants further verification through a comprehensive assessment and comparison of REV values across major physical properties. REV analysis plays a pivotal role not only in assessing medium properties but also in scrutinizing different descriptors of 3D images – we note that REV analysis and image/field stationarity analysis are ultimately the same techniques under the hood. The discussion based on obtained results and recent finding by other researchers advances the understanding of REV within porous media, introduces a versatile methodology with broader applications, and is expected to be useful in numerous fields including materials science, cosmology, machine learning, and more. We redefine the classical definition of REV by adding stationarity condition and upper/lower bounds on its volume. While for simplicity, in this work we shall mainly focus on porous media as immediately applicable to digital rock, petrophysics, hydrology and soil physics problems, the developed mythology can be applied to other material types - composites, biological tissues, granular matter, food engineering and numerous other types of matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected areas (MPA) are area-based management tools that serve as the cornerstone for marine conservation and sustainable use. There has been a recent shift from establishing MPAs on an individual basis to establishing networks of connected MPAs to better reflect the transient dynamics of marine species and to ensure they are acting synergistically to deliver their intended outcomes in a coherent manner. This study employs innovative geospatial analysis to assess the ecological coherence of the MPA network comprising 846 sites within the Wider Caribbean Region, a global hotspot of marine biodiversity. Evaluating four main criteria widely used in policy—representativity, replicability, connectivity, and adequacy—through 14 tests, our findings indicate that the current MPA network is unlikely to have achieved ecological coherence across all criteria. To improve ecological coherence, regional management could focus on expanding coverage of ecologically important areas, encompassing a broader range of biogeographic zones, and protecting the full spectrum of marine habitats in the region. Efforts should also be directed towards establishing larger MPAs and increasing the number of MPAs with no-take zones, while ensuring the protection of indigenous and local communities' rights to sustainable marine resource use. • Despite increased MPA coverage, ecological coherence of MPA networks is understudied. • The Wider Caribbean Region MPA network was assessed for ecological coherence using 14 tests. • Ecological coherence is unlikely in terms of all criteria – representativity, replicability, connectivity, and adequacy. • Increasing the number of no-take MPAs and large MPAs are recommended. • Increasing coverage of ecologically important areas, biogeographic zones, and habitats are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of ‘heavy Artificial Intelligence’ – big data, deep learning, and ubiquitous use of the internet, ethical considerations are widely dealt with in public discussions and governmental bodies. Within Computational Paralinguistics with its manifold topics and possible applications (modelling of long-term, medium-term, and short-term traits and states such as personality, emotion, or speech pathology), we have not yet seen that many contributions. In this article, we try to set the scene by (1) giving a short overview of ethics and privacy, (2) describing the field of Computational Paralinguistics, its history and exemplary use cases, as well as (de-)anonymisation and peculiarities of speech and text data, and (3) proposing rules for good practice in the field, such as choosing the right performance measure, and accounting for representativity and interpretability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active learning (AL) aims to extract the most informative samples for labeling, and subsequently, classifier training, and thus it is deemed as a useful technique for image classification tasks. In data-scarece regions, especially those with difficult human accessibility, the usefulness of AL tends to increase since in such areas it is meaningful to achieve sufficiently high classification accuracy with a limited number of training samples. The success of an AL scheme is largely dependent on its capability of quantifying the informativeness of the unlabeled candidate samples. Although a number of studies exist for AL optimization, there is still room for improvement when it comes to designing an accurate and unbiased AL criterion. This study develops a new AL technique by using binary support vector machines (SVM) and then combines the new uncertainty metric with a clustering-based representativity diversity model and a cuckoo search method. The contributions are mainly two-fold. First, to explain the advantage of the proposed uncertainty criterion, the traditional SVM-based approach is described and its defects are demonstrated. The proposed uncertainty metric is then introduced by illustrating how the shortcomings can be avoided. Second, the new uncertainty model is combined with a clustering-based representativity diversity, and a cuckoo search algorithm is used to further diversify the selected samples. To validate the new AL approach, a multi-spectral image of high spatial resolution captured over a coal mining area in northern China is adopted. The experimental results indicate that our approach can achieve superior classification accuracy when it is compared to several competitive methods. When the initial configurations are the same, our scheme can obtain an overall accuracy of 93.95%, which is higher than those of other competitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental measurements during laboratory tests on salt specimens are important for the design of underground facilities in salt formations. These measurements, especially of the volumetric strain, can be influenced not only by the errors inherent to the experimental work, but also by the material heterogeneity. The natural variability due to the presence of impurities can lead to a non-negligible data scattering in the volumetric strain measurements and therefore raises questions concerning the specimens representativity. In this work, we study the effect of the presence of insoluble materials on the representativity of salt specimens during laboratory tests. An experimental investigation of this matter is delicate due to the shortcomings of laboratory work, thus we suggest a numerical method where salt specimens are modeled as pure halite matrices with insoluble inclusions. The insolubles distribution is described via a leveled Gaussian random field. Instead of using three different constitutive models, we use one law that is flexible enough to be adapted for each material involved (pure halite, inclusions and rock salt) with the adequate choice of parameter set. The modeling approach is presented, compared to the morphological modeling approach, and validated. It is employed to study the natural variability effect on strain measurements and to specify the size requirements to achieve representativity. The study proves that using non-representative specimens can misguide the rock characterization process and might even lead to optimistic design criteria. We propose a methodology that combines numerical and experimental work to overcome representativity issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine classification schemes based on abiotic surrogates often inform regional marine conservation planning in lieu of detailed biological data. However, these schemes may poorly represent ecologically relevant biological patterns required for effective design and management strategies. We used a community‐level modeling approach to characterize and delineate representative mesoscale (tens to thousands of kilometers) assemblages of demersal fish and benthic invertebrates in the Northwest Atlantic. Hierarchical clustering of species occurrence data from four regional annual multispecies trawl surveys revealed three to six groupings (predominant assemblage types) in each survey region, broadly associated with geomorphic and oceanographic features. Indicator analyses identified 3–34 emblematic taxa of each assemblage type. Random forest classifications accurately predicted assemblage distributions from environmental covariates (AUC > 0.95) and identified thermal limits (annual minimum and maximum bottom temperatures) as important predictors of distribution in each region. Using forecasted oceanographic conditions for the year 2075 and a regional classification model, we projected assemblage distributions in the southernmost bioregion (Scotian Shelf‐Bay of Fundy) under a high emissions climate scenario (RCP 8.5). Range expansions to the northeast are projected for assemblages associated with warmer and shallower waters of the Western Scotian Shelf over the 21st century as thermal habitat on the relatively cooler Eastern Scotian Shelf becomes more favorable. Community‐level modeling provides a biotic‐informed approach for identifying broadscale ecological structure required for the design and management of ecologically coherent, representative, well‐connected networks of Marine Protected Areas. When combined with oceanographic forecasts, this modeling approach provides a spatial tool for assessing sensitivity and resilience to climate change, which can improve conservation planning, monitoring, and adaptive management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim of the present study was to examine selection in a general practice-based pregnancy cohort. Design Survey linked to administrative register data. Setting and subjects In spring 2015, GPs were recruited from two Danish regions. They were asked to invite all pregnant women in their practice who had their first prenatal care visit before 15 August 2016 to participate in the survey. Outcome measures The characteristics of GPs and the pregnant women were compared at each step in the recruitment process – the GP’s invitation, their agreement to participate, actual GP participation, and the women’s participation – with an uncertainty coefficient to quantify the step where the largest selection occurs. Results Significant differences were found between participating and non-participating practices with regards to practice characteristics such as the number of patients registered with the practice, the age and sex of doctors, and the type of practice. Despite these differences, the characteristics of the eligible patients differed little between participating and non-participating practices. In participating practices significant differences were, however, observed between recruited and non-recruited patients. Conclusion The skewed selection of patients was mainly caused by a high number of non-participants within practices that actively took part in the study. We recommend that a focus on the sampling within participating practices be the most important factor in representative sampling of patient populations in general practice.Key points Selection among general practitioners (GPs) is often unavoidable in practice-based studies, and we found significant differences between participating and non-participating practices. These include practice characteristics such as the number of GPs, the number of patients registered with the GP practice, as well as the sex and age of the GPs. •Despite this, only small differences in the characteristics of the eligible patients were observed between participating and non-participating practices. •In participating practices, however, significant differences were observed between recruited and non-recruited patients. •Comprehensive sampling within participating practices may be the best way to generate representative samples of patients.

Drawing on both scientific analyses and personal observations, the present article proposes several causal explanations for the existence and the expansion of communist noastalgia in postcommunist Romania. In the end, a social metaphor is used in order to wrap and tighten these findings together in a way that academic approaches usually neglect, but maybe they could benefit a lot from.

This paper aims (a) to show how elite theories do not offer a better alternative to democracy and (b) to present the idea of a hegemonic majority that, by accounting for greater both individual and collective engagement and responsibility, breaks the exclusivity of elitism. Inspired by Gramsci's theory, this idea reinforces the construction of the political decision-making process without developing a concept of authority based on an exclusive elite. It focuses on a specific interpretation of the role of the intellectuals as the connection between the civil society and the government, fortifying or even restoring the trust between the individuals and their representatives and thereby strengthening the legitimacy of our democratic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various assumptions on a right‐censoring mechanism to ensure consistency of the Kaplan–Meier and Aalen–Johansen estimators in a competing risks setting are studied. Specifically, eight different assumptions are seen to fall in two categories: a weaker identifiability assumption, which is the weakest possible assumption in a precise sense, and a stronger representativity assumption which ensures the existence of an independent censoring time. When a given censoring time is considered, similar assumptions can be made on the censoring time. This allows for a characterization of so‐called pointwise independence as well as full independence of censoring time and event time and type. Examples illustrate how the various assumptions differ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundP16 methylation is expected to be potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for esophageal cancer (EC). The intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) of EC has been mentioned but has not been quantitatively measured yet. We aimed to clarify the impact of ITH on pathological diagnosis and P16 methylation, and the concordance between endoscopic biopsy and the corresponding surgically resected tissue.MethodsWe designed a systematic sampling method (SSM) compared with a general sampling method (GSM) to obtain EC tumor tissue, tumor biopsy, and normal squamous epithelium biopsy. MethyLight assay was utilized to test P16 methylation. All specimens obtained by the SSM were pathologically diagnosed.ResultsA total of 81 cases were collected by the GSM, and 91.4% and 8.6% of them were esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) and esophageal adenocarcinomas (EADs), respectively. Nine SSM cases were 100.0% ESCCs. The positive rates of P16 methylation of the GSM tumor and normal tissues were 63.0% (51/81) and 32.1% (26/81), respectively. For SSM samples, tumor tissues were 100.0% (40/40) EC and 85.0% (34/40) P16 methylated; tumor biopsy was 64.4% (29/45) diagnosed of EC and 68.9% P16 methylated; the corresponding normal biopsies were 15.7% (8/51) dysplasia and 54.9% (28/51) P16 methylated. The concordance of pathological diagnosis and P16 methylation between tumor biopsy and the corresponding tumor tissue was 75.0% and 62.5%, respectively.ConclusionThe SSM we designed was efficient in measuring the ITH of EC. We found inadequate concordance between tumor biopsy and tissue in pathological diagnosis and P16 methylation.

Background: P16 methylation is expected to be potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for esophageal cancer (EC). The intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) of EC has been mentioned but has not been quantitatively measured yet. We aimed to clarify the impact of ITH on pathological diagnosis and P16 methylation, and the concordance between endoscopic biopsy and the corresponding surgically resected tissue. Methods: We designed a systematic sampling method (SSM) compared with a general sampling method (GSM) to obtain EC tumor tissue, tumor biopsy, and normal squamous epithelium biopsy. MethyLight assay was utilized to test P16 methylation. All specimens obtained by the SSM were pathologically diagnosed. Results: A total of 81 cases were collected by the GSM, and 91.4% and 8.6% of them were esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) and esophageal adenocarcinomas (EADs), respectively. Nine SSM cases were 100.0% ESCCs. The positive rates of P16 methylation of the GSM tumor and normal tissues were 63.0% (51/81) and 32.1% (26/81), respectively. For SSM samples, tumor tissues were 100.0% (40/40) EC and 85.0% (34/40) P16 methylated; tumor biopsy was 64.4% (29/45) diagnosed of EC and 68.9% P16 methylated; the corresponding normal biopsies were 15.7% (8/51) dysplasia and 54.9% (28/51) P16 methylated. The concordance of pathological diagnosis and P16 methylation between tumor biopsy and the corresponding tumor tissue was 75.0% and 62.5%, respectively. Conclusion: The SSM we designed was efficient in measuring the ITH of EC. We found inadequate concordance between tumor biopsy and tissue in pathological diagnosis and P16 methylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underrepresentation of ethnic and linguistic minorities, as well as their stereotyped images, are intrinsic to US society, which seems to want them to disappear in order to survive (Macedo 2013). These minorities are often absent from the screens, and when they appear, they are transformed into stereotypes and used as diegetic devices that the public is able to recognise. Even when the films are produced by minorities, they often end up reinforcing these stereotypes while trying to explain or confute them, ultimately surrendering to their social marginality. Indeed, these representations emerge from policies aiming to delete ethnic difference by stigmatising linguistic (Lippi-Green 1997) or social ones (Bender 2003). The power of cinema lays in its ability to shape memory and reality, actively contributing to social and individual narrations (Fluck 2003). In this sense, translation also plays a crucial role in re-presenting minority images to the target audience (van Doorslaer et al. 2016). The aim of this article is to tackle the issue of minority translation as a way to ensure them access to a broader public, in order to present the latter with their own voice and language. More specifically, this article explores the representativity issue as a matter of access by providing answer to the question: what does access mean for a discriminated minority? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argument: Moreau (2019) has raised concerns about the use of DNA data obtained from vulnerable populations, such as the Uighurs in China. We discuss another case, situated in Europe and with a research history dating back 100 years: genetic investigations of Roma. In our article, we focus on problems surrounding representativity in these studies. We claim that many of the circa 440 publications in our sample neglect the methodological and conceptual challenges of representativity. Moreover, authors do not account for problematic misrepresentations of Roma resulting from the conceptual frameworks and sampling schemes they use. We question the representation of Roma as a "genetic isolate" and the underlying rationales, with a strong focus on sampling strategies. We discuss our results against the optimistic prognosis that the "new genetics" could help to overcome essentialist understandings of groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim of the present study was to examine selection in a general practice-based pregnancy cohort. Survey linked to administrative register data. In spring 2015, GPs were recruited from two Danish regions. They were asked to invite all pregnant women in their practice who had their first prenatal care visit before 15 August 2016 to participate in the survey. The characteristics of GPs and the pregnant women were compared at each step in the recruitment process – the GP's invitation, their agreement to participate, actual GP participation, and the women's participation – with an uncertainty coefficient to quantify the step where the largest selection occurs. Significant differences were found between participating and non-participating practices with regards to practice characteristics such as the number of patients registered with the practice, the age and sex of doctors, and the type of practice. Despite these differences, the characteristics of the eligible patients differed little between participating and non-participating practices. In participating practices significant differences were, however, observed between recruited and non-recruited patients. The skewed selection of patients was mainly caused by a high number of non-participants within practices that actively took part in the study. We recommend that a focus on the sampling within participating practices be the most important factor in representative sampling of patient populations in general practice. Selection among general practitioners (GPs) is often unavoidable in practice-based studies, and we found significant differences between participating and non-participating practices. These include practice characteristics such as the number of GPs, the number of patients registered with the GP practice, as well as the sex and age of the GPs. •Despite this, only small differences in the characteristics of the eligible patients were observed between participating and non-participating practices. •In participating practices, however, significant differences were observed between recruited and non-recruited patients. •Comprehensive sampling within participating practices may be the best way to generate representative samples of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to offer a description of four of the existing subcorpora of the Coruña Corpus of English Scientific Writing. Both the principles of compilation and the sociolinguistic variables considered during the process of text selection will be described. The editorial practice underlying the computerisation of texts, as well as several pilot studies, will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sample surveys are often affected by nonresponse. These surveys have in common that their outcomes depend at least partly on a human decision whether or not to participate. If it would be completely clear how this decision mechanism works, estimates could be corrected. An often used approach is to introduce the concept of the response probability. Of course, these probabilities are a theoretical concept and therefore unknown. The idea is to estimate them by using the available data. If it is possible to obtain good estimates of the response probabilities, they can be used to improve estimators of population characteristics. Estimating response probabilities relies heavily on the use of models. An often used model is the logit model. In the article, this model is compared with the simple linear model. Estimation of response probabilities models requires the individual values of the auxiliary variables to be available for both the respondents and the nonrespondents of the survey. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. This article explores some approaches for estimating response probabilities that have less heavy data requirements. The estimated response probabilities were also used to measure possible deviations from representativity of the survey response. The indicator used is the coefficient of variation (CV) of the response probabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Historia Contemporanea is the property of Historia Contemporania 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.)

In the last few years, apps have become an important tool to collect data. Especially in the case of data on people's happiness, two projects have received substantial attention from both the media and the scientific world: "Track your happiness" from Killingsworth and Gilbert (Science, 330, 932-932, 2010), and "Mappiness," from MacKerron (2012). Both happiness apps used the experience sampling method to ask people a few times per day how they feel, what they do, with whom, and where. The collected data are then displayed for the participants in simple graphs to help them understand what makes them happy and what does not. Both studies have collected considerable data without giving participants any financial rewards. But quantity is not everything that matters with respect to data collection, and thus, understanding whether nationally representative datasets can be collected using such happiness apps is crucial. To address this question, we built a new happiness app and ran a case-study with over 4000 participants of the innovation sample of the German Socio-Economic Panel (Richter and Schupp in Schmollers Jahrbuch, 135(3), 389–399, 2015). Participants were informed that the app collects data on everyday happiness after a household interview and asked whether they would like to use the app. In the first year (2015), participants did not receive any reward, and in the second year (2016), a different group of participants received a 50 Euro Amazon voucher for their participation. The results showed that our happiness app cannot generate nationally representative datasets if it is not controlled that all demographic sub-groups have access to a smartphone, are highly motivated with a sufficient reward and data is collected with quota sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine primary productivity is a critical driver of functioning marine ecosystems, providing a foundation for biological diversity and associated economic productivity, and a key component of the oceanic carbon sink. However, it is largely under-represented within the global marine protected area estate and has been widely ignored in global priority assessments for marine conservation. Using global high-resolution data on marine primary productivity and human cumulative impact to marine systems, more than 18.6 million km² of high productivity-low impact areas in the global ocean were identified. These areas occur across all ocean basins and represent the vast majority of marine provinces and ecoregions. Over 80% of these highly productive waters with low levels of human impact lies within national jurisdictions and yet only 11% of the overall identified area is currently safeguarded within designated marine protected areas or sustainable management initiatives, leaving more than 16.5 million km2 of high productivity-low impact areas without those forms of formal protection. The multifaceted contribution of these areas to preserve biodiversity, support human welfare and help mitigating climate change suggest they are an essential, but currently overlooked, conservation priority for consideration in both global nature conservation and human wellbeing policy fora. ● Over 18 million km2 of highly productive waters with low human impact exist globally. ● These areas exist across all ocean basins and most marine provinces and ecoregions. ● Only 11% of these areas lie within marine protected areas and OECMs. ● Over 15 million km2 of these areas occur in waters of national jurisdiction. ● About 3.5 million km2 of these areas occur in areas beyond national jurisdiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the political world, mostly to have taken part in the past decades, hasbenefited greatly from the broader understanding and adoption of marketing’s instruments andconcepts. From the classical two-party system, led by established elites, we find ourselves today ina political market with more and more new parties, and younger and bolder contestants. Marketing’s communication tools and the technological advances have left their mark on thepolitical world, not only regarding electoral events and gaining people’s sympathy, but also inimproving the party’s decision making, policy development and grassroots members’representation. Harnessed the right way, the influence that marketing can exercise for theimplementation of democratic rules and principles, inside a political party, has benefits for boththe party members, and for the electorate.