Entity Ranking on Graphs: Studies on Expert Finding

Todays web search engines try to offer services for finding various information in addition to simple web pages, like showing locations or answering simple fact queries. Understanding the association of named entities and documents is one of the key steps towards such semantic search tasks. This paper addresses the ranking of entities and models it in a graph-based relevance propagation framework. In particular we study the problem of expert finding as an example of an entity ranking task. Entity containment graphs are introduced that represent the relationship between text fragments on the one hand and their contained entities on the other hand. The paper shows how these graphs can be used to propagate relevance information from the pre-ranked text fragments to their entities. We use this propagation framework to model existing approaches to expert finding based on the entity's indegree and extend them by recursive relevance propagation based on a probabilistic random walk over the entity containment graphs. Experiments on the TREC expert search task compare the retrieval performance of the different graph and propagation models

PFTijah: text search in an XML database system

This paper introduces the PFTijah system, a text search system that is integrated with an XML/XQuery database management system. We present examples of its use, we explain some of the system internals, and discuss plans for future work. PFTijah is part of the open source release of MonetDB/XQuery

Snowex 2017 Community Snow Depth Measurements: A Quality-Controlled, Georeferenced Product

Snow depth was one of the core ground measurements required to validate remotely-sensed data collected during SnowEx Year 1, which occurred in Colorado. The use of a single, common protocol was fundamental to produce a community reference dataset of high quality. Most of the nearly 100 Grand Mesa and Senator Beck Basin SnowEx ground crew participants contributed to this crucial dataset during 6-25 February 2017. Snow depths were measured along ~300 m transects, whose locations were determined according to a random-stratified approach using snowfall and tree-density gradients. Two-person teams used snowmobiles, skis, or snowshoes to travel to staked transect locations and to conduct measurements. Depths were measured with a 1-cm incremented probe every 3 meters along transects. In shallow areas of Grand Mesa, depth measurements were also collected with GPS snow-depth probes (a.k.a. MagnaProbes) at ~1-m intervals. During summer 2017, all reference stake positions were surveyed with <10 cm accuracy to improve overall snow depth location accuracy. During the campaign, 193 transects were measured over three weeks at Grand Mesa and 40 were collected over two weeks in Senator Beck Basin, representing more than 27,000 depth values. Each day of the campaign depth measurements were written in waterproof field books and photographed by National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) participants. The data were later transcribed and prepared for extensive quality assessment and control. Common issues such as protocol errors (e.g., survey in reverse direction), notebook image issues (e.g., halo in the center of digitized picture), and data-entry errors (sloppy writing and transcription errors) were identified and fixed on a point-by-point basis. In addition, we strove to produce a georeferenced product of fine quality, so we calculated and interpolated coordinates for every depth measurement based on surveyed stakes and the number of measurements made per transect. The product has been submitted to NSIDC in csv format. To educate data users, we present the study design and processing steps that have improved the quality and usability of this product. Also, we will address measurement and design uncertainties, which are different in open vs. forest areas

Complete synchronization of chaotic atmospheric models by connecting only a subset of state space

Connected chaotic systems can, under some circumstances, synchronize their states with an exchange of matter and energy between the systems. This is the case for toy models like the Lorenz 63, and more complex models. In this study we perform synchronization experiments with two connected quasi-geostrophic (QG) models of the atmosphere with 1449 degrees of freedom. The purpose is to determine whether connecting only a subset of the model state space can still lead to complete synchronization (CS). In addition, we evaluated whether empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) form efficient basis functions for synchronization in order to limit the number of connections. In this paper, we show that only the intermediate spectral wavenumbers (5–12) need to be connected in order to achieve CS. In addition, the minimum connection timescale needed for CS is 7.3 days. Both the connection subset and the connection timescale, or strength, are consistent with the time and spatial scales of the baroclinic instabilities in the model. This is in line with the fact that the baroclinic instabilities are the largest source of divergence between the two connected models. Using the Lorenz 63 model, we show that EOFs are nearly optimal basis functions for synchronization. The QG model results show that the minimum number of EOFs that need to be connected for CS is a factor of three smaller than when connecting the original state variables

Conservering van sperma van de Nederlandse zeldzame kippenrassen

Na de eerste drie „inhaalslagen‟ in 2003, 2005 en 2007 is weer een project opgezet om te komen tot het verzamelen van genetisch materiaal van een aantal hanen van zeldzame kippenrassen (inhaalslag 4). Het doel van het project is om (de genetische variatie van) deze (kleine) rassen veilig te stellen in de genenbank. Met de financiële middelen van 2009 kon voor de vierde maal worden gestart met een aantal hanen van rassen, die in 2003, 2005 en 2007 niet voldoende aan bod waren gekomen. In een evaluatie met de Stichting Zeldzame Huisdierrassen en rekening houdend met de reeds aanwezige genenbank collecties zijn zestien rassen geselecteerd waarvan genetisch materiaal is gecryo-conserveerd, te weten het Hollandse Kriel (11), Eikenburger Kriel (5), Sabelpoot Krielen (10), Fries Hoen (2), Hollands Kuifhoen (6), Assendelfter Hoen (6), Drents Hoen (3), Groninger Meeuw (5), Noordhollands Hoen (6), Twents Hoen (3), Chaams Hoen (3), Welsumer (2), Lakenvelder (2), Nederlandse Uilenbaard (2), Barnevelder (4) en het Hollands Hoen (3). Van deze 16 rassen zijn totaal 73 hanen aangevoerd. Vier hanen zijn in de eerste dagen reeds gesneuveld. Van één Eikenburger Kriel haan kon geen sperma worden verkregen. Met de aanvulling van het sperma van de hanen van voornoemde rassen zou de doelstelling kunnen worden bereikt, om van elk ras ca. 800 doses sperma in opslag te hebben van minimaal 10 hanen. In totaal zijn in deze vierde inhaalslag 5534 doses sperma ingevroren en in de genenbank weggezet. De Eikenburger Kriel haalde deze aantallen niet vanwege de te geringe spermaproductie (ruim 200 doses!). Van het Drents Hoen, de Assendelfter Hoen en de Schijndelaar benaderen de aantallen doses sperma de 800

Towards Uniform Gene Bank Documentation In Europe – The Experience From The EFABISnet Project

In the EFABISnet project, a collaborative effort of EAAP, FAO and partners from 14 European countries, in cooperation with the European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources (ERFP), national information systems for monitoring the animal genetic resources on breed level were established in Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. The network was soon extended beyond the project plans, with the establishment of EFABIS databases in Finland, Greece, and Hungary. The network was then complemented by a set of inventories of national gene bank collections to strengthen the documentation of ex situ conservation programmes. These documentation systems were established by the National Focal Points for management of farm animal genetic resources. Here we present the experience gained in establishment of these national inventories of gene banks and their relevance to the Strategic Priority Areas of the Global Plan of Action which could be useful for other areas in the world

Themadag: Balans tussen fokkerij en biodiversiteit bij paarden

Aan kondiging van de themadag:"Balans tussen fokkerij en biodiversiteit bij paarden". Tijdens deze themadag worden basisprincipes van fokkerij en van behoud vangenetische diversiteit binnen een ras uitgelegd. Een goed doordacht fokbeleid op rasniveau is nodig om het ras te behouden of te verbeteren. Daarbij moet ook worden gelet op behoud van genetische diversiteit binnen het ras. Een te sterke inteelttoename kan tot serieuze problemen leiden, zoals bepaalde erfelijke gebreken. Een kleine populatie is kwetsbaarder voor inteelt dan een grote populatie. Tevens geeft een sterke selectie op één of enkele kenmerken een groter risico op inteel

Forecasting Tourist Arrivals Using Origin Country Macroeconomics

This study utilizes both disaggregated data and macroeconomic indicators in order to examine the importance of the macroeconomic environment of origin countries for analysing destinations’ tourist arrivals. In particular, it is the first study to present strong empirical evidence that both of these features in tandem provide statistically significant information of tourist arrivals in Greece. The forecasting exercises presented in our analysis show that macroeconomic indicators conducive to better forecasts are mainly origin country-specific, thus highlighting the importance of considering the apparent sharp national contrasts among origin countries when investigating domestic tourist arrivals. Given the extent of the dependency of the Greek economy on tourism income, but also, given the perishable nature of the tourist product itself, results have important implications for policy makers in Greece