Data deluge or data trickle? Difficulties in acquiring public data for telecommunications policy analysis

Abstract

There is a paucity of granular, high-resolution broadband data in the United States, which limits the prospects of informed telecommunications policy debates. In the absence of regulation requiring telecommunication providers to accurately report service footprints, pricing, and service quality data, providers refuse to disclose this information, routinely citing competition as the primary reason for keeping network and pricing data obfuscated. In addition, many secondary datasets needed for broadband planning and policy research, such as parcel or address point data, are equally challenging to gather. These datasets are often controlled by county governments, with no overarching access policy, resulting in neighboring counties with widely divergent policies for the release of these important data. In this article we explore the challenges of open data and its impacts on telecommunication policy development. A recent project which explored the spatial provision of Google Fiber in the Kansas City metropolitan area helps to highlight these difficulties. Basic strategies for mitigating information asymmetries and the lack of data transparency for telecommunication policy analysis are discussed.     

Mapping and measuring the information society: A social science perspective on the opportunities,problems, and prospects of broadband Internet data in the United States

Abstract

There are concerns across government, industry, and academia over the inadequacies of data on broadband Internet connections. These inadequacies are important to consider because government policies and regulations, industry strategies, and scholarly research can be impacted by inaccurate or distorted data. Given that there are ongoing discussions about policy initiatives to improve these data, this article sets out to critically review publicly available data, identify important limitations of these data, and profile studies that have used these data successfully. In this review, the dynamic nature of broadband data will be discussed and the tradeoffs of pursuing further investments to create better databases evaluated. This evaluation suggests a more fruitful research path would be to recognize and work around existing data drawbacks, using the studies profiled in this article as examples, to explore a multitude of issues related to broadband availability, adoption, and use.     

Complementary realities: Public domain Internet measurements in the development of Canada’s universal access policies

Abstract

As access to the Internet has become increasingly essential for social and economic participation, public domain Internet measurements have become indispensable for users to validate quality of service their network operator delivers and for policymakers to identify and address gaps in broadband infrastructure. This article evaluates public domain Internet performance measurements available for assessing the state of connectivity and developing universal access service quality standards in Canada. The analysis suggests that different approaches to Internet measurement represent complementary windows into a complex and fast evolving reality of broadband connectivity. Despite their potential shortcomings, large-scale crowdsourced open data network testing platforms have a central role to play in enabling broadband infrastructure policy coordination across different levels of government, empowerment of consumers, and achievement of universal service objectives for quality of service users experience when accessing the open Internet.     

Estimation of inter-laboratory reference change values from external quality assessment data

IntroductionIt is common for patients to switch between several healthcare providers. In this context, the long-term follow-up of medical conditions based on laboratory test results obtained from different laboratories is a challenge. The measurement uncertainty in an inter-laboratory context should also be considered in data mining research based on routine results from randomly selected laboratories. As a proof-of-concept study, we aimed at estimating the inter-laboratory reference change value (IL-RCV) for exemplary analytes from publicly available data on external quality assessment (EQA) and biological variation.Materials and methodsExternal quality assessment data of the Reference Institute for Bioanalytics (RfB, Bonn, Germany) for serum creatinine, calcium, aldosterone, PSA, and of whole blood HbA1c from campaigns sent out in 2019 were analysed. The median CVs of all EQA participants were calculated based on 8 samples from 4 EQA campaigns per analyte. Using intra-individual biological variation data from the EFLM database, positive and negative IL-RCV were estimated with a formula based on log transformation under the assumption that the analytes under examination have a skewed distribution.ResultsWe estimated IL-RCVs for all exemplary analytes, ranging from 13.3% to 203% for the positive IL-RCV and - 11.8% to - 67.0% for the negative IL-RCV (serum calcium - serum aldosterone), respectively.ConclusionExternal quality assessment data together with data on the biological variation – both freely available – allow the estimation of inter-laboratory RCVs. These differ substantially between different analytes and can help to assess the boundaries of interoperability in laboratory medicine.     

入选PubMed数据库对提升医学期刊国际影响力的作用

[目的]探讨入选PubMed数据库对提升我国医学期刊国际影响力的作用,分析加快医学期刊国际化的途径和策略。[方法]采用文献资料法、文献计量法,以2011版《中文核心期刊要目总览》中6种入选PubMed数据库和6种未入选PubMed数据库的综合性医药卫生类核心期刊为研究对象,以《中国科技期刊引证报告(核心版)》和SCI数据库为数据来源,利用SPSS20.0分别对期刊的国内被引频次、影响因子和期刊在SCI数据库的被引频次做两独立样本的非参数检验。[结果]入选PubMed的期刊在SCI数据库中的被引频次显著高于未入选PubMed的期刊(P<0.05),而两组期刊的国内被引频次和影响因子均无统计学差异(P>0.05)。[结论]入选PubMed数据库对提升医学期刊国际影响力具有重要作用。加快医学期刊的国际化除加入SCI外还可考虑加入PubMed数据库等。     

Potential application of a knowledgebase of iron metabolism of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans as an alternative platform

BackgroundAcidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is a facultative anaerobe that depends on ferrous ion oxidation as well as reduced sulfur oxidation to obtain energy and is widely applied in metallurgy, environmental protection, and soil remediation. With the accumulation of experimental data, metabolic mechanisms, kinetic models, and several databases have been established. However, scattered data are not conducive to understanding A. ferrooxidans that necessitates updated information informed by systems biology.ResultsHere, we constructed a knowledgebase of iron metabolism of A. ferrooxidans (KIMAf) system by integrating public databases and reviewing the literature, including the database of bioleaching substrates (DBS), the database of bioleaching metallic ion-related proteins (MIRP), the A. ferrooxidans bioinformation database (Af-info), and the database for dynamics model of bioleaching (DDMB). The DBS and MIRP incorporate common bioleaching substrates and metal ion-related proteins. Af-info and DDMB integrate nucleotide, gene, protein, and kinetic model information. Statistical analysis was performed to elucidate the distribution of isolated A. ferrooxidans strains, evolutionary and metabolic advances, and the development of bioleaching models.ConclusionsThis comprehensive system provides researchers with a platform of available iron metabolism-related resources of A. ferrooxidans and facilitates its application.How to citeZhou Z, Ma W, Liu Y, et al. Potential application of a knowledgebase of iron metabolism of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans as an alternative platform. Electron J Biotechnol 2021;51; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2021.04.003     

Broadband Utilization in Space: Effects of Population and Economic Structure

The Internet segment of the information and communications technology industry has been forecast to reach nearly 1.5 billion users by 2007. Generally referred to as broadband, a number of alternative technologies are now deployed broadly across the United States. This article utilizes a unique data set of 9000 survey responses generated by the Pew Internet and American Life Project in 2004 to examine the impact of several spatial factors, including population size and economic structure, on the likelihood of broadband utilization, after controlling for a set of demographic characteristics. The utilization of broadband is found to be greater with larger cities and in cities with large telecommunications-intensive economic sectors. However, demographic characteristics are also found to be quite significant and relatively stronger than geographic factors in determining broadband utilization.     

基于ESDA的济南市区域经济差异空间分析

基于ESDA全局和局部空间自相关分析,利用济南市2000-2007年县域人均GDP数据,对济南市县域总体和局部空间差异的变化趋势进行了初步探索。结果表明,济南市县域经济发展具有明显的空间正相关性,县域经济发展水平在空间上趋于集聚,县域之间的经济增长差异较大。     

Regional knowledge spillovers: Fact or artifact?

The explanation of different levels of innovation and their spatial distribution represents the central focus of the analysis. The empirical literature documents the incidence of spatial autocorrelation in patenting activities and interprets them as evidence for knowledge spillovers. Alternatively, the authors propose the spatial pattern of input variables in innovation processes as driving forces of patenting autocorrelation. They analyze 51 Nuts 1 regions in Europe and find that the high degree of spatial autocorrelation exhibited by patent applications can be explained comprehensively by the spatial location of the input factors in the knowledge production function. These are traditional indicators on R&D investments and human capital from Eurostat and proxy variables on social capital from the European Values Study. This finding has important implications for the scope of an autonomous regional innovation policy.     

Performance of D-dimer for predicting sepsis mortality in the intensive care unit

IntroductionThe prognostic value of D-dimer (DD) in sepsis remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the performance of DD for predicting sepsis mortality in the hospital and for identifying its potential correlates.Materials and methodsThe clinical and laboratory data of adult sepsis patients were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC III, v1.4) database using the structured query language (SQL). The database contains critical illness admitted to the intensive care unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center between June 2001 and October 2012. The association between DD and mortality was investigated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, restricted cubic spline and logistic regression analysis. Subgroup analysis was also used for identifying DD correlates.ResultsThe study population consisted of 358 sepsis patients. Those who died during hospital stay (N = 160) had significantly higher DD values than those who survived (N = 198). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of DD was 0.59 (P < 0.010). In subgroup analysis, white blood cell (WBC) count > 18 x10⁹/L and vasopressor therapy significantly decreased DD diagnostic performance. Categorical DD value was independently associated with hospital mortality after sequential organ failure score (SOFA) and blood lactate adjustment. Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a U-shape relationship between DD and in-hospital mortality.DiscussionWe conclude that the accuracy of DD for predicting in-hospital sepsis mortality depends on WBC count and vasopressor therapy. Both low and extremely elevated DD values are associated with higher risk of death.     

城市创新能力的空间分布及其影响因素研究

本文利用中国285个地级及以上城市2016年的专利申请授权量数据及相关经济数据,采用探索性空间数据分析方法（ESDA）对城市创新能力的空间集聚进行全局和局部的自相关性检验。继而采用证实性空间数据分析方法（CSDA）,引入空间滞后模型（SLM）空间误差模型（SEM）,与普通最小二乘法模型（OLS）比较检验,对我国城市创新能力的影响因素进行了空间计量分析。研究表明, 我国城市创新能力的空间分布在全局和局部都存在显著的自相关性。空间计量模型相较于普通最小二乘法（OLS）模型估计具有更高的准确性和科学性,城市创新产生了明显的邻近空间溢出效应。制度因素、对外开放度、经济基础、研发投入和信息化程度均通过了显著性检验,其中制度因素、经济基础、研发投入和信息化程度表现为正向影响,对外开放度表现出负向影响。     

User interfaces

Abstract

The technology of electronic information processing favors the eventual existence of large numbers of information publishers, rather than the creation of large central data banks. Publicity and billing are functions that may be assumed by large organizations, but database creation is likely to be highly pluralistic, and access to the data, wherever there are systems of universal electronic access to dispersed databases, raises problems with regard to copyright and to standards for interconnection.     

Telecommunication Basic Research: An Uncertain Future for the Bell Legacy

The Bell Labs of decades ago was well recognized as a national treasure for its pioneering innovations and its creation of new knowledge. However, the breakup of the Bell System that occurred in 1984 resulted in considerable change for research and development in telecommunication. This paper reviews that history and, in anticipation of continuing uncertainty and a possible impending crisis, examines possible options for the future to assure leadership by the United States in basic research in telecommunication.     

Policy issues for electronic databases and database systems

Abstract

Database producers of all types, including the federal government, play many roles in the information “industry.” Because of mergers, acquisitions and vertical integration, a given producer may function in virtually any part of the nine‐membered database use chain. The database use chain, together with statistics showing dramatic growth, provides a framework for the discussion of policy issues, problems, and future requirements of the database industry.

The various stages of the database use chain are considered in terms of added value, added production cost, compensation, push and pull mechanisms, proprietorship of data, control of data, and use agreements. The framework for considering policy issues includes the characteristics of the public and private sectors, their products and services, the appropriateness of government involvement in certain subject areas of information and the benefits to society. Problems and issues are standardization, copyright, structural changes in the industry, transborder data flow, and competition between the public and private sectors.     

Success in Failure: The National Centre for Popular Music

Abstract

The development and deployment of technologies for delivering broadband services to homes in Australia are investigated using the ‘social shaping of technology’ (SST) approach. The focus is on the period from 1993 to 1998 when there were five main technological options for delivering residential broadband services: ‘hybrid’ fibre coaxial (HFC) cable; direct broadcast satellite (DBS); multipoint microwave distribution systems (MDS); ‘Integrated Services Digital Network’ (ISDN); and ‘Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line’ (ADSL). The main broadband services planned for delivery to homes over this period were pay television and fast Internet access. A sequence of snapshots of sociotechnical relationships at critical times during the study period, termed ‘sociotechnological configurations’, is used to track the evolutionary pathway of the broadband technologies. The mapping technique assists in identifying key features and explaining the driving factors of the pathway, including why HFC cable emerged as the predominant technology, and two competing HFC cable networks were rolled out in capital cities at an additional cost of over $2 billion when a single network would have had ample capacity.     

基于Moran’s I分析方法的耕地质量空间差异研究

本文引入Moran's I指数的空间自相关分析法,以广东省广宁县为例,以表征耕地质量的自然等指数、利用等指数和等别指数为空间变量,以耕地图斑为单元进行空间自相关分析,探讨Moran's I值的空间差异特征,以及在县级和乡镇级尺度上的变化情况及其相关应用。结果表明：①不同类型耕地质量指数在同一空间尺度上,均表现出较强的空间正相关性,自然等指数具有较强的空间正相关性,聚集程度较高,等别指数次之,利用等指数较弱,空间格局上相对较为分散;②不同的空间尺度,耕地质量指数具有不同的空间关联度。县级尺度空间自相关水平普遍高于镇级平均空间自相关水平;而且从镇级数据来看,大部分乡镇的Moran's I值均低于县级整体水平;③基于Moran's I值的耕地质量类别划分,通过引入空间权重刻画耕地质量空间分布特征,将其空间关联性作为“第四维”纳入到分区评价因素中,可为耕地保护分区提供新思路。     

打造具有国际影响力的中国编辑出版类学术期刊

[目的]探讨提高中国编辑出版类学术期刊国际影响力的可行性和措施。[方法]调研中国编辑出版类期刊基本情况和产生国际影响力期刊的特征,调研SSCI编辑出版类期刊现状和中国作者发表文章情况。[结果]中国编辑出版类期刊的国际影响力不高,但是有很大的提升空间,为提高国际影响可采取的措施包括:提高编辑出版类期刊的国际化意识、为文章增添国际化信息、出版中英文双语或英语期刊、加强网站和数据库建设、争取被检索机构收录等;还可通过明确自身定位推动中国STM出版格局的完善,借助学术力量加强国际交流,提高编辑素质,在中国编辑"走出去"的同时将国际同行"引进来"。[结论]打造具有国际影响力的中国编辑出版类学术期刊是可行的,而且对促进中国科技期刊整体发展有重要意义。     

Linear stochastic system identification using correlation techniques

The identification of linear, discrete time, scalar output systems which are driven exclusively by white, zero mean, inaccessible noise sequences is discussed. Two principal results are presented. First, two methods (least squares and an autocorrelation technique) for identifying the system characteristic equation coefficients are compared. The least squares approach is shown to be biased except for special cases. In general, the bias cannot be removed. If the state transition matrix is of the phase variable form, bias removal requires a knowledge of the measurement noise variance and all but one of the state driving noise variances. The autocorrelation technique is not biased asymptotically and does not require a knowledge of the noise variances.Secondly, it is shown that the m² elements of the state transition matrix cannot be identified uniquely from the scalar output sequence autocorrelation coefficients if the system order is higher than one. The implication of this uncertainty in the state transition matrix on optimal filtering of the output sequence is briefly discussed.     

基于ESDA的秦皇岛市区域经济差异研究

基于ESDA全局和局部空间自相关分析,利用秦皇岛市各县(区)2005—2012年人均GDP数据,对秦皇岛市县域经济的总体和局部空间差异的变化趋势进行了分析。结果表明:2005—2012年,秦皇岛市县(区)人均GDP的全局Moran's达到显著的正相关,呈现明显的全局空间集聚现象。同时,2005年和2012年Moran散点图显示秦皇岛市县域经济的局部空间集聚现象明显。     

长江经济带经济集聚对工业废水排放影响的空间溢出效应与门槛特征

经济集聚促进长江经济带区域经济发展的同时也会影响环境质量,为探讨经济集聚对工业废水排放的影响效应,本文基于2003-2017年长江经济带110个地级及以上城市面板数据,采用探索性空间数据分析、空间计量模型和门槛回归模型等方法,考察经济集聚与工业废水排放的空间分布与聚类状况,解析经济集聚对工业废水排放影响的空间溢出效应并...