Integration Project Research Articles

BISON-FIPD integration enhanced low-burnup SFR metallic fuel swelling model evaluation framework

Experiments indicated that metallic fuel in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) rapidly swells radially and axially at low burnup. Despite that, prior studies have been focused on describing high burnup axial fuel elongation. With recent conventional and non-conventional metallic fuel concepts being considered for license applications, understanding multidimensional fuel swelling at a wide range of burnup levels is important to fuel analysis and qualification activities. Here, we report the development and demonstration efforts of a low-burnup SFR metallic fuel swelling model evaluation framework using the BISON advanced fuel performance code. The framework leverages the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) program X423 experiment data through the ongoing integration project to enable standardized and automated use of legacy metallic fuel irradiation data maintained in the SFR fuel irradiation and physics database (FIPD) for BISON metallic fuel model verification and validation. The performance of the framework was demonstrated using the two representative metallic fuel swelling model sets implemented in BISON, with a series of insights about future advanced swelling model development.

Dynamics of protectionism and free trade measures in the competitive confrontation between the United States and China

The article examines the reconciliation mechanism of protectionist and liberalization components in the economic policy of the United States and China. Under tightening economic competition, the U.S. and China are implementing a set of measures to support national economies, aimed both at protecting the industries which are crucial for the development of the states, and at ensuring markets for the goods produced in the country. These observations have led to the hypothesis that the set of protectionist and liberalization tools in the economic policy of countries is combined and varied to ensure economic security and international competitiveness of national economies. Based on the analysis of indicators measuring the openness of the US and PRC economies as well as a number of examples of government intervention in the economy, the authors detect the trend towards the strengthening of protectionism in the economic policy of the states since 2008. Taking into consideration the research on the participation of both countries in globalization and integration projects, the authors determine the protectionist instruments implemented by China and the USA to improve the economic growth and competitive advantage of their economies. In particular, government subsidies, fiscal tools, administrative barriers, as well as tariff measures affecting the foreign trade of the countries under study have been identified. On the basis of the comparative analysis of certain indicators measuring the manifestation of protectionist and liberalization components in the economic policy of the United States and China, the authors highlight common and different trends in combining protectionism and free trade. The synthesis of findings has led to the conclusion about the complementarity and interdependence of the tools used in the economic policy of the states aimed at increasing the competitive advantages of national economies.

Demographic, health, and prognostic characteristics of Australians with liver cancer: a cohort study of linked data in New South Wales for informing cancer control

BackgroundAustralian age-standardized incidence and death rates for liver cancer are lower than world averages, but increasing as in other economically advanced western countries. World Health Organization emphasizes the need to address sociodemographic disparities in cancer risk. A more detailed sociodemographic risk profiling was undertaken for liver cancer in New South Wales (NSW) by diagnostic stage, than possible with NSW Cancer Registry (NSWCR) alone, by incorporating linked data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The purpose was to inform targeting and monitoring of cancer services.MethodsThe ABS manages the Multi-Agency Data Integration Project (MADIP) which includes a wide range of health, educational, welfare, census, and employment data. These data were linked at person level to NSWCR liver cancer registrations for the period post 2016 census to December 2018. De-identified data were analyzed. Sex-specific age-adjusted odds ratios (95%CIs) of liver cancer were derived using logistic regression by age, country of birth, residential remoteness, proficiency in spoken English, household income, employment status, occupation type, educational attainment, sole person household, joblessness, socioeconomic status, disability status, multimorbidity, and other health-related factors, including GP consultations. These data complement the less detailed sociodemographic data available from the NSWCR, with alignment of numerators and population denominators for accurate risk assessment.ResultsResults indicate liver cancer disproportionately affects population members already experiencing excess social and health disadvantage. Examples where 95% confidence intervals of odds ratios of liver cancer were elevated included having poor English-speaking proficiency, limited education, housing authority tenancy, living in sole-person households, having disabilities, multiple medicated conditions, and being carers of people with a disability. Also, odds of liver cancer were higher in more remote regions outside major cities, and in males, with higher odds of more advanced cancer stages (degrees of spread) at diagnosis in more remote regions.ConclusionsLinked data enabled more detailed risk profiling than previously possible. This will support the targeting of cancer services and benchmarking.

Strategy based on a pedagogical conception aimed at developing the autonomy of the Medicine student

The implementation of pedagogical strategies is currently an efficient and enriching way to consolidate the comprehensive training of future graduates of the various university careers. Therefore, the objective was aimed at exposing the procedures of a strategy based on a pedagogical conception focused on developing the autonomy of the Medicine student for the development of their Integral Project of individual Educational Work. For this, a mixed study was developed, where methods and techniques belonging to the theoretical and empirical levels were used in the investigative process. In this sense, the criteria of experts were applied, and to verify its effectiveness, a longitudinal panel study was carried out that spanned five years, coinciding with the courses from 2015-2016 to 2019-2020. In this way, the relationship between the pedagogical activity through educational guidance and the development of the autonomy of the Medicine student in the fulfillment of the Comprehensive Project of Individual Educational Work during the process of comprehensive professional training is exposed, revealing the link with the project. of life. It should be noted that this study is derived from a doctoral thesis.

EVALUATING THE SUCCESS FACTORS OF INTEGRATING THE RAILWAY INTO THE PUBLIC URBAN–SUBURBAN TRANSPORT

The success of integrating the railway into the public urban and suburban transport depends upon a range of internal and external factors, with challenges arising in their number and complex interdependence. Furthermore, the significance and impact of some factors are uneven in cities. There is a necessity for the right mix of different factors that drive significant use of railway into the Public Transport System (PTS). The research problem is finding and defining factors needed to assess the success of railway implementation into public urban and suburban transport. An efficiency analysis of the factors that impact the level of the planned transport system use was conducted in a hierarchical or network system. The 1st step of research is to the determination of relevant factors. In this research 27 factors were determined. Based on the determining factors and their connection it is possible to design an Analytic Network Process (ANP) to evaluate the importance of factors. Factors are divided into 4 clusters: (1) user features, (2) road transport features, (3) services features, and (4) city and corridor features. Testing was carried out by group decision-making process by members of an expert panel. According to the testing, the most important factors according to their weight are: (1) frequency with 0.11651, (2) employment level with 0.10146, (3) ticket price with 0.09714, (4) reliability with 0.07256, and (5) integration of services with 0,07065. Using the weight of each factor it is possible to evaluate the success likelihood of a concrete project. In this research case study was oriented on integrating the railway into the public urban and suburban transport in the City of Rijeka in Croatia. For this purpose, the relevance of the determined weight factors was used for the concrete project of integration in the City of Rijeka that resulting in 67.17% fulfilment of the successful integration railway into the public urban and suburban transport.

Four Questions to Guide Decision-Making for Data Sharing and Integration

IntroductionThis paper presents a Four Question Framework to guide data integration partners in building a strong governance and legal foundation to support ethical data use. ObjectivesWhile this framework was developed based on work in the United States that routinely integrates public data, it is meant to be a simple, digestible tool that can be adapted to any context. MethodsThe framework was developed through a series of public deliberation workgroups and 15 years of field experience working with a diversity of data integration efforts across the United States. ResultsThe Four Questions - Is this legal? Is this ethical? Is this a good idea? How do we know (and who decides)? - should be considered within an established data governance framework and alongside core partners to determine whether and how to move forward when building an Integrated Data System (IDS) and also at each stage of a specific data project. We discuss these questions in depth, with a particular focus on the role of governance in establishing legal and ethical data use. In addition, we provide example data governance structures from two IDS sites and hypothetical scenarios that illustrate key considerations for the Four Question Framework. ConclusionsA robust governance process is essential for determining whether data sharing and integration is legal, ethical, and a good idea within the local context. This process is iterative and as relational as it is technical, which means authentic collaboration across partners should be prioritized at each stage of a data use project. The Four Questions serve as a guide for determining whether to undertake data sharing and integration and should be regularly revisited throughout the life of a project. Highlights Strong data governance has five qualities: it is purpose-, value-, and principle-driven; strategically located; collaborative; iterative; and transparent. Through a series of public deliberation workgroups and 15 years of field experience, we developed a Four Question Framework to determine whether and how to move forward with building an IDS and at each stage of a data sharing and integration project. The Four Questions—Is this legal? Is this ethical? Is this a good idea? How do we know (and who decides)? —should be carefully considered within established data governance processes and among core partners.

EAEU’s Human Potential: New Risks and Opportunities for Development

This study is aimed at studying human potential, its development and implementation in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Taking into account the commitments made by the countries of the Union to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in accordance with Agenda 2030 and under sanctions pressure from hostile countries.Aim. To present the human potential of the integration association as a complex phenomenon of the socio-economic relations of the integrating countries, as well as to identify the emerging risks and offer practical recommendations for reproducing the human potential within the EAEU.Tasks. To trace the dynamics of indicators of development and realization of human potential in each country of the EAEU and the aggregate human potential of the EAEU, to reveal the features of reproduction of human potential by dividing it into qualitative and functional forms, to identify modern risks for reproduction of human potential of the EAEU and new opportunities for development.Methods. To compare indicators of human development of the EAEU countries, the method of comparative analysis is used. In the part of the human potential of the EAEU, it is proposed to take into account new risks for ensuring sustainable human development in the integration association, which make it possible to make methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and statistical method.Results. Based on the analysis of the dynamics of development of such forms of human potential as health potential, educational potential and labor potential, accumulated problems, modern challenges and risks for reproduction of human potential of each EAEU country.Conclusion. The EAEU can no longer remain only an economic integration project, and it is time to expand the horizons of interaction between countries, including on the sphere of development and the realization of human potential. By taking into account new risks, countries need to coordinate the directions of development of the EAEU’s total human potential within the framework of commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in accordance with Agenda 2030 and under the conditions of ongoing sanctions pressure from hostile countries.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Deference at the Court of Justice

AbstractThis article analyses the European Court of Justice's strategic use of deference as a resilience technique in the preliminary reference procedure. It focuses on the strategic potential of using deference in two scenarios: first, when the Court uses teleological interpretation or expands the scope of the EU legal order and, second, when it declares national measures incompatible with EU law. The findings indicate that the Court is more likely to use deference when expanding EU law and less likely to defer when it declares national measures incompatible with EU law. The article challenges commonly held assumptions regarding the use of deference. First, the findings substantially qualify accounts linking the increase of deference to the maturity of the EU legal order and a certain halt of judicial activism. Deference allows the Court to explore new frontiers of EU law, suggesting that although the legal order might have matured, the Court does not perceive the project of legal integration as completed. Second, the article defies claims that deference is used by the Court as a ‘weapon of restraint’.

Systemic Failure and Systemic Change in Private and Business Law: An Introduction

European private and business law has been able to maintain its foundational principles and structures intact, while rapidly reacting to and incorporating societal change. Time and again, profound crises have threatened the project of European integration. In hindsight, many of these challenges have furthered rather than derailed this project. However, the system of European private and business law will only be able to evolve if it is able to translate the mechanisms of social change into the language of the law. The task ahead is one for different areas of private and business law, from the law of contracts to company law, but it is also a task for a new theory and methodology of private law. Systemic Failure, System Building, European Private and Business Law, Global Financial Crisis, Climate Crisis, Stability, Evolution, Innovation, Disruption, Regulatory Competition

The positive effects of symbolized characteristics of Luojing cross pattern decoration on public anxiety disorders based on social psychology

BackgroundIn recent years, the incidence of anxiety disorders has been increasing. The cause of anxiety disorders is not clear, but it may be related to genetic factors, personality characteristics, cognitive processes, etc. In order to study the positive impact of anxiety disorder among people in intangible cultural heritage, the social behavior of Luojing cross pattern symbolization and the emotional face of people with anxiety disorder were identified.Subjects and MethodsThe study used task-state fMRI technology, which required participants to complete the task of emotional face recognition during the MRI scan. The study compared the difference in activation of brain regions under positive and negative emotional faces between the GAD patient group and the healthy control group. SPSS24.0 was used for data analysis.ResultsIn positive mood, compared with healthy controls, the brain regions with significantly enhanced activation in the anxiety disorder group included the right posterior central gyrus (t=3.02, P<0.05), the right superior temporal gyrus (t=3.86, P<0.05), and the right caudate nucleus (t=4.02, P<0.05). The brain regions with significantly weakened activation in the anxiety disorder group included the right superior frontal gyrus (t=3.11, P<0.05), the right medial frontal lobe (t=4.01, P<0.05), the left middle frontal gyrus (t=2.69, P<0.05), the left insula (t=3.08, P<0.05), the left anterior cingulate gyrus (t=2.38, P<0.05), the left hippocampus (t=3.48, P<0.05), etc.ConclusionsWhen the Luojing cross pattern ornament was symbolized, the mood of the people with anxiety disorders was more positive. This helps in the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders from a social perspective.AcknowledgementA School-level Educational Teaching Research Project at Shanghai Business School in 2023 (No.SBS-2023-XJJG-07); Shanghai Cultural and Educational Integration project in 2023.

Eurasian Economic Union: Mechanisms and meanings of social-humanitarian cooperation

The relevance of the research is determined by the need in new opportunities to improve the effectiveness of integration processes in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) under the increasing global instability. The author shows the importance of social-humanitarian cooperation for integration processes, describes its mechanisms, tools and meanings. The article is based on the materials of the governing bodies of the EAEU, state and non-state organizations of the member countries, current publications of the mass media and studies conducted by the Institute of Demographic Research in 2019- 2023. The author describes both the current state of cooperation between the member countries and its problems, such as the local nature of joint events held on a bilateral basis and having a small integration effect; the declining use of the Russian language in the post-Soviet space; the increasing denial of the Soviet past and a low level of support for integration among the younger groups; the lack of an acceptable consensus of the member states in assessing the depth of integration processes; overestimated expectations from the development of countries within the Union; the lack of institutional basis for social-humanitarian interaction and of supranational structures that ensure work with the population of the EAEU. The author sees the prospects for the development of humanitarian cooperation within the Eurasian integration in productive communication projects of a mass nature, which aim at a large audience and form the potential for integration of countries and peoples. The author argues that social-humanitarian projects of Eurasian integration will inevitably require content interesting for younger generations and active social groups, so that cooperation meanings would contribute to the formation of a common socialhumanitarian space of the EAEU.

The role of road freight transport in ensuring international trade of the EAEU countries

Regionalization and digitalization are significant factors in the development of international transport, including road transport. Liberalization of mutual trade, creation of a single customs territory and gradual elimination of non-tariff barriers within integration unions have generally led to an increase in the speed of international movement of goods. Today the EAEU is the most advanced integration project in the post-Soviet space. Transport as an area of Eurasian integration occupies a special place in the integration process due to the spatial characteristics of the association and its transit potential. It is expected that the common transport space (CTS) will be created without exceptions and limitations by 2025. Trade relations of EAEU member states are provided by all modes of transport (including pipeline transport, but this study focuses only on long-distance modes of transport). In terms of countries, road transport plays the largest role in transport support of foreign trade in the Kyrgyz Republic, and the smallest role in the Russian Federation, where other modes of transport are more involved, mainly sea and rail transport. At the same time, the Russian and Kazakh segments account for more than 95 % of the freight transportations of the EAEU countries carried out by road transport, which determined the relevance of the research topic. This investigation presents the role of road transport in ensuring the international transport of goods of the EAEU countries. The results of the study, aimed at determining the role of road transport in the provision of international freight transportation of EAEU countries, were obtained through an empirical analysis of the road transport industry. The analysis identified the key features of the development of this segment in the EAEU countries. In turn, the assessment of the place of road transport in ensuring foreign trade of EAEU countries was carried out on the basis of two quantitative indicators of transport as an industry - the volume of freight traffic and cargo turnover.

Labor-Market Integration Projects Targeting Refugee Women in Germany: How Organizations With Different Inequality Regimes Negotiate Economic Integration

In recent years, several European reception countries have made rapid labor-market integration a key part of refugee policy. Little is known about how such services work, how involved actors address their clients, and what effects this entails. This article examines labor-market integration projects targeting refugee women in post-2015 Germany. Comparing six projects of various organizational backgrounds, I identify two contradictory approaches: a femonationalist logic that addresses refugee women as barely employable caring mothers and spouses; and an intersectional feminist logic that perceives them as equally economically-active subjects. I argue that organizational rationales contribute to the limitations of gender-specific reception politics.

Telehealth Impact in Frontier Critical Access Hospitals: Mixed Methods Evaluation.

Frontier areas are sparsely populated counties in states where 65% of the counties have 6 or fewer residents per square mile. Residents access primary care at critical access hospitals (CAHs) located in these rural communities but must travel great distances for specialty care. Telehealth could address access challenges; however, there are barriers to broader use, including reimbursement and the need for practical implementation support. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implemented the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration to assess the impact of telehealth payment change and technical assistance to adopt and sustainably use telehealth for CAHs treating Medicare fee-for-service patients in frontier regions. We evaluated the impact of the FCHIP Demonstration telehealth payment change and technical assistance on telehealth adoption and ongoing use using a mixed methods approach. We conducted a mixed methods evaluation of the 8 CAHs in Montana, Nevada, and North Dakota that participated in the FCHIP program. Key informant interviews and FCHIP program document review were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis to understand how CAHs implemented their telehealth programs and the facilitators of program adoption and maintenance. Medicare fee-for-service claims were analyzed from August 2013 to July 2019 relative to a group of CAHs that did not participate in the demonstration project to understand the frequency of telehealth use for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries receiving care at the participating CAHs before and during the Demonstration program. CAH staff noted several key factors for establishing and sustaining a telehealth program: clinical and administrative staff champions, infrastructure changes, training on telehealth processes, and establishing strong relationships with specialists at distant facilities to deliver telehealth services to patients of CAH. There was a modest increase in telehealth services billed to Medicare during the FCHIP Demonstration that were limited to a handful of CAHs. The frontier setting is characterized by a low population; and thus, the volumes of telehealth services provided in both the CAHs and comparison sites are low. Overall, CAHs reported that patient satisfaction was high and expressed the desire for more virtual services. Telehealth service selection was informed by perceived community needs and specialist availability. CAHs made infrastructure changes to support telehealth and expressed the desire for more virtual services. Implementation support services helped CAHs integrate telehealth into clinical and operational workflows. There was some increase in telehealth services billed to Medicare, but the volume billed was low and not enough to substantially improve hospital revenue. Future work to inform policy and practice could include standardized, formal community need assessments and assistance finding distant providers to meet those needs and further technical assistance around billing, service selection, and ongoing use to support sustainability.

Special Issue Introduction – Quality of Elections. Definitions and Measures

The study of the quality of elections is spreading very rapidly. This article aims to provide a general overview of the state of the art to introduce an empirical analysis of the quality of elections for the Italian parliament. After reviewing the definitions of ‘quality of elections’, the article thoroughly examines the two main measurement tools. One is based on the experts’ perceptions and promoted as part of the Electoral Integrity Project. The other is based on objective data called the Elections Performance Index. Finally, the article applies the measurement method based on the residual vote to the Italian case.

Pathways to integrating paratransit and formal public transport: Case studies from Tshwane, South Africa

At its core public transport integration is about the collaboration of actors. Collaboration is elusive and difficult to achieve, especially in developing countries where insufficient regulation and dispersed, quasi-formal public transport operations are common. Asymmetries in information and objectives between paratransit and formal sector actors create barriers and may prevent synergies from emerging. A simplified framework for assessing the collaboration of actors during the implementation of integrated public transport projects is proposed. The position of the framework is that it is critical to identify actors’ objectives and barriers to collaboration, and then to action decisions to remove these barriers and achieve objectives at every step of the STO (Strategic Tactical Operational) decision-making process to maintain structural and horizontal consistency. The framework is tested ex-post on two public transport integration projects in Tshwane, South Africa: the Gautrain regional rapid rail and A Re Yeng Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), both of which are supported by paratransit feeders. The case study shows how collaboration is achieved when all the key actors' objectives and barriers are understood, planned for and implemented across the STO levels and how failure to do so can lead to failed integration outcomes. The framework may be useful to authorities pursuing collaboration with paratransit for the purposes of implementing integrated public transport in the Global South.

Leveraging Responsive Feedback to Redesign a Demand Generation Strategy: Experience From the IntegratE Project in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Use of modern contraceptives in Nigeria is low (12%) despite very high knowledge of modern methods (92%). Knowledge of modern methods of contraception in Lagos and Kaduna is high at nearly 100% and 94%, respectively, yet contraceptive use in Lagos and Kaduna remains low at 29% and 14%, respectively. Demand generation was a key strategy in increasing contraceptive uptake through the involvement of providers in the private sector (community pharmacists and patent and proprietary medicine vendors) in family planning service delivery.We describe how an interpersonal communication strategy was modified using a responsive feedback approach and detail the insights gained in implementing an individual compared with a group interpersonal communication strategy during the implementation of the IntegratE Project in Lagos State, Nigeria. We conducted monthly pause-and-reflect sessions for interpersonal communication agents to pause and reflect on lessons learned and address challenges. Using the responsive feedback approach helped to improve contraceptive uptake by adopting a group strategy. Also, the monthly pause-and-reflect sessions have helped interpersonal communication agents see program implementation as a collective responsibility.

Downplaying Euroscepticism in Mainstream Media: The Schengen Accession of Romania and Bulgaria

Scholars have expressed concern about the growth of Eurosceptic discourses in the media since Taggart’s (1998) article on Euroscepticism. While some progress has been made in understanding the media’s role in increasing Euroscepticism, previous studies have primarily focused on Western European media discourses. This research aims to address the knowledge gap on Eurosceptic discourse in Eastern Europe by analysing the impact of the veto against Romania and Bulgaria’s application to join Schengen, as reflected in mainstream media. The research question is: To what extent the Eurosceptic discourse arose in both countries in the weeks before and after the Justice and Home Affairs Council (8–9 December 2022)? The findings indicate that mainstream-mediated discourse employed a strategy of downplaying Euroscepticism. The Romanian and Bulgarian political class labelled the failure to join Schengen as “disappointing,” “unfair,” “unjustified,” and “regrettable.” This research provides evidence of how mainstream media discourses addressed the issue while promoting the European integration project by minimising Euroscepticism.

Life histories and extraction impacts models in two untapped Geonoma palms

The sustainable management of wild useful palms is crucial for their long-term survival. To understand how populations respond to extraction, it is necessary to examine the impacts of extraction in relation to their life histories in their habitat. A suitable genus for studying extraction responses and understanding life histories is Geonoma, as it exhibits a variety of demographic strategies, has a high potential for use, and some species are considered as untapped sources. Two species, Geonoma orbignyana and G. undata, are used as ornamentals for domestic purposes and commercialized in small-scale markets. They differ in their habitats, with G. orbignyana found in the understory and G. undata in more open spaces, suggesting different life histories. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to simulate the impacts of extraction for ornamental purposes in G. orbignyana and G. undata and identify the relationship with their life histories. The research was conducted in the Andean Forest of Chicaque Natural Park, Colombia in 2019–2021. We determined the demography of the two species, using Integral Projection Models (IPMs), and simulated the extraction of juveniles, leaves, and fruits. We found that both species exhibited typical understory palm patterns in terms of survival and growth rates. However, G. orbignyana had lower maximum individual size and onset of fecundity, indicating understory strategies, while G. undata displayed mixed strategies. The population of G. undata declined during both census periods due to high elasticities on juveniles, and extracting of juveniles is unsustainable, contrary of extraction of fruits and leaves, that seems to be sustainable under certain scenarios. Similarly, the extraction of leaves and fruits in G. orbignyana is potentially sustainable if occurring on specific sizes and rates, but the extraction of juveniles depletes the population. These findings suggest that sustainable extraction practices can be implemented to untapped palm populations while ensuring their conservation. To achieve this, it is crucial to protect the sizes and processes related to the growth and survival of acaulescent juveniles. Only after ensuring their growth should any extraction activities be considered. By adopting these practices, we can promote the responsible use of palm resources and safeguard their long-term viability.

Quartet RNA reference materials improve the quality of transcriptomic data through ratio-based profiling

Certified RNA reference materials are indispensable for assessing the reliability of RNA sequencing to detect intrinsically small biological differences in clinical settings, such as molecular subtyping of diseases. As part of the Quartet Project for quality control and data integration of multi-omics profiling, we established four RNA reference materials derived from immortalized B-lymphoblastoid cell lines from four members of a monozygotic twin family. Additionally, we constructed ratio-based transcriptome-wide reference datasets between two samples, providing cross-platform and cross-laboratory ‘ground truth’. Investigation of the intrinsically subtle biological differences among the Quartet samples enables sensitive assessment of cross-batch integration of transcriptomic measurements at the ratio level. The Quartet RNA reference materials, combined with the ratio-based reference datasets, can serve as unique resources for assessing and improving the quality of transcriptomic data in clinical and biological settings.