Co-contributorship Network and Division of Labor in Individual Scientific Collaborations

Collaborations are pervasive in current science. Collaborations have been studied and encouraged in many disciplines. However, little is known about how a team really functions from the detailed division of labor within. In this research, we investigate the patterns of scientific collaboration and division of labor within individual scholarly articles by analyzing their co‐contributorship networks. Co‐contributorship networks are constructed by performing the one‐mode projection of the author–task bipartite networks obtained from 138,787 articles published in PLoS journals. Given an article, we define 3 types of contributors: Specialists, Team‐players, and Versatiles. Specialists are those who contribute to all their tasks alone; team‐players are those who contribute to every task with other collaborators; and versatiles are those who do both. We find that team‐players are the majority and they tend to contribute to the 5 most common tasks as expected, such as “data analysis” and “performing experiments.” The specialists and versatiles are more prevalent than expected by our designed 2 null models. Versatiles tend to be senior authors associated with funding and supervision. Specialists are associated with 2 contrasting roles: the supervising role as team leaders or marginal and specialized contributors

Dynamics of transverse cloud rolls in the boundary layer with the Poiseuille shear flow

This study examines the formation of transverse cloud rolls associated with the Poiseuille shear flows that are occasionally observed in the Earth’s atmospheric boundary layer. It is shown that the mechanisms underlying the formation of this type of transverse roll clouds can be explained in the framework of the transition dynamics and structural bifurcation for the incompressible flows. Specifically, the formation of transverse roll clouds is attributed to a subtle interaction between the vertical wind shear and the vertical temperature gradient in the atmospheric well-mixed boundary layer, which results in an attractor bifurcation and subsequent boundary layer separations. The topological structure of the Poiseuille shear flow at the boundary layer separation can be identified as transverse roll cloud

Closing Thoughts on "Information Systems Research: Thinking Outside the Basket and Beyond the Journal"

This essay provides a rejoinder by the original authors to the set of responses to Fitzgerald, B., Dennis, A. R., An, J., Tsutsui, S., & Muchala, R. C. (2019). Information systems research: Thinking outside the basket and beyond the journal. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 45, 110-133

3D Data Repository Features, Best Practices, and Implications for Preservation Models: Findings from a National Forum

This study identifies challenges and directions for 3D/VR repository standards and practices. As 3D technologies become more affordable and accessible, academic libraries need to implement workflows, standards, and practices that support the full lifecycle of 3D data. This study invited experts across several disciplines to analyze current national repository and preservation efforts. Outlined models provide frameworks to identify features, examine workflows, and determine implications of 3D data on current preservation models. Participants identified challenges for supporting 3D data, including intellectual property and fair use; providing repository system management beyond academic libraries; seeking guidance outside of academia for workflows to model

A New Perspective on Terrestrial Hydrologic Intensity That Incorporates Atmospheric Water Demand

Hydrologic intensity is often quantified using precipitation without directly incorporating atmospheric water demand. We develop a hydrologic intensity index called the surplus deficit intensity (SDI) index that accounts for variation in supply and demand. SDI is the standardized sum of standardized surplus intensity (mean of daily surplus when supply > demand) and deficit time (mean of consecutive days when demand > supply). Using an observational ensemble of global daily precipitation and atmospheric water demand during 1979–2017, we document widespread hydrologic intensification (SDI; +0.11 z‐score per decade) driven primarily by increased surplus intensity. Using a climate model ensemble of the United States, hydrologic intensification is projected for the mid‐21st century (+0.86 in z‐score compared to 1971–2000), producing greater apparent intensification when compared to an index that does not explicitly incorporate demand. While incorporating demand had a minor effect on observed hydrologic intensification, it doubles hydrological intensification for the mid‐21st century

Understanding Illicit Insemination and Fertility Fraud, From Patient Experience to Legal Reform

Recently, several cases have been filed in North America and Europe alleging that fertility physicians inseminated former patients with their own sperm only to have this conduct come to light decades later when their unsuspecting adult children use direct-to-consumer genetic tests and learn that they are not biologically related to their fathers and often that they have multiple half-siblings. For instance, Donald Cline of Indianapolis, Indiana, has over sixty doctor-conceived children, with more continuing to come forward. Although these cases induce disgust, it has thus far proven difficult to hold these physicians legally accountable because their conduct falls within gaps in existing civil and criminal laws. This Article explores the legal contours of fertility fraud cases involving illicit physician inseminations, explaining why it falls through gaps in existing criminal and civil law and why it is essential to take whatever measures are necessary to hold physicians accountable. Part I discusses six physicians who have thus far faced criminal or civil charges for their conduct in North America and explores how artificial insemination has long been a stigmatized practice cloaked in secrecy. Part II discusses how fertility fraud violates various ethical and legal interests of female and male former patients and their doctor-conceived children. Part III assesses how Cline’s illicit inseminations affected parents and progeny and how Cline’s progeny learn of new genetic connections, what they think of Cline and his motivations, how they derive support from one another, their reactions to criminal proceedings against Cline, and why they regard a legislative “fertility fraud” bill as an ideal outcome. Part IV analyzes why it is difficult to hold physicians criminally and civilly liable under existing law, including excerpts from an interview with the prosecutor in the Cline case. Finally, Part V discusses successful efforts to overcome these difficulties through passing fertility fraud legislation in Indiana and Texas

Unpacking the Rise of Benefit Corporations: A Transatlantic Comparative Case Study

The increasing interest being in social entrepreneurship has brought with it the beginnings of a legal revolution in the way that firms are incorporated and managed with thirty-three states having enacted statues permitting the formation of special corporate entities known as benefit corporations. These businesses are required to pursue a public benefit or community purpose while still earning a profit for their shareholders. Yet not all benefit corporation statutes are created equal. Varying top-down and bottom-up approaches were taken to enact these laws, which may contribute to different success rates in terms of the number of benefit corporations created in the preceding years. In order to identify governance best practices that could inform other states and nations debating similar legislation, this article analyzes the different ways that the benefit corporation statutes were created in Virginia, Connecticut, and Delaware. This process of adoption and resulting incorporation of entities is then compared to the European Union’s efforts at regulating social entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on the UK’s Community Interest Company Approach. Through this lens, the Article investigates the processes and supporters of benefit corporation statutes, and compares theses with EU efforts to support social enterprises, in order to better understand how experimentation with legally unique forms of business contribute to current efforts to modify the relationship between business and society

Anthropometric Risk Factors for Cancers of the Biliary Tract in the Biliary Tract Cancers Pooling Project

Biliary tract cancers are rare but highly fatal with poorly understood etiology. Identifying potentially modifiable risk factors for these cancers is essential for prevention. Here we estimated the relationship between adiposity and cancer across the biliary tract, including cancers of the gallbladder (GBC), intrahepatic bile ducts (IHBDC), extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBDC), and the ampulla of Vater (AVC). We pooled data from 27 prospective cohorts with over 2.7 million adults. Adiposity was measured using baseline body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip, and waist-to-height ratios. HRs and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for sex, education, race, smoking, and alcohol consumption with age as the time metric and the baseline hazard stratified by study. During 37,883,648 person-years of follow-up, 1,343 GBC cases, 1,194 EHBDC cases, 784 IHBDC cases, and 623 AVC cases occurred. For each 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI, there were risk increases for GBC (HR = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.19–1.36), IHBDC (HR = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.21–1.45), and EHBDC (HR = 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03–1.23), but not AVC (HR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.88–1.11). Increasing waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio were associated with GBC and IHBDC but not EHBDC or AVC. These results indicate that adult adiposity is associated with an increased risk of biliary tract cancer, particularly GBC and IHBDC. Moreover, they provide evidence for recommending weight maintenance programs to reduce the risk of developing these cancers

Crystal Structure and Conformational Dynamics of Pyrococcus furiosus Prolyl Oligopeptidase

Enzymes in the prolyl oligopeptidase family possess unique structures and substrate specificities that are important for their biological activity and for potential biocatalytic applications. The crystal structures of Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu) prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) and the corresponding S477C mutant were determined to 1.9 and 2.2 Å resolution, respectively. The wild type enzyme crystallized in an open conformation, indicating that this state is readily accessible, and it contained bound chloride ions and a prolylproline ligand. These structures were used as starting points for molecular dynamics simulations of Pfu POP conformational dynamics. The simulations showed that large-scale domain opening and closing occurred spontaneously, providing facile substrate access to the active site. Movement of the loop containing the catalytically essential histidine into a conformation similar to those found in structures with fully formed catalytic triads also occurred. This movement was modulated by chloride binding, providing a rationale for experimentally observed activation of POP peptidase catalysis by chloride. Thus, the structures and simulations reported in this study, combined with existing biochemical data, provide a number of insights into POP catalysis

NFL blood levels are moderated by subconcussive impacts in a cohort of college football players

Introduction: Repetitive subconcussive head impacts in contact/collision sports such as in US football are believed to contribute to long-term brain changes and chronic symptoms. However, the lack of tools to measure the effects of repeated subconcussion limits our understanding of potential contributions to neuropathological alterations including cellular damage. Methods: We examined subconcussive head impacts using an accelerometer-embedded mouthguard on changes in blood levels of neurofilament light (NFL) chain in 18 Division I college football players. Plasma levels of NFL and clinical symptoms were assessed at pre-post practices. The frequency and linear and rotational head accelerations recorded via the mouthguard were examined in relation to NFL plasma changes. Results: The frequency and magnitude of head impacts associated with increased NFL levels. The greater numbers of hits and head accelerations associated with greater pre- to post-practice NFL level increases (p < 0.05). Greater pre- to post-practice increases in NFL also associated with greater pre- to post-practice increases in S100β (p < 0.001), but not with total tau. Years of football experience and concussion history did not associate with changes in NFL. Conclusion: Acute changes in NFL may be a clinically useful peripheral marker in tracking acute brain damage in collegiate football players, and other contact sports