Ups and downs on “r/science” — exploring the dynamics of science communication on Reddit

This exploratory study analyzed user-generated science communication on Reddit from May 2007 to October 2018 (n = 694.147 posts). We used automated content analyses and topic modelling to explore patterns that the user-generated communication exhibits. Results indicate that science communication on r/science refers to a broad range of different topics and disciplines. Specific upvote features of Reddit result in increased attention to sources and topics. Especially, social media sources and content that is self-referential to Reddit lead to high controversy in discussions

Performance evaluation of an automated and continuous antibody purification process in a side-by-side comparability study

Continuous manufacturing (CM) introduces the benefits of cost efficiency, reliability and scalability for the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. Higher flexibility, smaller facility footprints and cost of goods benefits are advantages of this production mode. It offers high flexibility in regard of demand changes from clinical to launch and for volatile market dynamics. In combination with disposable equipment, faster time-to-market and closed processing seems feasible. Bayer´s unique CM platform consists of a series of downstream processing (DSP) unit operations through which the drug substance moves continuously and all unit operations happen more or less in parallel at the same time. The technology offers the potential to make Quality by Design (QbD) a reality (with continuously monitored process parameters and real-time feedback process control to maintain quality-indicating parameters within limits at all times, multi-variate data analysis). Individual unit operations are intelligently integrated and critical process parameters are monitored and controlled in real-time. Conditioning modules allow immediate corrective actions to be executed in an automated fashion to maintain the entire process in a state of control with low batch-to-batch variability. In addition, online sampling and testing functions provide early warning of potential excursions. By reduced manual interference this will also lead to reduction of operator errors and according deviations. Manufacturing facilities will be significantly less capital-intensive (e.g. by simpler layout) than large, traditional batch facilities as disposable technology and aseptic connections offer superior protection against bioburden ingress and other forms of contamination. The presentation also intends to illustrate comparability of CM versus batch processing in a side-by-side approach covering process information, real time analysis as well as quality data from intermediates and final drug substance of an antibody product. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Identification and characterization of microsatellite loci in two socially complex old world tropical babblers (Family Timaliidae)

Background: Although the highest diversity of birds occurs in tropical regions, little is known about the genetic mating systems of most tropical species. We describe microsatellite markers isolated in the chestnut-crested yuhina (Staphida everetti), endemic to the island of Borneo, and the grey-throated babbler (Stachyris nigriceps), widely distributed across Southeast Asia. Both species belong to the avian family Timaliidae and are highly social, putatively cooperatively breeding birds in which helpers attend the nests of members of their social group. We obtained DNA from individuals in social groups breeding in Kinabalu Park, Malaysian Borneo. Results: We used a shotgun sequencing approach and 454-technology to identify 36 microsatellite loci in the yuhina and 40 in the babbler. We tested 13 primer pairs in yuhinas and 20 in babblers and characterized eight polymorphic loci in 20 unrelated female yuhinas and 21 unrelated female babblers. Polymorphism at the yuhina loci ranged from 3 to 9 alleles, observed heterozygosities from 0.58 to 1.00, and expected heterozygosities from 0.64 to 0.81. Polymorphism at the babbler loci ranged from 3 to 12 alleles, observed heterozygosities from 0.14 to 0.90 and expected heterozygosities from 0.14 to 0.87. One locus in the yuhina deviated significantly from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. We detected nonrandom allele associations between two pairs of microsatellite loci in each species. Conclusions: Microsatellite markers will be used to describe the genetic mating system of these socially complex species and to measure genetic parentage and relatedness within social groups

Questionable Research Practices and Misconduct Among Norwegian Researchers

This article presents results from the national survey conducted in 2018 for the project Research Integrity in Norway (RINO). A total of 31,206 questionnaires were sent out to Norwegian researchers by e-mail, and 7291 responses were obtained. In this paper, we analyse the survey data to determine attitudes towards and the prevalence of fabrication, falsification and plagiarism (FFP) and contrast this with attitudes towards and the prevalence of the more questionable research practices (QRPs) surveyed. Our results show a relatively low percentage of self-reported FFPs (0.2–0.3%), while the number of researchers who report having committed one of the QRPs during the last three years reached a troublesome 40%. The article also presents a ranking of the perceived severity of FFP and QRPs among Norwegian researchers. Overall, there is a widespread normative consensus, where FFP is considered more troublesome than QRPs.publishedVersio

Time series segmentation by Cusum, AutoSLEX and AutoPARM methods

Time series segmentation has many applications in several disciplines as neurology, cardiology, speech, geology and others. Many time series in this fields do not behave as stationary and the usual transformations to linearity cannot be used. This paper describes and evaluates different methods for segmenting non-stationary time series. We propose a modification of the algorithm in Lee et al. (2003) which is designed to searching for a unique change in the parameters of a time series, in order to find more than one change using an iterative procedure. We evaluate the performance of three approaches for segmenting time series: AutoSLEX (Ombao et al., 2002), AutoPARM (Davis et al., 2006) and the iterative cusum method mentioned above and referred as ICM. The evaluation of each methodology consists of two steps. First, we compute how many times each procedure fails in segmenting stationary processes properly. Second, we analyze the effect of different change patterns by counting how many times the corresponding methodology correctly segments a piecewise stationary process. ICM method has a better performance than AutoSLEX for piecewise stationary processes. AutoPARM presents a very satisfactory behaviour. The performance of the three methods is illustrated with time series datasets of neurology and speech

Methods & proposal for metadata guiding principles for scholarly communications

This article describes an international community-based effort to create metadata guiding principles for adopting and using richer metadata and advancing its application in scholarly communications. These principles can facilitate the dissemination, discoverability and use/reuse of many types of research and scholarly outputs. While much work remains to be done, these principles serve as a starting point for the evolution of processes that span communities including publishers, researchers, scholars, authors and other creators, librarians, curators, custodians, and consumers of scholarly works. These aspirational Metadata 2020 Principles are designed to encompass the needs of our entire community while ensuring thoughtful, purposeful, and reusable metadata resources. They provide a framework for all of us to be good metadata citizens. They also provide a foundation for considering related work from Metadata 2020 and must be interpreted within the legal and practical context in which we operate. They are intended to guide the broadest possible cross-section of our community in improving research communications, publishing, and discoverability