The Competition for Attention and the Evolution of Science

Whenever the amount of information produced exceeds the amount of attention available to consume it, a competition for attention is born. The competition is increasingly fierce in science where the exponential growth of information has forced its producers, consumers and gatekeepers to become increasingly selective in what they attend to and what they ignore. Paradoxically, as the criteria of selection among authors, editors and readers of scientific journal articles co-evolve, they show signs of becoming increasingly unscientific. The present article suggests how the paradox can be addressed with computer simulation, and what its implications for the future of science might be.Attention, Competition, Evolution, Information, Production, Consumption

Trials and Tribulations of Tutorials

Online tutorials have become a regular and important part of library instruction. During the pandemic there was an increase in the number of online tutorials created by libraries, as librarians shifted their approach to working with students. Having to adapt to the increasing changes in digital pedagogy left some librarians at a disadvantage. While some institutions had the resources to adapt quickly, other institutions did not. In order to understand the limitations of tutorial creation, one must understand the “pain points” or the difficulties some institutions and individuals go through in creating tutorials

Calibration with confidence:A principled method for panel assessment

Frequently, a set of objects has to be evaluated by a panel of assessors, but not every object is assessed by every assessor. A problem facing such panels is how to take into account different standards amongst panel members and varying levels of confidence in their scores. Here, a mathematically-based algorithm is developed to calibrate the scores of such assessors, addressing both of these issues. The algorithm is based on the connectivity of the graph of assessors and objects evaluated, incorporating declared confidences as weights on its edges. If the graph is sufficiently well connected, relative standards can be inferred by comparing how assessors rate objects they assess in common, weighted by the levels of confidence of each assessment. By removing these biases, "true" values are inferred for all the objects. Reliability estimates for the resulting values are obtained. The algorithm is tested in two case studies, one by computer simulation and another based on realistic evaluation data. The process is compared to the simple averaging procedure in widespread use, and to Fisher's additive incomplete block analysis. It is anticipated that the algorithm will prove useful in a wide variety of situations such as evaluation of the quality of research submitted to national assessment exercises; appraisal of grant proposals submitted to funding panels; ranking of job applicants; and judgement of performances on degree courses wherein candidates can choose from lists of options.Comment: 32 pages including supplementary information; 5 figure

Apolipoprotein E and Coronary Disease: A Puzzling Paradox

Reilly and Rader discuss a new study in PLoS Medicine that shows an association between apoE levels and cardiovascular disease mortality

THE COSINE-CUBED NEUTRON SPECTROMETER (thesis)

In an attempt to increase the efficiency, a proton recoil neutron spectrometer was built in which the proton detection crystal is in the shape of the surface formed by the rotation of the cos/sup 3/ THETA curve about the THETA = 0 axis where THETA is the angle between the direction of travel of the incident neutron and the direction of travel of the recoil proton. Such a construction makes the detector crystal conform to the range envelope of the protons recoiling from a neutron beam of sufficiently high energy into a gas in which the proton range is proportional to the 3/2 power of the proton energy. Sixteen pieces of thallium-activated cesium iodide were assembled as a mosaic arranged in the cos/sup 3/ THETA shape so that the maximum THETA was 30 deg . Calculations show that 25% of the protons recoil within 30 deg . The Po-Be snd Po-B spectra were measured with the instrument using xenon in the chamber. The resolution of the spectra obtained was low due to nonuniform pulse height response of the CsI crystal sections and excessive gamma-ray response even though sn anthracene proton radiator was used in a coincidence scheme designed to minimize gamma-ray background. The instrument did not exhibit the added efficiency which was being sought in the design. The necessity of single chamel operation further limits its usefulness. (auth

Beliefs and expectations about the future of personal life and future of the world in a sample of Iranian and Canadian students

This study was aimed to assess expectations about future of personal life and future of the world among a sample of Iranian and Canadian students. 60 Iranians from Tehran and Shahid Beheshti Universities in Iran and and 62 Canadians from Carleton University in Canada completed a researcher made questionnaire asking their beliefs and expectations in four areas such as personal future, generational comparison, future of the world and personal life goals. The results showed that both Iranian and Canadian participants were more optimistic about their personal future than about the future of the world but Iranians were less optimistic about the future of the world than were Canadians. Both groups expect to be richer and have a higher quality of life than their parents, and both expect their children to have a lower quality of life than their parents and to be poorer than themselves. Cultural differences were found in the importance Iranians and Canadians attach to life goals. Results and implications are discussed

Altered Gene Expression in Early Atherosclerosis Is Blocked by Low Level Apolipoprotein E

BACKGROUND: Mice deficient in apolipoprotein E (apoE(-/-)) develop atherosclerosis. The possible linkage between expression of adhesion molecules/cofactors and atherosclerosis was probed at the level of mRNA and protein expression. The hypothesis of a linkage between changes of adhesion molecules/cofactors and atherosclerosis was tested further by suppression of aortic lesion formation in apoE(-/-) mice by expression of very low levels of transgenic apolipoprotein E. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We show that at 8.5 months of age, the apoE(-/-) mice display elevated expression of mRNA for LFA-1, MAC-1, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and for CD44, as well as MCP-1, cathepsin B, and COX-2 (but not that for eNOS) in atherosclerotic aortic arches. At earlier age, (10-13 week old) apoE(-/-) mice already display elevated expression of mRNA of CD44, LFA-1, MAC-1, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, cathepsin, and of COX-2 in lesioned aortic arches. Expressing very low levels of transgenic apolipoprotein E suppresses both aortic lesions and the expression of mRNA of LFA-1, VCAM-1, MCP-1, cathepsin B, and of ICAM-1 in ApoE(-/-) mice. We tested at the level of protein, the observations obtained for mRNA expression. CD11a (a component of LFA-1), VCAM-1 and cathepsin B expression was found to be elevated in apoE(-/-) aortas at 8-9 months; low level expression of transgenic apolipoprotein E rectifies these changes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Atherosclerotic lesions in apoE(-/-) mice are detected as early as 4 weeks of age. Expression of low levels of apoE is shown to be both atheroprotective and to suppress these changes in key adhesion and inflammatory molecules observed in early atherosclerotic lesions

Perceived complexity in Sauvignon Blanc wines: influence of domain-specific expertise

Background and Aims Complexity is a multidimensional and poorly defined term that is frequently employed to characterise wine sensorially. The present study aimed to investigate the sensorial nature of perceived complexity in wine as a function of domain-specific expertise. Methods and Results Eighty-seven French participants (16 wine professionals, 30 connoisseurs and 41 wine consumers) evaluated 13 Sauvignon Blanc wines. The wines were produced in New Zealand as part of a project aimed at increasing perceived complexity in Sauvignon wines. Participants evaluated the wines by free sorting and by judging complexity via a questionnaire. Sorting behaviour across groups was similar qualitatively, but significant differences were observed in variability between wine professionals and consumers. Complexity questionnaire data showed differences in ratings as a function of both participant expertise and wine. Conclusions The results are more in keeping with theories that perceived complexity is associated with aspects of harmony and wine balance, rather than with perceptual separability of wine components. Significance of the Study The current work reports innovative methodology and new information that furthers the field of sensory science, and specifically investigation of complexity in wine