Browse Articles

Inequality in measuring scholarly success: Variation in the h-index within and between disciplines

Scholars and university administrators have a vested interest in building equitable valuation systems of academic work for both practical (e.g., resource distribution) and more lofty purposes (e.g., what constitutes “good” research). Well-established inequalities in science pose a difficult challenge to those interested in constructing a parsimonious and fair method for valuation as stratification occurs within academic disciplines, but also between them. The h -index, a popular research metric, has been formally used as one such method of valuation. In this article, we use the case of the h -index to examine how the distribution of research metrics reveal within and between discipline inequalities. Using bibliometric data from 1960-2019 on over 50,000 high performing scientists—the top 2% most frequently cited authors—across 174 disciplines, we construct random effects within-between models predicting the h -index. Results suggest significant within-discipline variation in several forms, specifically sole-authorship and female penalties. Results also show that a sole authorship penalty plays a significant role in well-known between-discipline variation. Field-specific models emphasize the “apples-to-oranges,” or incommensurable, property of cross-discipline comparison with significant heterogeneity in sole-authorship and female penalties within fields. In conclusion, we recommend continued caution when using the h -index or similar metrics for valuation purposes and the prioritization of substantive valuations from disciplinary experts.

Changes of temporomandibular joint space volume during 1 year after transoral vertical ramus osteotomy in patients with mandibular asymmetry

A dynamic optimization of soil phosphorus status approach could reduce phosphorus fertilizer use by half in China

Increased sagittal abdominal diameter is associated with a higher risk of kidney stones

Background This study investigates the relationship between sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), a measure of abdominal obesity, and kidney stone disease (KSD) in the U.S. population. Additionally, it explores potential underlying mechanisms and evaluates the clinical utility of a predictive model. Methods Data were collected from 11,671 participants, including 1,136 cases of KSD. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, dose-response curves, and mediation effect assessments were employed to examine the association between SAD and KSD. A predictive model was developed and validated using calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and clinical decision curves. Additionally, hematological indicators were analyzed to identify potential mediating factors. Results SAD showed a strong and positive association with KSD, even after adjusting for confounders such as gender, age, and education. The predictive model demonstrated moderate accuracy (AUC =  0.661) and clinical utility. Hematological analyses indicated that granulocyte count (GRAN) significantly mediated the relationship between SAD and KSD (P <  0.001). Conclusions SAD is a significant risk factor for KSD, underscoring the role of abdominal obesity in kidney stone formation. The predictive model demonstrates potential clinical applications for early risk assessment and management of KSD.

Morphological diversity variation of seed traits among 587 germplasm resources of Medicago Genus and 32 germplasm resources of Trigonella Genus

Mechanical force-induced interlayer sliding in interfacial ferroelectrics

Level of tuberculosis-related stigma and associated factors in Ugandan communities

Tuberculosis (TB) stigma remains a significant barrier to TB control efforts globally, especially in countries with a high TB burden. Studies about TB stigma done in Uganda so far have been limited in scope and focused on data collected health facilities. In this study we report TB related stigma at community level for the period 2021/2022. We used the 2021/22 Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) data from a sample of 33,349 participants across 77 districts, to measure TB stigma determine factors associated. We included demographic characteristics, knowledge and participant perspectives as our study variables. Univariable and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with TB stigma. TB stigma was assessed as a categorical variable (below or above the median) due to the skewness of the data when fitting the scores. The data set had equal proportions of males and females. The largest age group was 20–29 years old (38.47%). Most participants were married (62.94%) and had primary level education (65.80%). The TB stigma scores were assigned on a scale from 0 to 30, with an average score of 21.67 (±8.22) and a median score of 24 (19–28). Overall, 45.48% of participants had TB stigma scores above the median. Variations in TB stigma levels were observed across different districts. Factors associated with higher TB stigma included older age, higher education levels, urban residence, and TB knowledge. To reduce TB stigma and misinformation that can make an impact on TB response, community interventions should balance increasing awareness with minimizing fear. These interventions should be well-rounded and context-specific to address disparities within communities and bolster TB control efforts in the country.

Genotype-phenotype correlations for 17 Chinese families with inherited retinal dystrophies due to homozygous variants

In-situ profiling of glycosylation on single cells with surface plasmon resonance imaging

Prediction of microvascular obstruction from angio-based microvascular resistance and available clinical data in percutaneous coronary intervention: an explainable machine learning model

Gene drive-based population suppression in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi

Investigation of the osteogenic effects of ICA and ICSII on rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Carbon-carbon triple bond cleavage and reconstitution to achieve aryl amidation using nitrous acid esters

Salutary impact of spontaneous oxidation in CH3NH3SnI3 on CZTS-based solar cell

Diet-derived urolithin A is produced by a dehydroxylase encoded by human gut Enterocloster species

Analysis of geological characteristics and potential factors of formation damage in coalbed methane reservoir in Northern Qinshui basin

Correction: SARS-CoV-2 reinfections during the first three major COVID-19 waves in Bulgaria

Bearing characteristics and continuous–discontinuous numerical analysis of a pressure grouting pile in a calcareous sand foundation

The global convergence of some self-scaling conjugate gradient methods for monotone nonlinear equations with application to 3DOF arm robot model

Conjugate Gradient (CG) methods are widely used for solving large-scale nonlinear systems of equations arising in various real-life applications due to their efficiency in employing vector operations. However, the global convergence analysis of CG methods remains a significant challenge. In response, this study proposes scaled versions of CG parameters based on the renowned Barzilai-Borwein approach for solving convex-constrained monotone nonlinear equations. The proposed algorithms enforce a sufficient descent property independent of the accuracy of the line search procedure and ensure global convergence under appropriate assumptions. Numerical experiments demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed methods in solving large-scale nonlinear systems, including their applicability to accurately solving the inverse kinematic problem of a 3DOF robotic manipulator, where the objective is to minimize the error in achieving a desired trajectory configuration.

Segmental analysis of human hair reveals intra-annual variation in 25(OH)D3 concentrations in modern and archaeological individuals

Abstract Vitamin D is essential for healthy skeletal growth and is increasingly recognised for its role in chronic disease development, inflammation and immunity. 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) concentrations are an indicator of vitamin D status and are normally analysed in plasma or serum samples in clinical settings, while archaeological studies rely on the identification of skeletal markers of vitamin D deficiency, such as rickets. Here, we determined 25(OH)D3 concentrations in hair specimens (‘locks’) that had been sampled close to the root, aligned by cut end, and sliced into sequential segments from participants (n = 16), from Aberdeen, Scotland, using a modified protocol designed to minimise sample size. Concentrations were above detectable levels in 14 of 16 individuals, generating a (~ monthly) time-series of 25(OH)D3 concentrations, with fluctuating intra-hair trends consistent with the bioaccumulation of 25(OH)D3. In three participants, fluctuations in intra-hair 25(OH)D3 appear linked to recent significant weight loss, potentially due to the release of stored 25(OH)D3 from adipose tissue and subsequent uptake in hair. For the remaining participants, no statistically-significant correlations were determined between mean hair 25(OH)D3 levels and self-reported data, including age, sex, BMI, vitamin D supplementation, frequency of oily fish consumption, and hours spent outside. For a subset of our cohort (n = 4) isotope analysis highlighted potential relationships between elevated δ 18O values (which can indicate season of hair growth) and 25(OH)D3 concentrations in some individuals, which may reflect seasonally-increased UVB exposure. We also present data from an archaeological individual from the same city, with the addition of further isotope analysis (carbon, nitrogen, sulphur) to characterise diet. Results suggest possible positive correspondence of 25(OH)D3 levels with season in this archaeological individual, and possibly with marine protein consumption, highlighting the potential use of this approach in characterising the relationship between past vitamin D levels and diet. While results are promising, we recognise the limits of this study in terms of sample size and use of self-reported data, and further work is needed to better understand the relationship between serum and hair 25(OH)D3 before this approach can further be developed as either a non-invasive medical test or an archaeo-investigative technique.