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A self-study of editorial board diversity at Biological Invasions
No full textThe editorial board of this journal, Biological Invasions, aims to publish research that informs understanding of the patterns and processes of invasions and discussion of relevant policy and conservation issues related to controlling invasions. Because the scope of the journal\u27s interests is global, building an editorial board that represents the demographic, geographic, and topical diversity within the invasion sciences would best serve the journal\u27s readership and reflect the scope of Biological Invasions\u27 global interests. We suspect that an editorial board comprised of members representing the diversity in invasion science can improve data and knowledge on biological invasions and increase participation in Biological Invasions\u27 publication process from more geographic regions and diverse perspectives. To initiate a process of self-reflection and a discussion on editorial representation at Biological Invasions, we are, for the first time, reporting demographic data for the historical and current editorial board membership. As of January 2021, we find skewed representation of certain demographic, geographic, and topical expertise. Over 85% of editors identify as white, \u3e 70% speak English as their primary language, \u3e 60% identify as male, and nearly 50% of editors are nationals of the United States. The editorship predominantly conducts research in temperate biomes, with most editors considering plants or invertebrates as their organismal expertise. These results highlight geographic and topical areas with uneven expertise that can guide us as we work to diversify the board of Biological Invasions
Decision surface optimization in mapping exotic mangrove species (Sonneratia apetala) across latitudinal coastal areas of China
No full textThe exotic Sonneratia apetala is widely planted in mangrove afforestation in China due to its high adaptability and fast growth rates. This species has triggered intense debate on its ecological invasion risk during the past decades because of its natural reproduction, dispersal, and spread. However, national plans for the management and control of this exotic species are unclear, partly due to the lack of an accurate distribution map of the species for broad latitudinal areas. Mangrove species with subtle spectral differences and varied growth phases require plenty of samples to describe their spectrum; however, the scarcity of samples resulting from the low accessibility of their habitats hinders the mapping of the species across the national coastal zone. To overcome this problem, we derived S. apetala samples from existing discrete localized studies and then iteratively optimized the trained binary model by incorporating new negative samples until a threshold converged. Negative samples were more easily acquired in areas where the absence of S. apetala had been confirmed. This approach avoids the prerequisite that S. apetala can be distinguished by visual inspections, which is commonly used in routine classification procedures or active learning classifiers. The approach was applied to derive classification results with the help of a Random Forest classifier using both Sentinel-1 and −2 imagery hosted on Google Earth Engine, considering that S. apetala differs from native mangrove species in terms of the large crown, drooping branches, and biochemical properties. The generated S. apetala map was evaluated using three prepared datasets and achieved overall accuracies of 98.1 % and 96.4 % using the test dataset and independent evaluation dataset, respectively, as well as an accuracy of 91.7 % using 145 field samples provided by mangrove specialists. The total area of exotic S. apetala in China reached 2,968 ha in 2020, accounting for 11.0 % of the total mangrove area in China. This study is the first attempt to delineate the detailed national-scale distribution of S. apetala in coastal China. The information provided in this study can support the management and control of S. apetala. The developed approach can be generalized to other vegetation species in broad latitudinal areas, and can be further improved by probing the internal details of the trained classifier
Lessons From the Field: Strategies for Success in Obtaining Grant Funding
No full textObjective: To summarize a preconference workshop that focused on how to be successful in obtaining funding by making one’s scholarship innovative and significant. Method: In 2021, at the annual American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) Conference, a panel of nurse scholars reflected on and discussed how to make grant proposals innovative and significant. Two moderators posed questions to five panelists at different stages in their research trajectories about four key research concepts: idea conception, framing for the funding agency, significance, and innovation. Results: Conceptualizing an innovative, scholarly idea starts with a passion for the topic, a team of experts and scholarly community, and time to think and delve into the literature. For funding opportunities, start small, read the funding announcements thoroughly and carefully, and make sure it is the right fit. Strategies to illustrate significance include avoiding generalizations, maintaining objectivity, being clear about impact, and using strength-based language. Contemplate the many facets of innovation as well as balance innovation and feasibility. Conclusions: Inclusion of challenges in composing significance and innovation sections of grant proposals offers knowledge for psychiatric nurse researchers to add to their toolkits as they seek funding and conduct research and scholarship
Multivariate Base Rates and Concussion Detection: A Comparative Study
No full textRecent research has yielded multivariate base rates (MBRs) of low scores in healthy populations using a widely adopted concussion screening measure, Immediate Postconcussion and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). However, the extent to which individuals with concussion obtain reliable changes at divergent frequencies relative to healthy individuals is largely unknown. The present study examined whether MBRs of reliable change accurately discriminated between those with and without concussion. This archival review consisted of 129 healthy individuals and 81 individuals with concussion. MBRs of reliable change scores were examined at varying cutoffs and frequencies between those with and without concussion. Composites showed small to medium effect sizes in differentiating between those with and without concussion. MBRs of reliable change scores on ImPACT provided limited discriminative utility in isolation. Computations of posttest probabilities using Bayes’ Theorem yielded evidence for incremental gains when utilizing MBRs of reliable change under certain constraints
Total Body and Extracellular Water Measures Are Unrelated to Cramp Sensitivity in Euhydrated Cramp-Prone Individuals
No full textEarp, JE, Stearns, RL, Agostinucci, J, Lepley, AS, and Ward-Ritacco, CL. Total body and extracellular water measures are unrelated to cramp sensitivity in euhydrated cramp-prone individuals. J Strength Cond Res 36(9): 2653-2656, 2022-Spectral bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a valid and noninvasive tool for measuring total body water (TBW), intracellular water (ICW), and extracellular water (ECW). As altered hydration and electrolyte imbalance have been proposed as one of 2 etiologies for exercise-Associated muscle cramps (EAMC), the purpose of this study was to determine if distribution of body water is related to cramp sensitivity in similarly hydrated cramp-prone individuals. To this end, 11 euhydrated subjects who regularly experience EAMC had their relative TBW, ICW, and ECW assessed using 8-pole spectral BIA. Subjects\u27 cramp sensitivity was then assessed by electrically stimulating the tibial nerve at increasing frequencies until a muscle cramp occurred, allowing for the determination of the threshold frequency (TF) at which the cramp occurred. It was observed that TF was not significantly related to TBW (r = 0.087, p = 0.368), ICW (r = 0.105, p = 0.338), ECW (r = 0.087, p = 0.368), or ECW:TBW (r = 0.147, p = 0.280). As cramp etiology is poorly understood, these results add to a growing body of literature questioning the role of hydration and electrolyte imbalance in EAMC. Although fluid distribution may be unrelated to TF in those who commonly experience EAMC, additional research is needed to compare those who commonly experience cramps (athletes as well as individuals with specific neuropathies or pharmacologically induced cramps) with those who do not experience cramps and to determine if acute shifts in body water compartmentalization are related to changes in cramp sensitivity
Proteomic quantification of perturbation to pharmacokinetic target proteins in liver disease
Get PDFModel-based assessment of drug pharmacokinetics in liver disease requires quantification of abundance and disease-related changes in hepatic enzymes and transporters. This study aimed to assess performance of three label-free methods [high N (HiN), intensity-based absolute quantification (iBAQ) and total protein approach (TPA)] against QconCAT-based targeted data in healthy and diseased (cancer and cirrhosis) liver tissue. Measurements were compared across methods and disease-to-control ratios provided a ‘disease perturbation factor’ (DPF) for each protein. Mean label-free measurements of targets correlated well (Pearson\u27s coefficient, r = 0.91–0.98 p \u3c 0.001) and with targeted data (r = 0.65–0.95, p \u3c 0.001). Concordance with targeted data was generally moderate (Lin\u27s concordance coefficient, ρc = 0.46–0.92), depending on methodology. Moderate precision and accuracy were observed for label-free methods (average fold error, AFE = 1.44–1.68; absolute average fold error, AAFE = 2.44–3.23). The DPF reconciled the data and indicated downregulated expression in cancer and cirrhosis, consistent with an inflammatory effect. HiN estimated perturbation consistently with targeted data (AFEHiN = 1.07, AAFEHiN = 1.57), whereas iBAQ overestimated (AFEiBAQ = 0.81, AAFEiBAQ = 1.67) and TPA underestimated (AFETPA = 1.37, AAFETPA = 1.65) disease effect. Progression from mild to severe cirrhosis was consistent with progressive decline in expression, reproduced by HiN but overestimated by iBAQ and underestimated by TPA (AFEHiN = 0.98, AFEiBAQ = 0.60, AFETPA = 1.24). DPF data confirmed non-uniform disease effect on drug-elimination pathways and progressive impact of disease severity
Modification of solid electrolyte interphase on deposited lithium metal by large separation between the electrodes in ether-based electrolytes
No full textA thorough understanding of the lithium deposition behavior will facilitate the commercialization of lithium metal anodes. Despite enormous effort, an understanding of the lithium deposition behavior and surface film formation remains a significant challenge. A fundamental investigation of lithium deposition behavior as a function of separation between the counter electrode and the working electrode (2 mm) has been conducted for ether-based electrolytes. The effect of distance is compared with a conventional coin cell with a narrow gap between the electrodes (25 µm). The investigation reveals that lithium deposition in the two cells generates different chemical compositions of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on deposited lithium although the morphology of lithium deposition is similar. In the coin cell, a SEI containing a diverse mixture of compounds including LiF, Li2CO3, lithium alkyl carbonates, and Li2O is generated upon deposition of lithium. However, in 2 mm separated cell, the deposited lithium has an SEI dominated by LiF. It is suggested that the large separation between the electrodes suppresses an interaction of the highly concentrated lithium ions released from the counter electrode, which results in different SEI composition compared with the coin cell. The fundamental findings of this work provide insight for further understanding of the correlation between lithium deposition behavior and electrode separation in ether-based electrolytes
What Can Hydrography Between the New England Slope, Bermuda and Africa Tell us About the Strength of the AMOC Over the Last 90 years?
Get PDFThe Gulf Stream is the only pathway in the subtropical North Atlantic by which warm water flows poleward. This transport of warm water and return of cold water at depth is called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The dynamic method is applied to hydrocasts collected since the 1930s to estimate upper-ocean transport (0–1,000 m) between the U.S. Continental Slope and Bermuda and separately to Africa with focus on the longest directly observable timescale. Calculating transport between the Slope and Bermuda eliminates the Gulf Stream\u27s northern and southern recirculation gyres, while calculations between the Slope and Africa remove all other recirculating geostrophic flow. The net Slope-Bermuda upper-ocean transport is estimated to be 41.1 ± 0.4 Sv, decreasing by 2.0 ± 0.8 Sv between 1930 and 2020. The AMOC contribution is 18.4 ± 0.6 Sv, decreasing by 0.4 ± 0.6 Sv between 1930 and 2020
The Authorization of the First COVID-19 Vaccines Changed the Level and Nature of Intend to Get Vaccinated
No full textDespite the abundance of literature on vaccine hesitancy, how public opinion changes during and after the authorization of a new vaccine remains an open question. The COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique case since the development and roll-out of the first generation of vaccines happened at unprecedented speed. To understand how the public’s intent to get vaccinated changed around the emergency authorizations of the first COVID-19 vaccines, we ran a secondary analysis of survey data that consisted of rolling cross-sections of Facebook users in 23 countries (N = 375,627) between July 2020 and April 2021. In contrast to prior longitudinal work, we did not only investigate the change in levels of the intent to get vaccinated but also in the nature of it, i.e., the change in the influence of core predictors. Moreover, our data span a longer phase than prior work and included various countries in the Global South. We found that the intent to get vaccinated decreased around the time of the authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccines before it increased again. In the composition of people who refused vaccination or were undecided, notable differences were found for age, gender, and, most importantly, trust in health authorities as information sources before, around, and after the authorization of the vaccines. We conclude that the importance of trust-inducing communication in the early phase of a vaccination campaign cannot be overstated
On the connection between slurry rheology and electrochemical performance of graphite anodes in Lithium-ion batteries
No full textMany current lithium-ion battery anodes are prepared from a slurry containing graphite, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), and small amounts of conductive carbon black (CB). The rheology of this four-component slurry is an important indicator of its microstructure, that affects the structure of the dried electrode. This in turn has consequences on the electrochemical performance of the anode. We modulate the rheology of the slurry by choosing three different commercially available carbon blacks that are used in lithium-ion batteries and establish a connection between slurry rheology and electrochemical performance. We show that the storage modulus is the key factor that impacts the electrochemical performance