tag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:/all?page=3Journal of Brief Ideas: Ideas from the last week2023-08-24T08:56:10Ztag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11522023-08-24T08:56:10Z2023-11-16T08:14:08ZOpen access publishing and public literacy in human nutrition https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8280506Open Access (OA) publishing is widely recognized as a critical resource for the advancement of scientific progress. The attention in biomedical research regarding OA is testified by the adherence of the World Health Organization (WHO) OA policy to the principles of the Plan S initiative whereby “from 2021, scientific publications that result from research funded by public grants must be published in compliant Open Access journals or platforms” (https://www.coalition-s.org/). As we highlighted by querying the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database, more than half of the scientific papers (articles, review articles, editorial materials, early access papers and letters; access date August 22, 2023) regarding general and internal medicine (81.4%) and research and experimental medicine (74.2%) have been published OA in the period January 1, 2021 – July 31, 2023. Concerning the specific subfield of human nutrition and dietetics, we observed a situation in line with this trend (62% of papers published OA) for the same period. This vast availability of scientific information is undoubtedly crucial for the researchers’ work, but less effective to incentivize public literacy in human nutrition. Unfortunately, the general public finds more attractive the nutrition content disseminated on websites and social networks, often scientifically inconsistent but easier to read than the academic papers (Capocasa and Venier 2023; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-023-03228-3).
Capocasa, MarcoVenier, Davidetag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11512023-08-21T21:02:32Z2023-08-29T22:25:18ZHerfindahl Hirschman Index (HHI) for assessing the competition among education selling countrieshttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8271138HHI is typically calculated to observe the market structure and competition among the manufacturers for a specific product by using the market share of each manufacturer. Therefore, the HHI value shows the market power, potential buying pattern for the product based on the number of manufacturers and the product pricing generated by this competition. But, a major limitation of the HHI is that it cannot account for many variables. Considering both advantages and limitations, HHI can be used to calculate the competitiveness of the countries that provide international educational programmes by using the share of annual student intakes by each country. The assumptions would be, all these countries have a Cournot competition where each keen on the amount of student intake ( will be the output at the end), which decide on independently of each other and at the same time, and deliver similar programmes as per the global trends and market demand i.e., course structures, advancements in subject areas while competing for the same market niche of international students in the year. HHI can be used to determine the competition since it does not require many variables. The HHI value of the country can be used deciding new programmes, changes for student facilitations or cost structures.Premarathne, Kapilatag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11502023-08-17T16:43:47Z2023-09-21T20:39:37ZGini Coefficient for research fundinghttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8260075The Gini Coefficient is widely recognized as a means of evaluating inequality in resource allocation. It is applied most commonly to wealth and/or income, but has more recently been applied to a range of phenomena, as widespread as success rates on online dating platforms. Research funding is a prime prospect for such an application, with attention having been drawn recently to inequalities in funding access, with some particular focus on the so-called "Matthew Effect" in science, where initial advantages snowball into enormous disparities over the course of a scientific career. Determining the Gini coefficient for research funding in the context of a country or even of single institutions would be a valuable instrument for identifying extreme disparities and drawing attention to them, with the potential of resulting in reconsideration and re-optimization of resource allocation.Stacey, Neil Thomastag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11492023-08-16T17:39:01Z2023-08-18T06:00:17ZTerrorism as a Factor of Production in a Coup D'étathttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8260071Terror campaigns are perceived as a “.. weapon of the weak..” (Leiden & Schmitt, 1968), a refuge for actors lacking the political capital for a full coup d’état. Concentrated acts of terror could provide subversive political factions with clout, consensus, and supporters for a government takeover. Terrorist organizations utilize various mediums to gain followers by disseminating propaganda glorifying the ideological objectives of the group (Nacos,2009). Terrorism also operates as a coercive mechanism (Olson, 1965), persuading the citizenry to accept the regime change. Analogous to an extortion racket, offering protection from the group’s violent acts if the citizenry supports the movement (Tomes, 2004).
Since acts of terrorism are a common antecedent (Blomberg, Hess, & Weerapana, 2004) to political coups, we might be to view terror campaigns as a factor of production in the orchestration of a takeover. Much as labor, raw materials, and other resources are factors of production for consumer goods; terrorism does the same for facilitating abrupt political change. The actions of terrorist organizations musters support out of either fear or notoriety, providing majoritarian support for the new regime.Clark, Petertag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11472023-08-09T08:41:09Z2023-08-18T06:00:17ZCompScat: Python package for Compton Scattering simulation for educational purposeshttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8260067Compton scattering is the process in which an incident photon scatters with a stationary electron. Owing to its simplicity, Compton Scattering remains one of the processes introduced to High school students as well as to early undergraduates. Particle Physics textbooks also use this process as a means to explain the underlying calculations in Quantum Electrodynamics. We introduce a python software, called CompScat which can evaluate cross-section of $\gamma e^{-} \rightarrow \gamma e^-$ processes (with electron at rest) as well as simulate the process. The main idea behind the development of this tool is to enable the High Energy Physics (HEP) analysis of this process in a popular data format (csv, root). The results of this tool have been compared and tested against that of Madgraph5amc_NLO, which is a professional Monte Carlo event generator used by the HEP community. The package comes with example notebooks which can be found at this [LINK](https://github.com/amanmdesai/compscat/tree/master/notebooks). The package also comes along with plotting tools to facilitate the visualization of kinematic distributions of the final state photon and electron. Some exercises are provided. The package is available for installation via the terminal command: ```pip install compscat```.Desai, Amantag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11422023-07-28T18:02:39Z2023-07-30T06:00:29ZDolphin whistles as frequency modulated carriers for amplitude modulation encoded informationhttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8196243Acoustic encodings for identity in the signature vocalizations of an individual should be perceived as similar to each other while distinct from those of other individuals (Falls, 1982; Shapiro, 2010). In contrast, different non-identity information encodings (e.g., predator type, Seyfarth et al., 1980) from the same individual should be perceptually distinct, but similar across group members. Given this conflict, selection pressures favoring the simultaneous incorporation of identity and non-identity information in a single vocalization type may stimulate the evolution of vocal forms in which these different types of information are encoded exclusively or partly in minimally interacting acoustic structures.
Experiments provide considerable evidence that identity is encoded in the FM contour of bottlenose dolphin signature whistles (Janik et al., 2006). These same experiments demonstrate that alterations in AM patterns do not impair signature whistles’ identity encoding function. Therefore, signature and non-signature whistles may have the capacity to function as FM carriers of AM patterns for encoding non-identity information, perhaps in conjunction with some minimal, concurrent FM variation. With AM having minimal influence on the FM contour, whistles would retain critical signature functionality such as group cohesion (Janik & Slater, 1998). Papers in preparation, which include this model developed in 2011, with tools to analyze vocalizations, and a 2018 dolphin communication experiment.
Turner, Mark R.tag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11412023-07-25T18:54:35Z2023-08-16T17:34:37ZStratified sortition for balancing representativeness and efficiency in large participatory institutionshttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8196235As a self-governing institution grows, it becomes a target for elite capture. Sortition, or governance by lottery, is a mechanism displacing elites and for preserving democratic rule. A large legislature with randomly appointed representatives, or a small board with oversight over that legislature, can foreclose nepotism, rent-seeking, and other abuses.
However, sortition in large institutions suffers from a tradeoff, particularly in resource-constrained institutions. A small body of randomly appointed representatives can make decisions quickly and efficiently but, due to the high standard error of small samples, may not be representative. Conversely, the central limit theorem can ensure that a large body is representative, but it will need much more time and structure to reach decisions.
Is it possible to ensure randomly appointed bodies that are both representative and efficient? We propose a stratified sortition, in which appointments are biased to ensure representative bodies. An institution with intentionally biased random draws may be able to ensure appointed bodies that are both small and representative. Of course, it is important that the member data defining representativeness is robust to gaming. Stratified sortition will be less effective at preventing capture if members can tune their own "metadata" to improve their chances of selection.Frey, Sethtag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11392023-07-12T07:19:15Z2023-07-30T06:00:29Z Asteroid Defense Using Cleavage Agentshttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8196222Traditional asteroid defense uses methods such as high-speed collisions or explosions, which require relatively large amounts of energy. However, it takes a long time to use Solar sail or other electric propulsion to drag asteroids away. It is necessary to study new methods of asteroid defense. This article proposes the use of cracking agents for asteroid defense. Firstly, the spacecraft drilled holes on the surface of the threatening asteroid, and then injected non explosive cracking agents into the holes. Under the action of cracking agents, asteroids will undergo non explosive fracture and disintegration. It can effectively achieve the goal of asteroid defense, without causing severe explosion effects and potential secondary disasters. Before actual asteroid defense, numerical simulations were conducted on the required drilling positions and number of holes to help us design asteroid defense missions.Jiang, Yutag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11382023-07-03T22:20:30Z2023-08-05T12:41:03ZSolar photovoltaic power stations in dry cereal farmland: how to convert habitat loss into landscape heterogeneityhttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8196218Agricultural intensification has caused the decline of farmland bird populations across Europe ([Donald et al. 2001]( https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2000.1325); [Rigal et al. 2023](https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2216573120)). High-intensity farming simplifies agricultural mosaics by removing non-cultivated landscape elements such as fallow land and field margins. However, birds depend on semi-natural areas for feeding and nesting in dry cereal farmland. In fact, the decline of farmland bird populations in the Iberian peninsula is linked to the loss of fallow land ([Traba & Morales 2019](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-45854-0)).
The main impact of solar photovoltaic power stations (SPPSs) on farmland birds is habitat loss ([Serrano et al. 2020]( https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abf6509)): around 2 ha of land per MWp of power. However, if managed as large pesticide-free fallow patches, SPPSs may function as sources of seeds and invertebrates that spread along field margins throughout farmland (spillover effects; [Blitzer et al. 2012]( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167880911003306)): i.e. large patches (> 10 ha of fallow land) interact with linear corridors (field margins of at least 1,5 m in width) to move trophic resources for farmland birds throughout the agricultural landscape for a long time (the useful life of SPPSs is 30 years). Managing SPPSs as large pesticide-free fallow patches converts non-habitat into landscape heterogeneity in intensive farmland. Therefore, SPPSs managed as fallow land may mitigate the negative effects of agricultural intensification on farmland birds.
Salgado, Ivántag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11362023-06-23T14:17:46Z2023-06-29T06:00:09ZCentralizing the ways in which science is classifiedhttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8092608Although the OECD and the European Union have generated structures to define research areas for various purposes, such classifications hinder the development of interdisciplinary studies. Usually, these classifications characterise an application when sent to a study group or a journal.
In turn, each public institution has reinterpreted such definitions, even generating different definitions in the same institution. That is why it is necessary to create, collaboratively, an instance to collect such information and facilitate studies that allow both a better understanding of the system and also that the community knows "what to expect" when sending proposals, whether for publications, projects, or when generating your web curriculum. It will also be an interesting input for future studies on grouping, overlapping or defining boundaries of scientific areas and fields.Hartley Belmar, RicardoAbedrapo Rosen, Isabel