Pitfalls and potentials in simulation studies: Questionable research practices in comparative simulation studies allow for spurious claims of superiority of any method

Comparative simulation studies are workhorse tools for benchmarking statistical methods. As with other empirical studies, the success of simulation studies hinges on the quality of their design, execution, and reporting. If not conducted carefully and transparently, their conclusions may be misleading. In this paper, we discuss various questionable research practices, which may impact the validity of simulation studies, some of which cannot be detected or prevented by the current publication process in statistics journals. To illustrate our point, we invent a novel prediction method with no expected performance gain and benchmark it in a preregistered comparative simulation study. We show how easy it is to make the method appear superior over well-established competitor methods if questionable research practices are employed. Finally, we provide concrete suggestions for researchers, reviewers, and other academic stakeholders for improving the methodological quality of comparative simulation studies, such as preregistering simulation protocols, incentivizing neutral simulation studies, and code and data sharing.

Fast-Crosslinking Enabled Self-Roughed Polydimethylsiloxane Transparent Superhydrophobic Coating and Its Application in Anti-Liquid-Interference Electrothermal Device

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based transparent and superhydrophobic coatings have important applications, such as anti-icing, corrosion resistance, self-cleaning, etc. However, their applications are limited by the inevitable introduction of nanoparticles/high-temperature/segmented PDMS to facilitate a raspy surface. In this study, a self-roughed, neat PDMS superhydrophobic coating with high transparency is developed via a one-step spray-coating technique. PDMS suspensions with various droplet sizes are synthesized and used as building blocks for raspy surface formation by controlled curing on the warm substrate. The optimal coating exhibits a large water contact angle of 155.4° and transparency (T550 = 82.3%). Meanwhile, the employed spray-coating technique is applicable to modify a plethora of substrates. For proof-of-concept demonstrations, the use of the PDMS hydrophobic coating for anti-liquid-interference electrothermal devices and further transparent observation window for long-term operation in a sub-zero environment is shown successful. The proposed facile synthesis method of hydrophobic PDMS coating is expected to have great potential for a broad range of applications in the large-scale fabrication of fluorine-free, eco-friendly superhydrophobic surfaces.

Electron-Beam-Initiated Crosslinking of Methacrylated Alginate and Diacrylated Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels

An ideal wound dressing not only needs to absorb excess exudate but should also allow for a moist wound-healing environment as well as being mechanically strong. Such a dressing can be achieved by combining both a natural (alginate) and synthetic (poly(ethylene glycol) polymer. Interestingly, using an electron beam on (meth)acrylated polymers allows their covalent crosslinking without the use of toxic photo-initiators. The goal of this work was to crosslink alginate at different methacrylation degrees (26.1 and 53.5% of the repeating units) with diacrylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEGDA) using electron-beam irradiation at different doses to create strong, transparent hydrogels. Infrared spectroscopy showed that both polymers were homogeneously distributed within the irradiated hydrogel. Rheology showed that the addition of PEGDA into alginate with a high degree of methacrylation and a polymer concentration of 6 wt/v% improved the storage modulus up to 15,867 ± 1102 Pa. Gel fractions > 90% and swelling ratios ranging from 10 to 250 times its own weight were obtained. It was observed that the higher the storage modulus, the more limited the swelling ratio due to a more crosslinked network. Finally, all species were highly transparent, with transmittance values > 80%. This may be beneficial for the visual inspection of healing progression. Furthermore, these polymers may eventually be used as carriers of photosensitizers, which is favorable in applications such as photodynamic therapy.

Animal Ghosts at Canadian Universities: The Politics of Concealment and Transparency

For many years, the lives of animals used for research in Canadian universities have been hidden from public view due both to physical concealment (e.g., security procedures and impenetrable labs) and administrative concealment (non-disclosure of information). Their lives unfold out of sight both physically and discursively, unavailable to the Canadian public for ethical consideration and democratic oversight. Recently, in response to calls by the public to end this secrecy, Canadian universities and the Canadian Council on Animal Care have embraced the language of "transparency" and have begun releasing documentation about animal research practices and procedures. This paper argues that this new "transparency" acts as its own kind of concealment practice, obscuring and displacing meaningful information while constructing highly selective ways of seeing animals in science, and manufacturing acquiescence/consent on the part of the public.

Ownership Beneath: Transparency of Land Ownership in Times of Economic Crime

This article considers 'ownership beneath' in light of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022, which has introduced a new Schedule 4A into the Land Registration Act 2002. The legislation, with notable exceptions, requires overseas entities to publicly reveal their beneficial owners, with criminal and land law consequences if transparency requirements are not met. The article explores how ownership beneath operates and can be made more transparent, noting the three different forms of beneficial ownership employed: as control, behind a trust and as a consequence. Emphasising the distinctive nature of beneficial ownership of land, the analysis recommends amending ECTEA 2022 to focus on land ownership, not merely landowning overseas entities, facilitating greater transparency by expanding the definition of registrable beneficial owners, closing the loophole where information is not available and requiring public disclosure of most trust information.

Reason Defaults: Presenting Defaults With Reasons for Choosing Each Option Helps Decision-Makers With Minority Interests

Defaults are powerful tools for nudging individuals toward potentially beneficial options. However, defaults typically guide all decision-makers toward the same option and, consequently, may misguide individuals with minority interests. We test whether presenting defaults with information about heterogeneity can help individuals with minority interests select alternative options, and we dub this intervention a "reason default." Reason defaults preselect the option that is best for most individuals (like standard defaults) but also explain (a) why the default was selected and (b) who should opt for an alternative. In five preregistered studies using online convenience samples of adults (N = 4,210), we find that reason defaults can improve decision-makers' outcomes over standard defaults and forced choices by guiding most individuals toward the default option while helping individuals with minority interests select an alternative. Further, participants reported that reason defaults enhance transparency, decision ease, and understanding of the choice relative to standard defaults and forced choices.

Artificial intelligence in medicine - is too much transparency a good thing?

Some encouraging uses for AI in medicine will lead to potentially novel legal liability issues. Complex algorithms involve an opacity that creates problems for the medical and legal professions alike. As iatrogenic injury is common in medical malpractice, the medical profession is understandably concerned when AI is introduced in diagnostic and therapeutic devices and events and outcome cannot be fully explained due to the "black box" effect.A concern about machine learning algorithms is the black box issue and understanding how conclusions or outcomes are reached. The deployment of AI devices in healthcare will require an increase in a clinician's understanding of AI to increase the transparency of their use.An important aspect of medical treatment is the notion of "therapeutic privilege". This will only arise in limited circumstances and requires the clinician to make a judgment, based on reasonable grounds, that the patient's physical or mental health might be seriously harmed by providing the information.Given the complexity of AI and the black box effect, could too much AI transparency possibly overwhelm a patient, such that it may dissuade them from giving consent in circumstances where treatment is necessary and essential? In other words, too much AI transparency and information may inadvertently hinder treatment and progress.

Prior beliefs and the interpretation of scientific results

How do prior beliefs affect the interpretation of scientific results? I discuss a hypothetical scenario where researchers publish results that could either support a theory they believe in, or refute that theory, and ask if the two instances carry the same weight. More colloquially, I ask if we should overweigh scientific results supporting a given theory and reported by a researcher, or a team, that initially did not support that theory. I illustrate the challenge using two examples from psychology: evidence accumulation models, and extra sensory perception.

Recasting the gold standard - part II of II: communicating healthcare options along a continuum of care

SERIES OUTLINE

This is the second part of a two-part series on spectrum of care that encourages practitioners to tailor case management to the patient along a continuum of acceptable options. Part I defined the spectrum of care and broadened its approach beyond initial cost-of-care considerations. This second article introduces strategies for initiating conversations with clients about their needs, wants and expectations specific to healthcare options and case management decisions. It will explore how open inquiry, reflective listening, transparency and unconditional positive regard facilitate dialogue between providers and their clients as they collaborate on decision-making along a spectrum of care.

RELEVANCE

Contextual case management prioritizes interventions that are appropriate for both the patient and the client. To identify and explore which healthcare options represent the best fit for those impacted most by medical decisions, veterinarians need to make space for clients to feel comfortable sharing their perspectives. Clients are more likely to be engaged in decision-making when their insight is actively solicited. They have much to share with us as experts about their cat's overall health and wellness needs. Inviting clients to contribute to the consultation and being receptive to hearing what motivates their choices helps us to structure conversations around healthcare options. The ability to communicate healthcare options is as vital as the provision of healthcare, if not more so.

Prosocial motives underlie scientific censorship by scientists: A perspective and research agenda

Science is among humanity's greatest achievements, yet scientific censorship is rarely studied empirically. We explore the social, psychological, and institutional causes and consequences of scientific censorship (defined as actions aimed at obstructing particular scientific ideas from reaching an audience for reasons other than low scientific quality). Popular narratives suggest that scientific censorship is driven by authoritarian officials with dark motives, such as dogmatism and intolerance. Our analysis suggests that scientific censorship is often driven by scientists, who are primarily motivated by self-protection, benevolence toward peer scholars, and prosocial concerns for the well-being of human social groups. This perspective helps explain both recent findings on scientific censorship and recent changes to scientific institutions, such as the use of harm-based criteria to evaluate research. We discuss unknowns surrounding the consequences of censorship and provide recommendations for improving transparency and accountability in scientific decision-making to enable the exploration of these unknowns. The benefits of censorship may sometimes outweigh costs. However, until costs and benefits are examined empirically, scholars on opposing sides of ongoing debates are left to quarrel based on competing values, assumptions, and intuitions.

Eleven strategies for making reproducible research and open science training the norm at research institutions

Reproducible research and open science practices have the potential to accelerate scientific progress by allowing others to reuse research outputs, and by promoting rigorous research that is more likely to yield trustworthy results. However, these practices are uncommon in many fields, so there is a clear need for training that helps and encourages researchers to integrate reproducible research and open science practices into their daily work. Here, we outline eleven strategies for making training in these practices the norm at research institutions. The strategies, which emerged from a virtual brainstorming event organized in collaboration with the German Reproducibility Network, are concentrated in three areas: (i) adapting research assessment criteria and program requirements; (ii) training; (iii) building communities. We provide a brief overview of each strategy, offer tips for implementation, and provide links to resources. We also highlight the importance of allocating resources and monitoring impact. Our goal is to encourage researchers - in their roles as scientists, supervisors, mentors, instructors, and members of curriculum, hiring or evaluation committees - to think creatively about the many ways they can promote reproducible research and open science practices in their institutions.

Mohs Surgery Price Transparency and Variability at Academic Hospitals After the Implementation of the Federal Price Transparency Final Rule

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Procedural fairness and the resilience of health financing reforms in Ukraine

In 2017, Ukraine's Parliament passed legislation establishing a single health benefit package for the entire population called the Programme of Medical Guarantees,‎ financed through general taxes and administered by a single national purchasing agency. This legislation was in line with key principles for financing universal health coverage. However, health professionals and some policymakers have been critical of elements of the reform, including its reliance on general taxes as the source of funding. Using qualitative methods and drawing on deliberative democratic theory and criteria for procedural fairness, this study argues that the acceptance and sustainability of these reforms could have been strengthened by making the decision-making process fairer. It suggests that three factors limited the extent of stakeholders' participation in this process: first, a perception among reformers that fast-paced decision-making was required because there was only a short political window for much needed reforms; second, a lack of trust among reformers in the motives, representativeness, and knowledge of some stakeholders; and third, an under-appreciation of the importance of dialogic engagement with the public. These findings highlight a profound challenge for policymakers. In retrospect, some of those involved in the reform's design and implementation believe that a more meaningful engagement with the public and stakeholders who opposed the reform might have strengthened its legitimacy and durability. At the same time, the study shows how difficult it is to have an inclusive process in settings where some actors may be driven by unconstrained self-interest or lack the capacity to be representative or knowledgeable interlocutors. It suggests that investments in deliberative capital (the attitudes and behaviours that facilitate good deliberation) and in civil society capacity may help overcome this difficulty.

Report on Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual European CME Forum, Barcelona, Spain, November 2022

In a welcome return to a live, in person, same space meeting, albeit with some participants joining virtually, the Fifteenth Annual European Continuing Medical Education (CME) Forum (#15ECF) was hosted in Barcelona, Spain,2-4 November 2022. The meeting began with sessions conducted by three special interest groups affiliated with the European CME Forum, but open to all registrants. The main part of the meeting comprised interactive discussion sessions conducted by presenters from North and South America, Europe, India, and Australia, which were interspersed with breakout workshops that tackled three themes, Innovation and Impact, Attitudes and Culture, and Environment and Community. A featured topic was the patient voice in education and insights were provided by the international delegates on their local frameworks for CME/CPD. Updates were also provided on harmonisation among international accreditors, and an important change to the Journal of European CME, that is closely linked to the European CME Forum, was announced. An oral presentation was made by one of the poster authors, and the perennial favourites "Lunch with the Learners" and the "CME Unsession" werealso included. The level of engagement displayed by the participants would seem to suggest that much of the recent fatigue associated with virtual meetings was mitigated by this live event.

Visualization of parasite dynamics in the host tissues: application of tissue transparency technology to parasite research

Many parasite species migrate to another site of infection after entering the host body. Such parasite dynamics are closely related to pathogenicity, but it is not easy to observe such parasite behavior deep within the organs. In recent years, technology that can make organs transparent has been developed that enables us to observe deep within organs ex vivo while maintaining their three-dimensional structure. This review describes a series of attempts to apply this technology to understand the behavior of Toxoplasma gondii in the host body. A series of studies has shown that T. gondii tachyzoites that infect leukocytes can reach target organs far from the site of invasion via the circulatory system. In addition, infected leukocytes in the bloodstream adhere more readily to vascular endothelial cells than uninfected leukocytes and are more likely to remain inside the target organs. When infected leukocytes adhere to the vascular endothelial cells of the target organ, the tachyzoites inside the cells immediately escape and infect the parenchyma of the organs. As described above, organ transparency technology is a powerful tool for understanding the internal dynamics of parasites.

Responsible use of AI in military systems: prospects and challenges

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds great potential for the military domain but is also seen as prone to data bias and lacking transparency and explainability. In order to advance the trustworthiness of AI-enabled systems, a dynamic approach to the development, deployment and use of AI systems is required. This approach, when incorporating ethical principles such as lawfulness, traceability, reliability and bias mitigation, is called 'Responsible AI'. This article describes the challenges of using AI responsibly in the military domain from a human factors and ergonomics perspective. Many of the ironies of automation originally described by Bainbridge still apply in the field of AI, but there are also some unique challenges and requirements that need to be considered, such as a larger emphasis on ethical risk analyses and validation and verification up-front, as well as moral situation awareness during deployment and use of AI in military systems.

An Ultra-Thin MXene Film for Multimodal Sensing of Neuroelectrical Signals with Artifacts Removal

Neuroelectrical signals transmitted onto the skin tend to decay to an extremely weak level, making them highly susceptible to interference from the environment and body movement. Meanwhile, for comprehensively understanding cognitive nerve conduction, multimodal sensing of neural signals, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), is highly required. Previous metal or polymer conductors cannot either provide a seamless on-skin feature for accurate sensing of neuroelectrical signals or be compatible with multimodal imaging techniques without opto- and magnet- artifacts. Herein, a ≈20 nm thick MXene film that is able to simultaneously detect electrophysiological signals and perform imaging by MRI and fNIRS with high fidelity is reported. The ultrathin film is made of crosslinked Ti3 C2 Tx film via poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS), showing a record high electroconductivity and transparency combination (11 000 S cm-1 @89%). Among them, PEDOT: PSS not only plays a cross-linking role to stabilize MXene film but also shortens the interlayer distance for effective charge transfer and high transparency. Thus, it can achieve a low interfacial impedance with skin or neural surfaces for accurate recording of electrophysiological signals with low motion artifacts. Besides, the high transparency originating from the ultrathin feature leads to good compatibility with fNIRS and MRI without optical and magnetic artifacts, enabling multimodal cognitive neural monitoring during prolonged use.

Artificial Intelligence Governance and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

This rapid communication highlights components of artificial intelligence governance in healthcare and suggests adopting key governance approaches in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery.

Ironies of artificial intelligence

Bainbridge's Ironies of Automation was a prescient description of automation related challenges for human performance that have characterised much of the 40 years since its publication. Today a new wave of automation based on artificial intelligence (AI) is being introduced across a wide variety of domains and applications. Not only are Bainbridge's original warnings still pertinent for AI, but AI's very nature and focus on cognitive tasks has introduced many new challenges for people who interact with it. Five ironies of AI are presented including difficulties with understanding AI and forming adaptations, opaqueness in AI limitations and biases that can drive human decision biases, and difficulties in understanding the AI reliability, despite the fact that AI remains insufficiently intelligent for many of its intended applications. Future directions are provided to create more human-centered AI applications that can address these challenges.

Ensuring Trust in Genomics Research

Reproducibility, transparency, representation, and privacy underpin the trust on genomics research in general and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in particular. Concerns about these issues can be mitigated by technologies that address privacy protection, quality control, and verifiability of GWAS. However, many of the existing technological solutions have been developed in isolation and may address one aspect of reproducibility, transparency, representation, and privacy of GWAS while unknowingly impacting other aspects. As a consequence, the current patchwork of technological tools only partially and in an overlapping manner address issues with GWAS, sometimes even creating more problems. This paper addresses the progress in a field that creates technological solutions that augment the acceptance and security of population genetic analyses. The text identifies areas that are falling behind in technical implementation or where there is insufficient research. We make the case that a full understanding of the different GWAS settings, technological tools and new research directions can holistically address the requirements for the acceptance of GWAS.

A Framework for Transparency in Precision Livestock Farming

As precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies emerge, it is important to consider their social and ethical dimensions. Reviews of PLF have highlighted the importance of considering ethical issues related to privacy, security, and welfare. However, little attention has been paid to ethical issues related to transparency regarding these technologies. This paper proposes a framework for developing responsible transparency in the context of PLF. It examines the kinds of information that could be ethically important to disclose about these technologies, the different audiences that might care about this information, the challenges involved in achieving transparency for these audiences, and some promising strategies for addressing these challenges. For example, with respect to the information to be disclosed, efforts to foster transparency could focus on: (1) information about the goals and priorities of those developing PLF systems; (2) details about how the systems operate; (3) information about implicit values that could be embedded in the systems; and/or (4) characteristics of the machine learning algorithms often incorporated into these systems. In many cases, this information is likely to be difficult to obtain or communicate meaningfully to relevant audiences (e.g., farmers, consumers, industry, and/or regulators). Some of the potential steps for addressing these challenges include fostering collaborations between the developers and users of PLF systems, developing techniques for identifying and disclosing important forms of information, and pursuing forms of PLF that can be responsibly employed with less transparency. Given the complexity of transparency and its ethical and practical importance, a framework for developing and evaluating transparency will be an important element of ongoing PLF research.

Smartphone Apps for Containing the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: Qualitative Interview Study With Experts Based on Grounded Theory

BACKGROUND

Smartphone apps, including those for digital contact tracing (DCT), played a crucial role in containing infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their primary function is to generate and disseminate information to disrupt transmissions based on various events, such as encounters, vaccinations, locations, or infections. Although the functionality of these apps has been extensively studied, there is still a lack of qualitative research addressing critical issues.

OBJECTIVE

We will demonstrate that the use of DCT presents a challenge due to the tension between continuous health monitoring and uncertainties related to transparency and user sovereignty. On one hand, DCT enables the monitoring of various risk factors, including data-based calculations of infection probabilities. On the other hand, continuous risk management is intertwined with several uncertainties, including the unclear storage of personal data, who has access to it, and how it will be used in the future.

METHODS

We focus on the German "Corona-Warn-App" and support our argument with empirical data from 19 expert interviews conducted between 2020 and 2021. The interviews were conducted using a semistructured questionnaire and analyzed according to the principles of grounded theory.

RESULTS

Our data underscores 3 dimensions: transparency, data sovereignty, and the east-west divide. While transparency is considered an essential foundation for establishing trust in the use of DCT by providing a sense of security, data sovereignty is seen as a high value during the pandemic, protecting users from an undesired loss of control. The aspect of the east-west divide highlights the idea of incorporating sociocultural values and standards into technology, emphasizing that algorithms and data-driven elements, such as distance indicators, encounters, and isolations, are also influenced by sociocultural factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The effective use of DCT for pandemic containment relies on achieving a balance between individual control and technological prevention. Maximizing the technological benefits of these tools is crucial. However, users must also be mindful of the information they share and maintain control over their shared data.

Editors and Authors of Medical Journals Should Be Mindful of the New ICMJE Disclosure Form and Updated Policies

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations are used by medical journals worldwide to guide editors and authors regarding "best practices" related to the intersection between research and publishing. In this opinion paper, we bring two discussion points to the attention of readers and users of the ICMJE recommendations. The first pertains to journals' use of the old conflicts of interest form, replaced in 2021 with a new disclosure form. The second relates to inconsistent or outdated policies in journals' instructions for authors mismatching the current ICMJE recommendations. The ICMJE does not monitor how journals use or apply the ICMJE recommendations. Thus, the editors must be mindful of updates and changes relevant to the authors. Furthermore, authors should carefully examine journals before submission to ensure that journals use updated forms and policies and should be mindful of submitting to non-ICMJE-recommendations-conforming journals despite claiming to follow them.

Naming and shaming as a strategy for enforcing the Paris Agreement: The role of political institutions and public concern

Enforcement is a challenge for effective international cooperation. In human rights and environmental law, along with many other domains of international cooperation, "naming and shaming" is often used as an enforcement mechanism in the absence of stronger alternatives. Naming and shaming hinges on the ability to identify countries whose efforts are inadequate and effectively shame them toward better behavior. Research on this approach has struggled to identify factors that explain when it influences state behavior in ways that lead to more cooperation. Via survey of a large (N = 910) novel sample of experienced diplomats involved in the design of the Paris Agreement, we find support for the proposition that naming and shaming is most accepted and effective in influencing the behavior of countries that have high-quality political institutions, strong internal concern about climate change, and ambitious and credible international climate commitments. Naming and shaming appears less effective in other countries, so further enforcement mechanisms will be needed for truly global cooperation. We also find that the climate diplomacy experts favor a process of naming and shaming that relies on official intergovernmental actors, in contrast with studies suggesting that NGOs, media, and other private actors are more effective at naming and shaming. We suggest that these tensions-the inability for naming and shaming to work effectively within the countries least motivated for climate action and the preference for namers and shamers that seem least likely to be effective-will become central policy debates around making cooperation on climate change more enforceable.

Health Research with Data in a Time of Privacy: Which Information do Patients Want?

When hospitals ask broad consent for the secondary use of patient data for scientific research, it is unknown for which studies the data will be used. We investigated what patients at a cancer hospital consider to be an adequate level and most suitable method of information provision using questionnaires (n = 71) and interviews (n = 24). A part of the respondents indicated that they would feel sufficiently informed by either being notified about potential further use, or by receiving a general brochure before being asked for consent. Others stated that additional information would be interesting and appreciated. Yet, when discussing required resources needed to provide additional information, interviewees lowered the bar of what they considered minimally required, voicing the importance of spending resources on research.

Improving standard practices in studies using results from basic human semen examination

The purpose of this article is to provide an explanation of the background behind a checklist that declares the laboratory methods used in a scientific study. It focuses primarily on implementing laboratory procedures to yield reliable results in basic semen examinations. While the World Health Organization (WHO) and international standards provide recommendations for basic semen examination, manuscripts submitted to Andrology frequently lack transparency regarding the specific techniques used. In addition, the terminology used for semen examination results often fails to provide a clear definition of the groups under study. Furthermore, the WHO's reference limits are often misinterpreted as strict boundaries between fertility and infertility. It is important to note that valid clinical andrological diagnoses and treatments cannot rely solely on semen examination results; they require proper laboratory procedures as a foundation for diagnosing and treating male patients. Therefore, scientific journals should promote the adoption of robust laboratory practices and an accurate definition of patient groups. A checklist can facilitate the design of high-quality studies and the creation of informative publications. Further, it can help journals assess submitted manuscripts and improve the overall quality of their publications.

Implementing code review in the scientific workflow: Insights from ecology and evolutionary biology

Code review increases reliability and improves reproducibility of research. As such, code review is an inevitable step in software development and is common in fields such as computer science. However, despite its importance, code review is noticeably lacking in ecology and evolutionary biology. This is problematic as it facilitates the propagation of coding errors and a reduction in reproducibility and reliability of published results. To address this, we provide a detailed commentary on how to effectively review code, how to set up your project to enable this form of review and detail its possible implementation at several stages throughout the research process. This guide serves as a primer for code review, and adoption of the principles and advice here will go a long way in promoting more open, reliable, and transparent ecology and evolutionary biology.

The first author takes it all? Solutions for crediting authors more visibly, transparently, and free of bias

With the seventh edition of the publication manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), the APA style now prescribes bias-free language and encourages accessibility even to non-academic audiences. However, even with the newest guidelines, the way we credit authors in psychology remains anachronistic, intransparent, and prone to conflict. It still relies on a sequence-determines-credit approach in the byline, which concurrently is contradicted by the option to consider the last author as the position of the principal investigator depending on the field or journal. Scholars from various disciplines have argued that relying on such norms introduces a considerable amount of error when stakeholders rely on articles for career-relevant decisions. Given the existing recommendations towards a credit-based system, ignoring those issues will further promote bias that could be avoided with rather minor changes to the way we perceive authorship. In this article, we introduce a set of easy-to-implement changes to the manuscript layout that value contribution rather than position. Aimed at fostering transparency, accountability, and equality between authors, establishing those changes would likely benefit all stakeholders in contemporary psychological science.

Ultra-Rapid and Specific Gelation of Collagen Molecules for Transparent and Tough Gels by Transition Metal Complexation

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and one of the main components of stromal tissues in tumors which have a high elastic modulus of over 50 kPa. Although collagen has been widely used as a cell culture scaffold for cancer cells, there have been limitations when attempting to fabricate a tough collagen gel with cells like a cancer stroma. Here, rapid gelation of a collagen solution within a few minutes by transition metal complexation is demonstrated. Type I collagen solution at neutral pH shows rapid gelation with a transparency of 81% and a high modulus of 1,781 kPa by mixing with K2 PtCl4 solution within 3 min. Other transition metal ions also show the same rapid gelation, but not basic metal ions. Interestingly, although type I to IV collagen molecules show rapid gelation, other extracellular matrices  do not exhibit this phenomenon. Live imaging of colon cancer organoids in 3D culture indicates a collective migration property with modulating high elastic modulus, suggesting activation for metastasis progress. This technology will be useful as a new class of 3D culture for cells and organoids due to its facility for deep-live observation and mechanical stiffness adjustment.

Trust and Regulation: Assuring Scientific Independence in the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization Process

Since 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had the authority to allow access to unapproved medical products via the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) pathway during times of emergency. It was rarely used until the COVID-19 pandemic, when concerns arose regarding the role of political pressure in the FDA's issuance of some EUAs, such as for hydroxychloroquine. Although US government officials should be responsive to the public, democratic accountability must be balanced against the need for thoughtful science-based decision-making. Inadequate agency independence can diminish public confidence in government leaders and the FDA. To consider whether reform of the EUA process might be appropriate, we considered three possible sources of inspiration for balancing independence and accountability in government scientific decision-making: models in other countries, models in other US agencies, and models within the FDA itself. Strategies used in these settings include: (1) expanding the role of advisory committees, (2) increasing transparency of the agency's decision-making process and supporting rationale, and (3) improving management of internal agency disagreement. Such reforms could improve public trust in public health regulation both related to and separate from future emergencies.

Effects of Post-Annealing on the Properties of ZnO:Ga Films with High Transparency (94%) and Low Sheet Resistance (29 Ω/square)

This study presents gallium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga, GZO) thin films. GZO thin films with both high transparency and low sheet resistance were prepared by RF sputtering and then post-annealed under nitrogen and hydrogen forming gas. With post-annealing at 450 °C, the proposed films with a film thickness of 100 nm showed high transparency (94%), while the sheet resistance of the films was reduced to 29 Ω/square, which was comparable with the performances of commercial indium tin oxide (ITO) samples. Post-annealing under nitrogen and hydrogen forming gas enhanced the films' conductivity while altering the thin-film composition and crystallinity. Nitrogen gas played a role in improving the crystallinity while maintaining the oxygen vacancy of the proposed films, whereas hydrogen did not dope into the thin film, thus maintaining its transparency. Furthermore, hydrogen lowered the resistance of GZO thin films during the annealing process. Then, the detailed mechanisms were discussed. Hydrogen post-annealing helped in the removal of oxygen, therefore increasing the Ga3+ content, which provided extra electrons to lower the resistivity of the films. After the preferable nitrogen/hydrogen forming gas treatment, our proposed films maintained high transparency and low sheet resistance, thus being highly useful for further opto-electronic applications.

Openness in Scientific Research: A Historical and Philosophical Perspective

Openness is widely regarded as a pillar of scientific ethics because it promotes reproducibility and progress in science and benefits society. However, the sharing of scientific information can sometimes adversely impact the interests of human research participants, human communities or populations, scientists, and private research sponsors; and may threaten national security. Because openness may conflict with other important social values, solutions to ethical and policy dilemmas should include meaningful input from those who are impacted by the sharing and use of scientific information, including research participants, communities, and the public. Data sharing and use policies should be reviewed and revised periodically to account for ongoing changes in science, technology, and society.

From Transparent to Opaque: A Route towards Multifunctional Parts Injected with a Single Material

The technological, social and economic development observed in recent decades brought an exponential increase in consumption and inherent new challenges. Recycling is one of the best solutions to minimize the environmental impact of raw materials. However, multi-material components are difficult or even impossible to recycle. The present work focuses on the reduction in the number of different materials used in multifunctional components. In particular, it intends to assess the potential of injecting molding grades of polypropylene (PP) to produce parts with transparency (haze) gradients. Firstly, several polypropylene grades of different types were identified and injected under various thermal processing conditions, i.e., injection temperature and mold temperature, in order to vary the cooling rate, influencing the growth rate of the spherulites and eventually the presence/absence of α and β crystalline zones. The injected parts' optical properties were then characterized, and the most promising PP grades were identified and selected for subsequent work, namely grade DR 7037.01, showing the widest range of haze (from 29.2 to 68.7%). and PP070G2M, presenting the highest haze value (75.3%). Finally, in an attempt to understand the origin of the haze variations observed, the parts injected with the selected PP grades were further characterized through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized light microscopy. It was concluded that the main factor causing the observed haze difference was, apart from the size of the spherulites, the presence of internal layers with different birefringence and, therefore, different refractive indices.

Research-Problem Validity in Primary Research: Precision and Transparency in Characterizing Past Knowledge

Four validity types evaluate the approximate truth of inferences communicated by primary research. However, current validity frameworks ignore the truthfulness of empirical inferences that are central to research-problem statements. Problem statements contrast a review of past research with other knowledge that extends, contradicts, or calls into question specific features of past research. Authors communicate empirical inferences, or quantitative judgments, about the frequency (e.g., "few," "most") and variability (e.g., "on the one hand," "on the other hand") in their reviews of existing theories, measures, samples, or results. We code a random sample of primary research articles and show that 83% of quantitative judgments in our sample are vague and do not have a transparent origin, making it difficult to assess their validity. We review validity threats of current practices. We propose that documenting the literature search, reporting how the search was coded, and quantifying the search results facilitates more precise judgments and makes their origin transparent. This practice enables research questions that are more closely tied to the existing body of knowledge and allows for more informed evaluations of the contribution of primary research articles, their design choices, and how they advance knowledge. We discuss potential limitations of our proposed framework.

Editors' Statement on the Responsible Use of Generative AI Technologies in Scholarly Journal Publishing

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform many aspects of scholarly publishing. Authors, peer reviewers, and editors might use AI in a variety of ways, and those uses might augment their existing work or might instead be intended to replace it. We are editors of bioethics and humanities journals who have been contemplating the implications of this ongoing transformation. We believe that generative AI may pose a threat to the goals that animate our work but could also be valuable for achieving those goals. In the interests of fostering a wider conversation about how generative AI may be used, we have developed a preliminary set of recommendations for its use in scholarly publishing. We hope that the recommendations and rationales set out here will help the scholarly community navigate toward a deeper understanding of the strengths, limits, and challenges of AI for responsible scholarly work.

Editors' Statement on the Responsible Use of Generative AI Technologies in Scholarly Journal Publishing

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform many aspects of scholarly publishing. Authors, peer reviewers, and editors might use AI in a variety of ways, and those uses might augment their existing work or might instead be intended to replace it. We are editors of bioethics and humanities journals who have been contemplating the implications of this ongoing transformation. We believe that generative AI may pose a threat to the goals that animate our work but could also be valuable for achieving those goals. In the interests of fostering a wider conversation about how generative AI may be used, we have developed a preliminary set of recommendations for its use in scholarly publishing. We hope that the recommendations and rationales set out here will help the scholarly community navigate toward a deeper understanding of the strengths, limits, and challenges of AI for responsible scholarly work.

A Transparent Poly(vinyl alcohol) Ion-Conducting Organohydrogel for Skin-Based Strain-Sensing Applications

The increasing demand for cost-efficient and user-friendly wearable electronic devices has led to the development of stretchable electronics that are both cost-effective and capable of maintaining sustained adhesion and electrical performance under duress. This study reports on a novel physically crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based hydrogel that serves as a transparent, strain-sensing skin adhesive for motion monitoring. By incorporating Zn2+ into the ice-templated PVA gel, a densified amorphous structure is observed through optical and scanning electron microscopy, and it is found that the material can stretch up to 800% strain according to tensile tests. Fabrication in a binary glycerol:water solvent results in electrical resistance in the kΩ range, a gauge factor of 0.84, and ionic conductivity on the scale of 10-4 S cm-1 , making it a potentially low-cost candidate for a stretchable electronic material. This study characterizes the relationship between improved electrical performance and polymer-polymer interactions through spectroscopic techniques, which play a role in the transport of ionic species through the material.

Transparency in Infectious Disease Research: Meta-research Survey of Specialty Journals

BACKGROUND

Infectious diseases carry large global burdens and have implications for society at large. Therefore, reproducible, transparent research is extremely important.

METHODS

We evaluated transparency indicators (code and data sharing, registration, and conflict and funding disclosures) in the 5340 PubMed Central Open Access articles published in 2019 or 2021 in the 9 most cited specialty journals in infectious diseases using the text-mining R package, rtransparent.

RESULTS

A total of 5340 articles were evaluated (1860 published in 2019 and 3480 in 2021 [of which 1828 were on coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19]). Text mining identified code sharing in 98 (2%) articles, data sharing in 498 (9%), registration in 446 (8%), conflict of interest disclosures in 4209 (79%), and funding disclosures in 4866 (91%). There were substantial differences across the 9 journals: 1%-9% for code sharing, 5%-25% for data sharing, 1%-31% for registration, 7%-100% for conflicts of interest, and 65%-100% for funding disclosures. Validation-corrected imputed estimates were 3%, 11%, 8%, 79%, and 92%, respectively. There were no major differences between articles published in 2019 and non-COVID-19 articles in 2021. In 2021, non-COVID-19 articles had more data sharing (12%) than COVID-19 articles (4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Data sharing, code sharing, and registration are very uncommon in infectious disease specialty journals. Increased transparency is required.

Porphyrin-Based MOF Thin Film on Transparent Conducting Oxide: Investigation of Growth, Porosity and Photoelectrochemical Properties

Synthesizing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) composites with a controlled morphology is an important requirement to access materials of desired patterning and composition. Since the last decade, MOF growth from sacrificial metal oxide layer is increasingly developed as it represents an efficient pathway to functionalize a large number of substrates. In this study, porphyrin-based Al-PMOF thin films were grown on conductive transparent oxide substrates from sacrificial layers of ALD-deposited alumina oxide. The control of the solvent composition and the number of atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles allow us to tune the crystallinity, morphology and thickness of the produced thin films. Photophysical studies evidence that Al-PMOF thin films present light absorption and emission properties governed by the porphyrinic linker, without any quenching upon increasing the film thickness. Al-PMOF thin films obtained through this methodology present a remarkably high optical quality both in terms of transparency and coverage. The porosity of the samples is demonstrated by ellipsometry and used for Zn(II) insertion inside the MOF thin film. The multifunctional transparent, porous and luminescent thin film grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) is used as an electrode capable of photoinduced charge separation upon simulated sunlight irradiation.

Ladder Polyphenylsilsesquioxanes and Their Niobium-Siloxane Composite as Coating Materials: Spectroscopy and Atomic Oxygen Resistance Study

In order to expand the range of materials that can be used in outer space and in development of small spacecraft, ladder polyphenylsilsesquioxanes with different molar weights and the Nb-siloxane composites based on them were studied. The properties of the polymer films were studied, including tests in an oxygen plasma flow. Both initial and filled ladder polymers feature extremely low erosion coefficients in the region of 10-26 cm3/atom O at a high fluence of atomic oxygen of 1.0 × 1021 atom O/cm2. Ladder polyphenylsilsesquioxane films irradiated with atomic oxygen (AO) retain their integrity, do not crack, and exhibit good optical properties, in particular, a high transmittance. The latter slightly decreases during AO exposure. The Nb-siloxane filling retains the AO resistance and slight decrease in optical transmission due to diffuse scattering on the formed Nb-[(SiO)x] nanoparticles. Ladder polyphenylsilsesquioxanes demonstrate their suitability for creating protective, optically transparent coatings for small spacecraft that are resistant to the erosive effects of incoming oxygen plasma.

Comparison of Reporting and Transparency in Published Protocols and Publications in Umbrella Reviews: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Inconsistencies between a protocol and its umbrella review (UR) may mislead readers about the importance of findings or lead to false-positive results. Furthermore, not documenting and explaining inconsistencies in the UR could reduce its transparency. To our knowledge, no study has examined the methodological consistency of the protocols with their URs and assessed the transparency of the URs when generating evidence.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the inconsistency of protocols with their URs in the methodology and assess the transparency of the URs.

METHODS

We searched medical-related electronic databases from their inception to January 1, 2022. We investigated inconsistencies between protocols and their publications and transparencies in the search strategy, inclusion criteria, methods of screening and data extraction, quality assessment, and statistical analysis.

RESULTS

We included 31 protocols and 35 publications. For the search strategy, 39 inconsistencies between the protocols and their publications were found in 26 of the 35 (74%) URs, and 16 of these inconsistencies were indicated and explained. There were 84 inconsistencies between the protocols and their URs regarding the inclusion criteria in 31 of the 35 (89%) URs, and 29 of the inconsistencies were indicated and explained. Deviations from their protocols were found in 12 of the 32 (38%) URs reporting the methods of screening, 14 of the 30 (47%) URs reporting the methods of data extraction, and 11 of the 32 (34%) URs reporting the methods for quality assessment. Of the 35 URs, 6 (17%) were inconsistent with their protocols in terms of the tools for quality assessment; one-half (3/6, 50%) of them indicated and explained the deviations. As for the statistical analysis, 31 of the 35 (89%) URs generated 61 inconsistencies between the publications and their protocols, and 16 inconsistencies were indicated and explained.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a high prevalence of inconsistencies between protocols and publications of URs, and more than one-half of the inconsistencies were not indicated and explained in the publications. Therefore, how to promote the transparency of URs will be a major part of future work.

Effect of Polyethylene Glycol Methyl Ether Methacrylate on the Biodegradability of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Starch Blend Films

Blend copolymers (PVA/S) were grafted with polyethylene glycol methyl methacrylate (PEGMA) with different ratios. Potassium persulfate was used as an initiator. The blend copolymer (PVA/S) was created by combining poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with starch (S) in various ratios. The main idea was to study the effect of different ratios of the used raw materials on the biodegradability of plastic films. The resulting polymers (PVA/S/PEGMA) were analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy to investigate the hydrogen bond interaction between PVA, S, and PEGMA in the mixtures. TGA and SEM analyses were used to characterize the polymers (PVA/S/AA). The biodegradability and mechanical properties of the PVA/S/PEGMA blend films were evaluated. The findings revealed that the mechanical properties of the blend films are highly influenced by PEGMA. The time of degradation of the films immersed in soil and Coca-Cola increases as the contents of PVA and S and the molecular weight (MW) of PEGMA increase in the terpolymer. The M8 sample (PVA/S/PEGMA in the ratio of 3:1:2, respectively) with a MW of 950 g/mol produced the lowest elongation at break (67.5%), whereas M1 (PVA/S/PEGMA in the ratio of 1:1:1, respectively) with a MW of 300 g/mol produced the most (150%). The film's tensile strength and elongation at break were improved by grafting PEGMA onto the blending polymer (PAV-b-S). Tg and Tm increased when the PEGMA MW increased from 300 to 950. Tg (48.4 °C) and Tm (190.9 °C) were the lowest in M1 (300), while Tg (84.8 °C) and Tm (190.9 °C) were greatest in M1 (950) at 209.3 °C. The increased chain and molecular weight of PEGMA account for the increase in Tg and Tm of the copolymers.

A primer for choosing, designing and evaluating registered reports for qualitative methods

Registered reports are a publication format that involves peer reviewing studies both before and after carrying out research procedures. Although registered reports were originally developed to combat challenges in quantitative and confirmatory study designs, today registered reports are also available for qualitative and exploratory work. This article provides a brief primer that aims to help researchers in choosing, designing, and evaluating registered reports, which are driven by qualitative methods.

A primer for choosing, designing and evaluating registered reports for qualitative methods

Registered reports are a publication format that involves peer reviewing studies both before and after carrying out research procedures. Although registered reports were originally developed to combat challenges in quantitative and confirmatory study designs, today registered reports are also available for qualitative and exploratory work. This article provides a brief primer that aims to help researchers in choosing, designing, and evaluating registered reports, which are driven by qualitative methods.

The Big Data Gap: Asymmetric Information in the Ophthalmology Residency Match Process and the Argument for Transparent Residency Data

Background  The ophthalmology match is an important step for graduating medical students that defines their future career. Residency programs demonstrate significant variability due to differences in size, location, research output, subspecialty exposure, surgical case load, and alumni fellowship/practice placement. Despite the importance of informed decision-making, applicants often find limited, inconsistent information about potential programs. Purpose  The purpose of this study was to characterize and identify gaps in the information available to residents in the 2022 to 2023 Match. Methods  The SFMatch Web site was reviewed to identify programs included as well as characteristics cited on each program's webpage. Program webpages were used to evaluate availability and consistency of data on site surgical caseload, fellowship slots, and teaching staff. Results  Of the 121 programs included on SFMatch, 23 (19%) provided no data on August 15, 2022 (15 days prior to application submission deadline) and 9 (7%) lacked program data on October 15, 2022. Though most programs provided mean cataract volume, data on volume of other procedures for graduating residents was highly variable and occasionally misleading. Programs did not provide information on several academic and social considerations that may influence match ranking choice. Conclusion  Applicants often must read "between the lines" to identify residency program strengths and weaknesses. Data crucial to informing the application process remain sparse, unavailable, or spread across resources. Limited data increases applicant dependence on word-of-mouth knowledge to inform decision-making. This might reduce diversity by limiting successful applicants to those with existing connections within the field.

Do Meta-Analyses of Intervention/Prevention Programs in the Field of Criminology Meet the Tests of Transparency and Reproducibility?

While assessments of transparent reporting practices in meta-analyses are not uncommon in the field of health sciences interventions, they are limited in the social sciences and to our knowledge are non-existent in criminology. Modified PRISMA 2020 checklists were used to assess transparency and reproducibility of reporting for a sample of 33 meta-analyses of intervention/prevention evaluations published in scholarly journals between 2016 and 2021. Results indicate that the average rate of transparent reporting practices was 63%; adherence varied considerably across studies and subscales, with low rates of adherence for some core checklist items. Overwhelmingly, studies were not reproducible in their entirety; article word count was significantly correlated with reproducibility (r = 0.4028, p < .03). These findings suggest that substantial changes to reporting practices are necessary to meet traditional meta-analytic claims of transparency and reproducibility. Study limitations include sample size, coding instruments, and coding subjectivity.