Ars Technica: AI software helps bust image fraud in academic papers. “During a trial that ran from January 2021 to May 2022, [American Association for Cancer Research] used Proofig to screen 1,367 papers accepted for publication, according to The Register. Of those, 208 papers required author contact to clear up issues such as mistaken duplications, and four papers were withdrawn.”
Brussels Times: New research could cut number of animals needed for laboratory research. “A PhD student at the Brussels VUB university has found that fewer laboratory animals would be needed for research projects if mathematical calculations were used to improve the analysis of results. This would bring down costs and spare animal lives.”
TechCrunch: Twitter allows more researchers to access platform data. “Earlier this year, Twitter launched the Twitter Moderation Research Consortium (TMRC), a group of experts from across academia, civil society, nongovernmental organizations and journalism dedicated to studying Twitter’s platform governance issues. Previously, membership in the TMRC was limited to select trusted partners, but Twitter today began offering all researchers the chance to apply.”
Tulane News: Bombed labs, war won’t stop collaboration between Tulane and Ukrainian scientists . “Tulane recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute (KhPI) in Kharkiv to collaborate with faculty from Tulane School of Science and Engineering in the fields of science, engineering and technology. Administered by the Tulane Provost’s Office, the collaboration will span several technical fields and include research projects, curriculum development and teaching.”
Cornell Chronicle: Fairer ranking system diversifies search results. “Cornell researchers have developed a fairer system for recommendations – from hotels to jobs to videos – so a few top hits don’t get all the exposure. The new ranking system still provides relevant options, but divides user attention more equitably across search results. It can be applied to online markets such as travel sites, hiring platforms and news aggregators.”
Nature: It takes a laboratory to avoid data loss. “Academia heaps most of the burden of documentation and data storage onto individuals, instead of the lab as a whole. At the same time, little, if any, instruction is provided to teach individuals how to properly document and store their data. But labs can mitigate data loss by implementing three simple suggestions.”
Physics World: Open-source tool allows researchers to calculate their lab’s carbon footprint. “Researchers in France have developed a new open-source tool to help scientists understand and reduce the carbon footprint of their labs. From the 500 or so labs that have already used the tool – called GES 1point5 – the researchers have discovered that heating, travel and commuting are the main factors that contribute to a lab’s carbon footprint.”
Internet Archive Blog: Building Democracy’s Library—Celebrate with the Internet Archive on October 19. “Why is it that on the internet the best information is often locked behind paywalls? Brewster Kahle, founder of The Internet Archive, believes it’s time to turn that scarcity model upside down and build an internet based on abundance. Join us for an evening event where he’ll share a new project—Democracy’s Library—a free, open, online compendium of government research and publications from around the world. Why? Because democracies need an educated citizenry to thrive.” The event will be both in-person and virtual.
University of Alberta: AI researchers improve method for removing gender bias in natural language processing. “Researchers have found a better way to reduce gender bias in natural language processing models while preserving vital information about the meanings of words, according to a recent study that could be a key step toward addressing the issue of human biases creeping into artificial intelligence.”
PR Newswire: Near Space Labs Launches Imagery Grant Program to Unlock Free Access to its Ultra-High Resolution Imagery for Nonprofits, Researchers and Universities (PRESS RELEASE). “Near Space Labs, the cutting-edge geospatial data and Earth imagery company, today announced the launch of its Community Resilience & Innovation Earth Imagery Grant program that will make its 10 cm ultra-high resolution imagery available for free to nonprofits, researchers, and universities, among others.”
Cornell Chronicle: New technique boosts online medical search results. “A Cornell-led group of researchers has developed a search method that employs natural language processing and network analysis to identify terms that are semantically similar to those for cancer screening tests, but in colloquial language.”
The Conversation: How dark is ‘dark advertising’? We audited Facebook, Google and other platforms to find out. “In a new study conducted for the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), we audited the advertising transparency of seven major digital platforms. The results were grim: none of the platforms are transparent enough for the public to understand what advertising they publish, and how it is targeted.”
Creative Commons: Press Release: New Four-Year, $4 Million Open Climate Campaign Will Open Knowledge to Solve Challenges in Climate and Biodiversity. “Creative Commons, SPARC and EIFL today announce a new 4-year, $4-million (USD) grant from Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, to fund the Open Climate Campaign. This grant, which builds on $450,000 (USD) in planning funds from the Open Society Foundations, will fund a four-year campaign to accelerate progress towards solving the climate crisis and preserving global biodiversity by promoting open access to research.”
News-Medical: ParAqua develops an interactive database to fill the gap in knowledge about zoosporic parasites. “ParAqua COST Action, which gathers researchers, innovators, and producers of microalgae across Europe and beyond, have started the development of an interactive database on zoosporic algae parasites. In addition to the interactive database, the network is currently preparing a booklet that will serve as a guideline for methods of early detection and monitoring of zoosporic parasites.”
The Print: 60-80% of Twitter accounts posting on Russia-Ukraine war bots, 90% ‘pro Ukraine’, finds new study . “Between 60 and 80 per cent of Twitter handles posting on the Russia-Ukraine war may be bot accounts, a research by scholars from the University of Adelaide, Australia has found. Among other influences, these bot accounts may have been pushing people to flee their homes during the conflict between these two countries, the researchers added.”
