Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14662/388

This collection includes articles, typically the realization of a research paper reporting original research findings, published in a journal issue. (URI: https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/)
Examples of this item type include: editorials, data papers, research articles, corrigendums, review articles, software papers.

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Open Access
Detection of lead in bone phantoms and arsenic in soft tissue phantoms using synchrotron radiation and a portable x-ray fluorescence system
(IOP Publishing, 2017-01-30) Groskopf, Craig; Bennett, Stephen R.; Gherase, Mihai R.; Fleming, David E.B.
The differences and commonalities between x-ray fluorescence results obtained using synchrotron radiation and a portable x-ray fluorescence device were examined using arsenic in soft tissue phantoms and lead in bone phantoms. A monochromatic beam energy of 15.8 keV was used with the synchrotron, while the portable device employed a rhodium anode x-ray tube operated at 40 kV. Bone phantoms, dosed with varying quantities of lead, were made of Plaster of Paris and placed underneath skin phantoms of either 3.1 mm or 3.9 mm thickness. These skin phantoms were constructed from polyester resin, and dosed with varying amounts of arsenic. Using an irradiation time of 120 seconds, arsenic Kα and Kβ, and lead Lα and Lβ characteristic x-ray peaks were analysed. This information was used to calculate calibration line slopes and minimum detection limits for each data set. As expected, minimum detection limits were much lower at the synchrotron for detecting arsenic and lead. Both approaches produced lower detection limits for arsenic in soft tissue than for lead in bone when simultaneous detection was attempted. Although arsenic Kα and lead Lα emissions share similar energies, it was possible to detect both elements in isolation by using the arsenic Kβ and lead Lβ characteristic x-rays. Greater thickness of soft tissue phantom reduced the ability to detect the underlying lead. Experiments with synchrotron radiation could help guide future efforts toward optimizing a portable x-ray fluorescence in vivo measurement device.
Open Access
Feasibility of measuring zinc in human nails using portable x-ray fluorescence
(Elsevier, 2018-09-24) Fleming, David E.B.; Bennett, Stephen R.; Frederickson, Christopher J.
A variety of adverse health effects have been identified as resulting from zinc deficiency. Zinc supplementation may therefore be indicated for certain individuals or populations. A rapid and straightforward means of assessing zinc status in humans would be of considerable medical benefit. In this study, the feasibility of measuring zinc levels in human fingernails or toenails using a portable x-ray fluorescence technique was assessed. Whole nail models (or phantoms) were constructed from resin, and dosed with various concentrations of zinc. These different concentration “nails” were cut into small slices of 4.4 ± 0.2 mm width. The combination of these various slices into different arrangements allowed the modeling of different time-dependent zinc exposure scenarios. A portable x-ray fluorescence device was tested using an “open beam” configuration having a beam diameter of ~9 mm, and using a “weld mask” configuration with the beam width reduced to 2.9 mm. Minimum detection limits were determined to be 0.15 ± 0.01 ppm for the open beam, and 1.13 ± 0.08 ppm when using the weld mask. By scanning across the length of the model nails, it was demonstrated that differences in zinc levels deposited over time could be detected, and that the weld mask configuration was better suited to resolving spatial changes. The x-ray fluorescence approach was found to be highly sensitive for detecting zinc in nail, and capable of differentiating patterns of zinc uptake over time.
Open Access
Assessing arsenic and selenium in a single nail clipping using portable X-ray fluorescence
(Elsevier, 2016-12-19) Fleming, David E.B.; Nader, Michel N.; Foran, Kelly A.; Groskopf, Craig; Reno, Michael C.; Ware, Chris S.; Tehrani, Mina; Guimarães, Diana; Parsons, Patrick J.
The feasibility of measuring arsenic and selenium contents in a single nail clipping was investigated using a small-focus portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument with monochromatic excitation beams. Nail clipping phantoms supplemented with arsenic and selenium to produce materials with 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 μg/g were used for calibration purposes. In total, 10 different clippings were analyzed at two different measurement positions. Energy spectra were fit with detection peaks for arsenic Kα, selenium Kα, arsenic Kβ, selenium Kβ, and bromine Kα characteristic X-rays. Data analysis was performed under two distinct conditions of fitting constraint. Calibration lines were established from the amplitude of each of the arsenic and selenium peaks as a function of the elemental contents in the clippings. The slopes of the four calibration lines were consistent between the two conditions of analysis. The calculated minimum detection limit (MDL) of the method, when considering the Kα peak only, ranged from 0.210 ± 0.002 μg/g selenium under one condition of analysis to 0.777 ± 0.009 μg/g selenium under another. Compared with previous portable XRF nail clipping studies, MDLs were substantially improved for both arsenic and selenium. The new measurement technique had the additional benefits of being short in duration (~3 minutes) and requiring only a single nail clipping. The mass of the individual clipping used did not appear to play a major role in signal strength, but positioning of the clipping is important.
Open Access
Assessment of alternative methods for analyzing X-ray fluorescence spectra
(Elsevier, 2019-02-13) Nader, Michel N.; Fleming, David E.B.
When analyzing characteristic peaks in X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectra, the peak area is the value most often used to quantify peak size. However, some studies have reported the amplitude of the peak instead of the area. When the width of the peak is allowed to vary from trial to trial in order to provide the best possible fit to the data, these two alternative methods can yield slightly different results. In the current study, these two approaches to peak analysis are compared for data obtained from bone reference materials having certified lead concentrations of 1.09 ± 0.03 μg/g, 16.1 ± 0.3 μg/g, 13.2 ± 0.3 μg/g, and 31.5 ± 0.7 μg/g. Measurements were made with an Olympus Innov-X Delta Premium portable XRF system. Using both the area and amplitude methods, lines of best fit were constructed for the lead Lα and lead Lβ signals as a function of lead concentration. Additionally, coefficients of variation were calculated for each reference material and condition of analysis. To assess possible variations over time, the procedure was performed at two points separated by about one year. The amplitude and area methods were found to produce results which were consistent and proportional. Using either method, lead XRF signal plotted as a function of known lead concentration produced adjusted r2 values of ~0.99. The amplitude method provided slightly higher adjusted r2 values overall. Coefficients of variation were generally very similar between the two methods, although more pronounced differences emerged from measurements of the lowest concentration reference material.
Open Access
Optimization of L-shell X-ray fluorescence detection of lead in bone phantoms using synchrotron radiation
(Wiley, 2017-06-29) Gherase, Mihai R.; Feng, Renfei; Fleming, David E.B.
Closely-related toxicity and retention mechanisms of lead (Pb) in the human body involve the bone tissues where Pb can accumulate and reside on a time scale ranging from years to tens of years. In vivo measurements of bone Pb can, therefore, play an important role in a comprehensive health risk assessment of Pb exposure. In vivo L-shell X-ray fluorescence (LXRF) measurement of bone Pb was first demonstrated over four decades ago. Implementation of the method, however, encountered challenges associated with low sensitivity and calibration procedure. In this study the LXRF measurement was optimized by varying the incident photon energy and the excitation-detection geometry. The Canadian Light Source synchrotron radiation was used to compare two different excitation detection geometries of 90° and 135° using three different X-ray photon energies: 15.8, 16.6, and 17.5 keV. These energies optimized excitation of the L3 subshell of Pb and simulated the most intense K-shell emissions of zirconium, niobium, and molybdenum, respectively. Five rectangular plaster-of-Paris bone phantoms with Pb concentrations of 0, 7, 17, 26, and 34 μg⁄g and one rectangular 3.1 mm-thick resin phantom mimicked the X-ray attenuation properties of human bone and soft tissue, respectively. Optimal LXRF detection was obtained by the 15.8 keV energy and the 90° and 135° geometries for the bare bone and the bone and soft tissue phantoms, respectively.
Open Access
Portable x-ray fluorescence for the analysis of chromium in nail and nail clippings
(Elsevier, 2016-12-30) Fleming, David E.B.; Ware, Chris S.
Assessment of chromium content in human nail or nail clippings could serve as an effective biomarker of chromium status. The feasibility of a new portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) approach to chromium measurement was investigated through analysis of nail and nail clipping phantoms. Five measurements of 180s (real time) duration were first performed on six whole nail phantoms having chromium concentrations of 0, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20µg/g. Using nail clippers, these phantoms were then converted to nail clippings, and assembled into different mass groups of 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100mg for additional measurements. The amplitude of the chromium Kα characteristic x-ray energy peak was examined as a function of phantom concentration for all measurement conditions to create a series of calibration lines. The minimum detection limit (MDL) for chromium was also calculated for each case. The chromium MDL determined from the whole nail intact phantoms was 0.88±0.03µg/g. For the clipping phantoms, the MDL ranged from 1.2 to 3.3µg/g, depending on the mass group analyzed. For the 40mg clipping group, the MDL was 1.2±0.1µg/g, and higher mass collections did not improve upon this result. This MDL is comparable to chromium concentration levels seen in various studies involving human nail clippings. Further improvements to the portable XRF technique would be required to detect chromium levels expected from the lower end of a typical population.
Open Access
Assessing zinc from a nail clipping using mono-energetic portable X-ray fluorescence
(Elsevier, 2019) Fleming, David E.B.; Crook, Samantha L.; Evans, Colby T.
A mono-energetic X-ray beam from a portable X-ray fluorescence device was used to excite characteristic X-rays from zinc in a series of nail clipping phantoms. Twenty nail clipping phantoms having equal zinc concentrations of ~40 µg/g, but with different physical characteristics, were measured individually for 300 s using a small diameter (~1 mm) X-ray beam. Energy spectra obtained from the measurements were analyzed using PyMca software. Zinc signal size varied widely between the different clippings, with a relative standard deviation of 41% observed in the combined signal from zinc Kα and Kβ characteristic X-rays. Three different normalization approaches were introduced to account for variation in the amounts of sample interrogated by the X-ray beam. All three approaches produced similar results, and successfully reduced the relative standard deviation to between 12% and 13%. A clear trend was still observed, however, between the normalized zinc signal and the thickness of clipping measured. To account for this effect, normalized signals were adjusted to calculate “thickness-corrected” values. The relative standard deviation of these thickness-corrected values was 6.2%. Reproducibility of measurement from individual clippings was excellent, with relative standard deviations on the order of 1%, with or without normalization. Overall, this new method of measuring zinc in nail shows promise for the assessment of zinc status in humans using a portable device. The method is sensitive, rapid, and requires only a single nail clipping.
Open Access
Multiparametric cytotoxicity assessment: The effect of gold nanoparticle functionalization on SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma cell death
(Taylor and Francis, 2022-07-05) McDougall, Rachel M.; Cahill, Hannah F.; Power, Madeline E.; MacCormack, Tyson J.; Meli, M.-Vicki; Rourke, Jillian L.
Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) are promising anti-cancer agents because of their modifiable properties and high biocompatibility. This study used multiple parallel analyses to investigate the cytotoxic properties of 5 nm AuNP conjugated to four different ligands with distinct surface chemistry: polyethylene glycol (PEG), trimethylammonium bromide (TMAB), 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP), and carboxyl (COOH). We used a range of biochemical and high-content microscopy methods to evaluate metabolic function, oxidative stress, cell health, cell viability, and cell morphology in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. Each AuNP displayed a distinct cytotoxicity profile. All AuNP species assessed exhibited signs of dose-dependent cytotoxicity when morphology, clonogenic survival, lysosomal uptake, or cell number were measured as the marker of toxicity. All particles except for AuNP-COOH increased SKOV3 apoptosis. In contrast, AuNP-TMAB was the only particle that did not alter metabolic function or to induce significant signs of oxidative stress. These results demonstrate that AuNP surface chemistry impacts the magnitude and mechanism of SKOV3 cell death. Together, these findings reinforce the important role for multiparametric cytotoxicity characterization when considering the utility of novel particles and surface chemistries.
Open Access
Short-term response of a downstream marine system to opening a tidal-river causeway
(Springer, 2016) Gerwing, Travis G.; Hamilton, Diana J.; Barbeau, Myriam A.; Haralampides, Katy; Yamazaki, Gordon
The spill gates of the causeway on the Petitcodiac River in New Brunswick, Canada, were permanently opened in April 2010. We examined the short-term effect this had on downstream intertidal mudflats of the upper Bay of Fundy. Specifically, a before-after-control-impact design was used to determine if the causeway opening affected the invertebrate community (crustaceans, polychaetes, and molluscs), abiotic sediment conditions (sediment water content, mean particle size, penetrability, and aRPD depth), or resource availability (sediment chlorophyll a concentration, and organic matter content) of 5 intertidal mudflats (2 impacted sites, 3 reference sites) up to 5 months post-opening. We detected no biologically or statistically meaningful differences between impacted and reference sites for any of the measured variables. This suggests that opening the causeway did not have an impact on these intertidal mudflats, at least within half a year of the opening. We speculate that this is likely a result of the macrotidal nature of the Bay of Fundy, that overwhelmed any changes to hydrodynamics and sedimentation which occurred after the opening of the causeway.
Open Access
Diboron(4) compounds: From structural curiosity to synthetic workhorse
(American Chemical Society, 2016) Neeve, Emily C.; Geier, Stephen J.; Mkhalid, Ibraheem A. I.; Westcott, Stephen A.; Marder, Todd B.
Although known for over 90 years, only in the past two decades has the chemistry of diboron(4) compounds been extensively explored. Many interesting structural features and reaction patterns have emerged, and more importantly, these compounds now feature prominently in both metal-catalyzed and metal-free methodologies for the formation of B-C bonds and other processes.
Open Access
Examination of oil structural motifs and temperature in promoting reversible self-assembly of gold nanoparticle Langmuir films
(American Chemical Society, 2022-01-13) Kilham, Annabelle M.; McWhirter, Samantha; Meli, M.-Vicki
The interaction between alkanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles with other components and phases has important consequences on their use in materials and devices, as well as their fate in the environment or at biological interfaces. Previously we determined that long oil chain lengths and lower temperatures optimized the mixing of n-alkanes with alkanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) which improved nanoparticle self-assembly into superlattices at aqueous interfaces. In this study, a variety of liquid phase hydrocarbon oils with structural and functional variations were surveyed for their mixing efficacy and propensity to enable reversible selfassembly of nanoparticle domains. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and pressure vs. area isotherms across this series reveal isotherm features that distinguish between the mixing and inclusion of the oil at the interface and that which enables reversible self-assembly. Structural and functional characteristics of the oil for promoting reversible self-assembly are identified which surpass the importance of chain length previously described. Temperatures below the ligand order-disorder transition were found to improve the reversibility of AuNP domains and are understood by application of a reparametrized x-DLVO model.
Open Access
Developing a memory representation: Do we visualize or do we "verbalize" objects?
(Canadian Psychological Association, 2021) Desmarais, Geneviève; Penrose, Carly
According to encoding specificity, participants perform better when testing conditions match learning conditions. Interestingly, recent findings in visuo-haptic object identification violate this principle: participants who learned to recognize objects haptically performed just as well when asked to identify objects by sight and by touch. One possible explanation is that participants who explore objects haptically visualize the objects they explore, creating a multisensory memory trace equally accessible to vision and touch. We evaluated this possibility by asking undergraduate participants to learn to recognize novel objects either by sight or by touch. Participants completed sequences of learning trials where they explored each object, and test trials where they recalled the name of each object. During learning trials, some participants were presented with a visual distractor (either a verbal or nonverbal characters) they had to recognize later, while other participants completed a distractor-less control condition. Consistent with past findings, our results violated encoding specificity for participants who learned to recognize objects haptically – this was not modified by the addition of a secondary task. Interestingly however, only the verbal distractors interfered with learning. These results suggest that the creation of memory representations for novel objects involves a verbal code rather than visualization, independently of how objects are initially explored.
Open Access
Are disproportionate losses of eastern breeding Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) driving declines in the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada?
(Allen Press, 2019) Bliss, Sydney E.; Hamilton, Diana J.; Gratto-Trevor, Cheri; Paquet, Julie
Large numbers of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) use the Bay of Fundy, Canada, as a stopover site during their southbound migration from breeding to wintering grounds. The species exhibits a geographic cline in bill length on the breeding grounds (larger in east). Based on a previous analysis of morphometric traits that detected a small temporal decline in bill length, it has been suggested that observed declines in the Semipalmated Sandpiper population staging in the Bay of Fundy were driven by a disproportionate loss from the eastern breeding population. New data collected in the Bay of Fundy has made it possible to reassess this suggestion. We compared new bill length data from the Bay of Fundy (2009–2014) to historical data (1981–1989, 1997–2007) to examine temporal changes in bill length at this stopover site. We also examined count data at a major roost site from 1981 to 2014 to assess temporal changes in migratory passage. Variation in median passage date is explained best by a combination of year and Arctic climate data. Birds are now migrating through the region later in the season; median passage date has advanced approximately 5 d from 1980s values. Our analyses suggest that while there was a small decline in bill length between the 1980s and early 2000s, it has since reversed and bills are now comparable to historical values. Given this reversal in mean bill length, coupled with population estimates that are still low relative to historical values, there is now little evidence to support the hypothesis that the decline between the 1980s and today in birds passing through the Bay of Fundy is linked to disproportionate losses of eastern breeders. We therefore suggest that population declines may be distributed more broadly across the breeding range of birds that use the Bay of Fundy as a stopover site.
Open Access
Charged and neutral Au nanoparticles interact differently with Langmuir film-based synthetic membranes: Implications for nanoparticle uptake and membrane protein activity.
(American Chemical Society, 2020-08-31) Malek, Michael; Curtis, Isabel S.; MacCormack, Tyson J.; Meli, M.-Vicki
A Langmuir-film based synthetic membrane system containing an active transmembrane protein, glucose- 6-phosphatase (G6Pase) was employed to investigate the effects nanoparticle exposure as a function of membrane surface pressure. The activity of G6Pase after exposure to 5 nm gold nanoparticles functionalized with anionic, cationic, and neutral ligand coatings was found to increase by as much as 300% for both anionic and neutral particles at surface pressures less than 30 mN/m, indicating significant nanoparticle-protein interactions. Atomic force microscopy imaging was used to track the distribution of nanoparticles and G6Pase within the membranes and correlate changes in activity to the distribution of G6Pase in the membrane. Conditions which enabled the redistribution of protein in the form of solubilization or aggregation within the membrane were identified for each class of nanoparticles. This investigation demonstrates the importance of the phospholipid environment surrounding membrane proteins during exposure to nanoparticles which can impact the nanoparticle fate in terms of uptake as well as potential effects on membrane protein activity.
Open Access
Distribution and habitat use of the invasive Carcinus maenas L. (European Green Crab) and the native Cancer irroratus (Say) (Rock Crab) in intertidal zones in the Upper Bay of Fundy, Canada
(Eagle Hill Institute, 2018) MacDonald, Amelia J.; Kienzle, Hannah M.; Drolet, David; Hamilton, Diana J.
Carcinus maenas (European Green Crab) is an invasive marine portunid crab that has established populations globally outside of its native range and has been implicated in declines of benthic invertebrates in invaded ecosystems. Observations of Green Crab on intertidal mudflats in the upper Bay of Fundy have increased in recent years. We assessed the distribution and relative abundance of crab populations in Chignecto Bay, an arm of the upper Bay of Fundy, by trapping Green Crab and native Cancer irroratus (Say) (Rock Crab) at mudflats and in rocky intertidal zones in 2013 and 2014. Spatial distribution of Green Crabs indicated a preference for rocky intertidal habitats and greater abundance geographically lower in the Bay, which would correspond with an initial introduction at the mouth of the Bay and subsequent inward expansion. Abundance declined drastically from 2013 to 2014, suggesting that Green Crab may not yet be well established in Chignecto Bay. Carapace width indicated that crab age may be less variable further into the Bay, suggesting these sites may only be colonized in years with favorable environmental conditions. The population may be vulnerable under poorer conditions in other years, like 2014, when high overwintering mortality is a possible cause for the observed decline. There was not a corresponding decline in native Rock Crab. While Green Crab abundance is currently relatively low in Chignecto Bay, and their impact on mudflats likely minimal, prolonged favorable environmental conditions could lead to an increased presence.
Open Access
Iminophosphine platinum(II) complexes containing long chain aniline derivatives: Synthesis, characterization, and anticancer properties
(Elsevier, November 29, 2022) Hsu, Sung Yuan; Murphy, Maia C.; Smolensky, Nicole T.; Vogels, Christopher M.; Lebel, Andrea A.; Masuda, Jason D.; Boudreau, Luc H.; Morin, Pier Jr.; Westcott, Stephen A.
A series of iminophosphine ligands (1a-g) have been prepared from the condensation reaction of 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde with aniline and aniline derivatives containing linear hydrocarbon chains of varying lengths in the para position. The corresponding platinum(II) complexes (2a-g) were synthesized by reaction of [PtCl2(η2-coe)]2 (coe = cis-cyclooctene) and two equivalents of 1a-g. Full characterization of all new ligands and platinum complexes was performed including multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy as well as an X-ray diffraction study for compound 2d (derived from 4-hexylaniline). The cytotoxic properties of the platinum complexes against two glioma cell lines using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric method were examined.
Open Access
Intracellular taurine deficiency impairs cardiac contractility in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) without affecting aerobic performance
(Springer, 2022) Gates, Megumi A.; Morash, Andrea J.; Lamarre, Simon G.; MacCormack, Tyson J.
Taurine is a non-proteinogenic sulfonic acid found in high concentrations inside vertebrate cardiomyocytes and its movement across the sarcolemmal membrane is critical for cell volume regulation. Taurine deficiency is rare in mammals, where it impairs cardiac contractility and leads to congestive heart failure. In fish, cardiac taurine levels vary substantially between species and can decrease by up to 60% in response to environmental change but its contribution to cardiac function is understudied. We addressed this gap in knowledge by generating a taurine-deficient rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) model using a feed enriched with 3% β-alanine to inhibit cellular taurine uptake. Cardiac taurine was reduced by 17% after 4 weeks with no effect on growth or condition factor. Taurine deficiency did not affect routine or maximum rates of O2 consumption, aerobic scope, or critical swimming speed in whole animals but cardiac contractility was significantly impaired. In isometrically contracting ventricular strip preparations, the force–frequency and extracellular Ca2+-sensitivity relationships were both shifted downward and maximum pacing frequency was significantly lower in β-alanine fed trout. Cardiac taurine deficiency reduces sarcoplasmic reticular Ca2+-ATPase activity in mammals and our results are consistent with such an effect in rainbow trout. Our data indicate that intracellular taurine contributes to the regulation of cardiac contractility in rainbow trout. Aerobic performance was unaffected in β-alanine-fed animals, but further study is needed to determine if more significant natural reductions in taurine may constrain performance under certain environmental conditions.
Open Access
Diet reconstruction using next-generation sequencing increases the known ecosystem usage by a shorebird
(American Ornithologists' Union, 2016-02-03) Gerwing, Travis G.; Kim, Jin-Hong; Hamilton, Diana J.; Barbeau, Myriam A.; Addison, Jason A.
Molecular scatology and next-generation sequencing identified previously unknown linkages among ecosystems in the diet of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. During their annual migratory stopover, sandpipers consumed a wider range of prey items than previously thought, suggesting that they are not selecting for the amphipod Corophium volutator, and are acting as generalist foragers. Our analysis identified several novel prey items – arachnids, crabs, bivalves, several terrestrial and freshwater insect species, ctenophores, cnidarians, and fish (likely eggs or juveniles) – indicating that sandpipers consume prey from marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. Connections between sandpipers and freshwater as well as terrestrial ecosystems were previously unknown in the Bay of Fundy. Current conservation efforts directed towards sandpipers focus on beach and intertidal habitats; however, we may also need to consider the surrounding freshwater and terrestrial habitat.
Open Access
A tunable approach to induce the formation of flexible nanofilms from small (3 nm) gold nanoparticles at oil/water interfaces
(American Chemical Society, 2024) Cameron, Hannah; Zhang, Yuwei; Curtis, Isabel; Gamble, Leah; Meli, M.-Vicki
Open Access
Sounding the alarm: Scholarly information and global information companies in 2021
(2021) McLean, Jaclyn; Stregger, Elizabeth
Vendors and publishers collaborate and work to protect their bottom line—which is threatened by open access (OA)—by expanding into research lifecycle and data analytics, and by continuing to merge and acquire each other, reducing choice in the library market. The implementation of Seamless Access and other systems force library staff into the position of gatekeeper for systems and platforms that we have no control or input over. Vendors and publishers control the online content that libraries can access: they add and remove content at will, and classify titles according to their greatest possible sales margins, making valuable resources unavailable to libraries to license for campus-wide access. These vendor actions—which impact the research lifecycle as a whole, disrupt traditional publishing, and seek to monetize user data—are extremely concerning. Collective action is the only way to make significant inroads against these developments. We suggest some proactive ways that we can initiate these collective actions and resist these industry-wide developments imposed by vendors and publishers.

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