4,857 research outputs found
NAME Modeling and Data Assimilation: a strategic overview
No full textThis document presents a strategic overview of modeling and related data analysis and assimilation components of the North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME). Building on the NAME science plan, a strategy is outlined for accelerating progress on the fundamental modeling issues pertaining to NAME science goals. The strategy takes advantage of NAME enhanced observations, and should simultaneously provide model-based guidance to the evolving multi-tiered NAME observing program
Mapping the Future of Scholarly Publishing
No full textThe Open Science Initiative (OSI) is a working group convened by the National Science Communication Institute (nSCI) in October 2014 to discuss the issues regarding improving open access for the betterment of science and to recommend possible solutions. The following document summarizes the wide range of issues, perspectives and recommendations from this group’s online conversation during November and December 2014 and January 2015. The 112 participants who signed up to participate in this conversation were drawn mostly from the academic, research, and library communities. Most of these 112 were not active in this conversation, but a healthy diversity of key perspectives was still represented. Individual participants may not agree with all of the viewpoints described herein, but participants agree that this document reflects the spirit and content of the conversation. This main body of this document was written by Glenn Hampson and edited by Joyce Ogburn and Laura Ada Emmett. Additional editorial input was provided by many members of the OSI working group. Kathleen Shearer is the author of Annex 5, with editing by Dominque Bambini and Richard Poynder.
Why journals? Scholarly journals are the backbone of science communication and discovery, and have been for centuries. However, for the past 20 years or so—roughly coinciding with the growth of the Internet— the scholarly publishing system has been under a tremendous and increasing amount of stress due to rapidly increasing subscription prices, rapid proliferation in the number of journals being published, distorted publishing incentives in academia, lax editorial oversight, massive escalation in the global rate of knowledge production, changing communication patterns and expectations in our society, the emergence of open access as a compelling model of free and open information access, and a wide array of other important factors. This stress is particularly affecting access to medical research information today, and particularly in the developing world.
The National Science Communication Institute (nSCI) hosted a conference in late 2013 to explore the broad outlines of this issue. The proceedings of this conference are available online at bit.ly/1zkx6PJ.
In early September of 2014, nSCI recruited and organized over 100 thought-leaders from around the world into a three month long online conversation— named the Open Science Initiative (OSI) working group—to begin looking into viable ways to reform the scholarly publishing system. The transcripts of this conversation have been preserved and are summarized herein.
What are the problems with the current system of scholarly publishing? What are the different perspectives on these problems? What are some possible solutions? What should our goals and our guiding objectives be regarding improving access to research information? Should we even bother worrying about this issue (is the current state of affairs adequate)? What would a future with more open science look like? What might a future without more open science look like? How do we get from where we are now to where we need to be, considering there are so many competing interests and entrenched positions? Why might it be important to act now?
The OSI working group discussed these issues and many others at length. The group also made these three important recommendations (the first two being majority viewpoints):
1. Convene an annual series of high-level conferences between all key stakeholders over the next 10 years to discuss, implement, adjust, and track major reforms to the scholarly publishing system. The first conference is currently being planned for early 2016. The delegate list will be an invited group of 200 decision-makers representing every major stakeholder group in scholarly publishing, participating with the understanding that they will try to reach an agreement on the future of scholarly publishing and will then work to help implement this agreement. The United Nations will be backing these conferences (through UNESCO) and will help mobilize broad and ongoing international support, participation, and funding. Very broad participation from US stakeholders—publishers, authors, federal agencies, companies who use research, institutions that produce research, and more—is critical to getting this effort up and running. While scientific research is certainly a global interest and enterprise, the US is the largest single producer and consumer of this research information, so without strong US participation, global adoption will be difficult to achieve.
2. Find answers to key questions related to reform, as detailed in the summary document. What do we really mean by “publishing” today? Are selfarchiving mandates practical? Are impact factors accurate? Do embargoes serve the public interest? Are there better ways to conduct peer review? Why isn’t open access growing faster? These and many other questions have been identified in this report as starting points for discussion.
3. Investigate the possibility of constructing the world’s first all-scholarship repository (ASR). Our initial discussion regarding this repository is included in Annex 4. Conversations are currently ongoing on this matter. The Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) will explore building the prototype ASR (LANL also created arXiv). We are currently preparing a briefing paper for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy so they can align upcoming federal compliance efforts with this repository. A number of OSI working group members feel that creating the world’s first all-scholarship repository will need to be a precursor to truly comprehensive journal reform, and creating it the right way may end up having a greater impact on science discovery than anything ever attempted to date.
As we push forward with this initiative, the OSI group will need the following kinds of help: Broad buy-in and participation from research agencies, companies and institutions; more input and perspective from publishers, research institutions, government agencies, the public, and other stakeholders; subject matter expertise (such as programming, database construction, user interface design, customer experience, and so on), hardware/hosting support, data integration support, conference support (facility support, logistics, etc.); outreach/PR expertise; and finally, backing by policymakers and major funders. Building this support base will be the only way to achieve effective and long-term sustainable reform.
The budget for the first conference will range between 500k depending on how many of the costs we can cover for participants (more coverage is better—we don’t want people declining our invite on account of budget reasons). The repository effort can begin modestly but will eventually require millions of dollars annually, although much of the eventual operating cost can be recouped through sponsor support, advertising, and value-added services. A start-up budget of $10 million would help get a critical mass of experts working full-time on this project right away.
This initiative already has a broad range of stakeholder support, but as we move forward we want to make sure that everyone has a seat at the table and also make it clear that we’re not just spinning our wheels to produce another white paper for discussion. OSI, nSCI, UNESCO, LANL, and others have committed to undertake an effort to actually shape the future of how we as a society value, share and use science. Care to join us
Understanding the high tech sector in the Cape Metropolitan Region: a contribution to the development of a regional strategy for high tech industry
No full textThe aim of this working paper is to contribute to a strategy for developing the high tech sector in the Cape Metropolitan Region (CMR) through a better understanding of the high tech firms that already exist
Information seeking retrieval, reading and storing behaviour of library users
No full textIn the interest of digital libraries, it is advisable that designers be aware of the potential behaviour of the users of such a system. There are two distinct parts under investigation, the interaction between traditional libraries involving the seeking and retrieval of relevant material, and the reading and storage behaviours ensuing. Through this analysis, the findings could be incorporated into digital library facilities. There has been copious amounts of research on information seeking leading to the development of behavioural models to describe the process. Often research on the information seeking practices of individuals is based on the task and field of study. The information seeking model, presented by Ellis et al. (1993), characterises the format of this study where it is used to compare various research on the information seeking practices of groups of people (from academics to professionals). It is found that, although researchers do make use of library facilities, they tend to rely heavily on their own collections and primarily use the library as a source for previously identified information, browsing and interloan. It was found that there are significant differences in user behaviour between the groups analysed. When looking at the reading and storage of material it was hard to draw conclusions, due to the lack of substantial research and information on the topic. However, through the use of reading strategies, a general idea on how readers behave can be developed. Designers of digital libraries can benefit from the guidelines presented here to better understand their audience
Biotechnology in New Zealand: Description and analysis based on the 1998/99 and 2002 biotech surveys and a review of secondary sources
No full textThis paper provides a detailed description of the New Zealand biotechnology sector based on a re-analysis of the first comprehensive (1998/99) survey of biotechnology in New Zealand, data from an original (2002) survey conducted by the author and a detailed review of secondary sources. It provides the background for a study of the determinants of innovation reported elsewhere (Marsh, 2004). A review of alternative data sources on sector size and characteristics is followed by a comparison of New Zealand and international biotech indicators. Data is presented on enterprise type and size and the age distribution of New Zealand biotech enterprises. This is followed by an analysis of innovative output using data on new products, processes and patents. Data is also presented on partnerships and alliances, information sources and other factors affecting innovative performance
数字时代的国家书目：指南和新方向
No full textThis is a Chinese translation of the Guidelines by the IFLA Bibliography Section:
National bibliographies in the digital age : guidance and new directions / IFLA Working Group on Guidelines for National Bibliographies ; edited by Maja Žumer. — München : Saur, 2009. — 140 p. : some ill. ; 25 cm. — (IFLA series on bibliographic control ; v. 39
Hypersensitivity to Pegylated E.coli asparaginase as first-line treatment in contemporary paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia protocols: a meta-analysis of the Ponte di Legno Toxicity working group
No full text[EN] BACKGROUND: Hypersensitivity reactions to asparaginase challenge its use and occur frequently (30-75%) after native Escherichia Coli (E.coli) asparaginase. Comparison of incidence of allergic reactions to pegylated E.coli asparaginase (PEGasparaginase) across contemporary paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) protocols is lacking.
METHOD AND PATIENTS: Questionnaires were sent to all members of the international ALL Ponte di Legno Toxicity Working Group. Meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the incidence of three types of hypersensitivity (allergy, allergic-like reaction and silent inactivation). Information on protocol level regarding PEGasparaginase dosing regimen, administration route and use of therapeutic drug monitoring was collected for risk analysis.
RESULTS: Newly diagnosedpatients with ALL (n=5880), aged 1-24 years old, were enrolled in seven different upfront ALL protocols using PEGasparaginase as first-line treatment. The incidence of allergic reactions (sum of allergies and allergic-like reactions) [95% confidence interval] was 2% [1%; 3%] during induction and 8% [5%; 11%] during postinduction. Route of administration, number of doses, dosage and number of PEGasparaginase-free weeks did not significantly influence risk of hypersensitivity. Multivariate meta-regression analysis suggests that initiation of PEGasparaginase in postinduction and higher number of PEGasparaginase-free intervals increased the risk for allergic reactions. 9-16% and 23-29% of all hypersensitivities were allergic-like reactions and silent inactivation, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The incidence of allergic reactions is lower in protocols using PEGasparaginase as first-line treatment compared with that reported for E.coli asparaginase or PEGasparaginase after E.coli asparaginase. Postinduction phase, a higher number of PEGasparaginase-free intervals, and initiation of PEGasparaginase in postinduction phase are risk factors for allergic reactions. These results are important for planning of PEGasparaginase administrations in future frontline therapy.BSPHO: none.
CoALL: none.
DCOG: none.
DFCI: none.
NOPHO: The authors BKA and KS would like to thank the Danish Cancer Society and the Danish Childhood Cancer Society for supporting this study.
LAL/SEHOP-PETHEMA: Author ELL would like to thank all involved hospitals for data collection.
UKALL: Author AV would like to thank Amy Kirkwood, UKALL 2011 statistician, for collecting the UK data
Author Correction: Butler enables rapid cloud-based analysis of thousands of human genomes (Nature Biotechnology, (2020), 38, 3, (288-292), 10.1038/s41587-019-0360-3)
No full textCorrection to: Nature Biotechnology, published online 5 February 2020. In the published version of this paper, the members of the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium were listed in the Supplementary Information; however, these members should have been included in the main paper. The original Article has been corrected to include the members and affiliations of the PCAWG Consortium in the main paper; the corrections have been made to the HTML version of the Article but not the PDF version. Additional minor corrections to affiliations have been made to the PDF and HTML versions of the original Article for consistency of information between the PCAWG list and the main paper, and in the PCAWG Technical Working Group, the two affiliations for Miguel Vazquez have been changed from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA and Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain to Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain and Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.</p
Reading Anthropocene Science:: Literary Templates and the Anthropocene Working Group
No full textThe discourse surrounding the Anthropocene is rich in references to literary genres, tropes and plotlines. In this article, we examine the way in which these references surface in the interviews with leading Anthropocene Working Group scientists featured in Steve Bradshaw’s 2015 documentary Anthropocene. Thinking about the Anthropocene as a “tragedy” or a “fable” (to name two genres mentioned by the interviewees) is more than a rhetorical device: these literary templates enable scientists to conceptualise the Anthropocene, determine its ethical relevance, and create an affective trajectory. Put otherwise, the literary form of the Anthropocene matters. Our article discusses the limitations of tragedy and fable, with regard to human agency and environmental futures. We turn to contemporary experimentation with narrative, concluding that experimental practices are better suited than established genres to represent the complexity of the Anthropocene, and that science communication would benefit from closer engagement with creative uses of storytelling
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