Andrew Lawler

Bio: Andrew Lawler is an academic researcher from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: International Space Station & Indus. The author has an hindex of 15, co-authored 361 publications receiving 1361 citations.

Treaty Draft Raises Scientific Hackles

Abstract: A move to strengthen the rights of companies to restrict access to databases they compile has touched a raw nerve among science officials in Washington. This month the presidents of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine warned that a proposal to be discussed at upcoming international trade talks in Geneva could make it harder and more expensive for scientists to gain access to data.

Up for the Count

Abstract: BOSTON-- An odd combination of high-tech gurus and senior taxonomists has formed a foundation that aims to catalog and describe every species on Earth. The foundation assembled two dozen scientists last week at Harvard to help figure out how to tackle such a mammoth endeavor. As was clear at the meeting, the bold proposal is raising both the hopes and hackles of taxonomists.

Report of Oldest Boat Hints at Early Trade Routes

Abstract: LONDON-- A Kuwaiti site has yielded 7000-year-old bitumen slabs thought to be from a seafaring vessel. If the interpretation of the material is correct, the discovery pushes back physical evidence of boats by more than 2000 years and sheds light on what later became trading routes linking two ancient civilizations: those of the Indus River valley and Mesopotamia. A second team is finishing a controversial reconstruction of a younger ship found in Oman.

Tenured Women Battle to Make It Less Lonely at the Top

Abstract: CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS-- A new challenge to university administrators is being mounted by respected female professors with tenure who are finding themselves frustrated by the glass ceiling that many male and female academics say still separates the sexes at universities After nearly 2 decades of struggle, women remain a significant minority on science and engineering faculties, making up only 125% of senior faculty in the natural sciences and engineering at all US universities and 4-year colleges, according to National Science Foundation data Although the percentages of female junior faculty members are roughly double those of full professors, there is disturbing evidence that even the highly successful women who remain in academia and prosper may feel desperately unhappy and out of the loop with their colleagues, a situation that may be most acute at leading institutions A close look at two of the nation9s top universities, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reveals trends that likely affect women elsewhere but are more acute at these elite schools

North Versus South, Mesopotamian Style

Abstract: HAMOUKAR, SYRIA-- A solid tenet of archaeology is that civilization first sprang to life in the cities of southern Mesopotamia. But was there a parallel--or even earlier--development of urban culture to the north? (Read more.)

PhysioBank, PhysioToolkit, and PhysioNet: components of a new research resource for complex physiologic signals.

Abstract: —The newly inaugurated Research Resource for Complex Physiologic Signals, which was created under the auspices of the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of He...

Semiconductor Nanocrystals as Fluorescent Biological Labels

Abstract: Semiconductor nanocrystals were prepared for use as fluorescent probes in biological staining and diagnostics. Compared with conventional fluorophores, the nanocrystals have a narrow, tunable, symmetric emission spectrum and are photochemically stable. The advantages of the broad, continuous excitation spectrum were demonstrated in a dual-emission, single-excitation labeling experiment on mouse fibroblasts. These nanocrystal probes are thus complementary and in some cases may be superior to existing fluorophores.

The Biomarker Guide

Abstract: The second edition of The Biomarker Guide is a fully updated and expanded version of this essential reference. Now in two volumes, it provides a comprehensive account of the role that biomarker technology plays both in petroleum exploration and in understanding Earth history and processes. Biomarkers and Isotopes in the Environment and Human History details the origins of biomarkers and introduces basic chemical principles relevant to their study. It discusses analytical techniques, and applications of biomarkers to environmental and archaeological problems. The Biomarker Guide is an invaluable resource for geologists, petroleum geochemists, biogeochemists, environmental scientists and archaeologists.

Maintenance of Serological Memory by Polyclonal Activation of Human Memory B Cells

Abstract: Production of antibodies can last for a lifetime, through mechanisms that remain poorly understood. Here, we show that human memory B lymphocytes proliferate and differentiate into plasma cells in response to polyclonal stimuli, such as bystander T cell help and CpG DNA. Furthermore, plasma cells secreting antibodies to recall antigens are produced in vivo at levels proportional to the frequency of specific memory B cells, even several years after antigenic stimulation. Although antigen boosting leads to a transient increase in specific antibody levels, ongoing polyclonal activation of memory B cells offers a means to maintain serological memory for a human lifetime.