Showing papers by "American Association for the Advancement of Science published in 2009"
TL;DR: The United States' system of research universities have been found to be sufficiently different from those found in many other OECD countries where these policies have been adopted to produce political pressures for an increase rather than a decrease in governmental control over university affairs.
Abstract: Neoliberal precepts of the governance of academic science-deregulation; reification of markets; emphasis on competitive allocation processes have been conflated with those of performance management—if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it—into a single analytical and consequent single programmatic worldview. As applied to the United States’ system of research universities, this conflation leads to two major divergences from relationships hypothesized in the governance of science literature. (1) The governance and financial structures supporting academic science in the United States’ system of higher education are sufficiently different from those found in many other OECD countries where these policies have been adopted to produce political pressures for an increase rather than a decrease in governmental control over university affairs. (2) The major impact upon academic science of performance measurement systems has come not externally from new government requirements but internally from the independent adoption of these techniques by universities, initially in the name of rational management and increasingly as devices to foster reputational enhancement. The overall thrust of the two trends in the U.S. has been less a shift as experienced elsewhere from bureaucratic to market modes of governance than the displacement of professional-collegial control by internal bureaucratic control.
37 citations
TL;DR: Mechanistic understanding of regulatory behavior will be helpful in developing predictive models of relationships between complex genotypes and variable phenotypes, and should enable personalized disease intervention.
Abstract: Systems biology is changing the way we think about regulatory phenomena: Instead of focusing on individual components and single reactions as rate-limiting steps, we are now considering systems as a whole to understand how regulation arises from multiple interacting components. To understand the mechanisms by which interacting components become regulatory systems, we need to have a quantitative understanding of the system. At the cellular level, this means knowing the concentrations of cellular components, such as proteins, and the reaction rates for interactions between components. Mechanistic understanding of regulatory behavior will be helpful in developing predictive models of relationships between complex genotypes and variable phenotypes.
18 citations
TL;DR: Felix, a Gay Latino man, presented with anxiety and panic attacks, which were addressed as symptoms of minority stress and self-stigma by cognitive-behavioral therapy that targeted his concealment of his sexual orientation and increased his active coping as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Felix, a Gay Latino man, presented with anxiety and panic attacks, which were addressed as symptoms of minority stress and self-stigma. The client’s panic attacks were eliminated and anxiety was reduced by cognitive-behavioral therapy that targeted his concealment of his sexual orientation and that increased his active coping. By facing his fears of the negative impact of self-disclosure of his sexual orientation, Felix improved his mental health and relationships with others. A four-month follow-up interview is described.
18 citations
TL;DR: Science Translational Medicine seeks to serve as the medium for the evolving transformation of biomedical research with a focus on translational medicine.
Abstract: Science Translational Medicine , a new companion publication to Science , represents the crystallization of several undercurrents that have been rocking biological research over the past few years. First is the uneasy sense that our approaches to the transformation of 50 years’ worth of remarkable
13 citations
TL;DR: This chapter discusses how the peer-review process can be improved by having reviewers focus on improving the work rather than simply noting its flaws.
Abstract: The peer-review process can be improved by having reviewers focus on improving the work rather than simply noting its flaws.
12 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the scale of growth that is needed for nuclear energy to make a meaningful contribution to mitigating carbon emissions and show that for nuclear power to provide even one such wedge, it would require a massive investment in both technical and institutional innovations.
Abstract: the world will need to produce huge quantities of energy in the 21 century to meet the needs of a growing world population, while also working to lift billions of people out of poverty. Providing this energy at a reasonable cost, without causing unmanageable climate disruption, security risks, or other environmental devastation, will be one of the century’s most daunting challenges. This challenge will be even more difficult to meet if nuclear energy does not play a substantial part. But achieving the scale of nuclear energy growth required while managing the risks of that growth will be a major challenge in itself, one that will require both technical and institutional innovations. Consider the scale of growth that is needed for nuclear energy to make a meaningful contribution to mitigating carbon emissions. One oft-cited 2004 analysis broke down the problem of shifting away from a business-as-usual energy path into seven “wedges”—different technologies that would each grow to displace a billion tons of carbon emissions per year by 2050 (see Figure 1). More recent science suggests that 10 to 15 such wedges are likely to be required, as business-asusual emissions are higher than previously projected, the carbon-absorbing properties of the oceans appear to be weaker, and the atmospheric concentration of carbon required to avoid disastrous climate consequences seem to be even lower than once thought. For nuclear power to provide even one such wedge would require a
8 citations
TL;DR: The Perspectives in this issue highlight how new pharmacological tools and the ability to knock down the function of complex-specific subunits are providing new insight into the regulation and functions of mTOR complexes in physiological contexts, as well as providing new avenues for therapeutic intervention in diseases associated with aberrant activity of these complexes.
Abstract: The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a master integrator of cell energy state, nutrient status, and growth factor stimulation. This kinase is part of two distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, and the network that regulates these two complexes is interconnected with distinct and overlapping inputs and outputs. Research published in Science Signaling has revealed new connections between epidermal growth factor receptors and the mTOR pathway, and new insight into the roles of mTOR signaling in vascular disease. The Perspectives in this issue highlight how new pharmacological tools and the ability to knock down the function of complex-specific subunits are providing new insight into the regulation and functions of these complexes in physiological contexts, as well as providing new avenues for therapeutic intervention in diseases associated with aberrant activity of these complexes.
8 citations
TL;DR: Education efforts on biosecurity and dual use research education programs are being developed in Japan, Brazil, and Morocco, and there are still major gaps.
Abstract: In 2004, the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) described the dual use dilemma, the recognition that some legitimate biological research could be misapplied for harmful purposes (e.g., biological weapons) ( 1 ). The U.S. government's National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) has released recommendations on communicating, overseeing, and educating about such research ( 2 , 3 ). The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism ([www.preventwmd.gov/home][1]) recommended that the dual use dilemma and biosafety be taught to all life scientists ( 4 ). Many other countries have instituted policies to support education ( 5 ). The UK asks scientists seeking grants if they have considered the dual use implications of their work ( 6 , 7 ). Biosecurity and dual use research education programs are being developed in Japan, Brazil, and Morocco ( 8 ). At the 2008 intersessional meetings of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), representatives from over a dozen countries acknowledged support for education on biosecurity and biosafety and described education efforts within their nations ( 8 ). Mandatory education on the dual use dilemma has been supported by the Australian National University ( 9 ) and is required by law in Israel ( 10 ). Although these developments represent significant progress, there are still major gaps.
[1]: http://www.preventwmd.gov/home
8 citations
TL;DR: Learning the peer-review process by trial and error may not be the most effective way to train the next generation of scientists in how to be effective reviewers.
Abstract: Learning the peer-review process by trial and error may not be the most effective way to train the next generation of scientists in how to be effective reviewers. Here are some suggestions from an editor's perspective.
7 citations
TL;DR: Insight is provided into the pathological potential of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as the important physiological signals that the reactive molecules transmit and the biological processes that they regulate.
Abstract: Reduction-oxidation reactions produce reactive species that regulate cellular behavior, predominantly by posttranslationally modifying cysteine residues on target proteins. Research Articles, as well as a Perspective and Review in this issue, provide insight into the pathological potential of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as the important physiological signals that the reactive molecules transmit and the biological processes that they regulate.
6 citations
TL;DR: An "outsider" analysis of veterinary medicine in the context of national participation trends in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics suggests research to explain why students gravitate-or not-to the discipline and how the future of the profession may turn on the composition of the veterinary medicine faculty.
Abstract: An "outsider" analysis of veterinary medicine in the context of national participation trends in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics suggests research to explain why students gravitate-or not-to the discipline and how the future of the profession may turn on the composition of the veterinary medicine faculty. Interventions to effect change in a range of classroom and institutional practices will determine the competitive advantage of the discipline relative to other health professions.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors highlight computational and experimental approaches to understand both the macroscopic cellular response and the microscopic signaling network and its constituents and dynamics, and highlight the importance of computational approaches to understanding both macroscopy and microscopic signaling networks.
Abstract: The biochemical processes that control the responses of cells to changes in their internal or external environments form a complex interconnected network. The molecules that participate in these processes are diverse and dynamic, and the networks themselves are affected by the flow of information through them. With this appreciation of the complexity in signaling networks, Science Signaling highlights computational and experimental approaches to understanding both the macroscopic cellular response and the microscopic signaling network and its constituents and dynamics.
TL;DR: This issue of Science Signaling complements the Science special issue on protein dynamics with several articles that highlight the dynamic nature of proteins involved in signal transduction.
Abstract: Science Signaling complements the Science special issue on protein dynamics (http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/proteindynamics/) with several articles that highlight the dynamic nature of proteins involved in signal transduction. Not only are conformational changes in proteins important for transducing signaling information, proteins also move within the cell and interact with various partners to trigger the appropriate cellular response. Examples of each of these types of protein dynamics are highlighted in this issue.
TL;DR: This Focus Issue of Science Signaling highlights the signaling pathways that are activated by and that mediate responses to diverse types of stresses.
Abstract: Organisms constantly face potential damage from internal and external sources, thus necessitating signaling cascades that couple specific cellular stresses to the appropriate responses. This Focus Issue of Science Signaling highlights the signaling pathways that are activated by and that mediate responses to diverse types of stresses.
TL;DR: The pieces in this Focus Issue of Science Signaling discuss molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways implicated in the pathologies of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's diseases.
Abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases exact a tremendous toll on afflicted individuals and their families. Understanding the underlying signaling cascades that are perturbed by or contribute to neurodegeneration may identify new therapeutic targets or improve current therapies. The pieces in this Focus Issue of Science Signaling discuss molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways implicated in the pathologies of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's diseases.
TL;DR: A discussion of validation methods for siRNA screens and protein-interaction screens reveals how to go beyond an arbitrary assignment of relevant to a more biologically meaningful identification of targets.
Abstract: Integration of data from different techniques is the key to effective validation of "hits" in large-scale screens. A discussion of validation methods for siRNA screens and protein-interaction screens reveals how to go beyond an arbitrary assignment of relevant to a more biologically meaningful identification of targets.
TL;DR: The level of regulation for transgenic organisms is not proportional to their potential risk to human health or to the environment, and that further modifications are necessary to reflect the risk level of transgenic crops and realize their benefits as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Policy-makers have described the many potential benefits that biofuels can provide, but there are numerous challenges in realizing this potential. The technical hurdles to producing biofuels economically and on a scale to replace a significant fraction of petroleum-based transportation fuels have been well described, along with the potential environmental concerns. The use of biotechnology can potentially address many of these technical challenges and environmental concerns, but brings significant regulatory obstacles that have not been discussed extensively in the scientific community. This review will give an overview of some of the approaches being developed to produce transgenic biofuel feedstocks, particularly cellulosic ethanol, and the regulatory process in the United States that oversees the introduction of new transgenic plants. We hope to illustrate that the level of regulation for transgenic organisms is not proportional to their potential risk to human health or to the environment, and that while revisions to the regulatory system in the USA are currently under consideration, further modifications are necessary to reflect the risk level of transgenic crops and realize their benefits. © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
TL;DR: Scientists must educate and prepare themselves for assaults on scientific freedom, not because it is a legal right, but rather because social progress depends on it.
Abstract: Along with concerns about the deleterious effects of politically driven government intervention on science are the intrusion of private sector interests into the conduct of research and the reporting of its results. Scientists are generally unprepared for the challenges posed by private interests seeking to advance their economic, political, or ideological agendas. They must educate and prepare themselves for assaults on scientific freedom, not because it is a legal right, but rather because social progress depends on it.
TL;DR: In ‘‘Is Diversity Good? Six Possible Conceptions of Diversity and Six Possible Answers’’, Bouville attempts to distinguish the use of ‘"diversity”’ as a “political weapon” rather than a "rational concept”, but presentations of diversity as symptom, side effect, and symmetry generally fail to consider the critical importance of context.
Abstract: In ‘‘Is Diversity Good? Six Possible Conceptions of Diversity and Six Possible Answers’’ [1], Bouville attempts to distinguish the use of ‘‘diversity’’ as a ‘‘political weapon’’ rather than a ‘‘rational concept.’’ Yet, concepts are neither rational nor irrational, and are used as political weapons all the time. If the world does not conform to one’s world view, that does not make the world’s values wrong-headed and grounds for dismissal. This is not Bouville’s modus operandi. Bouville’s approach is to parse language to a high art. His presentations of diversity as symptom, side effect, and symmetry generally fail to consider the critical importance of context. Even the discussion of ‘‘critical mass’’ [1, p. 59] overlooks the point made by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor who, writing for the majority in the 2003 University of Michigan admissions ruling (Grutter v. Bollinger, 123 S.Ct. 2325), indicated that critical mass is a relative concept of deliberately unspecified ‘‘amount.’’ What constitutes a critical mass of
TL;DR: Nominations included research on synapses in brains and in B cells; the evolution and regulation of signaling networks; the identification of a new class of plant hormones; insights into the causes and treatments of disease, such as cancer and schizophrenia; and a possible way to stay in shape while avoiding exercise.
Abstract: This year's signaling breakthroughs extended from protein crystals to cells and subcellular structures to whole genomes. Nominations included research on synapses in brains and in B cells; the evolution and regulation of signaling networks; the identification of a new class of plant hormones; insights into the causes and treatments of disease, such as cancer and schizophrenia; and a possible way to stay in shape while avoiding exercise.
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TL;DR: In 1972, The Shanghai Communique of President Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai ended 23 years of isolation between the United States and China, and presaging formal diplomatic relations in 1979, came the breakthrough science diplomacy mission of the President's Science Advisor Frank Press, accompanied by representatives of nearly every technical federal agency.
Abstract: In 1972, The Shanghai Communique of President Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai ended 23 years of isolation between the United States and China. Tucked into a single sentence was a brief reference to cooperation in science and technology (S&T). Visits by scientists and scholars then gradually increased, guided on the U.S. side by the nongovernmental National Academy of Sciences. Six years later, and presaging formal diplomatic relations in 1979, came the breakthrough science diplomacy mission of the President9s Science Advisor Frank Press, accompanied by representatives of nearly every technical federal agency. That trip laid the groundwork for the formal Agreement on Cooperation in S&T, signed exactly 30 years ago this week by President Carter and the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.
TL;DR: Science Signaling's Chief Scientific Editor gives an overview of mTOR signaling, the topic of a Science Signaling Focus Issue released this week.
Abstract: This is a conversation with Michael Yaffe, Chief Scientific Editor of Science Signaling . He discusses signaling through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, the topic of a Science Signaling Focus Issue released this week.
TL;DR: Synthetic PDZ domain variants reveal how this domain can evolve to produce proteins with different binding specificities and this conversation with Sachdev Sidhu about a Research Article published in the 8 September 2009 issue of Science Signaling.
Abstract: This is a conversation with Sachdev Sidhu about a Research Article published in the 8 September 2009 issue of Science Signaling .
TL;DR: A method for using a microfluidic device to quantify cell signaling events within individual cells to enable high-throughput analysis of signaling in individual cells is discussed.
Abstract: This is a conversation with Andre Levchenko, author of a Protocol published in the 16 June 2009 issue of Science Signaling . He discusses a method for using a microfluidic device to quantify cell signaling events within individual cells.
TL;DR: A small G protein may limit the toxicity of mutant huntingtin to the brain, according to a conversation with Science Signaling editor Wei Wong about recent research on Huntington's Disease.
Abstract: This is a conversation with Science Signaling editor Wei Wong about recent research on Huntington's Disease.
TL;DR: This conversation with Matthias Wymann discusses how adaptor proteins can help generate specificity in signaling events triggered by the second messenger PIP3.
Abstract: This is a conversation with Matthias Wymann, senior author of a Research Article published in the 09 June 2009 issue of Science Signaling . He discusses how adaptor proteins can help generate specificity in signaling events triggered by the second messenger PIP 3 .
TL;DR: This is a conversation with Ulrik Nielsen, author of a Research Article published in the 30 June 2009 issue of Science Signaling, about the use of mathematical models to predict candidate drug targets in signaling pathways involved in cancer.
Abstract: This is a conversation with Ulrik Nielsen, author of a Research Article published in the 30 June 2009 issue of Science Signaling . He discusses the use of mathematical models to predict candidate drug targets in signaling pathways involved in cancer.
TL;DR: Joseph Schlessinger discusses his group's recent characterization of the kinetics of fibroblast growth factor receptor autophosphorylation, which is kinetically controlled and disrupted by a mutation associated with glioblastoma.
Abstract: This is a conversation with Joseph Schlessinger, senior author of a Research Article published in the 17 February issue of Science Signaling . He discusses his group9s recent characterization of the kinetics of fibroblast growth factor receptor autophosphorylation.
TL;DR: In this paper, a conversation with Science Signaling 9s Chief Scientific Editor Micheal Yaffe about articles in the 28 July 2009 Focus Issue on complexity is presented. But the authors do not discuss their own work.
Abstract: This is a conversation with Science Signaling 9s Chief Scientific Editor Micheal Yaffe about articles in the 28 July 2009 Focus Issue on complexity.
TL;DR: This is a conversation with Malcolm Meyn about a Research Article published in the 13 October 2009 issue of Science Signaling about distinct Src kinases regulate the differentiation of embryonic stem cells.
Abstract: This is a conversation with Malcolm Meyn about a Research Article published in the 13 October 2009 issue of Science Signaling